Auditory Pathway

AUDITORY PATHWAY
Auditory (acoustic) system

 Auditory system
 It is highly specialized body system responsible for reception and processing of sound sensation(stimuli)
 Components of hearing apparatus

Outer ear
Ear Middle ear

Inner ear
Auditory pathway
Brainstem and Brain
With From www.medicoapps.org

Ear
EXTERNAL EAR MIDDLE EAR INNER EAR
PINNA MALLEUS
SEMICIRCULAR CANALS
OVAL WINDOW
EXTERNAL AUDITORY CANAL ROUND WINDOW
COCHLEA
TYMPANIC MEMBRANE
STAPES EUSTACHIAN TUBE
INCUS
PHYSIOLOGY OF HEARING
SIX IMPORTANT STEPS INVOLVED IN HEARING:
Sound waves arrive at tympanic membrane
Movement of tympanic membrane displacing the ossicles
Movement of stapes at oval window establishes pressure waves in perilymph of the vestibular duct
pressure waves distort the basilar membrane on their way to the round window of tympanic duct
Vibration of the basilar membrane causes vibration of hair cells against the tectorial membrane.
Information is relayed to the CNS over the cochlear branch of cranial nerve VIII.

AUDITORY PATHWAY
 Auditory pathway conveys special sense of hearing
 complex pathway where convergence and divergence of information happens at different levels.
 Auditory information travels from the receptors to the central nervous system.
 Auditory messages are conveyed to brain in two ways
Primary (lemniscal)auditory pathway Non (lemniscal) primary auditory pathway
• Exclusively carries messages from the cochlea • Carries all types of sensory messages
• Main pathway carrying information to auditory cortex • Also called Reticular sensory pathway

BRAINSTEM AND BRAIN
PRIMARY AUDITORY CORTEX
MEDIAN GENICULATE NUCLEI
INFERIOR COLLICULUS
SUPERIOR OLIVARY NUCLEI
COCHLEAR NUCLEUS

BRAINSTEM AND BRAIN

ON TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Anatomical terms to know from the pathway
 External vs. Internal auditory canal
External auditory canal Internal auditory canal
• It is a part of outer ear • It is an opening in the temporal bone

• Passageway of ear from outside of head to eardum • CN VII and VIII travel to brainstem via this bony canal.
 Afferent vs. Efferent pathway
• Refers to ascending pathway • Refers to descending pathway

• Conducts information from sense oragan to brain • Carries information from brain to the sensory organ.
 Ipsilateral vs. Contralateral
IPSILATERAL = SAMESIDE CONTRALATERAL = OPPOSITE SIDE

CENTRAL AUDITORY NERVOUS SYSTEM
AUDITORY PATHWAYS
ASCENDING DESCENDING
 Central auditory pathways extends from medulla to cortex
 They contain series of nuclei bodies
 Nuclei bodies are connected by fiber tracts of their axons
This complex chain of nerve cells relay auditory info to cortex.

Ascending Auditory pathway
MNEMONIC TO REMEMBER AUDITORY PATHWAY: E.C.O.L.I.M.A
 Ear receptors(hair cells) in cochlea and Eighth cranial nerve

 Cochlear Nucleus
 Superior Olivary nucleus
 Lateral Lemniscus
 Inferior colliculi
 Medial Geniculate nucleus
 Auditory cortex
 The above are the components in the pathway from periphery towards central
 Another mnemonic to memorize auditory pathway: AC SLIM.
Auditory nerve, Cochlear nucleus, Superior olivary, Lateral lemniscus, Inferior colliculi, Medial geniculate nucleus.
COCHLEA
 Cochlea is a part of inner ear involved in hearing
 It’s a transducer, converts sound energy to suitable stimuli
 It is a fluid filled space with three chambers:
 SCALA VESTIBULI
 SCALA MEDIA
 SCALA TYMPANI
 SCALA MEDIA CONTAINS
 Organ of corti is the core component, and is a receptor

Cochlea

ORGAN OF CORTI
TECTORIAL MEMBRANE
 Located in Scala media between Scala vestibule n tympani
 Has sensory hair cells, connecting nerve fibers, supporting structures

STEREOCILIA
 It is situated on the basilar membrane

 Highly varied strip of epithelial cells helps in transduction
 Stereo cilia of hair cells are mechanosensory to fluid motion.
Vibration of basilar membrane leads to movement of stereo cilia
 Movement of stereo cilia against tectorial membrane

BASILAR MEMBRANE
 Generates an action potential and signals are carried by CNVIII OUTER HAIR CELLS
INNER HAIR CELLS

ORGAN OF CORTI
Vibration of basilar membrane leads to movement of sterocilia of hair cells against tectorial membrane

COCHLEAR NUCLEUS
 The cochlear nucleus is the first brain structure of the central auditory pathway – PONTOMEDULLARY JUNCTION
 This complex of cells is composed of two divisions
DORSAL COCHLEAR NUCLEUS

COCHLEAR NUCLEI COMPLEX
VENTRAL COCHLEAR NUCLEUS
ANTERIOR VENTRAL COCHLEAR NUCLEUS POSTERIOR VENTRAL COCHLEAR NUCLEUS

Cochlear nucleus
LATERAL LEMNISCUS TO INFERIOR NUCLEUS
Division of anterior and posterior cochlear nucleus is in relation to
 Inferior cerebellar peduncle in the Ponto-medullary junction.

SON
Anterior cochlear nucleus (ACN )is dedicated to low frequency sounds.
Trapezoid body – carries decussating fibers of ACN fibers

PCN
They crossover to contralateral side on to superior olivary nucleus
ACN > SON (bilaterally) Binaural sound localization
Lateral Lemniscus
Posterior cochlear nucleus
Inferior colliculus
TRAPEZOID BODY
PCN (Monoaural sound localization) and it skips SON.
ACN
ASCENDING AUDITORY PATHWAY
 Auditory nerve from the cochlea interact only at brainstem n cortex.
AUDITORY CORTEX
 Within the brainstem almost all fibres of auditory nerve synapse on cochlear nuclei
 Leaving cochlear nuclei, most of the axons crossover to the opposite side
Dorsal cochlear nucleus

I.e. to contralateral side Ventral cochlear nucleus
BRAINSTEM
COCHLEAR NERVE
COCHLEA
Nucleolar pathway
1.Superior olivary nucleus (PONS)
 Located in Pons
CORTEX
 1st auditory nuclei to receive binaural input.
 Uses binaural input to localize sounds.
2.Lateral Lemniscus (MIDBRAIN) MGB
THALAMU
 Projection fibers from ipsilateral SON: IC MIDBRAIN
NEURONS ORDER AUDITORY PATHWAY LL
First order Bipolar neurons of spiral ganglion
SON
Second order Dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei
Third order SO complex in Pons. Here fibers travel in LL
Fourth order Inferior colliculus in midbrain.
Fifth order MGB in thalamus. Fibers go to cortex BRAIN STEM
Nucleolar pathway
3.Inferior Colliculus (Midbriain)
CORTEX
 Receives fibers from ipsilateral SON through LL
4.Medial Geniculate body(Thalamus)

MGB
 Receives projections from ipsilateral IC via brachium of IC THALAMU
IC
 Auditory Cortex MIDBRAIN
LL
Auditory radiations from MGB to respective transverse gyri of Heschl
SON
BRAIN STEM
AUDITORY CORTEX
 Auditory radiations from MGB to respective Broadmann areas 41,42
 Broadmann areas 41,42 marking the location of auditory cortex
 MGB (Broadmann areas 41,42)deep to superior temporal gyrus
 Reaches auditory cortex via sublentiform part of internal capsule.
 The auditory association cortex surrounds the primary auditory cortex
 In primary auditory cortex > decoded message is recognized, integrated into voluntary response.

Clinical Relevance
1.Since, the projection is bilateral to Superior olivary nucleus
 Lesions of cochlear part of CN VIII or cochlear nuclei at Ponto medullary junction
UNILATERAL SENSORY HEARING LOSS
 Lesions above the cochlear nuclei
 BILATERAL SUPRESSION OF HEARING
 Decreased ability to localize a sound source.

Questions

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AUDITORY PATHWAY
Question NBE / NEET
Auditory pathway passes through
A. Medial Geniculate body
B. Lateral Geniculate body
C. Reciculate formation
D. Cerebellar fornix

AUDITORY PATHWAY
Ans. A Medial geniculate body
I. Auditory pathway: SC-SLIM-41,42

II. S- Spiral ganglia (cochlea)
III. C- Cochlear nuclei (ponto-medullary junction)
IV. S-Superior olivary nucleus (pons)
V. L-Lateral lemniscus (brain stem)
VI. I-Inferior colliculus (mid-brain)
VII. M-Medial geniculate body (meta-thalamus)
VIII. 41,42 – Brodmann area (cerebral cortex)

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AUDITORY PATHWAY
Question NBE / NEET
Most auditory fibers cross to the opposite side on their way to
A. Cochlear nucleus
B. Inferior colliculus
C. Superior olive
D. Medial geniculate

AUDITORY PATHWAY
ANS: C, Superior Olive.
Trapezoid body is part of auditory pathway where some axons of cochlear nucleus crossover to the opposite side.
The AnteriorCochlearNucleus fibers decussate to the opposite side before entering SUPERIOR OLIVARY NUCLEUS

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Cochlea
Question NBE / NEET
The Organ of corti is located between ..……and….….
A. Scala tympani; Scala media
B. Scala vestibule; Scala media
C. Scala vestibule; Scala tympani
D. Scala tympani; Basilar membrane

Cochlea
ANS:C Scala vestibule and Scala tympani
 The basilar membrane is a stiff structural element within the cochlea of inner ear
 Separates two liquid filled tubes that run along the coil of cochlea.
 Organ of corti is situated on the basilar membrane
 Organ of corti is the sensorineural organ of cochlea.

 It is located in Scala media of inner ear between Scala vestibule and Scala tympani
 Function of organ of corti is auditory transduction.

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Auditory pathway
Question NBE / NEET
The cell bodies of first order neurons comprise of
A. Dorsal cochlear nuclei
B. Ventral cochlear nuclei
C. Superior olivary nucleus.
D. Bipolar neurons of spiral ganglion

Auditory pathway
ANS:D Bipolar neurons of spiral ganglion.
 1st relay occurs in the cochlear nuclei in brain stem receiving type 1 spiral ganglion axons.
NEURONS ORDER AUDITORY PATHWAY

First order Bipolar neurons of spiral ganglion
Second order Dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei
Third order SO complex in Pons. Here fibers travel in LL
Fourth order Inferior colliculus in midbrain.
Fifth order MGB in thalamus. Fibers go to cortex

#
Auditory pathway
Question NBE / NEET
In a patient there is unilateral sensory hearing loss, site of lesion is
A. Lesions of Medial geniculate body
B. Lesions of cochlear nuclei at Ponto medullary junction
C. Lesion of Inferior colliculi
D. Lesions at Lateral Lemniscus

Auditory pathway
ANS:B Lesions of cochlear nuclei at Ponto medullary junction
1.Since, the projection is bilateral to Superior olivary nucleus

 Lesions of cochlear part of CN VIII or cochlear nuclei at Ponto medullary junction
UNILATERAL SENSORY HEARING LOSS
2.Lesions above the cochlear nuclei causes
 BILATERAL SUPRESSION OF HEARING
 Decreased ability to localize a sound source.

Auditory Pathway

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AUDITORY PATHWAY

Auditory (acoustic) system

 Components of hearing apparatus

Ear Middle ear

Brainstem and Brain

With From www.medicoapps.org

EXTERNAL EAR MIDDLE EAR INNER EAR

Sound waves arrive at tympanic membrane

Movement of tympanic membrane displacing the ossicles

With From www.medicoapps.org