Dynamic X-ray Microtomography vs. Laser-Doppler Vibrometry: A Comparative Study.

Purpose: There are challenges in understanding the biomechanics of the human middle ear, and established methods for studying this system show significant limitations. In this study, we evaluate a novel dynamic imaging technique based on synchrotron X-ray microtomography designed to assess the biomechanical properties of the human middle ear by comparing it to laser-Doppler vibrometry (LDV).

Methods: We examined three fresh-frozen temporal bones (TB), two donated by white males and one by a Black female, using dynamic synchrotron-based X-ray microtomography for 256 and 512 Hz, stimulated at 110 dB and 120 dB sound pressure level (SPL).

Brain activation patterns in normal hearing adults: An fNIRS Study using an adapted clinical speech comprehension task.

Objectives: Understanding brain processing of auditory and visual speech is essential for advancing speech perception research and improving clinical interventions for individuals with hearing impairment. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is deemed to be highly suitable for measuring brain activity during language tasks. However, accurate data interpretation also requires validated stimuli and behavioral measures.

Second order and transverse flow visualization through three-dimensional particle image velocimetry in millimetric ducts.

Despite recent advances in 3D particle image velocimetry (PIV), challenges remain in measuring small-scale 3D flows, in particular flows with large dynamic range. This study presents a scanning 3D-PIV system tailored for oscillatory flows, capable of resolving transverse flows less than a percent of the axial flow amplitude. The system was applied to visualize transverse flows in millimetric straight, toroidal, and twisted ducts.

Transverse flow under oscillating stimulation in helical square ducts with cochlea-like geometrical curvature and torsion.

The cochlea, situated within the inner ear, is a spiral-shaped, liquid-filled organ responsible for hearing. The physiological significance of its shape remains uncertain. Previous research has scarcely addressed the occurrence of transverse flow within the cochlea, particularly in relation to its unique shape.

Characterizing bone density pattern and porosity in the human ossicular chain using synchrotron microtomography.

The auditory ossicles amplify and transmit sound from the environment to the inner ear. The distribution of bone mineral density is crucial for the proper functioning of sound transmission as the ossicles are suspended in an air-filled chamber. However, little is known about the distribution of bone mineral density along the human ossicular chain and within individual ossicles.