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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.

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...

Sound Intensity Level

Sound Intensity Level

Humans perceive sound by hearing. The human ear helps sound waves reach the brain, which then interprets the waves and creates the perception of hearing. The loudness of the environment in which a person is located determines whether they can distinguish between different sound sources.
The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and hence a...

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

A Low Cost Setup for Behavioral Audiometry in Rodents

A Low Cost Setup for Behavioral Audiometry in Rodents

Published on: October 16, 2012

The auditory sensitivity is increased in tinnitus ears.

Sylvie Hébert¹, Philippe Fournier, Arnaud Noreña

¹School of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada. sylvie.hebert@umontreal.ca

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

|February 9, 2013

Summary

People with tinnitus often experience increased auditory sensitivity, known as hyperacusis. This study found enhanced auditory sensitivity in tinnitus patients, supporting a central gain theory for both conditions.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Audiology
Otolaryngology

Background:

Increased auditory sensitivity, or hyperacusis, is frequently reported by individuals with tinnitus.
The co-occurrence of hyperacusis and tinnitus suggests a shared underlying mechanism.
A leading hypothesis proposes a maladaptive increase in central gain due to sensory deafferentation as the cause.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the prediction that auditory sensitivity is heightened in individuals with tinnitus compared to those without.
To examine loudness functions in tinnitus-affected ears versus non-tinnitus ears.
To control for the confounding effects of hearing loss on auditory sensitivity measurements.

Main Methods:

Comparison of loudness functions between tinnitus ears (n=124) and non-tinnitus ears (n=106).
Careful matching of tinnitus and non-tinnitus ears for hearing loss to isolate hypersensitivity.
Inclusion of subjects with normal audiograms to assess auditory sensitivity independent of hearing impairment.

Main Results:

Auditory sensitivity was found to be significantly enhanced in subjects with tinnitus compared to non-tinnitus subjects.
This enhancement was observed even in tinnitus subjects with normal audiometric hearing.
The findings indicate increased loudness perception in tinnitus sufferers.

Conclusions:

The results support the hypothesis of a maladaptive central gain mechanism in tinnitus.
Enhanced auditory sensitivity in tinnitus is consistent with increased central auditory processing.
Central gain dysregulation may be a common factor in both tinnitus and hyperacusis.