© 2019 • 348 pages, illustrated (75 color and 7 B&W), index
Hardcover • $75.00 • ISBN 978-1-621822-79-0

The cochlea, the mammalian auditory organ, is a spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear that is responsible for hearing. It converts sound vibrations into electrical signals and sends them to the brain with a remarkable temporal precision. Defects in the cellular or molecular components of the cochlea can lead to deafness and other hearing impairments.

Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine provides a comprehensive review of the complex molecular mechanisms that are responsible for cochlear function and were, for the most part, revealed by the discovery of genes responsible for hearing impairment. It describes major advances in our understanding of the pathogenic processes underlying various forms of hearing loss and the emergence of treatments for deafness. The contributors focus on the highly specialized cells which mediate auditory transduction—the hair cells—and their unique architectural, mechanical, and molecular characteristics. They also consider the properties of other cochlear components, including the tectorial membrane, the synaptic connections with auditory neurons, and the resident macrophages, as well as the development and evolution of the cochlea as a whole. Topics such as hair cell regeneration, otoacoustic emissions, and ototoxicity are also discussed.

In addition, the authors examine the epidemiology of hearing loss and emerging, innovative, therapeutic strategies (e.g., gene therapy, optical cochlear implants). This volume is therefore a valuable reference for cell biologists and neuroscientists interested in the biology of hearing, as well as physician–scientists seeking new approaches to alleviate hearing impairments.

Preface

A Functional Perspective on the Evolution of the Cochlea

Christine Köppl and Geoffrey A. Manley

Cochlear Frequency Tuning and Otoacoustic Emissions

Christopher A. Shera and Karolina K. Charaziak

Active Biomechanics of Sensory Hair Bundles

Dolores Bozovic

Development and Patterning of the Cochlea: From Convergent Extension to Planar Polarity

Mireille Montcouquiol and Matthew W. Kelley

Hair-Bundle Links: Genetics as the Gateway to Function

Guy P. Richardson and Christine Petit

Function and Dysfunction of TMC Channels in Inner Ear Hair Cells

David P. Corey, Nurunisa Akyuz, and Jeffrey R. Holt

Molecular Structure of the Hair Cell Mechanoelectrical Transduction Complex

Christopher L. Cunningham and Ulrich Müller

Molecular Composition of Vestibular Hair Bundles

Jocelyn F. Krey and Peter G. Barr-Gillespie

The Tectorial Membrane: Mechanical Properties and Functions

Jonathan B. Sellon, Roozbeh Ghaffari, and Dennis M. Freeman

Hair Cell Afferent Synapses: Function and Dysfunction

Stuart L. Johnson, Saaid Safieddine, Mirna Mustapha, and Walter Marcotti

Outer Hair Cells and Electromotility

Jonathan Ashmore

Efferent Inhibition of the Cochlea

Paul Albert Fuchs and Amanda M. Lauer

Inner Ear Connexin Channels: Roles in Development and Maintenance of Cochlear Function

Fabio Mammano

The Epidemiology of Deafness

Abraham M. Sheffield and Richard J.H. Smith

Hidden Hearing Loss: A Disorder with Multiple Etiologies and Mechanisms

David Kohrman, Guoqiang Wan, Luis Cassinotti, and Gabriel Corfas

Aminoglycoside- and Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity: Mechanisms and Otoprotective Strategies

Corné J. Kros and Peter S. Steyger

Age-Related Hearing Loss

Michael R. Bowl and Sally J. Dawson

Interactions between Macrophages and the Sensory Cells of the Inner Ear

Mark E. Warchol

Stem Cells and the Bird Cochlea—Where Is Everybody?

Amanda S. Janesick and Stefan Heller

Cochlear Gene Therapies

Lawrence Lustig and Omar Akil

Toward the Optical Cochlear Implant

Tobias Dombrowski, Vladan Rankovic, and Tobias Moser

Index