Plasticity of the Auditory System (Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, 23)

The auditory system has a remarkable ability to adjust to an ever-changing environment. The six review chapters that comprise Plasticity of the Central Auditory System cover a spectrum of issues concerning this ability to adapt, defined by the widely applicable term "plasticity". With chapters focusing on the development of the cochlear nucleus, the mammalian superior olivary complex, plasticity in binaural hearing, plasticity in the auditory cortex, neural plasticity in bird songs, and plasticity in the insect auditory system, this volume represents much of the most current research in this field. The volume is thorough enough to stand alone, but is closely related a previous SHAR volume, Development of the Auditory System (Volume 9) by Rubel, Popper, and Fay. The book fully addresses the difficulties, challenges, and complexities of this topic as it applies to the auditory development of a wide variety of species. "The auditory system has a remarkable ability to adjust to an ever-changing environment. The six review chapters that comprise Plasticity of the Central Auditory System cover a spectrum of issues concerning this ability to adapt, defined by the widely applicable term "plasticity." With chapters focusing on the development of the cochlear nucleus, the mammalian superior olivary complex, plasticity in binaural hearing, plasticity in the auditory cortex, neural plasticity in bird songs, and plasticity in the insect auditory system, this volume represents much of the most current research in this field. The volume is thorough enough to stand alone, but is closely related to the previous SHAR volume, Development of the Auditory System (Volume 9) also edited by Rubel, Popper, and Fay. The book fully addresses the difficulties, challenges, and complexities of this topic as it applies to the auditory development of a wide variety of species."--BOOK JACKET. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Overview: Development and Plasticity of the Central Auditory System....Pages 1-7 Assembling, Connecting, and Maintaining the Cochlear Nucleus....Pages 8-48 Developmental Changes and Cellular Plasticity in the Superior Olivary Complex....Pages 49-95 Plasticity of Binaural Systems....Pages 96-172 Experience-Dependent Response Plasticity in the Auditory Cortex: Issues, Characteristics, Mechanisms, and Functions....Pages 173-227 The Avian Song Control System: A Model for Understanding Changes in Neural Structure and Function....Pages 228-284 Plasticity in the Auditory System of Insects....Pages 285-312 Back Matter....Pages 313-324