A integridade da via auditiva e a investigação do respectivo limiar eletrofisiológico podem ser avaliadas por meio da observação, no domínio do tempo, dos potenciais evocados auditivos de tronco encefálico. Atualmente, nova técnica de análise dos potenciais evocados auditivos, no domínio das freqüências, tem sido utilizada para uma observação particular desses limiares. Assim, com a aplicação da transformada rápida de Fourier, é possível realizar a análise das freqüências comprometidas na audição, de maneira eficiente e rápida. O objetivo com este trabalho, então, foi desenvolver, caracterizar e realizar testes preliminares com um dispositivo único capaz de avaliar os potenciais evocados auditivos nos dois domínios, por meio de uma placa de som, que ainda não havia sido implementada para tal fim. Desse modo, foi produzido um aparelho capaz de registrar sinais biológicos da ordem de 0,5 ?V. Após a caracterização e o estudo simulado, foram conduzidos testes-piloto com doze seres humanos, ouvintes normais (n = 24 orelhas), divididos em dois grupos com o mesmo número de participantes. No grupo 1, os potenciais evocados auditivos de tronco encefálico adquiridos por meio de um instrumento padrão-ouro e de instrumento desenvolvido foram comparados entre si. Em seguida, os achados foram relacionados com o exame no domínio das freqüências formatado no novo aparelho. O grupo 2 foi submetido à avaliação dos potenciais miogênicos vestibulares, também com os dois instrumentos, e suas latências absolutas comparadas. Os resultados demonstraram não haver diferenças significativas entre os dois instrumentos para as amplitudes e latências do potencial evocado auditivo de tronco encefálico. Constatou-se, ainda, que as ondas presentes no domínio do tempo davam respostas equivalentes no domínio das freqüências. Por fim, também não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os dois aparelhos para as latências do potencial miogênico vestibular. / The integrity of the auditory pathway and the investigation of the respective electrophysiological threshold can be assessed by observation, in the time domain, of brainstem auditory evoked potentials. This assessment is usually evoked by clicks, which have a wide acoustic spectrum, and consequently serious limitations with respect to frequency specificity, in determining electrophysiological thresholds. New techniques for analyzing auditory evoked potentials in the frequency domain are currently being used for a closer observation of these thresholds. Thus, by applying the fast Fourier transform, one can analyzed the compromised auditory frequencies efficiently and rapidly. This method, on the other hand, does not investigate the integrity of specific auditory pathway structures, as the other method does. Although both types of assessment require similar biological amplifier architecture and are, to a certain extent, complementary, they are performed with two distinct devices. The first, which makes the observation in the time domain, is quite well known and several manufacturers have been producing it for a long time. The second, which inspects the potentials in the frequency domain, was introduced into the market only a few years ago. The aim of this study, therefore, was to develop, characterize and conduct preliminary tests with a single device capable of evaluating the auditory evoked potentials in both domains, by means of a sound card that had not been previously used for this purpose. Thus, a device was produced with biological amplifiers, filters, electrical protection apparatus and a logic control system capable of recording biological signals around 0.5 µV. After characterization and the simulated study, pilot tests were carried out with 12 normal- hearing subjects (n = 24 ears), allocated to two groups of 6 participants. In group 1, we observed the latencies and amplitudes of waves I, III and V of the brainstem auditory evoked potentials, using a gold standard instrument and a developed instrument and later compared them. The findings were then correlated to those of the frequency domain examination formatted on the new device. Group 2 was submitted to an assessment of components p13 and n23 of the vestibular myogenic potentials to observe the most delayed biological signals, also with both instruments, and their absolute latencies were compared. The results showed no significant differences between the two instruments for the amplitudes (p = 0.379; p = 0.301; p = 0.605, waves I, III and V, respectively) and latencies (p = 0.381; p = 0.140; p = 0.255) of the brainstem auditory evoked potentials. It was also found that the waves present in the time domain gave equivalent responses in the frequency domain. Finally, no significant differences were observed between the two devices for the absolute latencies of components p13 and n23 of the vestibular myogenic potentials, with p values of 0.102 and 0.078, respectively. Thus, it was concluded that the new instruments were efficient for the functions tested.

A integridade da via auditiva e a investigação do respectivo limiar eletrofisiológico podem ser avaliadas por meio da observação, no domínio do tempo, dos potenciais evocados auditivos de tronco encefálico. Atualmente, nova técnica de análise dos potenciais evocados auditivos, no domínio das freqüências, tem sido utilizada para uma observação particular desses limiares. Assim, com a aplicação da transformada rápida de Fourier, é possível realizar a análise das freqüências comprometidas na audição, de maneira eficiente e rápida. O objetivo com este trabalho, então, foi desenvolver, caracterizar e realizar testes preliminares com um dispositivo único capaz de avaliar os potenciais evocados auditivos nos dois domínios, por meio de uma placa de som, que ainda não havia sido implementada para tal fim. Desse modo, foi produzido um aparelho capaz de registrar sinais biológicos da ordem de 0,5 ?V. Após a caracterização e o estudo simulado, foram conduzidos testes-piloto com doze seres humanos, ouvintes normais (n = 24 orelhas), divididos em dois grupos com o mesmo número de participantes. No grupo 1, os potenciais evocados auditivos de tronco encefálico adquiridos por meio de um instrumento padrão-ouro e de instrumento desenvolvido foram comparados entre si. Em seguida, os achados foram relacionados com o exame no domínio das freqüências formatado no novo aparelho. O grupo 2 foi submetido à avaliação dos potenciais miogênicos vestibulares, também com os dois instrumentos, e suas latências absolutas comparadas. Os resultados demonstraram não haver diferenças significativas entre os dois instrumentos para as amplitudes e latências do potencial evocado auditivo de tronco encefálico. Constatou-se, ainda, que as ondas presentes no domínio do tempo davam respostas equivalentes no domínio das freqüências. Por fim, também não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os dois aparelhos para as latências do potencial miogênico vestibular. / The integrity of the auditory pathway and the investigation of the respective electrophysiological threshold can be assessed by observation, in the time domain, of brainstem auditory evoked potentials. This assessment is usually evoked by clicks, which have a wide acoustic spectrum, and consequently serious limitations with respect to frequency specificity, in determining electrophysiological thresholds. New techniques for analyzing auditory evoked potentials in the frequency domain are currently being used for a closer observation of these thresholds. Thus, by applying the fast Fourier transform, one can analyzed the compromised auditory frequencies efficiently and rapidly. This method, on the other hand, does not investigate the integrity of specific auditory pathway structures, as the other method does. Although both types of assessment require similar biological amplifier architecture and are, to a certain extent, complementary, they are performed with two distinct devices. The first, which makes the observation in the time domain, is quite well known and several manufacturers have been producing it for a long time. The second, which inspects the potentials in the frequency domain, was introduced into the market only a few years ago. The aim of this study, therefore, was to develop, characterize and conduct preliminary tests with a single device capable of evaluating the auditory evoked potentials in both domains, by means of a sound card that had not been previously used for this purpose. Thus, a device was produced with biological amplifiers, filters, electrical protection apparatus and a logic control system capable of recording biological signals around 0.5 µV. After characterization and the simulated study, pilot tests were carried out with 12 normal- hearing subjects (n = 24 ears), allocated to two groups of 6 participants. In group 1, we observed the latencies and amplitudes of waves I, III and V of the brainstem auditory evoked potentials, using a gold standard instrument and a developed instrument and later compared them. The findings were then correlated to those of the frequency domain examination formatted on the new device. Group 2 was submitted to an assessment of components p13 and n23 of the vestibular myogenic potentials to observe the most delayed biological signals, also with both instruments, and their absolute latencies were compared. The results showed no significant differences between the two instruments for the amplitudes (p = 0.379; p = 0.301; p = 0.605, waves I, III and V, respectively) and latencies (p = 0.381; p = 0.140; p = 0.255) of the brainstem auditory evoked potentials. It was also found that the waves present in the time domain gave equivalent responses in the frequency domain. Finally, no significant differences were observed between the two devices for the absolute latencies of components p13 and n23 of the vestibular myogenic potentials, with p values of 0.102 and 0.078, respectively. Thus, it was concluded that the new instruments were efficient for the functions tested.

Abstract Purpose: To compare the frequency specific Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential (CAEP) and the chirp-evoked 40 Hz Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) with equivalent residual noise levels for behavioural threshold prediction in adults with normal hearing and with SNHL. Method: The study tested 23 adults with normal hearing and 20 adults with SNHL. The participants were aged between 18–65 years. A repeated measures within- participant descriptive design was used to collect the quantitative data. The participants underwent behavioural pure tone, CAEP and ASSR testing on the same day. Results: Similar CAEP difference scores across frequencies for the participants with normal hearing (mean=12.32-14.40 dB) and with SNHL (mean=10.00-16.47 dB) were measured. However, for the ASSR difference scores across frequencies slightly smaller difference scores were measured for the participants with SNHL (mean=10.17-17.30 dB) than for the participants with normal hearing (mean=11.74- 17.14 dB). CAEP thresholds were significantly closer to the behavioural pure tone thresholds at 500 (p=0.028; mean absolute difference 14.40 dB) and 2000 (p=0.016; mean absolute difference 12.56 dB) Hz for participants with normal hearing. In participants with sensorineural hearing loss, CAEP and ASSR thresholds were measured at similar sensation levels and were not statistically different (p>0.05). Conclusion: For the purpose of threshold estimation, representing the auditory function to the level of the auditory cortex the CAEP was closer to the behavioural hearing thresholds than the 40 Hz ASSR at all frequencies except at 4000 Hz, regardless of the hearing sensitivity. Keywords: Auditory steady state response (ASSR), Cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP), Auditory evoked potential (AEP), Residual noise, Signal to noise ratio (SNR), objective threshold estimation, awake adults. / Dissertation (MA (Audiology))--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MA Audiology / Unrestricted

Introdução: O implante coclear (IC) amplamente aceito como forma de intervenção e (re) habilitação nas perdas auditivas severas e profundas nas diversas faixas etárias. Contudo observa-se no usuário do IC unilateral queixas como localização e compreensão sonora em meio ao ruído, gerado pelo padrão anormal de estimulação sensorial. A fim de fornecer os benefícios da audição binaural, é preconizado a estimulação bilateral, seja por meio do IC bilateral ou com a adaptação de um aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI) contralateralmente ao IC. Esta última condição é referida como estimulação bimodal, quando temos, concomitantemente dois modos de estimulação: Elétrica (IC) e acústica (AASI). Não há dados suficientes na literatura voltados à população infantil que esclareça ou demonstre o desenvolvimento do córtex auditivo na audição bimodal. Ressalta-se que não foram encontrados estudos em crianças. Objetivo: Caracterizar o PEAC complexo P1, N1 P2 em usuários da estimulação bimodal e verificar se há correlação com testes de percepção de fala. Metodologia: Estudo descritivo de séries de casos, com a realização do PEAC em cinco crianças usuárias da estimulação bimodal, a partir da metodologia proposta por Ventura (2008) utilizando o sistema Smart EP USB Jr da Intelligent Hearing Systems. Foi utilizado o som de fala /da/, apresentado em campo livre. O exame será realizado em três situações: Somente IC, IC e AASI e somente AASI. A análise dos dados dos potenciais corticais foi realizada após a marcação da presença ou ausência dos componentes do complexo P1-N1-P2 por dois juízes com experiência em potenciais evocados. Resultados: Foi obtida a captação do PEAC em todas as crianças em todas as situações de teste, além do que foi possível observar a correlação destes com os testes de percepção auditiva da fala. Foi possível verificar que o registro dos PEAC é um procedimento viável para a avaliação da criança com estimulação bimodal, porém, ainda não há dados suficientes quanto a utilização deste para a avaliação e indicação do IC bilateral. / Introduction: The cochlear implant (CI) is already accepted in the area, as an intervention (re)habilitation in severe and profound hearing loss in different age groups. However, it is observed in the unilateral CI users have complaints such as sound localization and understanding speech in noise. Recent studies with Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential (CAEP) demonstrated the fact that the CI cannot favors the ipsilateral development of the auditory pathway as expected. Therefore, unilateral CI users have an abnormal pattern of sensory stimulation. In this sense, the patient is advised and encouraged as to the fitting of hearing aids (HA) in no-implanted ear, especially in the presence of residual acoustic hearing in order to provide the benefits of binaural hearing. This condition is referred to bimodal hearing, when combining electric stimulation from the CI with acoustic stimulation from the contralateral ear provides to HA. Not enough data in the literature has focused on the child population to clarify or demonstrate the development of the auditory cortex in the bimodal hearing. Objective: To characterize the CAEP complex P1-N1-P2 users of bimodal stimulation and check for correlation with performance on tests of speech perception. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study, with the completion of the CAEP in six children using the Bimodal stimulation, the CAEP recording will be based in the methodology proposed by VENTURA (2008) using the system Smart EP USB Jr Intelligent Hearing Systems. The speech sound / of /, presented in free field, will be used. The potential will be recorded in three situations: monaural hearing (only CI); Bimodal hearing (IC and HA) and monoaural hearing (only HA). The examination will be held in three situations: monaural hearing (only IC); Bimodal hearing (IC and hearing aids) and hearing monaural (only the hearing aid). Data analysis of the cortical potential was performed after the marking of the presence or absence of the components of the N1-P1-P2 complex by two judges experienced in evoked potentials. It was verified that the record of the ECCP is a viable procedure for the assessment of children with bimodal stimulation and can assist in bilateral IC nomination process or the maintenance of bimodal stimulation.

INTRODUÇÃO: A esquizofrenia é um transtorno que se caracteriza pela desorganização de diversos processos mentais, dentre os quais a cognição. Pacientes com esquizofrenia apresentam alterações na amplitude e latência dos potenciais evocados P300 e MMN. A maioria das drogas antipsicóticas atuais têm pouco efeito sobre os sintomas negativos e prejuízos cognitivos dos pacientes, por isso, pesquisadores têm buscado alternativas farmacológicas que possam agir sobre os prejuízos cognitivos e sintomas negativos. Pesquisas recentes demonstraram que o nitroprussiato de sódio (NPS) é capaz de atenuar algumas das manifestações do transtorno que não respondem adequadamente aos tratamentos hoje disponíveis. OBJETIVO: Investigar os efeitos da infusão de NPS sobre a sintomatologia e os potenciais evocados auditivos MMN e P300 em pacientes com esquizofrenia em um ensaio duplo-cego controlado por placebo. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados 12 pacientes com idade entre 25 e 54 anos em tratamento antipsicótico acompanhados no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Cada paciente participou de duas sessões experimentais, uma com infusão de NPS e outra com placebo. Escalas psiquiátricas (BPRS e PANSS) foram aplicadas imediatamente antes da infusão de NPS ou soro glicosado, a cada hora durante a infusão e imediatamente após a realização dos exames de P300 e MMN, realizados após o fim da infusão. RESULTADOS: A infusão de NPS foi associada a um aumento significativo da amplitude do potencial evocado MMN e a uma redução nos escores das escalas de sintomas psiquiátricos BPRS e PANSS em comparação com o placebo. CONCLUSÃO: A infusão de NPS foi associada à melhora dos sintomas de esquizofrenia conforme medidos pela BPRS e PANSS e a um aumento da amplitude do potencial evocado MMN. Não houve efeitos da administração do NPS sobre o potencial evocado P300. / INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disorganization of several mental processes including cognition. Schizophrenia patients present alterations in the amplitude and latency of auditory evoked potentials P300 and MMN. Most current antipsychotics have little or no effect on the negative symptoms or cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, which led researchers to search for pharmacological alternatives that may counteract these manifestations. Recent evidence suggests that sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is able to ameliorate some of the manifestations associated with schizohrenia that do not respond adequately to currently available treatments. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of SNP on schizophrenia symptoms and on the evoked potentials P300 and MMN in a double-blind, placebocontrolled trial. METHODS: The trial involved 12 patients aged 25-54 years in antipsychotic treatment followed up at the Ribeirã Preto Medical School University Hospital. Each patient attended two experimental sessions, one for the infusion of SNP and another for the infusion of placebo. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale (PANSS) were completed immediately before the infusion, every consecutive hour, and immediately after the P300 and MMN tests, performed after the end of the infusion. RESULTS: The infusion of SNP was associated with a significant increase in the amplitude of MMN and with a reduction in the psychopathology scores of the BPRS and PANSS compared to placebo. CONCLUSION: The administration of SNP was associated with an improvement in schizophrenia symptoms as measured with the BPRS and PANSS and with an increase in the amplitude of the evoked potential MMN. There were no effects of SNP on the evoled potential P300.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-07-23T12:51:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Warlesson Gonçalves de Freitas.pdf: 1207070 bytes, checksum: eb05ef298b74e3a073b7ef9bd8246f40 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-23T12:51:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Warlesson Gonçalves de Freitas.pdf: 1207070 bytes, checksum: eb05ef298b74e3a073b7ef9bd8246f40 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-14 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Introduction: In the last two decades researchers have concentrated on the construction of a new type of broadband stimulus and a narrowband version for the realization of the AEP-FS. Such studies are attempts to improve the amplitude as well as to reduce the time necessary to record the Potential Auditory Evoked test called chirp. Objective: To describe the latency, amplitude and minimum levels of response in the Bone-Conducted Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials recording, with the B-71 transducer in hearing children and with conductive hearing loss using the NB CE-Chirp® LS stimulus in the frequencies of 500 and 2000 Hz. Method: 14 children (22 ears) average age of 3.5 months were evaluated. The AEP-FS was recorded in the intensities of 10 to 50 dB nNA (maximum output of the equipment), always seeking the minimum level of each child response. The Radioear B-71 bone transducer was used with the manual method of fixation performed by a second experienced researcher. The latency averages in the two ears as well as the latency averages with the NB CE-Chirp® LS and Toneburst stimuli were compared by means of the Student t-test. Results: Bone conducted AEP-FS using the NB CE-Chirp® LS stimulus in the frequencies of 500 and 2000 Hz presented lower mean V-wave latencies and higher wavelength when compared to results obtained with the toneburst stimulus described in literature, mainly in the frequency of 500 Hz. No significant difference was observed in the latency and amplitude variables between the right and left ears. Conclusion: NB CE-Chirp® LS stimulation was promising in its use in the bone conducted AEP-FS. However, research with a larger number of subjects should be carried out in order to introduce normative values for its clinical usage / Introdução: nas duas últimas décadas, grupos de pesquisadores concentraram-se na construção de um novo tipo de estímulo de banda larga e de uma versão de banda estreita para a realização do PEATE, na tentativa de alcançar maiores amplitudes e de reduzir o tempo de teste necessário para o registro Potencial Evocado Auditivo, estímulo este, denominado chirp. Objetivo: descrever e comparar os resultados de latência, amplitude e níveis mínimos de resposta no registro do PEATE por via óssea em crianças ouvintes e com perda auditiva condutiva, utilizando o estímulo NB CE-chirp® LS nas frequências de 500 e 2000 Hz. Método: foram avaliadas 14 crianças (22 orelhas), com idade média de 3,5 meses nas frequências de 500 e 2000 Hz. O PEATE-FE foi registrado nas intensidades de 10 a 50 dB nNA (saída máxima do equipamento), buscando sempre o nível mínimo de resposta da criança. Foi utilizado o transdutor ósseo Radioear B-71, utilizando o método manual de fixação realizada por um segundo pesquisador experiente. As médias das latências nas duas orelhas e as médias da latência com os estímulos NB CE-chirp® LS e tone burst foram comparadas por meio do teste t-Student. Resultados: O PEATE-FE, por via óssea utilizando o estímulo NB CEchirp ® LS nas frequências de 500 e 2000 Hz, apresentou latências médias de onda V menores e amplitude de onda maior, quando comparado com resultados obtidos com o estímulo tone burst descrito na literatura, principalmente na frequência de 500 Hz. Não foi observada diferença significativa nas variáveis latência e amplitude entre as orelhas direita e esquerda. Conclusão: o estímulo NB CE-chirp® LS mostrou-se promissor em sua utilização no PEATE-FE por via óssea, porém, novas pesquisas com maior número de sujeitos, devem ser realizadas com o objetivo de lançar valores de normatização para seu uso clínico

INTRODUÇÃO: A esquizofrenia é um transtorno que se caracteriza pela desorganização de diversos processos mentais, dentre os quais a cognição. Pacientes com esquizofrenia apresentam alterações na amplitude e latência dos potenciais evocados P300 e MMN. A maioria das drogas antipsicóticas atuais têm pouco efeito sobre os sintomas negativos e prejuízos cognitivos dos pacientes, por isso, pesquisadores têm buscado alternativas farmacológicas que possam agir sobre os prejuízos cognitivos e sintomas negativos. Pesquisas recentes demonstraram que o nitroprussiato de sódio (NPS) é capaz de atenuar algumas das manifestações do transtorno que não respondem adequadamente aos tratamentos hoje disponíveis. OBJETIVO: Investigar os efeitos da infusão de NPS sobre a sintomatologia e os potenciais evocados auditivos MMN e P300 em pacientes com esquizofrenia em um ensaio duplo-cego controlado por placebo. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados 12 pacientes com idade entre 25 e 54 anos em tratamento antipsicótico acompanhados no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Cada paciente participou de duas sessões experimentais, uma com infusão de NPS e outra com placebo. Escalas psiquiátricas (BPRS e PANSS) foram aplicadas imediatamente antes da infusão de NPS ou soro glicosado, a cada hora durante a infusão e imediatamente após a realização dos exames de P300 e MMN, realizados após o fim da infusão. RESULTADOS: A infusão de NPS foi associada a um aumento significativo da amplitude do potencial evocado MMN e a uma redução nos escores das escalas de sintomas psiquiátricos BPRS e PANSS em comparação com o placebo. CONCLUSÃO: A infusão de NPS foi associada à melhora dos sintomas de esquizofrenia conforme medidos pela BPRS e PANSS e a um aumento da amplitude do potencial evocado MMN. Não houve efeitos da administração do NPS sobre o potencial evocado P300. / INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disorganization of several mental processes including cognition. Schizophrenia patients present alterations in the amplitude and latency of auditory evoked potentials P300 and MMN. Most current antipsychotics have little or no effect on the negative symptoms or cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, which led researchers to search for pharmacological alternatives that may counteract these manifestations. Recent evidence suggests that sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is able to ameliorate some of the manifestations associated with schizohrenia that do not respond adequately to currently available treatments. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of SNP on schizophrenia symptoms and on the evoked potentials P300 and MMN in a double-blind, placebocontrolled trial. METHODS: The trial involved 12 patients aged 25-54 years in antipsychotic treatment followed up at the Ribeirã Preto Medical School University Hospital. Each patient attended two experimental sessions, one for the infusion of SNP and another for the infusion of placebo. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale (PANSS) were completed immediately before the infusion, every consecutive hour, and immediately after the P300 and MMN tests, performed after the end of the infusion. RESULTS: The infusion of SNP was associated with a significant increase in the amplitude of MMN and with a reduction in the psychopathology scores of the BPRS and PANSS compared to placebo. CONCLUSION: The administration of SNP was associated with an improvement in schizophrenia symptoms as measured with the BPRS and PANSS and with an increase in the amplitude of the evoked potential MMN. There were no effects of SNP on the evoled potential P300.

The hearing abilities of elasmobranch fishes were examined in response to several types of stimuli using auditory evoked potentials (AEP). Audiograms were acquired for the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis, in a controlled environment using a monopole underwater speaker. A dipole stimulus was used to measure the hearing thresholds of the horn shark, Heterodontus francisi, and the white-spotted bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium plagiosum. The dipole experiments yielded much lower thresholds than any other experiment, suggesting that this type of sound specifically stimulated the macula neglecta by creating a strong velocity flow above the head of the shark. A shaker table was created to measure the directional hearing thresholds of the C. plagiosum and the brown-banded bamboo shark, C. punctatum. This experiment showed that these sharks could sense accelerations equally in all directions suggesting that they have omnidirectional ears. The results also yielded higher thresholds than with the dipole, suggesting that the macula neglecta was not stimulated as the sharks were being accelerated. An audiogram was also acquired for the Atlantic sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, using a monopole speaker in the field. This experiment revealed that the hearing thresholds did not appear to be masked by ambient noise levels, and resulting thresholds yielded the lowest levels detected by any elasmobranch using AEPs. Taken together, these experiments show that sharks are most sensitive to low frequency sounds in the near field and use both their otoconial endorgans as well as the macula neglecta to sense particle motion.

<p>An understanding of sensory ecology, how animals receive and respond to their environment, can be a powerful tool for the conservation of endangered species because it can allow us to assess the potential success of actions designed to mitigate particular threats. We have a general understanding of how sea turtles perceive and respond to certain visual, magnetic, and chemical cues, but we understand very little about how they perceive and respond to acoustic cues. This dissertation explores the acoustic ecology of sea turtles, focusing on their auditory capabilities, responses to acoustic stimuli and the implications of this knowledge for their conservation. I measured the underwater and aerial hearing sensitivities of juvenile green (Chelonia mydas), hatchling leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and hatchling hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles by recording auditory evoked potential responses to tonal stimuli. Green turtles detected tonal stimuli between 50 and 1,600 Hz underwater (maximum sensitivity: 200-400 Hz) and 50 and 800 Hz in air (maximum sensitivity: 300-400 Hz), leatherbacks detected tonal stimuli between 50 and 1,200 Hz underwater (maximum sensitivity: 100-400 Hz) and 50 and 1,600 Hz in air (maximum sensitivity: 50-400Hz), and hawksbills detected tonal stimuli between 50 and 1,600 Hz in both media (maximum sensitivity: 200-400 Hz). Sea turtles were more sensitive to aerial than underwater stimuli when audiograms were compared in terms of sound pressure, but they were more sensitive to underwater stimuli when audiograms were compared in terms of sound intensity. I also examined the behavioral responses of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) to simulated low frequency acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) and found that these turtles exhibited a mild, aversive response to these sounds. This finding indicates that low frequency tonal ADDs have the potential to warn sea turtles of the presence of fishing gear and suggest that field tests of ADDs are warranted. Finally, I conducted a comprehensive review of our knowledge of the acoustic ecology of sea turtles, examined the sources of marine anthropogenic sound sea turtles are able to detect, evaluated the potential physiological and behavioral effects of anthropogenic sound, identified data gaps, and made recommendations for future research.</p> / Dissertation

In estimating auditory Evoked Potentials (EPs) from ongoing EEG the number of sweeps should be reduced to decrease the experimental time and to increase the reliability of diagnosis. The &macr / rst goal of this study is to demon- strate the use of basic estimation techniques in extracting auditory EPs (AEPs) from small number of sweeps relative to ensemble averaging (EA). For this purpose, three groups of basic estimation techniques are compared to the traditional EA with respect to the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) improve- ments in extracting the template AEP. Group A includes the combinations of the Subspace Method (SM) with the Wiener Filtering (WF) approaches (the conventional WF and coherence weighted WF (CWWF). Group B con- sists of standard adaptive algorithms (Least Mean Square (LMS), Recursive Least Square (RLS), and one-step Kalman &macr / ltering (KF). The regularization techniques (the Standard Tikhonov Regularization (STR) and the Subspace Regularization (SR) methods) forms Group C. All methods are tested in sim- ulations and pseudo-simulations which are performed with white noise and EEG measurements, respectively. The same methods are also tested with experimental AEPs. Comparisons based on the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) show that: 1) the KF and STR methods are the best methods among the algorithms tested in this study,2) the SM can reduce the large amount of the background EEG noise from the raw data, 3) the LMS and WF algo- rithms show poor performance compared to EA. The SM should be used as 1 a pre-&macr / lter to increase their performance. 4) the CWWF works better than the WF when it is combined with the SM, 5) the STR method is better than the SR method. It is observed that, most of the basic estimation techniques show de&macr / nitely better performance compared to EA in extracting the EPs. The KF or the STR e&reg / ectively reduce the experimental time (to one-fourth of that required by EA). The SM is a useful pre-&macr / lter to signi&macr / cantly reduce the noise on the raw data. The KF and STR are shown to be computationally inexpensive tools to extract the template AEPs and should be used instead of EA. They provide a clear template AEP for various analysis methods. To reduce the noise level on single sweeps, the SM can be used as a pre-&macr / lter before various single sweep analysis methods. The second goal of this study is to to present a new approach to extract single sweep AEPs without using a template signal. The SM and a modi- &macr / ed scale-space &macr / lter (MSSF) are applied consecutively. The SM is applied to raw data to increase the SNR. The less-noisy sweeps are then individu- ally &macr / ltered with the MSSF. This new approach is assessed in both pseudo- simulations and experimental studies. The MSSF is also applied to actual auditory brainstem response (ABR) data to obtain a clear ABR from a rel- atively small number of sweeps. The wavelet transform coe&plusmn / cients (WTCs) corresponding to the signal and noise become distinguishable after the SM. The MSSF is an e&reg / ective &macr / lter in selecting the WTCs of the noise. The esti- mated single sweep EPs highly resemble the grand average EP although less number of sweeps are evaluated. Small amplitude variations are observed among the estimations. The MSSF applied to EA of 50 sweeps yields an ABR that best &macr / ts to the grand average of 250 sweeps. We concluded that the combination of SM and MSSF is an e&plusmn / cient tool to obtain clear single sweep AEPs. The MSSF reduces the recording time to one-&macr / fth of that re- quired by EA in template ABR estimation. The proposed approach does not use a template signal (which is generally obtained using the average of small number of sweeps). It provides unprecedented results that support the basic assumptions in the additive signal model.