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Localization of the cochlear amplifier in living sensitive ears
Tianying Ren1, Wenxuan He, Edward Porsov
1Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America. rent@ohsu.edu
The mammalian cochlea amplifies soft sounds using a cochlear amplifier located near the response peak. This study experimentally demonstrates the amplifier
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Bioacoustics
- Mammalian Physiology
Background:
- The mammalian cochlea amplifies sound up to 1000x to detect faint sounds.
- The precise location of the cochlear amplifier has remained experimentally undetermined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally determine the location of the cochlear amplifier within the mammalian cochlea.
- To investigate the characteristics of sound amplification in the cochlea.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a sensitive laser interferometer to measure sub-nanometer vibrations.
- Recorded basilar membrane vibrations at two distinct locations in gerbil cochleae.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated sound amplification up to 50 dB/mm proximal to the response peak.
- Observed maximal amplification at low sound levels and frequencies below the peak-response frequency.
- Showed amplification decreases significantly (over 65 dB/mm) with increasing sound levels.
Conclusions:
- Conclusively located the cochlear amplifier to a small region basal to the response peak.
- Provided crucial data for understanding cochlear mechanisms of hearing sensitivity, frequency selectivity, and dynamic range.
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