Synaptic Mechanisms in the Auditory System (Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, Vol. 41)

DESCRIPTION

Synaptic mechanisms are the groundwork for all auditory processing. Understanding them requires knowledge of the microphysiology of synapses, cellular biophysics, and receptor pharmacology, as well as an appreciation for what unique jobs auditory synapses must carry out. Synaptic Mechanisms in the Auditory System provides a basic reference for students, clinicians, and researchers on how synapses in the auditory system function to encode acoustic signals.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction and overview.
• Neuronal response properties and voltage-gated ion channels.
• The hair cell synapse.
• The endbulbs of Held.
• The calyces of Held.
• Synaptic coincidence detection.
• Synaptic inhibition in the auditory system.
• Modulatory mechanisms for controlling auditory processing.
• Long-term plasticity in the auditory system.

AUTHORS

Laurence O. Trussell is Professor in the Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute at the Oregon Health & Science University. Arthur N. Popper is a Professor in the Department of Biology and Co-Director of the Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing at the University of Maryland, College Park. Richard R. Fay is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Loyola University Chicago.