Auditory Pathway
Dr Adefokun IG (MB;BS Ibadan)
Department of Anatomy, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria.
Department of Surgery, Bowen University, Iwo and Bowen
University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
Introduction
• The auditory system is responsible for how we hear and understand
sounds within the environment.
• Peripheral auditory pathway
• outer, middle, and inner ear
• Central auditory pathway
• cochlear nuclei, superior olivary nuclei, lateral lemniscus, inferior colliculus, medial
geniculate nuclei, and auditory cortex
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
• Sounds are produced by energy waves traveling through a medium,
causing particle motion in that medium.
• Sound frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz) or number of cycles per second.
Humans typically hear within the 20-20,000 Hz frequency range.
• Sound waves reach the outer ear travel down the external meatus to
reach the tympanic membrane:
• tympanic membrane movement = vibrations of the 3 middle ear bones (ossicles)
— malleus, incus, stapes
• ossicles convey the tympanic membrane movements to the oval (vestibular)
window
• oval window opens to the inner ear's vestibule: which is a compartment between
the cochlea and the semicircular canals; also a connection between them
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
• The cochlea has 3 chambers:
• scala tympani (outermost portion) — perilymph
• scala media (middle region) — endolymph, basilar membrane, organ of Corti
• scala vestibuli (innermost region) — perilymph
• helicotrema
• The Organ of Corti lies on the basilar membrane inside the scala media
• contains mechanoreceptor cells: 3 rows of outer hair cells and 1 row of inner hair cells.
• basal end of the hair cells is fixed in the basilar membrane.
• the apical end of each hair cell has stereocilia which connect to a second membrane, the tectorial
membrane.
• stereocilia have potassium channels on their surfaces.
• The oscillations of the scala vestibuli and scala tympani cause the basilar membrane to move.
• Basilar membrane motions = stereocilia bending = opening or closure of potassium channels =
hair cell depolarization or repolarization
• With hair cell depolarization an impulse is sent toward the auditory nerve.
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
Tonotopic gradient.
The inner hair cells process most 90% of
auditory stimuli.
The remaining 10% comes from the outer
hair cells.
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Peripheral Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Central Auditory System
• Peripheral auditory impulses reach the auditory cortex nuclei via the auditory nerve.
From the auditory nerve, sensory information ascends along the following path:
• Ipsilateral auditory nuclei Ipsilateral cochlear nucleus
• Superior olivary complex—most fibers cross over to the contralateral superior olivary
complex; some remain on the ipsilateral superior olivary complex
• Contralateral and ipsilateral lateral lemniscus nuclei
• Contralateral and ipsilateral inferior colliculus
• Contralateral and ipsilateral medial geniculate nuclei
• Contralateral and ipsilateral transverse temporal gyrus (auditory region)
• From the superior olivary complex upward, central auditory pathway nuclei are
"binaural," ie they receive inputs from peripheral auditory structures on both sides of the
head. The lower levels of the central auditory pathways are "monaural" because they
receive sensory inputs only from the ipsilateral ear.
• The brain relies on the binaural auditory pathways to locate a sound's origin accurately.
Structure and Function —
Central Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Central Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Central Auditory System
Structure and Function —
Central Auditory System
• The central auditory pathways process the following:
• Intensity
• Attenuation
• Spatial location
• Frequency
• Combination sensitivity
Structure and Function —
Descending Circuits
• The descending auditory pathways begin in
the auditory cortex, with direct projections to the
inferior colliculus, superior olivary complex, and
cochlear nucleus.
• Several modulatory signals adjust responses depending
on various stimuli — e.g., learned behaviors, emotional
state — with inputs from higher centres such as the:
prefrontal cortex; hippocampus; nucleus basalis of
Meynert; limbic system.
Structure
and Function
—
Descending
Circuits
Embryology
• Cochlea development begins on gestational day 4 from the surface
ectoderm.
• otic vesicle = inner ear's membranous labyrinth,
• dorsal portion of the labyrinth = utricle and semicircular ducts,
• ventral portion of the labyrinth = cochlea and saccule.
• The central auditory pathway components develop from different parts
of the primitive brain:
• telencephalon = auditory cortex
• diencephalon = medial geniculate
• mesencephalon = inferior colliculus
• rhombencephalon = cochlear and superior olivary nuclei
• These regions are fully functioning at birth.
Embryology
Embryol
ogy
Blood Supply
and
Lymphatics
• Blood Supply
• External Ear
• Posterior auricular
branch of the
external carotid
artery
Blood Supply
and
Lymphatics
• Blood Supply
• Middle Ear
• Mastoid branches
from the posterior
auricular arteries
• Occipital arteries
• Deep auricular
arteries
Blood Supply
• Blood Supply
• Inner Ear
• Anterior tympanic branch of the maxillary artery
and • Stylomastoid branch of the posterior auricular artery
• Petrosal branch of the middle meningeal artery
Lymphatics • Labyrinthine artery (branch of the basilar or anterior inferior
cerebellar artery)
Blood Supply and
Lymphatics
• Lymphatics
• External Ear: Pre-auricular lymph
nodes
• Middle Ear: Retroauricular and
junctional lymph nodes
• Inner Ear: Lymphatic drainage
system is unclear
Muscles
• Muscles around and inside the
ears influence audition.
• Levator veli palatini
• Tensor veli palatini
• Stapedius
Clinical Correlates
• Cauliflower Ear
• Otitis Media
• Acoustic Neuroma
• Tinnitus
• Vertigo
• Nystagmus
• Facial drooping
• Decreased corneal reflex
• Hoarseness
• Dysphagia
• Ataxia
• Dysarthria
Other Issues
• Hearing test
• Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
