Pathways in the Brain Germane to Audiologists: A Brief Commentary
by Frank E. Musiek, Ph.D. Most audiologists are familiar with at least two major pathways in the brain. One is the ascending (and descending) auditory brainstem pathway and the other is the ascending (and descending) vestibular brainstem pathway. In the cerebrum there are also pathways of importance to audiology. These include, in our view,…
Read MoreThe Internal Auditory Meatus (IAM): It’s neuroanatomy & comment
by Frank E. Musiek Introduction The internal auditory meatus (IAM) is a canal in the temporal bone that extends from the bony cochlea medially to an opening in the posterior aspect of the petrous portion of the temporal bone. This structure is germane to audiologists because it contains three nerves of interest to audiologists:…
Read MoreThe Contralateral Ear Effect on Tests of Central Auditory Function: An Introduction
Frank Musiek Introduction Back in the 1950’s Ettore Bocca and his Italian colleagues (Bocca, Calearo, Cassinari, 1954) were the first to develop and make significant clinical use of central auditory tests. They had learned that the pure tone audiogram was not useful in reflecting deficits of the central auditory nervous system (CANS).…
Read MoreAn Account of Some Relationships Between Otoacoustic Emissions and the Olivocochlear Bundle
Aaron Whiteley The focused examination of otoacoustic emissions began in the 1940s with Georg von Bekesy. Inspired, yet unconvinced by Helmholtz’ idea that the cochlea consisted of resonant structures, Bekesy developed an intricate method of examination that would lead to the place theory and traveling wave theory (Hall, 2000). Bekesy’s experiments built the foundation…
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