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

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.

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...

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...

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.

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.

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Assessment of neural and MAP level asymmetries in a large cohort of children with bilateral cochlear implants.

Hearing research·2026

Same author

Usage patterns in children receiving an active osseointegrated bone conduction implant.

International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology·2026

Same author

Benefits of Bilateral Bone Conduction Device Use Including Osia Devices in Children and Adolescents With Bilateral Atresia.

Trends in hearing·2026

Same author

Long-Term Stability of Electrical Stimulation in Children with Bilateral Cochlear Implants.

Trends in hearing·2025

Same author

Speech Perception Outcomes in Children With Single-Sided Deafness Receiving Unilateral Cochlear Implantation Compared to Bimodal Device Users.

Ear and hearing·2025

Same author

Patterns of Cochlear Implant Use and Speech Exposure in Children With Single-Sided Deafness Compared to Bimodal Devices in the Post-Pandemic Period.

Ear and hearing·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

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

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

Published on: March 24, 2023

Children using cochlear implants capitalize on acoustical hearing for music perception.

Talar Hopyan¹, Isabelle Peretz, Lisa P Chan

¹Department of Otolaryngology, Cochlear Implant Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, ON, Canada.

Frontiers in Psychology

|November 8, 2012

Summary

Children with cochlear implants (CIs) show some music perception challenges but excel at rhythm and memory. Early access to sound, even with hearing aids, improves music skills with CIs.

Keywords:

acoustical and electrical hearing amusia auditory development auditory plasticity cochlear implants hearing loss music perception sensorineural deafness

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

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

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

Published on: March 24, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Audiology
Music Perception

Background:

Cochlear implants (CIs) provide auditory input for deaf children, but device limitations may affect music perception.
Previous research suggests potential difficulties in processing musical elements like pitch and rhythm for CI users.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate music perception abilities in children with unilateral cochlear implants compared to normal-hearing peers.
To explore the impact of age at implantation and pre-implantation hearing on music perception skills.

Main Methods:

Utilized the children's version of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) to assess pitch, rhythm, and music memory.
Compared 23 unilateral CI users with 22 age-matched normal-hearing children.

Main Results:

Children with CIs demonstrated less accuracy in overall music perception compared to controls (p < 0.05).
CI users showed significant strengths in discerning rhythm changes (p < 0.01) and recalling musical pieces (p < 0.01).
Music perception abilities improved with increased age at implantation (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

While CIs present challenges, children can develop specific music processing skills, particularly in rhythm and memory.
Early access to low-frequency acoustic hearing, potentially via hearing aids before implantation, is crucial for establishing a foundation for music perception.
This foundational hearing enhances the ability to benefit from electrical stimulation provided by cochlear implants for music.