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Scientific investigations of a descriptive nature involve in
creasingly refined definitions of a problem. An idea is trans
formed after initial experiments into a working hypothesis that has
a number of testable consequences. Rarely in the neurosci ences do
such tests completely falsify the hypothesis; more commonly they
lead to a modified, more general hypothesis. One could argue that
in order to define a scientific problem, one must first understand
it. This monograph is an attempt to draw together knowledge and
understanding from various disciplines, collected from studies
carried out over more than 80 yr, of the functions of the auditory
midbrain. This part of the brain has been of continuing interest to
me, from my days as a postgraduate student in the mid-1960s to the
present time, because so many ideas about central auditory
organization and function have developed from studies of this
region. This book is dedicated to Jerzy E. Rose, Professor Emer
itus of Neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin. His
intellect and clarity of mind have been responsible for many of the
modern ideas of auditory neurophysiology. These ideas have been
incorporated into a series of classic papers on audi tory
neuroscience that will be important for a long time to corne. In
addition, Jerzy Rose has been an inspired teacher whose precepts of
brain structure and function have been a major influence on his
students, including the author."
Scientific investigations of a descriptive nature involve in
creasingly refined definitions of a problem. An idea is trans
formed after initial experiments into a working hypothesis that has
a number of testable consequences. Rarely in the neurosci ences do
such tests completely falsify the hypothesis; more commonly they
lead to a modified, more general hypothesis. One could argue that
in order to define a scientific problem, one must first understand
it. This monograph is an attempt to draw together knowledge and
understanding from various disciplines, collected from studies
carried out over more than 80 yr, of the functions of the auditory
midbrain. This part of the brain has been of continuing interest to
me, from my days as a postgraduate student in the mid-1960s to the
present time, because so many ideas about central auditory
organization and function have developed from studies of this
region. This book is dedicated to Jerzy E. Rose, Professor Emer
itus of Neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin. His
intellect and clarity of mind have been responsible for many of the
modern ideas of auditory neurophysiology. These ideas have been
incorporated into a series of classic papers on audi tory
neuroscience that will be important for a long time to corne. In
addition, Jerzy Rose has been an inspired teacher whose precepts of
brain structure and function have been a major influence on his
students, including the author.
This monograph evolved from years of research into the auditory
pathway and hearing of many species of marsupials. Its function is
to give biologists, in par ticular neurobiologists, a broad
description and review of what is known of the auditory sensory
capacities and processing mechanisms in this large order of
mammals. My initial interest in marsupials developed from
collaborative work with Dr. Richard Gates at Monash and Melbourne
Universities in the 1970s and by curiosity as to whether concepts
about the auditory system was stimulated stemming from experiments
mainly on domestic cats could be extended to mam mals of other
orders. My subsequent interest in Australian marsupials, aroused by
collaboration with Dr. John Nelson at Monash University in the
1980s and 1990s, concerned their auditory systems and behavior per
se and not as primitive cousins of eutherians. More recently, I
have collaborated with Dr. Bruce Masterton at Florida State
University in studies of New World marsupials. His sad death in
1996 has robbed neurobiologists of one of our most provocative
thinkers and hypothesis testers. I would like to thank the
Department of Physiology at Monash University for making many
facilities available to me, the National Health and Medical
Research of Australia and the Australian Research Council for
providing funds for Council research, and Jill Poynton and Michelle
Mulholland, who illustrated this volume."
In contrast to the level of interest which is paid to the orga
nization of meetings about the structure and function of the audi
tory periphery, the central auditory system has received little
attention in the last several years. However, much recent data accu
mulated during this period has provided auditory physiologists with
new ideas about the function of the central auditory system. The
successful exploration of new anatomical tracing techniques (triti
ated aminoacids, horseradish peroxidase, 2-deoxyglucose) together
with the collection of electrophysiological data obtained with
intra cellular and extracellular recordings from the receptors and
neurones in the auditory pathway have considerably deepened our
understanding of central auditory function. Particular interest was
concentrated upon the development of the auditory system under
normal conditions and in conditions ofaudi tory deprivation.
Although, from the methodological point of view, the conditions of
reversible auditory deprivation are complicated, promising new data
appeared in this field. Similarly the specific ability of the
auditory system to encode communication signals and speech sounds
has been examined in many laboratories allover the world. A very
fruitful method. based upon the results of electrical stimulation
of cochlear nerve fibres in experimental animals, is the
application of neuroprostheses in deaf patients. At the present
time, the method still does not meet all requirements and many
improvements will be necessary. Undoubtedly the exploration of the
results of recent physiological experiments may help in the further
improvement of neuroprostheses."
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