Cochlear implants can restore hearing to deaf or partially deaf patients. In order to plan the intervention, a model from high resolution μCT images is to be built from accurate cochlea segmentations and then, adapted to a patient-specific model. Thus, a precise segmentation is required to build such a model. We propose a new framework for segmentation of μCT cochlear images using random walks ...

To our knowledge, the effects of Spirulina platensis water extract (SP) on hearing function have not yet been reported. This study investigated the effects of SP on the function and redox status of the auditory system. Auditory brainstem responses and redox status were compared between two groups of 3-month-old senescence-accelerated prone-8 (SAMP8) mice: the control group was fed a normal diet...

The degeneration of hair cells in the mammalian cochlea results in permanent sensorineural hearing loss. This study aimed to promote the regeneration of sensory hair cells in the mature cochlea and their reconnection with auditory neurons through the introduction of ATOH1, a transcription factor known to be necessary for hair cell development, and the introduction of neurotrophic factors. Adeno...

The human auditory system is capable of perceiving the direction of a sound source despite reeections oo of walls, ceiling and other interfering objects. This phenomenon, the precedence eeect, has been previously modeled only for synthetic click stimuli. This paper presents a biologically plausible computer simulation for speech, that combines a cross-correlation model with an onset enhancement...

The cochlea is a hydromechanical frequency analyzer located in the inner ear (Fig. 1 a). Its principal role is to perform a realtime spectral decomposition of the acoustic signal in producing a spatial frequency map. The frequency analysis may be understood with the aid of Figure 1 b, which shows a straightened cochlea with a snapshot of its basilar membrane displaced in response to a single-fr...

AIMS AND BACKGROUND To evaluate the effectiveness of tomotherapy-based image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) on the radiation dose to the cochlea in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN A retrospective review of five patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiation with tomotherapy for locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer was performed. RESULTS The mean dose to the right ...

Low-frequency hearing is critically important for speech and music perception, but no mechanical measurements have previously been available from inner ears with intact low-frequency parts. These regions of the cochlea may function in ways different from the extensively studied high-frequency regions, where the sensory outer hair cells produce force that greatly increases the sound-evoked vibra...

A majority of hearing defects are due to malfunction of the outer hair cells (OHCs), those cells within the mammalian hearing sensor (the cochlea) that provide an active amplification of the incoming signal. Malformation of the hearing sensor, ototoxic drugs, acoustical trauma, infections, or the effect of aging affect often a whole frequency interval, which leads to a substantial loss of speec...

Many drugs, chemical substances and agents are potentially toxic to the human auditory system. The extent of toxicity depends on numerous factors. With few exceptions, toxicity in the auditory system affects various organs or cells within the cochlea or vestibular system, with brain stem and other central nervous system involvement reported with some chemicals and agents. This ototoxicity usual...

HUMAN EXPERIENCE IS enriched by our ability to distinguish a remarkable range of sounds—from the complexity of a symphony, to the warmth of a conversation, to the dull roar of the stadium. This ability depends upon the almost miraculous feats of hair cells, the receptors of the internal ear. Similar hair cells are also responsible for our sense of equilibrium. Human hearing commences when the c...