Projects

Student Led Topic Discussions

The last 1/3 of the course will consist of student-led topics. Students must research and select a topic proposal, prepare a suggested reading list and in some cases, present a lecture about the topic.

In the first class period of this, each student will propose at least one discussion topic and at the end of the class we will vote on which topics to use in the rest of the course. To propose a topic, the student will give a short talk that defines the topic, says why the topic is interesting, and why the topic deserves your vote. In addition, the student should give a list of papers that might be discussed and suggest 2-3 to be discussed.

Choosing topics and picking the papers takes a lot of work and should be started weeks before the topic-presentation day. We highly advise that you talk to a faculty member about your topic before choosing it. If voted in, a student-led topic would have a short lecture (~1/2 hour) and then paper discussions. Typically the student who proposed the topic gives the lecture and other students are chosen as Answerers for the papers to be discussed.

SES # TOPICS READINGS
19 Student-Selected Topic:
Modulation of f1-f2 acoustic distortion: Evidence for intracochlear neural system?
Kirk, D. L., and B. M. Johnstone. "Modulation of f2-f1: Evidence for a GAGA-ergic efferent system in apical cochlea of the guinea pig." Hear. Res. 67 (1993): 20-34.

Lowe, M., and D. Robertson. "The behaviour of the f2-f1 acoustic distortion product: Lack of effect of brainstem lesions in anaesthetized guinea pigs." Hear. Res. 83 (1995): 133-141.

Related Papers

Kujawa S. G., M. Fallon and R. P. Bobbin. "Time varying alteraltions in the f2-f1 DPOAE response to continuous primary stimulation. I. Response characterization and contribution of the olivocochlear efferents." Hear. Res. 85 (1995): 142-154.

Kujawa S. G., M. Fallon, R. A. Skellett and R. P. Bobbin. "Time-varying alterations in the f2-f1 DPOAE response to continuous primary stimulation. II. Influence of local calcium-dependent mechanisms." Hear. Res. 97 (1996): 153-164.
20 Student-Selected Topic:
Changes in cochlear tonotopy during development
Mills, D. M., and E. W. Rubel. "Development of the base of the cochlea: place code shift in the gerbil." Hear. Res. 122 (1998): 82-96.

Overstreet, E. H., A. N. Temchin and M. A. Ruggero. "Passive basilar membrane vibrations in gerbil neonates: mechanical bases of cochlear maturation" J. Physiol. 545, no. 1 (2002): 279-288.

Related Papers

Rubel, E. W. and B. M. Ryals. "Development of the place principle: acoustic trauma." Science 219 (1983): 512-513.

Manley, G. A., J. Brix and A. Kaiser. "Developmental stability of the tonotopic organization of the chick's basilar papilla." Science 237 (1987): 655-656.

Overstreet, E. H., A. N. Temchin and M. A. Ruggero. "Passive basilar membrane vibrations in gerbil neonates: mechanical bases of cochlear maturation."  J. Physiol. 545, no. 1 (2002): 279-288.

Background material

Romand, R. "Modification of tonotopic representaion in the auditory system during development." Prog. Neurobiol. 51 (1997): 1-17.

———. "Development of the Cochlea." In Development of Auditory and Vestibular Systems. Edited by R. Romand. New York: Academic Press, 1983, pp 47-88.

Edelman, G. M. Chapter 4, "Pattern." In Topobiology: An Introduction to Molecular Embryology. New York: Basic Books, 1988.
21 Student-Selected Topic:
Auditory nerve response to speech stimuli in normal and traumatized cochleae
Miller, R. L., J. R. Schilling, K. R. Franck and E. D. Young. "Effects of acoustic trauma on the representation of the vowel /å/ in cat auditory nerve fibers." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 101, no. 6 (1997): 3602-3616.

Recio, A., W. S. Rhode, M. Kiefte and K. R. Kluender. "Responses to cochlear normalized speech stimuli in the auditory nerve of cat." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111, no. 5 (2002): 2213-2218.

Background material

Miller, R. L., M. C. Calhoun and E. D. Young. "Contrast enhancement improves the representation of /å/-like vowels in the hearing-impaired auditory nerve." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 106, no. 5 (1999): 2693-2708.

Sachs, M. B., and E. D. Young. "Encoding of steady-state vowels in the auditory nerve: representation in terms of discharge rate." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 66 (1979): 470-479.

Young, E. D., and M. B. Sachs. "Representation of steady state vowels in the temporal aspects of the discharge patterns of populations of auditory nerve fibers." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 66 (1979): 1381-1403.

Miller, R. L., B. M. Calhoun and E. D. Young. "Discriminability of vowel representations in cat auditory-nerve fibers after acoustic trauma." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 105, no. 1 (1999): 311-325.
22 Student-Selected Topic:
Processing speech and music sounds in the auditory periphery:  Computational models of inner hair cell and auditory nerve fiber responses
Sumner, C. J., E. A. Lopez-Poveda, L. P. O'Mard, and R. Meddis. "A revised model of the inner-hair cell and auditory-nerve complex." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111 (2002): 2178-2188.

Robert, A., and J. L. Eriksson. "A composite model of the auditory periphery for simulating responses to complex sounds." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 106 (1999): 1852-1864.

Background material

Meddis, R., M. Hewitt and T. Shackleton. "Implementation details of a computational model of the inner hair-cell/auditory-auditory nerve synapse." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 87 (1990): 1813-1816.

Sumner, C. J., E. A. Lopez-Poveda, L. P. O'Mard, and R. Meddis. "Adaptation in a revised inner-hair cell model." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113, no. 2 (2003): 893-901.

———. "A revised model of the inner-hair cell and auditory nerve complex." J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111 (2002): 2178-2188.
23 Student-Selected Topic:
Variability of hearing organ morphology and physiology among animals: Universal similarities/differences
Manley, G. A. "Cochlear mechanisms from a phylogenetic viewpoint." PNAS 97 (2000): 11736-11743.

Eberl, D. F. "Feeling the vibes: chordotonal mechanisms in insect hearing." Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 9 (1999): 389-393.

Yager, D. D. "Structure, development, and evolution of insect auditory systems." Microsc. Res. Tech. 47 (1999): 380-400.
24 Student-Selected Topic:
Variability of hearing organ morphology and physiology among animals: Universal similarities/differences (cont.)
Gleich, O., and G. A. Manley. "The Hearing Organ of Birds and Crococdilia." In Comparative Hearing: Birds and Reptiles. Edited by R. J. Dooling, R. R. Fay, and A. N. Popper. New York: Springer, 2000.

Ketten, D. R. "Cetacean Ears." In Hearing by Whales and Dolphins. Edited by W. L. A. Whitlow, A. N. Popper and R. Fay. New York: Springer, 2000.
25 Student-Selected Topic:
Molecular structures of transduction gating
Corey, D. P., et al. "TRPA1 is a candidate for the mechanosensitive transduction channel of vertebrate hair cells." Nature 432, no. 7018 (2004): 723-30.

Siemens, J., et al. "Cadherin 23 is a component of the tip link in hair-cell stereocilia." Nature 428 (2004): 950-955.

Related Reading

Corey, D. P., and M. Sotomayor. "Hearing: tightrope act." Nature 428 (2004): 901-903.

Sollner, C., et al. "Mutations in cadherin 23 affect tip links in zebrafish sensory hair cells." Nature 428 (2004): 955-959.

Howard, J., and S. Bechstedt. "Hypothesis: a helix of ankyrin repeats of the NOMPC-TRP ion channel is the gating spring of mechanoreceptors." Curr. Biol. 14 (2004): R224-226.

Gong, Z., et al. "Two interdependent TRPV channel subunits, inactive and Nanchung, mediate hearing in Drosophila." J. Neurosci. 24 (2004): 9059-9066.
26 Student-Selected Topic:
Adaptation of mechanoelectrical transduction channels in stereocilia of auditory hair cells
Ricci, A. J., A. C. Crawford and R. Fettiplace. "Active Hair Bundle Motion Linked to Fast Transducer Adaptation in Auditory Hair Cells." J. Neurosci. 20 (2000): 7131-7142.

Kennedy, H. J., M. G. Evans, A. C. Crawford and R. Fettiplace. "Fast adaptation of mechanoelectrical transducer channels in mammalian cochlear hair cells." Nat. Neurosci. 6 (2003): 832-836.

Related Reading

Manley, G. A., U. Sienknecht and C. Koppl. "Calcium modulates the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in the bobtail skink." J. Neurophysiol. 92 (2004): 2685-2693.

Vilfan, A., and T. Duke. "Two adaptation processes in auditory hair cells together can provide an active amplifier." Biophys. J. 85 (2003): 191-203.

Martin, P., D. Bozovic, Y. Choe and A. J. Hudspeth. "Spontaneous Oscillation by Hair Bundles of the Bullfrog's Sacculus." J. Neurosci. 23 (2003): 4533-4548.

Fettiplace, R., and A. J. Ricci. "Adaptation in auditory hair cells." Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 13 (2003): 446-451.

Bozovic, D., and A. J. Hudspeth. "Hair-bundle movements elicited by transepithelial electrical stimulation of hair cells in the sacculus of the bullfrog." PNAS 100 (2003): 958-963.

Holt, J. R., et al. "A chemical-genetic strategy implicates myosin-1c in adaptation by hair cells." Cell 108 (2002): 371-381.

Walker, R. G., and A. J. Hudspeth. "Calmodulin controls adaptation of mechanoelectrical transduction by hair cells of the bullfrog's sacculus." PNAS 93 (1996): 2203-2207.