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Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...

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Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

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Robotic-Assisted Electrode Insertion for Pediatric Cochlear Implantation: A Multicenter Study.

The Laryngoscope·2026
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Longitudinal Acoustic Threshold and Concurrent Electrode Impedance Changes After Cochlear Implantation With Lateral Wall Electrode Arrays.

Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology·2026
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Interaural correlation of acoustic hearing preservation following sequential cochlear implantation.

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Robotic-Assisted Electrode Array Insertion Improves Stability of Acoustic Hearing Thresholds.

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Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Cochlear Implant Electrode Impedance in Standard and Dexamethasone-Eluting Electrode Arrays.

Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology·2026
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Factors Affecting Audiometric and Speech Perception Outcomes in Hybrid Cochlear Implant Recipients.

The Laryngoscope·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
06:04

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages

Published on: March 24, 2023

Changes in pitch with a cochlear implant over time.

Lina A J Reiss1, Christopher W Turner, Sheryl R Erenberg

  • 1Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. Lina-Reiss@uiowa.edu

Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO
|March 10, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Electric pitch perception in cochlear implant users can shift significantly over time, influenced by nerve survival and user experience. Early pitch sensations correlate with speech performance, suggesting they reflect nerve patterns.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
06:04

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages

Published on: March 24, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Audiology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Pitch perception in the auditory system is typically linked to the cochlear place of vibration.
  • Cochlear implants (CIs) traditionally rely on place and temporal codes for pitch, but other factors may influence electric pitch sensation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure electric pitch sensations in hybrid CI patients.
  • To investigate factors contributing to perceived electric pitch, including experience and nerve fiber survival.

Main Methods:

  • Compared electric pitch sensations with acoustic tone references in the non-implanted ear.
  • Tracked pitch perception at various stages of CI use, from initial fitting up to 5 years.
  • Measured pitch at shorter intervals (up to 1 year) in recently implanted patients.

Main Results:

  • Electric pitch perception frequently shifts, sometimes by two octaves, within the first few years of CI use.
  • Observed pitch shifts are attributed to intersession variability (up to one octave) and slow, systematic changes over time.
  • Early pitch sensations vary significantly across subjects and correlate with speech reception performance, potentially indicating differences in nerve survival.

Conclusions:

  • Early electric pitch sensations may reflect peripheral innervation patterns, while later sensations may be influenced by higher-level, experience-dependent changes.
  • Pitch shifts challenge strict place-based theories of pitch perception.
  • User experience appears to play a more significant role in CI perception than previously understood.