Front cover -- An Introduction to the physiology of hearing -- Copyright page -- Contents -- Preface to the fourth edition -- From the preface to the first edition -- Abbreviations -- Reading plan -- 1 The physics and analysis of sound -- 1.1 The nature of sound -- 1.2 The decibel scale -- 1.3 Impedance -- 1.4 The analysis of sound -- 1.5 Linearity -- 1.6 Summary -- 2 The outer and middle ears -- 2.1 The outer ear -- 2.1.1 The pressure gain of the outer ear -- 2.1.2 The outer ear as an aid to sound localization -- 2.2 The middle ear -- 2.2.1 Introduction -- 2.2.2 The middle ear as an impedance transformer -- 2.2.3 The middle ear muscles -- 2.3 Summary -- 2.4 Further reading -- 3 The cochlea -- 3.1 Anatomy -- 3.1.1 General anatomy -- 3.1.2 The organ of Corti -- 3.1.3 The innervation of the organ of Corti -- 3.2 The mechanics of the cochlea -- 3.2.1 The travelling wave -- 3.2.2 Current measurements of the travelling wave -- 3.2.3 Theories of cochlear mechanics -- 3.3 The fluid spaces of the cochlea -- 3.3.1 The endolymphatic and perilymphatic spaces -- 3.3.2 The endolymph -- 3.3.3 The perilymph -- 3.4 Hair cell responses -- 3.4.1 Hair cell responses in vitro -- 3.4.2 Inner hair cell responses in vivo -- 3.4.3 Outer hair cell responses in vivo -- 3.5 The gross evoked potentials -- 3.5.1 The cochlear microphonic -- 3.5.2 The summating potential -- 3.5.3 The gross neural potentials -- 3.6 Summary -- 3.7 Further reading -- 4 The auditory nerve -- 4.1 Anatomy -- 4.2 Physiology -- 4.2.1 Response to tones -- 4.2.2 Response to clicks -- 4.2.3 Frequency resolution as a function of intensity and type of stimulation -- 4.2.4 Response to complex stimuli -- 4.3 Summary -- 4.4 Further reading -- 5 Mechanisms of transduction and excitation in the cochlea -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 The structure of the transducer region -- 5.2.1 Stereocilia and cuticular plate.

5.2.2 The cross-linking of stereocilia -- 5.2.3 The mechanotransducer channels -- 5.3 The electrophysiological analysis of mechanotransduction -- 5.3.1 Cell membrane potentials -- 5.3.2 Mechanotransduction -- 5.4 The origin of sharp tuning in the cochlea -- 5.4.1 Is an active process necessary theoretically? -- 5.4.2 Models incorporating an active mechanical process -- 5.4.3 Outer hair cells: needed for low thresholds and sharp tuning -- 5.4.4 Active mechanical processes in the cochlea: cochlear emissions -- 5.4.5 Motility in outer hair cells -- 5.4.6 Cochlear micromechanics -- 5.4.7 Conclusions on cochlear mechanical amplification -- 5.5 Hair cells and neural excitation -- 5.5.1 Stimulus coupling to inner and outer hair cells -- 5.5.2 Activation of auditory nerve fibres -- 5.5.3 Neurotransmitter release -- 5.6 Cochlear non-linearity -- 5.6.1 The non-linear growth of cochlear responses -- 5.6.2 Two-tone suppression -- 5.6.3 Combination tones -- 5.7 Summary -- 5.8 Further reading -- 6 The subcortical nuclei -- 6.1 Considerations in studying the auditory central nervous system -- 6.2 The cochlear nuclei -- 6.2.1 Output pathways -- 6.2.2 Input pathways -- 6.2.3 The ventral binaural sound localization stream: the bushy cells of the anteroventral and posteroventral cochlear nucleus -- 6.2.4 Cells of the posteroventral cochlear nucleus: contributions to both binaural localization and to identification -- 6.2.5 The dorsal cochlear nucleus: sound identification and localization in the vertical plane -- 6.2.6 Excitation and inhibition in the cochlear nucleus -- 6.2.7 Functions of the cochlear nucleus -- 6.3 The superior olivary complex -- 6.3.1 Innervation and overall anatomy -- 6.3.2 The ventral sound localization stream: comparing the intensities of the stimuli at the two ears.

6.3.3 The ventral sound localization stream: comparing the timing of the stimuli at the two ears -- 6.3.4 Summary of role of superior olivary complex in sound localization -- 6.4 Ascending pathways of the brainstem and the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus -- 6.4.1 The ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus -- 6.4.2 The dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus -- 6.5 The inferior colliculus -- 6.5.1 General anatomy -- 6.5.2 The central nucleus -- 6.5.3 The external nucleus and dorsal cortex -- 6.6 The medial geniculate body -- 6.6.1 Overall anatomy and inputs -- 6.6.2 The ventral nucleus -- 6.6.3 The medial and dorsal nuclei -- 6.7 Brainstem reflexes -- 6.7.1 Middle ear muscle reflex -- 6.7.2 Acoustic startle -- 6.7.3 Orientation -- 6.7.4 Audiogenic seizures -- 6.8 Summary -- 6.9 Further reading -- 7 The auditory cortex -- 7.1 Organization -- 7.1.1 Anatomy and projections -- 7.1.2 Tonotopic organization -- 7.1.3 Organization along the frequency-band strips -- 7.2 The responses of single neurones -- 7.2.1 Responses in the core -- 7.2.2 Responses in the belt -- 7.3 Cortical processing of sound location -- 7.3.1 Behavioural experiments -- 7.3.2 Electrophysiological responses -- 7.4 Cortical processing and stimulus complexity -- 7.4.1 Behavioural experiments -- 7.4.2 Physiological responses -- 7.5 Overview of functions of the auditory cortex -- 7.6 Summary -- 7.7 Further reading -- 8 The centrifugal pathways -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 The olivocochlear bundle -- 8.2.1 Anatomy -- 8.2.2 Neurotransmitters -- 8.2.3 Physiology and function -- 8.3 Centrifugal pathways to the cochlear nuclei -- 8.3.1 Anatomy -- 8.3.2 Neurotransmitters -- 8.3.3 Physiology and function -- 8.4 Centrifugal pathways in higher centres -- 8.4.1 Anatomy -- 8.4.2 Physiology and function -- 8.5 Summary -- 8.6 Further reading.

9 Physiological correlates of auditory psychophysics and performance -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 The absolute threshold -- 9.3 Frequency resolution -- 9.3.1 A review of the psychophysics of frequency resolution -- 9.3.2 Quantitative relations between psychophysics and physiology in frequency resolution -- 9.3.3 Frequency resolution in the auditory central nervous system -- 9.3.4 Co-modulation masking release: analysis across filters -- 9.4 Frequency discrimination -- 9.4.1 Place and time coding -- 9.4.2 A psychophysical model for pitch perception and its relation to physiology -- 9.5 Intensity and loudness -- 9.5.1 Stimulus coding as a function of intensity -- 9.5.2 Loudness -- 9.6 Sound localization and spatial hearing -- 9.6.1 Introduction -- 9.6.2 Mechanisms of sound localization -- 9.6.3 Spatial release from masking and the binaural masking level difference -- 9.7 Speech -- 9.7.1 What is special about speech? -- 9.7.2 Auditory nerve and brainstem responses -- 9.7.3 Cortical responses to vocalizations in non-human species -- 9.7.4 Responses to speech in the human cortex -- 9.8 Summary -- 9.9 Further reading -- 10 Sensorineural hearing loss -- 10.1 Types of hearing loss -- 10.2 Sensorineural hearing loss of cochlear origin: mechanisms of pathology -- 10.2.1 Ototoxicity -- 10.2.2 Acoustic trauma -- 10.2.3 Genetic causes -- 10.2.4 Ageing -- 10.3 Sensorineural hearing loss of cochlear origin: functional changes -- 10.3.1 Physiological changes -- 10.3.2 Psychophysical correlates -- 10.4 Physiological aspects of the cochlear prosthesis -- 10.4.1 Introduction -- 10.4.2 Physiological background -- 10.4.3 Results -- 10.5 Cellular replacement, protection and gene therapy in the inner ear -- 10.5.1 Introduction -- 10.5.2 Production of new hair cells by transdifferentiation of supporting cells.

10.5.3 Production of new hair cells by mitosis in the mammalian cochlea -- 10.5.4 Gene therapy -- 10.5.5 Stem cell therapy -- 10.5.6 Cell protection -- 10.6 Summary -- 10.7 Further reading -- References -- Index -- Color Plates.