Articles on TomatisMany different forms of Sound Therapy have been based on the discoveries of Dr Tomatis who developed the Electronic Ear to filter sound in such a way as to provide a progressive exercise program for the middle ear muscles. Numerous branches of Tomatis-based sound therapies exist. The most portable, affordable and self-help oriented method, is the Joudry program, offered by Sound Therapy International. Follow this link for a selection of research articles on Tomatis based therapies.

Articles on Tomatis.docx

Acoustic Shock Injury Acoustic shock injury (ASI), from exposure to a sudden unexpected loud sound, has caused specific and consistent pattern of neurophysiological and psychological symptoms. These include aural pain, tinnitus, hyperacusis/phonophobia, vertigo and other unusual symptoms such as numbness or burning sensations around the ear. A range ofemotional reactions including trauma, anxiety and depression can develop.

Call centre staff are vulnerable to ASI because of the increased likelihood of exposure, close to their ear(s), of sudden unexpected loud sounds randomly transmitted via the telephone line. The prevalent mechanism for ASI is Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS), involving chronic and repetitive contractions of the middle ear muscles. Read more…

Accoustic Shock Injury.pdf

Affective Disorders: NeuroscienceLeft prefrontal activation appears to facilitate the maintenance of positive affect and the shortening of negative affect. In other words, stimulating the left brain leads to more positive emotional states. This occurs both through the impact on working memory plus a reduction of metabolic activity in the amygdala, the seat of negative emotion. Read more…

Affective_style Davidson.pdf

Auditory dysfunction: traumatic brain injuryHearing loss and tinnitus are highly prevalent in the growing population of returning soldiers who have Blast Related Traumatic Brain Injury. Thus, we need to develop and implement strategies for diagnosis and management of auditory dysfunction in this population. Read more…

auditory dysfunction brain injury veterans.pdf

Auditory neuroscienceHow does the complex inner ear develop? How does the cochlea convert sounds into electrical signals? How does the brain’s ability to compute the location of a sound source develop? How does the forebrain analyze complex sounds? Participants in the National Academy of Sciences presented research results bearing on four key issues in auditory research. Read

auditory neuroscience.pdf

more…

Auditory selectivity: autismThey can perceive but do not attend. The goal of the study was to determine whether children with autism have a disadvantage in the sensory representation of, and attentive orienting to, speech sounds (vowels) as compared with non-speech sounds (tones).

autism selectivity.pdf

Fluid dynamics inner earThis article presents a comprehensive review of the mechanisms underlying inner ear fluid homeostasis necessary for normal auditory function and factors that can disrupt homeostasis and lead to functional disturbances, namely sensori-neural hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo.

Blood labyrinth barrier and fluid dynamicsof the iner ear.pdf

The middle-ear-musclesThis system of sound mufflers and tuners effectively suppresses loud internal and external noise, allowing relevant soft sounds to be separated from irrelevant loud ones. Specifically, the muscle's reflexive contractions prevent desensitization of the auditory receptors, interference between high and low frequencies in the perception of sound, and injury to the inner ear.

Brain Plasticity and MusicBrain plasticity refers to the ability of the brain to respond to and be modified by experience, to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust its activities in response to new situations or changes in the environment. Studies using MRI have shown that several brain areas differ in their structure and size between musicians and control subjects.

Brain plasticity and music.pdf

Brain Structures Musicians The strong association between grey matter differences and musician status in our study lends support to the proposal that brains of musicians show use-dependent structural changes. Additional support for structural plasticity comes from animal experiments showing microstructural changed in the cerebellum, primary motor cortex and hippocampus related to motor skill learning and continuous motor activity.

Brain Structures Differ in Musicians.pdf

Chemical Exposure and Hearing LossIn 2002 the national Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Hearing Conservation Association cosponsored the Best Practices Workshop: Combines Effects of Chemicals and Noise

Chemical Exposure as a Risk Factor for Hearing Loss.pdf

on Hearing. This article summarizes the main results of the Workshop.

Chemical sensitivityThe hypothesis that chemical sensitivity may be a mechanism for disease posits that a broad spectrum of “recognised” chronic illnesses, ranging from asthma and migraine to depression and chronic fatigue, may be the consequence of environmental chemical exposures.

Chemical sensitivity tinnitus.pdf

Chorda Tympani Trauma and Taste?The chorda tympani nerve runs just beneath the tympanic membrane, and is often traumatised or sacrificed during middle ear surgery. There is varied opinion as to whether surgeons should preserve this nerve. This article explores how a change in taste sensations changes and recovers after surgery.

Chorda tympani trauma how much does it affect taste.pdf

Chronic Fatigue and EMFChronic Fatigue Syndrome - Is prolonged exposure to environmental level powerline frequency electromagnetic fields a co-factor to consider in treatment? The authors conclude that, although the link between ELF EMFs and cellular dysfunction are far from proven, sufficient evidence exists to suggest a causal link.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome exposure to EMF.pdf

Clubbing Yourself to DeafResearch reveals huge risk of hearing loss among young people. Major international research, presented today at the first national Club Health conference in 2005 in Australia showed that three out of four young people (73%) who go to clubs or concerts regularly are risking permanent hearing damage.

Clubbing Yourself to Deaf.pdf

Meniere's and the Menstrual CycleMeniere's disease is a complex, progressive disorder of the inner ear evidenced by vertigo (dizziness), hearing loss, aural pressure (feeling of pressure in the ear), and tinnitus (ringing in the ear). Several recent studies describe women's increasing anecdotal reports of symptom exacerbation during the perimenstruum (from ovulation through the menstrual bleed).

Menieres as a function of menstrual cycle.pdf

Pressure in the Ear A simple explanation of the functional anatomy behind chronic ear pressure. Dysfunction of the Eustachian

Pressure in the Ear Explained.pdf

tube causes many common symptoms like blocked ear or pressure in the head, clicking, popping or painful ears.

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbioticsApproaches for modulating the microbial ecology of the gut. Many factors affect the composition of the large-intestinal microbiota in humans. Diet may exert a major influence on gut bacterial populations and their development. It is possible to manipulate the composition of the gut microbiota in infants and adults through dietary supplementation. Some interesting data have arisen from the use of probiotics to reduce diarrhea and gastroenteritis in infants.

\Probiotics Prebiotics and Synbiotics.pdf

Cochlear evolution.

The hearing organs of modern amniotes (reptiles, birds, and mammals) show a bewildering variety of morphologies. The articles assess the functional consequences of structural diversity. In sum, it can be said that the most important changes in cochlear mechanisms during the evolution of species were initiated by changes in the middle ear. This led in most lineages to a predominance on micromechanical tuning, a profound elongation of the papilla, and the specialization of hair cells that went as far as to generate a division of labour in birds and mammals.

“Cochlear mechanisms from a phylogenetic viewpoint.”

Complex pitch perceptionThe ability to extract a pitch from complex harmonic sounds, such as human speech, animal vocalizations, and musical instruments, is a fundamental attribute of hearing. The article present an interesting dichotomy between pitch and spatial perception: transposed tones provide peripheral temporal information that is sufficiently accurate for binaural spatial processing but produce poor simple, and nonexistent complex, pitch perception. This insight should provide a valuable tool in the search for the neural code of pitch. This is particularly important to assist hearing against more complex background sounds.

Correct tonotopic representation....pitch perception.pdf

Electro-pollution medicine Book review of Cross Currents exploring how EMF causes stress on the body’s immune system [not very informative]

Cross Currents book review Becker.pdf

Dangerous Decibels Dangerous Decibels types

Focuses on noise-induced hearing loss, chiefly the mechanism of hair cell damage. Over time the high frequency area of the cochlea becomes damaged. Noises over 85 decibels can cause permanent damage to hair cells leading to hearing loss.

of hearing loss stats.pdf

Deep Brain Stimulation: ParkinsonsDeep brain stimulation has significantly improved the motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Electrical stimulation of structures within the brain improves motor symptoms.Deep brain stimulation is changing theinformational content of the neural network, andthese changes are occurring across populations of neurons through the whole basal ganglia circuit. Knowing how these changes result in improvement in the neurologic disorder being treated will be critical to the understanding of not only how deep brain stimulation works, but how to make it work better and how to apply it effectively to other neurologic disorders.

Deep Brain Stimulation how Parkinsons.pdf

Neurotoxicity: Industrial ChemicalsA few industrial chemicals (eg, lead, methyl mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], arsenic, and toluene) are recognised causes of neurodevelopmental disorders and subclinical brain dysfunction. Exposure to these chemicals during early foetal development can cause brain injury at doses much lower than those affecting adult brain function.[Abstract only]

Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals.pdf

Diagnostics TinnitusThe mechanism that produces tinnitus remains poorly understood. Tinnitus may originate at any location along the auditory pathway from the cochlear nucleus to the auditory cortex. Some leading theories include a) injured cochlear hair cells that discharge repetitively and stimulate auditory nerve fibers in a continuous cycle, b) spontaneous activity in individual auditory nerve fibers, c) hyperactivity of the

Diagnostic Approach to Tinnitus.pdf

auditory nuclei in the brain stem, or d) a reduction in the usual suppressive activity of the central auditory cortex on peripheral auditory nerve activity. This article discusses the causes of subjective and objective tinnitus, diagnostic tests and techniques used for evaluating tinnitus.

Downs SyndromeAs we observe new generations of children with Down Syndrome who have had exposure to infant stimulation programs, increasing integration and normalization, new speech and language therapies, and tools such as the computer, have many parents and professionals questioning what the true potential of these children is.Slow auditory processing and auditory control of speech, plus poor muscle tone, are typically observed in Downs children with listening related speech, language and learning difficulties.Poor muscle tone slows down the movements of the middle ear muscles affecting auditory processing and the auditory control of speech. The article explores the Tomatis method in relation to Down’s syndrome.

Down_syndrome Madaule.pdf

Early intervention: PrematuresVery preterm children are at high risk for developmental difficulties; almost half of these children will have mild-moderate problems. Early intervention has been shown to be efficacious in improving short and medium term outcomes for high-risk children and also for those with known difficulties. The article describes some early intervention approaches and how they impact cognitive development.

Early Childhood intervention brain images.pdf

Noise & Jet fuel exposureA study examined the effects of occupational exposure to jet fuel on hearing in military workers.

Subjects with 3 years of jet fuel exposure had a 70% increase in adjusted odds of hearing loss and the odds increased to 2. 41 (95%) for 12 years of noise and fuel exposure. Conclusions: These findings suggest that jet fuel has a toxic affect on the auditory system.

Abstract only.

Effects of Concurrent Noise and Jet Fuel Exposure o…Hearing Loss.pdf

Evolutionary Neural Regulation & EmotionPolyvagal Theory of Emotion links the evolution of the autonomic nervous system to affective

Emotion an evolutionary approach to nerual regulation Porges.pdf

experience, emotional expression, vocal communication and social behaviour. The mammalian vagal system has an inhibitory effect on sympathetic pathways to the heart, and thus, promotes calm and pro-social behaviour. The paper’s focus on the phylogenetic shift in the neural regulation of the vertebrate heart.

image from EMR consulting

Wireless Radiation: AutismThis study assessed the role of wireless device-associated EMR in the etiology and treatment of Autism. The relationship between heavy metal clearance in children receiving detoxification intervention, which included energetic nutrition for Autism, and the length of time the children were treated in an electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) free environment was evaluated. From a clinical perspective, it is clear that heavy metal detoxification was greatly facilitated by the elimination of EMR from the treatment environment.

EMR-Autism-ACNEM-final1.pdf

Environment and developing brainThe human brain begins growing in the 4th week of pregnancy at a rate of over 4,000 cells per second. Unlike an adult, the foetus does not have a functional blood brain barrier to protect itself from toxic insult. This lack of natural defence allows chemicals into the foetal brain with potential to cause serious harm and disruption in this delicate brain growth process. Children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder exhibit at least one of several types of damage to the brain structure.

Increasingly research is showing chemical exposure can have adverse effects on developing brain structures

Environmental Circumstances that can damage the …eloping Brain.pdf

Environment impact on hearing The article explores a diversity of environmental impacts on hearing loss: Noise; sound frequency; neurotoxic nature of the neurotransmitter – [If you get excessive release of glutamate from presynaptic nerve endings, this can greatly elevate the level of calcium in the cells postsynaptic to it and produce a cascade of injurious effects]; ototoxic drugs – [alterations in sensory function are frequently reported as the first signs of chemical exposure in humans]; Organic solvents; Noise and organic solvents – [There is the possibility of a synergism, of an interactive-additive type of potentiation between noise and solvent exposures]; Heavy Metals.

It explores mechanisms of Cochlea self-protection, specifically looking at heat-shock proteins.

Environmental Impact on Hearing.pdf

Eustachian tube treatmentThe article explores the anatomy of the Eustachian tube, dysfunctions, test procedures, and treatments. Specialists agree that Eustachian tube disorders continue to represent some of the most challenging management problems faced by otolaryngologists. Many of these conditions, often the ones most puzzling to the doctors, could be easily remedied with a course of Sound Therapy treatment, and it is hoped in the future that more doctors will be referring clients for this therapy

Eustachian Tube Anatomy Rehabilitation and Treatment.pdf

Eustachian tube dysfunction…the cause of chronic blocked ear. Poor performance of Eustachian tube muscles can be the result of muscular tension or poor muscular tone in the head, neck and jaw areas. It can also be linked to ear damage from infections, viruses, head injury or noise exposure. Hence it is common for people with blocked ear problems to also suffer from tinnitus or hearing loss. The article explores risk factors; Symptoms, Diagnosis. Surgical options and Sound Therapy’s muscular rehabilitation.

Eustachian tube dysfunction.pdf

Schizophrenia: left brain failureVariations in normal brain asymmetries may be associated with a variety of neuro-pathologies. It has often been argued that temporal lobe asymmetries may underlie language-related hemispheric specialization. Failure to establish this type of hemispheric dominance is associated with psychotic symptom development. Lack of contralateral dominance in the auditory pathway, as reported here for schizophrenia patients, may reveal a failure to develop language-related hemispheric specialization. Absence of left-hemispheric contralateral dominance in response to right-ear auditory stimuli among schizophrenia patients may index a failure to establish normal development of brain asymmetry.

Failure of dominant left hemisphere in schizophrenia.pdf

Managing OCDCognitive-bio-behavioural self-treatment: Re-label; Reattribute; Refocus; Revalue. Deep inside the brain lies a structure called the caudate nucleus. Scientists worldwide have studied this structure and believe that, in people with OCD, the caudate nucleus may be malfunctioning. Think of the caudate nucleus as a processing centre or filtering station for the very complicated messages generated by the front part of the brain, which is probably the part used in thinking, planning, and understanding. During a normal day, we make many rapid shifts of behaviour, smoothly and easily and usually without thinking about them. It is the functioning of the caudate nucleus and the putamen that makes this possible. In OCD, the problem seems to be that the smooth, efficient filtering and the shifting of thoughts and behaviour are disrupted by a glitch in the caudate nucleus.

Four Steps for Managing OCD.pdf

Autism: Reducing HypersensitivityAuditory hypersensitivities are a common feature of autism spectrum disorder. The study explored the effectiveness of a novel intervention, the listening project protocol. LPP was developed to reduce auditory hypersensitivities. LPP is based on a theoretical “neural exercise” model that uses computer altered acoustic stimulation to recruit the neural regulation of middle ear muscles. LPP was hypothesized to reduce auditory hypersensitivities by increasing the neural tone to the middleear muscles to functionally dampen competing sounds in frequencies lower than

Frontiers Listening Project Protocol.pdf

human speech. The trials demonstrated that LPP, when contrasted to control conditions, selectively reduced auditory hypersensitivities. These findings are consistent with the polyvagal theory, which emphasizes the role of the middle ear muscles in social communication.

Asymmetry Auditory ProcessingStructural asymmetries in the supratemporal plane of the human brain are often cited as the anatomical basis for the lateralization of language predominantly to the left hemisphere. However, similar asymmetries are found for structures mediating earlier events in the auditory processing stream, suggesting that functional lateralization may occur even at the level of primary auditory cortex. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to evaluate human auditory cortex responses to monaurally presented tones. Relative to silence, tones presented separately to either ear produced greater activation in left than right Heschl’s gyrus, the location of primary auditory cortex. This functional lateralization for primary auditory cortex is distinct from the contralateral dominance reported for other mammals, including nonhuman primates, and may have contributed to the evolution of a unique role for the left hemisphere in language processing.

functional assymetry for auditory processing.pdf

Stutterers: Auditory cortexThe basic functional organization of the auditory cortices was found to be different in stutterers and controls. The altered inter-hemispheric balance in stutterers was affected by speech production, due to changes in the left auditory cortical representation, and more severely by self-paced than accompanied speech [Abstract only]

Functional organization of the auditory cortex in stutterers.pdf

Auditory OssiclesThe tympanic cavity contains a chain of three movable ossicles, the malleus, incus, and stapes.The article explores the functional anatomy of these structures, articulations, ligaments, muscles of tympanic cavity, vessels and nerves.

Gray the Auditory Ossicles 1918.pdf

Brain & Hearing aidsEven though we are typically born with the capacity to code the acoustic information, our brain—specifically the central auditory system—“changes” as a function of auditory deprivation and stimulation. It reorganizes itself throughout our lifespan according to the auditory input that it receives. The central auditory system of a person who has been diagnosed with a conductive or sensorineural hearing loss has experienced deprivation-related plasticity. Hearing aids and cochlear implants, through signal processing circuitry, modify the content of the incoming sound and deliver a modified signal to the central auditory system. In a sense, these modified signals are new signals because they are unfamiliar to the listener and so are likely to stimulate the auditory system in a new way. It is widely believed that people learn how to relate the modified signal, and the altered neural spectral and temporal codes, to an existing memory of sound…if a person can learn to differentiate acoustic cues, this ability might in turn contribute to improved speech perception.

Hearing aids and the Brain whats the connection.pdf

Cortical activationReversible inactivation of the auditory cortex leads to a transient impairment in tone detection and frequency discrimination.

Assuming that long-term inactivation of the auditory cortex leads to a transient loss of auditory function, what neural mechanisms might account for the reacquisition of hearing? A rapid reorganization of cortical function that occurs without further training is often attributed to unmasking of cortical connections. But it is difficult to imagine that unmasking, or any other cortical mechanism, can account for the retention of auditory function following massive lesions involving over half the cerebral cortex. An alternative is that sub-cortical processing, possibly responding dynamically to a release from cortical influence, may mediate the restored function.

Hearing cortical activation does matter.pdf

Hearing Health Care The article aims to provide all health care providers with a complete overview about hearing loss, treatment for hearing loss, and the role of the audiologist, in addition to reviewing other areas within the scope of practice of audiology.

Hearing Health Care.pdf

Antioxidants prevent Hearing lossRecent studies indicate that noise exposure damages sensory cells by the formation of free radicals, damaging molecules known to cause cell death. In the past 10 years, scientists have learned that noise-induced hearing loss occurs in part because cell mitochondria in the ear churn out damaging free radicals in response to loud sounds.

Le Prell’s research shows that damage to the sensory cells can be prevented by antioxidants that prevent free radical damage by binding to free radical molecules and rendering them harmless. A combination of high doses of vitamins A, C, and E and magnesium, taken one hour before noise exposure and continued as a once-daily treatment for five days, was very effective at preventing permanent noise-induced hearing loss in guinea pigs.

High Doses of Antioxidants May help Prevent Hearing Loss.pdf

Hypertension & Airport noiseSignificant exposure-response relationships exist between exposure to night-time aircraft noise, daily average road traffic noise, and the risk of hypertension

Hypertension and Exposure to Noise Near Airports…udy 08 05 08.pdf

Music brain regions pleasureCerebral blood flow changes were measured in response to subject-selected music that elicited the highly pleasurable experience of ‘‘shivers-down-the-spine’’ or ‘‘chills.’’ Subjective reports of chills were accompanied by changes in heart rate, electromyogram, and respiration. As intensity of these chills increased, cerebral blood flow increases and decreases were observed in brain regions thought to be involved in reward/motivation, emotion, and arousal. These brain structures are known to be active in response to other euphoria-inducing stimuli, such as food, sex, and drugs of abuse. This finding links music with biologically relevant, survival-related stimuli via their common recruitment of brain circuitry involved in pleasure and reward.

Intensely pleasurable responses to music brain regions.pdf

Tympanic treatment Meniere’sThe article explores the efficacy of intratympanic gentamicin treatment for Meniere’s. It involves injection of gentamicin through the eardrum.

Intratympanic Transtympanic Gentamicin Treatment Menieres Dissease.pdf

Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis

Vestibular neuritis means inflammation of the vestibular nerve.Labyrinthitis is a condition that is due to inflammation of the labyrinth in the inner ear, although sometimes the vestibular nerve is also involved. The article explores causes and treatment.

Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis.pdf

Cochlea Damage –Personal SteroThe use of pure tone audiometry to assess the potentially harmful effects of amplified music in personal stereo use [PS] on young people's hearing has failed to show any marked effect. Further research may reveal more sensitive measures of cochlear damage than pure tone audiometry.Otoacoustic emissions may offer new precision in determining an individual's risk of hearing loss; •the use of PS headsets, even in typical moderate use, is associated with rapid ageing of the cochlea comparable with industrial noise trauma; •as personal stereos are here to stay, the essential message for preventing premature hearing loss in users is that listening times and volumes should be moderate, and that users should be aware of the potentiating effect of noisy background conditions which both add directly to the noise dose and encourage them raise the PS volume.

Latent Cochlear Damage in Personal Stereo Users.pdf

Left Brian Hears through NoiseIn our daily lives, we are exposed to many different sounds from multiple sources at the same time, from traffic noise to background chatter. These noisy signals interact and compete with each other when they are being processed by the brain: a process called simultaneous masking. The brain’s response to masking stimuli brings about the “cocktail-party effect” so that we are able to hear a particular sound, even in the presence of a competing sound or background noise. The left hemisphere was the site of most neural activity associated with processing sounds in a noisy environment.

Abstract only

Left Brain Helps Hear Through The Noise.pdf

Mal de Debarquement Mal de Debarquement or "MDD" is a type of vertigo and imbalance that occurs after getting off of a boat. A recent conjecture is that MDD is caused by adaptation to roll while rotating. In other words, if one is rocking side-side (roll), and also rotating the head, for long periods of time, one might develop an inappropriate cross-coupling between roll and rotation A plausible mechanism for the development of MDD is that it is due to formation of an inappropriate internal predictive model. It is proposed that people develop a predictive model of the boat motion, and use their prediction to adjust to the boat motion (and avoid falling). Treatment approaches should be considered that assist people in changing their mental processing of motion, rather than searches for vestibular suppressant medication or physical therapy that includes more motion.

Mal de Debarquement.pdf

Managing Chronic TinnitusIt is clear that the perception of chronic tinnitus has many physiological characteristics in common with the perception of chronic pain. Briner used the phrase phantom auditory pain to describe severe chronic tinnitus. The study explores similarities in psychological characteristics, reactions, and coincidental disturbances exhibited by patients who experience chronic tinnitus or pain. The goal is to contribute to the development of treatment strategies that are likely 4qto be effective for patients experiencing phantom auditory pain.

Managing Chronic Tinnitus As Phantom Auditory Pain.pdf

Mediation and the brainMeditating does more than just feel good and calm you down, it makes you perform better - and alters the structure of your brain. Meditation was the only intervention that immediately led to superior performance on image response tests. Meditating increases the thickness of the cortex in areas involved in attention and sensory processing, such as the prefrontal cortex and the right anterior insula. The growth of the cortex is not due to the growth of new neurons but results from wider blood vessels, more supporting structures and increased branching and connections.

Meditation Builds up the Brain.pdf

Memory and hearingA new report suggests mild memory impairment may be associated with central auditory

Memory Impairment Linked to Hearing Disorder.pdf

processing dysfunction, or difficulty hearing in complex situations with competing noise, such as hearing a single conversation amid several other conversations. Central auditory function was affected by even mild memory impairment.Music & DopaminePrevious studies indicated that calcium increases brain dopamine (DA) synthesis through a calmodulin (CaM)-dependent system. Increased DA levels reduce blood pressure in rats In this study we examined the effects of music on this pathway. Systolic blood pressure was reduced by exposure to Mozart's music and the effect vanished when this pathway was inhibited. Exposure to music also significantly increased serum calcium levels and neostriatal DA levels. These results suggest that music leads to increased calcium/CaM-dependent DA synthesis in the brain, thus causing a reduction in blood pressure. Music might regulate and/or affect various brain functions through dopaminergic neurotransmission, and might therefore be effective for rectification of symptoms in various diseases that involve DA dysfunction. [Abstract only]

Music improves dopaminergic neurotransmission.pdf

Music and sleep Music resulted in significantly better sleep quality in the experimental group, as well as significantly better components of sleep quality: better perceived sleep quality, longer sleep duration, greater sleep efficiency, shorter sleep latency, less sleep disturbance and less daytime dysfunction Sleep improved weekly, indicating a cumulative dose effect. Conclusion: The findings provide evidence for the use of soothing music as an empirically-based intervention for sleep in older people.

Music improves sleep quality in older adults.pdf

Music & Auditory SkillsNeuroscience research has shown that music training leads to changes throughout the auditory system. Fifteen months of intense music training has been shown to induce structural changes in the primary auditory and primary motor areas of children. These structural changes were associated with improved auditory and motor skills, respectively. Taken together, these data suggest that music training can cause functional and structural changes in the brain throughout our lifetimes.

Music Training for the Development of Auditory Skills.pdf

Brain developmentIn the first 3 years of life brain connection develops quickly in response to external stimuli. Links exist between physical or emotional trauma and long-term impairments in learning and development. Strong attachment to caregivers helps to improve cognitive ability, empathy and affect. In the early years the ability of the brain to change is strongest. Positive bonding enables synapses to grow and connections to be strengthened. Strategies are discussed to improve child development.

New Brain Development Research.pdf

Autism OverviewAutism is a very complex disorder; and the needs of these individuals vary greatly. The paper presents a survey of our common understandings of autism, its characteristics, related disorders, causes, abnormalities, impairments, cognition and possible interventions.

Overview Of Autism Edelson.pdf

Polyvagal Theory: social behaviorThe paper focuses on the role that evolution has played in shaping both the structure of the nervous system and the adaptive social behaviours. Polyvagal theory explores the way evolution has influenced the particular sequence of behavioural response to stimuli. It focuses particularly on the relationship between the brain, gut and heart. The theory has enabled the development of integrated neurobiological and neurobehavioral models of social behaviour.

This paper focuses on how a specific component of the autonomic nervous system, the vagus, is involved in the expression of several of the behavioural, psychological and physiological features associated with social behaviour. Polyvagal Theory provides a neurobiological model to explain how positive social behaviour, social support and positive affective states might support health and growth.

Porges_2003The Polyvagal Theory phylogenetic conditions - Copy.pdf

Acoustic Brain mapExploring the way in which acoustical aspects of the outside world are represented within the brain. The study suggests that chronic conductive hearing loss caused by repeated middle ear infection may change the way in which the cochlear activates the brain. This could possibly disrupt normal central development. Auditory plasticity is greatest in the developing individual. The early postnatal period is very important for the establishment of auditory pathways that can

Representing the Acoustic World Within the Brain.pdf

accurately represent complex sounds at the cortical level.

Tomatis ResearchA summary of 14 research articles

Research on the Tomatis Method 4408CA07d01.pdf

Sensory interactionsAnimal studies and human-deprivation cases provide evidence for a surprising degree of cross-modal plasticity in cortical processing. For example, a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study showed that the primary auditory cortex is activated when a talking face is viewed in the absence of sound. Psychophysical data indicate that interaction between modalities is the rule as opposed to the exception in brain functions.

Sensory modalities are not separate modalities.doc.pdf

Salt mythEvidence has been mounting against universal salt restriction guidelines. A low-salt diet may cause serious health consequences and higher overall mortality, especially in the presence of certain chronic health conditions and lifestyle factors. In this article, I will discuss scientific evidence that contradicts salt restriction recommendations, as well as potential health risks of consuming a diet too low in salt.

Shaking up the Salt Myth.pdf

SleepDuring the night, a normal sleeper moves between different sleep stages in a fairly predictable pattern, alternating between REM and non-REM sleep. When these stages [N1, N2, N3 and REM] are charted on a diagram, called a hypnogram the different levels resemble a drawing of a city skyline. Sleep experts call this pattern sleep architecture. In a young adult, normal sleep architecture usually consists of four or five alternating non-REM and REM periods. Most deep sleep occurs in the first half of the night. As the night progresses, periods of REM sleep get longer and alternate with Stage N2 sleep. Later in life, the sleep skyline will change, with less Stage N3 sleep, more Stage N1 sleep, and more awakenings. The circadian rhythm makes people's desire for sleep strongest between midnight and dawn, and to a lesser extent in mid-afternoon. In one study, researchers instructed a

Sleep Mechanics Harvard.pdf

group of people to try to stay awake for 24 hours. Not surprisingly, many slipped into naps despite their best efforts not to. When the investigators plotted the times when the unplanned naps occurred, they found peaks between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Sound TherapyThe research has demonstrated that music has a profound relaxing effect. It is believed that this occurs via Nitrous Oxide [NO], opiate and hormonal systems. NO has been shown to be a necessary molecule in the development of the auditory system, which is required to enable music to act as a relaxant. Taken together we believe that the complex nitric oxide signalling system is the primary and fundamental method by which music acts as a relaxation device. Music and its calming effects have been demonstrated to have a large emotional component. When pleasant music is heard the brains motivation and reward pathways are reinforced with positive emotion mentally linked to the music. This emotionalized memory includes many somatic markers, i.e., bodily sensations that accompany emotion and set the feeling tone that feels right to the person.

Sound Therapy InducedRelaxation.pdf

Speech & auditory cortexThe research explores the interrelationship between cortical processing and speech comprehension. It suggests that training may enhance processing capacities and enable better comprehension of speech in challenging listening conditions.

Speech comprehension and the auditory cortex.pdf

Sudden DeafnessSudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), or sudden deafness, is a rapid loss of hearing and constitutes a medical emergency. The article explores causes and treatments.Two factors that help hearing function properly are good air and blood flow inside the ear. Many researchers now think that SSHL happens when important parts of the inner ear do not receive enough oxygen.

Sudden Deafness nicd lack of oxygen.pdf

Tensor tympani: Chewing.This article has concerned itself with the need for understanding the presence of a masticatory muscle in the middle ear, which can complicate temporomandibular disorder. It explores the relationships between various auditory dysfunctions and the chewing muscle.

Tensor tympani strange chewing muscle.pdf

Tensor Tympani syndromePeople with hyperacusis—abnormal intolerance to ordinary, everyday sounds—show an increased activity in the tensor tympani muscle in the middle ear. Following exposure to intolerable sounds, this contraction of the tensor tympani muscle tightens the ear drum, which can lead to the symptoms of ear pain/a fluttering sensation/a sensation of fullness in the ear (in the absence of any middle or inner ear pathology). Once the mechanism of hyperacusis has been understood, practical self-management strategies to assist desensitization and reduce auditory hypervigilance, personalized to suit each person's individual coping style, can be developed. Sound enrichment and low level sound therapy are required as part of the desensitization process.

Tensor Tympani Syndrome.pdf

Tensor Tympani SyndromeThere is no acoustic tensor reflex — the raised tension of the Tympanic membrane—in humans unless the sound stimulation is strong, sudden and threatening enough to produce a "startle reaction".

The article explores the main symptoms of the condition and in particular impedance fluctuation.

Tensor_tympani_syndrome_Klochoff.pdf

Neuroanatomy of tinnitusData suggest that the neural systems mediating tinnitus may be linked to systems controlling emotions and memory systems. Like the severity of phantom limb pain, the severity and the psychological impact of tinnitus may depend on the nature and extent of plastic transformations within the central auditory system. It is hypothesized that persistent or repeated high levels of arousal, or the attachment of affective significance to the sensation, impedes the development of tolerance to these phantom sounds.

The functional neuroanatomy of tinnitus lockwood.pdf

Prenatal SoundThe elements of music, namely tonal pitch, timbre, intensity and rhythm, are elements used in speaking a language. For this reason, music prepares the ear, body and brain to listen to, integrate and produce language sounds. Music can thus be considered a pre-linguistic language that is nourishing and stimulating to the whole human being, affecting body, emotions, intellect, and developing an internal sense of beauty, sustaining and awakening the qualities in us that are wordless and otherwise inexpressible… With foetal sound stimulation the brain functions at a higher level of organization.

The Importance of Prenatal Sound and Music.pdf

Tinnitus mechanismsThis research increasingly suggests that tinnitus is most commonly a disorder that can originate in the peripheral and/or central nervous system and brain, and can undoubtedly be triggered by injury to the ear. The article explores symptoms, management and treatment of tinnitus. Effective therapies include masking devices, hearing aids (for those with higher-level hearing loss), and acoustic (filtered music) therapy. Stimulating the auditory system in a way that better restores activity to the damaged area may have the effect of reversing the plasticity. Instead of neurons remaining hyperactive, over-synchronized, or Over-selective to certain frequencies, directly stimulating the ear with frequencies that span the frequency range of the hearing loss might diminish those measures of change.

The Mechanisms of Tinnitus.pdf

Middle ear MusclesThe muscles of the middle ear contract not only in response to loud external sounds but also immediately before a person vocalizes. This prevocalization reflex operates even when one speaks, sings or cries as softly as possible. Yet most evidence suggests that it is meant to protect the inner ear from the fatigue, interference and potential injury caused by one's own louder utterances, which can result in high sound levels in one's head. The muscles also muffle a loud sound's lower frequencies, which tend to overpower its higher frequencies. The net result of this frequency selectivity is to improve hearing-particularly of those sounds that contain many high-frequency components, such as human speech…The built-in reflexes of the middle ear muscles have both enhanced the hearing of human beings and proved to be a reliable tool for

The middle-ear muscles.pdf

determining the integrity of the ear and the neuronal circuits of the brain stem.

Mozart effectAn enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning performance after listening to Mozart's music for 10 minutes has been reported. Longer-term studies on children have found they performed 30% better in spatio-temporal reasoning tests than subjects not exposed to musical training. Particular components of musical appreciation involving rhythm, pitch, metre, melody, and timbre are processed in many different areas of the brain. It is suggested, therefore, that listening to music would prime the activation of those areas of the brain that are concerned with spatial reasoning.

The Mozart effect.pdf

Neurobiology DyslexiaDyslexia is a persistent, chronic condition; it does not represent a transient "developmental lag". For dyslexic readers, these brain activation patterns provide evidence of an imperfectly functioning system for segmenting words into their phonologic constituents. The pattern of relative under-activation in posterior brain regions contrasted with relative over-activation in anterior regions may provide a neural signature for the phonologic difficulties characterizing dyslexia.

The Neurobiology of Reading and Dyslexia.pdf

Tinnitus & Hearing problemsAn exploration of some of the common causes of tinnitus and hearing problems.

Things that go bump in the night Hazell.pdf

Tinnitus Causes TreatmentsResearchers now realize that rewiring of an area in the brainstem called the dorsal cochlear nucleus plays an important role in tinnitus. The article canvasses the causes, symptoms and treatments.

Tinnitus Causes and Treatment.pdf

Tinnitus improvementThis study reports on the long-term benefit of ultra-high-frequency masking with the UltraQuiet device. A commercial product, UltraQuiet provides a new form of high-frequency bone conduction therapy. The strategy of using high frequencies at low levels was designed to potentially provide some partial masking but, more important, was designed to aid in tinnitus neurological re-programming and habituation.

The changes in Minimal Masking Levels and auditory thresholds suggest an adaptive central nervous system, responsive to high-frequency sound therapy.

Tinnitus Improvement .pdf

TMJ & TinnitusThe study revealed that individuals who have tinnitus with no apparent structural basis for this symptom should have a careful evaluation of the temporomandibular [TMJ] apparatus. A temporomandibular disorder may be one of the primary causes of this symptom.

The article describes the symptomology of TMJ and diagnostic procedures.

TMJ diagnosis and treatment - Copy.pdf

Trace Mineral Supplementatio

Trace mineral SupplementsThe study found that even though all participants had been taking nutrients, the addition of trace mineral supplementation provided a marked increase in nutrition retention and availability.

This was determined by observing a measurable increase in nutrient level in the blood for a greater period of time. Overall, an 86% increase in nutrient availability was demonstrated with the use of trace mineral supplementation as opposed to when the same nutrients were given without the trace minerals. There are over 50 trace minerals necessary for human health.

Physiological effects observed by a majority of the participants included increased energy, lack of fatigue at typical hours during the day, sharper cognitive response later in the day than typical, and in some cases, an improvement or cessation of some or all of their physical complaints.

n.pdf

Tonic Tensor Tympani SyndromeIn the middle ear, the tensor tympani muscle and the stapedial muscle contract to tighten the middle ear bones (the ossicles) as a reaction to loud, potentially damaging sound. This provides protection to the inner ear from these loud sounds. In many people with hyperacusis, an increased, involuntary activity can develop in the tensor tympani muscle in the middle ear as part of a protective and startle response to some sounds. This lowered reflex threshold for tensor tympani contraction is activated by the perception/ anticipation of sudden, unexpected, loud sound, and is called tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TT TS). In some people with hyperacusis, it appears that the tensor tympani muscle can contract just by thinking about a loud sound. Our brain is a highly plastic organ, constantly re organising and developing new neural connections. This means that we are able to retrain our brain to reverse the process which has led to hyperacusis and tinnitus distress.

TTS and hyperacusis.pdf

How the Brain WorksThe human brain weighs only three pounds but is estimated to have about 100 billion cells. Let's try

UNDERSTANDING HOW THE BRAIN

to get an understanding of this complexity by comparing it with something humans have created--the entire phone system for the planet. If we took all the phones in the world and all the wires (there are over four billion people on the planet), the number of connections and the trillions of messages per day would NOT equal the complexity or activity of a single human brain. The article gives an overview of the basic physiology and functions of the brain in easily understood analogies.

WORKS.pdf

VertigoVertigo is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom that can have any number of causes. Vertigo is defined in Webster's dictionary as a feeling "in which the external world seems to revolve around the individual or in which the individual seems to revolve in space."Occurring without warning, it comes and goes unpredictably and is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and problems with equilibrium. The article explores causes and treatments.

Vertigo its causes and treatment.pdf

Gene therapyBut by using a virus to deliver a gene into the inner ear, scientists have now coaxed the ears of adult guinea pigs to sprout new hair Cells. These cells, which are instrumental in hearing, don’t regenerate when they are damaged in humans.

With gene therapy, ears grow new sensory cells.pdf