See description under subject 6.551J . The anatomical structures of speech and hearing. Gross anatomy of the head and neck, cranial nerves, and the central nervous system. Laboratory exercises provide experience in dissection and the analysis of microscopic specimens. Emphasis on experimental observations, theories, quantitative models, and clinical relevance.
Instruction includes lectures, laboratories, and the reading and discussion of original literature.
Evaluations of students based on oral and written presentations, laboratory exercises, a final examination, and participation in discussions. The anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system relevant to speech and hearing. Discussion of how acoustic signals are coded by auditory neurons, the impact of these codes on behavorial performance, and the circuitry and cellular mechanisms underlying signal transformations. Topics include temporal coding, neural maps and feature detectors, learning and plasticity, and feedback control. General principles are conveyed by theme discussions of auditory masking, sound localization, echolocation in bats, musical pitch, speech coding, and cochlear implants.