Synopses & Reviews
A single-volume approach to the structure and function of the central auditory system of mammals, this richly illustrated book has a unique organization intended to make the information it presents useful to both beginners and experienced researchers. It starts with a concise overview of the subject in the first section, which is then followed by an in-depth treatment of all levels of the central auditory pathway in the next four sections. Ehret and Romand expertly integrate general aspects of sound processing at any given level of the system with special topics relevant to that level. The emphasis shifts from a cellular level of auditory analysis at the first brain center to the interplay of fifteen centers in a maze of connecting loops using various neurotransmitters. The authors then proceed to discuss the organization of topographic maps of neuronal responses in the midbrain, and explain how a highly parallel and hierarchical system of distributed thalamic and cortical information channels can function so that, finally, sounds may be perceived and recognized. This book is intended for both the researcher who needs a quick general reference, and the expert with a more specialized and detailed interest in the subject.
Table of Contents
I. Functional Organization of the Auditory Pathways Eric M. Rouiller
1. Primary Auditory Neurons (Auditory Nerve)
2. Cochlear Nucleus
3. Superior Olivary Complex
4. Lateral Lemniscus
5. Inferior Colliculus
6. Superior Colliculus
7. Thalamus and Cerebral Cortex
8. Parallel and Hierarchical Organization
9. Descending Auditory Pathways and Feedback Control
10. Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials
11. Conclusion
II. Anatomical and Functional Aspects of the Cochlear Nucleus Raymond Romand and Paul Avan
1. Anatomy of the Cochlear Nucleus
2. Neuropharmacological Aspects of the Cochlear Nucleus
3. The Functional Activity of the Cochlear Nucleus
4. Conclusion
III. Superior Olivary Complex and Nuclei of the Lateral Lemniscus Robert H. Helfert and Andreas Aschoff
1. Superior Olivary Complex in General
2. Medial Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body
3. Lateral Superior Olive
4. Medial Superior Olive
5. Periolivary Nuclei
6. Olivocochlear Neurons
7. Nuclei of the Lateral Lemniscus
8. Conclusion
IV. The Auditory Midbrain, a "Shunting-Yard" of Acoustical Information Processing Gunther Ehret
1. The Structure Behind Mechanisms
2. The Message of Single Neurons
3. Formation of Maps
4. Organization and Possible Functions of Maps in the ICC
5. Contributions to Hearing
6. Conclusion
V. Acoustical Information Processing in the Auditory Thalamus and Cerebral Cortex Francois de Ribaupierre
1. Auditory Thalamus
2. Auditory Cortex
3. Corticothalamic Connections
4. Intracortical and Interhemispheric Connections
5. Conclusion
Index