Document Detail


Fast reverse propagation of sound in the living cochlea.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20513393     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The auditory sensory organ, the cochlea, not only detects but also generates sounds. Such sounds, otoacoustic emissions, are widely used for diagnosis of hearing disorders and to estimate cochlear nonlinearity. However, the fundamental question of how the otoacoustic emission exits the cochlea remains unanswered. In this study, emissions were provoked by two tones with a constant frequency ratio, and measured as vibrations at the basilar membrane and at the stapes, and as sound pressure in the ear canal. The propagation direction and delay of the emission were determined by measuring the phase difference between basilar membrane and stapes vibrations. These measurements show that cochlea-generated sound arrives at the stapes earlier than at the measured basilar membrane location. Data also show that basilar membrane vibration at the emission frequency is similar to that evoked by external tones. These results conflict with the backward-traveling-wave theory and suggest that at low and intermediate sound levels, the emission exits the cochlea predominantly through the cochlear fluids.
Authors:
Wenxuan He; Anders Fridberger; Edward Porsov; Tianying Ren
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Biophysical journal     Volume:  98     ISSN:  1542-0086     ISO Abbreviation:  Biophys. J.     Publication Date:  2010 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-01     Completed Date:  2010-09-02     Revised Date:  2011-07-28    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0370626     Medline TA:  Biophys J     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2497-505     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
Copyright (c) 2010 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acoustic Stimulation
Acoustics
Animals
Basilar Membrane / physiology
Cochlea / physiology*
Ear Canal / physiology
Gerbillinae
Models, Biological
Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / physiology*
Pressure
Stapes / physiology
Time Factors
Vibration
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01 DC004554/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS
Comments/Corrections

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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