Dysfunction of the inner ear is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss, which is the most common sensory deficit worldwide. Conventional imaging modalities are unable to depict the microanatomy of the human inner ear, hence the need to explore novel imaging modalities. We provide the first characterization of the polarization dependent optical properties of human cochlear sections ...

PURPOSE To determine the feasibility of performing rapid, high-resolution, low-radiation-dose spiral CT scans of the temporal bone in unsedated pediatric patients. METHODS Axial spiral CT examinations with an effective section thickness of 1.25 mm were performed in 41 infants and children. Multiplanar reconstructions were generated using 360 degrees and 180 degrees linear interpolation algori...

Significant advances have been made in our understanding of the functional significance of nitric oxide (NO) in the inner ear. The localization of NO synthase and the nitric oxide production site has now been established by immunohistochemistry and the fluorescent indicator of NO. The functional significance of NO in the inner ear, especially as a neurotransmitter, is becoming increasingly clea...

The insertion of an intrascalar electrode array during cochlear implantation causes immediate damage to the inner ear and may result in delayed onset of additional damage that may interfere with neuronal stimulation. To date, there have been reports on fewer than 50 temporal bone specimens from patients who had undergone implantation during life. The majority of these were singlechannel implant...

OBJECTIVE To determine the distribution of alpha1, alpha3, and alpha5 chains of type IV collagen in the cochlea in Alport syndrome. DESIGN Case-control study. PATIENTS Two patients with sensorineural hearing loss due to Alport syndrome. Both patients had known mutations in the COL4A5 gene. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Immunostaining was used to study the distribution of type IV collagen (alpha1,...

In this paper, a three dimensional spiral cochlear finite element model is established based on the experimental data of the actual right human ear to study the curvature effect on the amplitude of the spiral basilar membrane (BM). Harmonic response analysis is then carried out. The simulation results are in good agreement with the published experimental results, which confirm the validity of t...

conclusions our study shows in terms of figures that measurements of features of the temporal bone made from spiral ct scan images and those directly obtained during surgery are similar to an adequate extent. results twenty cases were included. in the three measurements performed in this study, only the first parameter (distance between the canal and the sigmoid sinus) was significantly differe...

One of the greatest challenges in the treatment of inner ear disorders is to find a cure for the hearing loss caused by the loss of cochlear hair cells or spiral ganglion neurons. The recent discovery of stem cells in the adult inner ear that are capable of differentiating into hair cells, as well as the finding that embryonic stem cells can be converted into hair cells, raise hope for the futu...

In the cochlea, spiral ganglion neurons play a critical role in hearing as they form the relay between mechanosensory hair cells in the inner ear and cochlear nuclei in the brainstem. The proneural basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors Neurogenin1 (Neurog1) and NeuroD1 have been shown to be essential for the development of otocyst-derived inner ear sensory neurons. Here, we show neural c...

The histopathology of the temporal bones of a patient who died of unrelated causes 10 weeks following cochlear implantation using a Richards Ineraid device is presented. Deafness was caused by a prolonged course of intravenous gentamycin therapy 5 years prior to implantation. The electrode array of the cochlear implant was left in situ throughout histologic preparation and sectioning. Despite d...