Discussion of related research on diagnosis and aids for the partially deaf. The anatomical structures that are key to speech production and hearing are presented. Laboratory exercises provide students with dissection experience and study of microscopic specimens. Topics include gross anatomy of head and neck structures, cranial nerves and the central nervous system. Special techniques such as chemical markers, imaging, and electron microscopy are demonstrated.
Emphasis is on experimental observations, theories, quantitative models and clinical relevance.
The anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system relevant to speech and hearing. We will discuss how acoustic signals are coded by auditory neurons, the impact of these codes on behavioral 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. Faculty includes otolaryngologists, audiologists, speech clinicians, pathologists, rehabilitation specialists, bioengineers.