Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology最新文献

{"title":"Effects of Gap Junctions and Inhibition on the Synchronization Behavior of a Biophysically Detailed Neural Network Model of Bushy Cells.","authors":"Melih Yayli, Ian C Bruce","doi":"10.1007/s10162-026-01030-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-026-01030-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Auditory-nerve fiber (ANF) responses to sound are processed by several distinct neural circuits in the cochlear nucleus (CN). One of the main cochlear nucleus cell types that projects to higher auditory nuclei is bushy cells (BCs), which can be divided into two subtypes, globular and spherical, depending on the shape of their soma and their innervation patterns. Apart from receiving excitatory inputs from ANFs and inhibitory inputs from D-Stellate and tuberculoventral cells, BCs receive excitation via gap junctions (a.k.a. electrical synapses) from neighboring BCs. One of the distinctive features of the BCs is the enhancement of the synchronization behavior in ANFs. For globular BCs, which receive subthreshold inputs from many ANFs, a coincidence-detection mechanism is proposed, whereas for spherical BCs, the mechanism for the synchronization enhancement is still not fully understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, fully connected bushy cell network models were created. The effects of gap junctions on the synchronization of the BCs were inspected by connecting the membrane potentials of clusters of five fully connected BCs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>As the strength of the gap junction connections was increased within a given cell network, the synchronization was enhanced. The effects of inhibition on the synchronization were also explored and were found to be non-monotonic.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Synchronization index values of the simulated network models with different gap junction strengths indicated that gap junctions can strongly contribute to the synchronization of models for both globular and spherical BCs.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"189-208"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13090471/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146054565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlation of Promontory Vibration and Sound Emission Recorded from the Skin Surface in Bone Conduction Stimulation.","authors":"Mohammad Ghoncheh, Patrick Maas, Nils Prenzler, Rolf B Salcher, Thomas Lenarz, Hannes Maier","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01028-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01028-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Sound pressure recordings at different positions at the head such as ear canal, nasal cavity, or on the skin are effective tools to verify, fit, or follow up the output of bone conduction devices (BCDs) intra- and post-operatively. Here, we investigated the possibility of using a surface microphone (SM) as a non-invasive alternative to laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) measuring cochlear promontory (CP) vibrations in human heads.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A percutaneous BCD (Ponto system) was implanted at the standard position in five human (four males/one female) cadaver heads (ten ears). CP vibration was measured using LDV in response to the BCD stimulation. Simultaneously, the sound pressure level (SPL) emitted by the skin was measured by the SM attached to the forehead of the specimens. A linear regression model estimated the vibration amplitudes based on the measured SPL.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A frequency-independent linear regression between recorded SM SPL and CP velocity showed a significant correlation (slope = 1.012; r² = 0.535, p < 0.001). An enforced fixed slope (constant = 166.7 dB) of one resulted in a mean absolute error of MAE = 7.7 ± 2.7 dB across frequencies. Although the initial linear model with a fixed slope of one showed frequency-dependent deviations, applying a frequency-specific correction significantly improved the prediction accuracy (r² = 0.557, MAE = 6.5 ± 1.5 dB).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Microphone-based recording of acoustic surface emissions offers a non-invasive alternative to LDV to assess BCD output.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"263-272"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13090456/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146012967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Latencies of Pulsed Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emissions and Their Relation to Auditory Brainstem Responses.","authors":"Ernst Dalhoff, Dennis Zelle, Katharina Bader","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01019-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01019-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To assess system properties of the human auditory system, such as cochlear gain, frequency selectivity, and their dependence on frequency and level, it is essential to examine the interrelation of various readouts. By measuring and analyzing otoacoustic emission (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies, among others, predictions of cochlear models and applicability of properties such as the minimum-phase principle, level dependence of latencies, or related changes of the gain of a presumed positive-feedback mechanism can be investigated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we present measurements of the latency of the nonlinear-distortion component of pulsed distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) ( <math> <mrow><msub><mi>f</mi> <mn>2</mn></msub> </mrow> </math> = 1-14 kHz, <math> <mrow><msub><mi>L</mi> <mn>2</mn></msub> </mrow> </math> = 25-85 dB SPL) in 20 ears (12 female, 8 male). This yields a direct estimate of intracochlear traveling-wave build-up by recording the time elapsed between the <math> <mrow><msub><mi>f</mi> <mn>2</mn></msub> </mrow> </math> primary stimulus and the distortion-product pulse response. Thus, this technique does not require deriving latency from phase gradients of the coherent-reflection component of different frequencies, as is done using swept-tone DPOAE or SFOAE.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At low stimulus levels ( <math> <mrow><msub><mi>L</mi> <mn>2</mn></msub> </mrow> </math> = 35 dB), DPOAE latency was 13 ms at <math> <mrow><msub><mi>f</mi> <mn>2</mn></msub> </mrow> </math> = 1 kHz, exponentially to  2 ms at <math> <mrow><msub><mi>f</mi> <mn>2</mn></msub> </mrow> </math> = 12-14 kHz. In periods of the corresponding frequency, this rose from <math><mo>≈</mo></math> 13 periods at 1 kHz to <math><mo>≥</mo></math> 25 periods above 6 kHz. Between 3 and 6 kHz, latency showed a steeper rise, departing from a pure exponential relation. Level dependence of latencies varied among subjects, with changes ranging from -2 to -12% per 10 dB level increase. Test-retest reliability of latency determination with pulsed DPOAE was excellent.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>For frequencies above 1 kHz and up to 14 kHz, OAE latency data align with a scaling law of <math><mo>≈</mo></math> 0.3 dB/dB. A transition region between 3 and 6 kHz shows scaling in some ears approaching 1 dB/dB, violating local scaling symmetry. Although comparison with ABR literature reveals some unresolved discrepancies, latencies of pulsed DPOAE allow a way to estimate cochlear tuning properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"83-105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12948746/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145607416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulatory Networks Driving the Specification, Differentiation, and Diversification of Neurons in the Mouse Inner Ear.","authors":"Gabriela Pavlinkova, Pin-Xian Xu, Kathryn S E Cheah, Ebenezer N Yamoah, Bernd Fritzsch","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01024-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01024-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vestibular and spiral ganglion neurons (VGNs and SGNs) developed in the inner ear, where they extend fibers to innervate the vestibular and cochlear hair cells and project centrally to the vestibular and cochlear nuclei. This review focuses on representative molecular factors that regulate key processes in the development of inner ear neurons, including their specification, differentiation, axon targeting, and functional diversification. A temporal regulatory cascade defines the initial precursors through factors such as Smarca4, Six1, Eya1, followed by Sox2. While Sox2 deletion abolishes hair cell formation, a subset of inner ear neurons transiently develops but undergoes apoptosis before birth. In contrast, Neurog1 deletion eliminates all ear-derived neurons but results in differential reductions in cochlear and vestibular hair cells. The development and survival of inner ear neurons depend on TrkB and TrkC signaling. Although deletion of TrkB and TrkC results in a complete loss of neurons, each shows distinct effects on VGN and SGN survival and innervation. Downstream of early transcriptional regulators, Neurod1 and Isl1 promote neuronal differentiation, survival, migration, and the formation of peripheral and central projections. The development of VGNs depends on at least two progenitor populations that give rise to three neuronal subtypes that differ in their innervation of vestibular hair cells but show incomplete segregation in the vestibular nuclei. In contrast, SGNs develop later and exhibit sequential segregation into four neuronal subtypes, corresponding to the two types of cochlear hair cells, with tonotopically organized projections to both the cochlea and cochlear nuclei.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"5-24"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12865797/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145906887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Norms for Evaluating Hearing Difficulty in Patients with \"Normal\" Hearing Thresholds.","authors":"Gregory M Ellis, Alyssa Davidson, Douglas S Brungart","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01016-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01016-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"57-60"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12949138/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145566401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aging in the Primary Auditory Cortex.","authors":"Jonah K Mittelstadt, Kelson V Shilling-Scrivo, Patrick O Kanold","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01013-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01013-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Age-related auditory dysfunction affects half of all individuals 60 years and older, yet its causes are poorly understood. While commonly associated with cochlear dysfunction, a growing body of literature suggests that dysfunction originating in the auditory cortex itself is also a major contributor. Here, we review recent literature that describes the effects of aging on the primary auditory cortex in humans, non-human primates, rodents, and a variety of other species. During aging, individuals with auditory cortical dysfunction experience deficits in spectral and temporal processing of sounds, resulting not only from a loss of inhibition but also from an extensive restructuring of cortical circuits. Importantly, aging in the auditory cortex is sex-dependent, yet few studies account for this variable. A lack of comprehensive knowledge on aging in the auditory cortex hinders the path toward restoring cortical function through auditory training or broader cortical rehabilitation paradigms. Thus, we propose a cohesive mechanism of aging in the primary auditory cortex that involves a complex interaction between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, which several factors can modify. These factors include input from higher-order cortical areas, such as the orbitofrontal cortex, as well as the wide-ranging effects of neuromodulators and the external sensory environment, which must be accounted for in a sex-dependent manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"37-56"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12704821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145745663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Translational Potential of the Avian Cortex.","authors":"George Ordiway, Sarah M N Woolley","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01023-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01023-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Birds have contributed to important hearing-science discoveries. Examples include cochlear development, hair cell regeneration and brainstem circuit organization in chickens, sound localization in owls, vocal learning in songbirds, and cognition in parrots and corvids. Recent findings demonstrate the power and relevance of the avian cortex in studying auditory function.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12949207/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145764388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of Vestibular Dysfunction Requires Renewed Research Enthusiasm.","authors":"Evan M Ratzan, William Davis, Jacob R Brodsky","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01021-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01021-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inner ear research has experienced exponential growth for the last fifty years spurring the creation of novel scientific approaches and clinical intervention strategies. Here we utilize data mining of publicly available records (PubMed, NIHReporter, and ClinicalTrials.gov) to assess the rate of inner ear research output quantitatively. We combined this approach with systematic review of published literature to understand the prevalence and monetary costs of seeking treatment for hearing and balance. The data show that the expansive growth period of inner ear research presents a new challenge for scientists and clinicians as auditory research output metrics have begun to significantly outpace vestibular research. There are unique challenges associated with diagnosing and treating patients with vestibular dysfunction that may explain some of the discrepancies in research output. A renewed enthusiasm to investigate the vestibular system may help facilitate broader understanding of the inner ear and has potential to produce improved scientific methods and clinical interventions for patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"25-36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12949205/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145764338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anatomical Integrity of the Human Cochlea Estimated with Optical Coherence Tomography for Future Clinical Application.","authors":"Paul Secchia, Christopher I McHugh, Nam Hyun Cho, Jennifer T O'Malley, MengYu Zhu, Anbuselvan Dharmarajan, Aleksandrs Zosuls, Jingxin Jessica Feng, Yew Song Cheng, Sunil Puria, Andreas H Eckhard, Hideko Heidi Nakajima","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01022-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01022-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The human cochlea is encased within the otic capsule, the densest bone in the body, posing significant challenges for anatomical imaging of cochlear structures. Because of difficult access and the fragility of cochlear structures, our understanding of intracochlear anatomy has historically relied on postmortem histology. We thus have a limited understanding of human cochlear anatomy in its native, unfixed state. Clinical diagnostics for hearing loss, such as audiometry and otoacoustic emissions, offer functional assessments but fail to elucidate the often diverse underlying structural pathologies with any degree of precision.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To address the critical need for assessing the human cochlear anatomy and associated pathologies without the risk of traumatizing cochlear structures, we imaged fresh cochleae (N = 23, 15 males, 8 females) in situ soon after death through the intact round window membrane with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) without inserting instruments inside or opening the cochlea.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Micron-resolution OCT cross-sectional images of the human intracochlear structures were acquired and compared with corresponding histology systematically to aid in the identification of fine structural features and possible pathologies. With OCT imaging, we observed varied anatomy of the organ of Corti, and developed a cochlear \"integrity\" rating system to differentiate healthy-appearing cochleae from various pathological states.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results demonstrate the capability of OCT to non-traumatically visualize cochlear integrity, highlighting its potential as a diagnostic tool. This work shows promise in translating the ability to determine the likelihood of existing or lack of hair cells and supporting cells in live patients, which would enable appropriate targeted treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"107-122"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12949216/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145795348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting Cochlear Synaptopathy in Mice with Varying Degrees of Outer Hair Cell Dysfunction Using Auditory Evoked Potentials.","authors":"Brad N Buran, Seán Elkins, Wenxuan He, Sarah Verhulst, Naomi F Bramhall","doi":"10.1007/s10162-025-01015-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10162-025-01015-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Although human temporal bones suggest that cochlear synapse numbers decline with age and noise exposure, no validated diagnostic method exists. In animal models, cochlear synaptopathy is associated with reduced auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave 1 amplitude and envelope following response (EFR) magnitude for a sinusoidally amplitude modulated (SAM) tone. However, measuring SAM EFR at the optimal modulation frequency (1000 Hz) is difficult in humans. A rectangular amplitude modulated (RAM) tone may be more sensitive to synaptopathy, but this has not been validated in animals. In addition, because synaptopathy likely co-occurs with outer hair cell dysfunction (OHC), a diagnostic assay needs to be robust to abnormal auditory thresholds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative ability of ABR and EFR measures to predict synapse numbers in mice with varying degrees of synaptopathy and OHC dysfunction.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), ABR, SAM EFR, and RAM EFR were recorded from 57 mice with a range of auditory thresholds and degrees of synaptopathy. Cross-validation was used to compare the relative ability of linear regression models incorporating different measures to predict synapse numbers. Predictions were confirmed histologically.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>RAM EFR modulated at 1000 Hz was the single best predictor of synapse numbers for broad synapse loss across frequency, while combining RAM EFR with ABR further improved predictions. In contrast, ABR best predicted focal synaptopathy. Incorporating DPOAEs improved predictions for EFR, but not ABR.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>RAM EFR, ABR, and DPOAEs should be used in the future when predicting synapse numbers.</p>","PeriodicalId":56283,"journal":{"name":"Jaro-Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology","volume":" ","pages":"61-81"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12949156/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145752308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}