BCS 221 Audition

Spring 2000

James R. Ison
167 Meliora Hall
e-mail: ison@bcs.rochester.edu
275-8461

In general

Textbook:
William A. Yost (1994) Fundamentals of Hearing: An Introduction. San Diego: Academic Press.

Assignments: There will be 3 quizzes and one paper, each having the same weight and a laboratory report carrying half as much weight. Failure to take an examination on time will result in a grade of "0" unless a legitimate excuse is presented in writing. The paper should be about 5 - 6 pages long (double spaced) and should be based on an analysis of the contemporary research literature. The topic should be cleared in advance. You should also prepare for a 10 minute presentation of this same material to the class, at an evening meeting towards the end of the semester.

Syllabus:

Part 1: Physical principles of acoustics and their relation to hearing

Week 1: 12 - 14 January

Wed: Introduction to the class
Fri: Chapters 1 & 2 Concepts of mechanical vibrations and their implications for understanding speech and hearing. Week 2: 17 - 21 January Mon: Chapter 3: Sound transmission: concepts of pressure and intensity; interference and sound shadows; the important concept of impedance.

Wed: Chapters 4: Complex stimuli and their analysis; Fourier transforms
Friday: Chapter 5: Sound analysis: resonators and filters


Week 3: 24 - 28 January

Mon: Demonstrations of sound stimuli and their sensory consequences.
Wed: Catchup day and Review
Friday: Quiz 1 over Chapters 1 to 5.


Part 2: Peripheral auditory anatomy and physiology

Week 4: 31 January - 4 February Chapter 6

Mon: The structure of the outer and middle ear
Wed: Resonance and impedance: the audiogram
Fri: "Sound coloring" and its relationship to auditory localization
Week 5: 7 - 11 February Chapter 7
Mon: Structure of the inner ear
Wed: Mechanical properties of the inner ear
Fri: Chapter 8 Cochlea potentials
Week 6: 14 - 18 February
Mon: Chapter 8 continued Stereocilia and hair cells
Wed: Haircells and the auditory nerve
Fri: An introduction to the laboratory project
Audiological testing
Week 7: 21 - 25 February
No class (Association for Research in Otolaryngology Meetings)
Week 8: 28 February - 3 March
Mon: Chapter 9 The neural response in the auditory nerve
Wed: The efferent system at the periphery

Friday Chapter 16 The central auditory system

Anatomy of the central afferent and efferent auditory pathways
Spring Break: 4 - 12 March

Week 9: 13 - 17 March Chapter 16, continued.

Mon: Auditory function: the cochlear nuclei and the superior olivary complex
Wed: Auditory function: the inferior colliculus, thalamus, and cortex.
Fri: Quiz 2 on Chapters 6 - 9, 16: The anatomy of the auditory system. Week 10: 20 - 24 March Chapter 14: Noise and Hearing impairment
Mon: Traditional types of hearing impairment and their measurement
Wed: Continued
Fri: The treatment of hearing impairment
Part 3: Auditory perception of simple sounds

Week 11: 27 - 31 March

Mon: Chapter 10 Auditory sensitivity
Wed: continued
Fri: Chapter 11 Masking
Week 12: 3 - 7 April
Mon: Masking (Continued)
Wed: Chapter 12 Binaural Hearing
Fri: Binaural hearing (Continued)
Week 13: 10 - 14 April
Mon: Chapter 13 Loudness and pitch
Wed: Loudness and Pitch (Continued)
Friday: Auditory perception of sound objects
Part 4: Complex sound processing

Week 14: 17 - 21 April

Mon: Auditory perception of sound objects (Continued)
Wed: Frequency, temporal modulation, and spatial location
Friday: Speech
PAPER DUE ON FRIDAY 23 APRIL

Week 15: 24 - 26 April Special topics in audition

Mon: Hearing impairment in the aged (Presbycusis)
Wed: Auditory function in learning impaired children (Dyslexia)
CLASS PRESENTATIONS IN EVENING, TO BE ARRANGED

Examination Period: May 4 8:30 AM (or TBA)

Quiz 3