The Central Auditory System / Edition 1

by Gunter Ehret, Raymond Romand

Overview

A single-volume approach to the structure and function of the central auditory system of mammals, this richly illustrated book has a unique organization intended to make the information it presents useful to both beginners and experienced researchers. It starts with a concise overview of the subject in the first section, which is then followed by an in-depth treatment of all levels of the central auditory pathway in the next four sections. Ehret and Romand expertly integrate general aspects of sound processing at any given level of the system with special topics relevant to that level. The emphasis shifts from a cellular level of auditory analysis at the first brain center to the interplay of fifteen centers in a maze of connecting loops using various neurotransmitters. The authors then proceed to discuss the organization of topographic maps of neuronal responses in the midbrain, and explain how a highly parallel and hierarchical system of distributed thalamic and cortical information channels can function so that, finally, sounds may be perceived and recognized. This book is intended for both the researcher who needs a quick general reference, and the expert with a more specialized and detailed interest in the subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195096842
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/12/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Ehret, Gunter (Universitat Ulm); Romand, Raymond (Universite Blaise Pascal)

The contributors represent the specialties of neurobiology and physiology. Most are from universities and research institutes in France, Germany, and Switzerland, including Universite Blaise Pascal in France.

Table of Contents

I. Functional Organization of the Auditory Pathways, Eric M. Rouiller1. Primary Auditory Neurons (Auditory Nerve)2. Cochlear Nucleus3. Superior Olivary Complex4. Lateral Lemniscus5. Inferior Colliculus6. Superior Colliculus7. Thalamus and Cerebral Cortex8. Parallel and Hierarchical Organization9. Descending Auditory Pathways and Feedback Control10. Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials11. ConclusionII. Anatomical and Functional Aspects of the Cochlear Nucleus, Raymond Romand and Paul Avan1. Anatomy of the Cochlear Nucleus2. Neuropharmacological Aspects of the Cochlear Nucleus3. The Functional Activity of the Cochlear Nucleus4. ConclusionIII. Superior Olivary Complex and Nuclei of the Lateral Lemniscus, Robert H. Helfert and Andreas Aschoff1. Superior Olivary Complex in General2. Medial Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body3. Lateral Superior Olive4. Medial Superior Olive5. Periolivary Nuclei6. Olivocochlear Neurons7. Nuclei of the Lateral Lemniscus8. ConclusionIV. The Auditory Midbrain, a "Shunting-Yard" of Acoustical Information Processing, Gunther Ehret1. The Structure Behind Mechanisms2. The Message of Single Neurons3. Formation of Maps4. Organization and Possible Functions of Maps in the ICC5. Contributions to Hearing6. ConclusionV. Acoustical Information Processing in the Auditory Thalamus and Cerebral Cortex, Francois de Ribaupierre1. Auditory Thalamus2. Auditory Cortex3. Corticothalamic Connections4. Intracortical and Interhemispheric Connections5. ConclusionIndex