教學大綱

Course Outline

Eleven lectures will be devoted to the organization of the visual system and eye-movement control. Topics covered will include:

• The Retina
• The Lateral Geniculate Nucleus and the Visual Cortex
• The Parallel Channels of the Visual System
• The Processing of Color
• Motion
• Depth and Form
• The Neural Control of Visually Guided Eye Movements

Eleven lectures will be devoted to audition. The topics will include:

• Sound; External, Middle, and Inner Ears
• Hair Cells: Transduction, Electrophysiology and "Cochlear Amplifier"
• Auditory Nerve; Psychophysics of Frequency Discrimination
• Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implants
• Cochlear Nucleus: Tonotopy, Unit types and Cell types
• Brainstem Reflexes: OC Efferents and Middle Ear Muscles
• Sound Localization: I. Psychophysics and Neural Circuits
• Sound Localization: II. Superior Olivary Complex and Inferior Colliculus
• Auditory Cortex: I. General Physiology and Role in Sound Localization
• Auditory Cortex: II. Bats and Echolocation; Language
• Eaton-Peabody Lab Tour at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston

The following topics examine anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system which are relevant to speech and hearing. Specific topics include:

• The Connections, Neurochemistry and Single-neuron Physiology of the Brainstem Auditory System, including the Feedback Control Systems
• The Midbrain and Forebrain Auditory System
• Auditory Evoked Potentials
• Motor Control and the Control of the Muscles of Speech
• Cortical Representation of Speech and Language Function

The last session will provide an overview of the auditory and visual systems.

Readings

The reading assignments will, for the most part, draw on original research articles. As the course proceeds, there will be increasing time devoted to class discussion of the readings.

Assignments

There are two writing assignments for this class.