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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...
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...
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.
Sound Intensity00:58

Sound Intensity

The loudness of a sound source is related to how energetically the source is vibrating, consequently making the molecules of the propagation medium vibrate. To measure the loudness of a source, the physical quantity of interest is the intensity. This is defined as the energy emitted per unit of time per unit of area perpendicular to the sound wave's propagation direction. Since the total energy is greater if the source vibrates for a longer duration and over a larger area, dividing the emitted...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Performing Repeated Intraoperative Impedance Telemetry Measurements during Cochlear Implantation
06:54

Performing Repeated Intraoperative Impedance Telemetry Measurements during Cochlear Implantation

Published on: August 4, 2023

Amplitude modulation and loudness in cochlear implantees.

Colette M McKay1, Katherine R Henshall

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3054, Australia. Colette.mckay@manchester.ac.uk

Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO
|October 3, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Amplitude modulation affects perceived loudness in cochlear implant users. Loudness differences depend on modulation depth and signal level, aligning with existing loudness models.

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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Performing Repeated Intraoperative Impedance Telemetry Measurements during Cochlear Implantation
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Performing Repeated Intraoperative Impedance Telemetry Measurements during Cochlear Implantation

Published on: August 4, 2023

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

Published on: March 24, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Audiology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Cochlear implants (CIs) deliver electrical pulse trains to stimulate the auditory nerve.
  • Understanding loudness perception in CI users is crucial for optimizing device programming.
  • Amplitude modulation (AM) of pulse trains is a common signal processing strategy in CIs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of amplitude modulation (AM) of pulse trains on perceived loudness in cochlear implant (CI) users.
  • To determine how signal level, modulation depth, and carrier rate influence loudness perception.
  • To evaluate the consistency of findings with existing loudness models for CI users.

Main Methods:

  • Six CI users participated in the study.
  • Equally loud and threshold levels were measured for various AM pulse train parameters.
  • Stimuli included different overall signal levels, modulation depths, and carrier rates.

Main Results:

  • Perceived loudness of modulated stimuli varied based on modulation depth and absolute current level.
  • The effect of carrier rate on loudness was predictable from its effect on absolute current level.
  • Results largely supported the predictions of the McKay et al. loudness model.

Conclusions:

  • Loudness perception in CI users is influenced by AM parameters, particularly modulation depth and signal intensity.
  • Carrier rate's effect on loudness is linked to its influence on absolute current levels.
  • Findings necessitate careful control of loudness cues in modulation detection experiments and offer reinterpretation of prior research.