Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Auditory Pathway

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...

Hearing

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.

The Cochlea

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 Location

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 Perception

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...

Hair Cells

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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Cochlear aging after synaptopathic noise: age-noise interactions in hair cell loss and axonal degeneration.

Hearing research·2026

Same author

Medical risk factors associated with listening difficulties in children.

International journal of audiology·2026

Same author

Measuring the principle Hugoniot of low-density silica aerogel foam at pressures up to 160 GPa.

Physical review. E·2026

Same author

Speech-in-noise difficulties in aminoglycoside ototoxicity reflects combined afferent and efferent dysfunction.

Hearing research·2026

Same author

Lack of Oncomodulin Increases ATP-Dependent Calcium Signaling and Susceptibility to Noise in Adult Mice.

eNeuro·2026

Same author

Primary Neural Degeneration after Cochlear Implantation: Histological and Electrophysiological Evidence from a Mouse Model.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Published on: March 13, 2026

Olivocochlear efferent control in sound localization and experience-dependent learning.

Samuel Irving¹, David R Moore, M Charles Liberman

¹Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|February 18, 2011

Summary

The olivocochlear system is not essential for accurate sound localization. However, it plays a crucial role in relearning horizontal sound localization when hearing is impaired.

More Related Videos

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Published on: October 11, 2017

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

Published on: August 18, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 4, 2026

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Published on: March 13, 2026

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Published on: October 11, 2017

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

Published on: August 18, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Auditory System Research
Sensory Plasticity

Background:

Efferent auditory pathways, including the olivocochlear system (OC), are hypothesized to influence sound localization and its adaptability.
Understanding the OC system's specific role is key to deciphering auditory plasticity mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the olivocochlear system's function in horizontal sound localization in ferrets.
To determine the OC system's involvement in the learning process of sound localization following unilateral conductive hearing loss.

Main Methods:

Adult ferrets underwent surgical lesions of the olivocochlear bundle (midline or lateral) or served as controls.
Animals were trained to localize auditory stimuli (1s and 40ms broadband noise) before and after unilateral earplugging.
Localization accuracy and learning were assessed during a 10-day period of earplugging and after its removal.

Main Results:

Neither midline nor lateral olivocochlear lesions impaired normal sound localization accuracy.
Unilateral earplugging significantly disrupted localization in all groups.
Ferrets with intact olivocochlear systems or lateral lesions demonstrated significant localization learning with 1s stimuli, unlike those with midline lesions.
Localization learning was impaired for shorter (40ms) stimuli across all groups.

Conclusions:

The olivocochlear system is not required for baseline sound localization abilities.
The olivocochlear system is critically involved in the neural plasticity underlying the relearning of sound localization during temporary, unilateral hearing loss.