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A mechanism for active hearing.

Tianying Ren¹, Peter G Gillespie

¹Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, NRC 04, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA. rent@ohsu.edu

Current Opinion in Neurobiology

|August 21, 2007

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The cochlear amplifier model fails to explain cochlear function. A new cochlear transformer mechanism is proposed to better interpret the cochlea's sensitivity and frequency selectivity.

Area of Science:

Auditory Neuroscience
Bioacoustics
Mechanobiology

Background:

The cochlea's sensitivity, frequency selectivity, and nonlinearity are crucial for hearing.
These features have been attributed to a 'cochlear amplifier' powered by metabolic energy.
Outer hair cells generate force via somatic electromotility and hair-bundle motion.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the validity of the cochlear amplifier model.
To propose an alternative mechanism for cochlear function.

Main Methods:

Experimental analysis of cochlear mechanical response.
Measurement of cochlear nonlinearity location.
Theoretical modeling of auditory signal processing.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Experimental power gain of the cochlear amplifier has not been demonstrated.
The measured location of cochlear nonlinearity contradicts the predicted amplifier location.
A cochlear transformer mechanism is proposed as a better fit.

Conclusions:

The traditional cochlear amplifier model is insufficient to explain experimental observations.
A cochlear transformer mechanism offers a more consistent interpretation of cochlear performance.
Further research is needed to validate the cochlear transformer model.