Organization of the vertebrate inner ear is mainly dependent on localized signals from surrounding tissues. Previous studies demonstrated that sonic hedgehog (Shh) secreted from the floor plate and notochord is required for specification of ventral (auditory) and dorsal (vestibular) inner ear structures, yet it was not clear how this signaling activity is propagated. To elucidate the molecular ...

Objective: The developmental process of vertebrate inner ear is complex. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be involved in the development of inner ear. The current study was designed to explore the potential role of miR-18a in the development of inner ear. Methods: The expression of miR-18a and lysine demethylase 5B (Kd5mb) in inner ear tissues and house Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (H...

Stem cell-derived inner ear sensory epithelia are a promising source of tissues for treating patients with hearing loss and dizziness. We recently demonstrated how to generate inner ear sensory epithelia, designated as inner ear organoids, from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in a self-organizing 3D culture. Here we improve the efficiency of this culture system by elucidating how Wnt signalin...

Inner ear decompression sickness has been strongly associated with the presence of right-to-left shunts. The implied involvement of intravascular bubbles shunted from venous to arterial circulations is inconsistent with the frequent absence of cerebral symptoms in these cases. If arterial bubbles reach the labyrinthine artery, they must also be distributing widely in the brain. This discrepancy...

Bone conduction (BC) hearing relies on sound vibration transmission in the skull bone. Several clinical findings indicate that in the human, the skull vibration of the inner ear dominates the response for BC sound. Two phenomena transform the vibrations of the skull surrounding the inner ear to an excitation of the basilar membrane, (1) inertia of the inner ear fluid and (2) compression and exp...

INTRODUCTION We describe indications and surgical technique for dividing the stapedius and tensor tympani tendons during middle ear surgery. Middle ear muscle reflexes involve contraction of the tensor tympani muscle (TTM) and stapedius muscle (SM) to increase impedance of the middle ear, and may shield the inner ear from loud, continuous nonimpact noise. Sectioning SM and TTM tendons has been ...

INTRODUCTION Congenital malformations and acquired lesions of the inner ear are characterised by small structural changes in this region. In recent decades, treatment options have improved considerably. At the same time, there has been a great advancement in diagnostic methods, obtaining high-resolution labyrinth images. Currently, we use a 64-multislice computed tomography scanner in spiral mo...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE SCD has been reported to involve the inner ear and result in LH and LO. Our purpose was to examine the prevalence of inner ear involvement and to assess the relationship between clinical and imaging findings in patients with SCD. MATERIALS AND METHODS Review of our institution's imaging data base for patients with SCD who underwent imaging of the brain or head and neck ...