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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...

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...

Perception of Sound Waves

Perception of Sound Waves

The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Semi-Automated Analysis of Peak Amplitude and Latency for Auditory Brainstem Response Waveforms Using R

Semi-Automated Analysis of Peak Amplitude and Latency for Auditory Brainstem Response Waveforms Using R

Published on: December 9, 2022

Age-related changes in the central auditory system.

Ladislav Ouda¹, Oliver Profant, Josef Syka

¹Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic.

Cell and Tissue Research

|January 30, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Aging impairs hearing by affecting the central auditory system, independent of inner ear changes. This review details age-related neural and structural alterations contributing to central presbycusis.

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Data Acquisition and Analysis In Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry In Mice

Data Acquisition and Analysis In Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry In Mice

Published on: May 10, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Auditory System Research
Aging Studies

Background:

Hearing loss (presbycusis) is common in aging, affecting speech comprehension, especially in noise.
Peripheral auditory system changes (hair cell loss, stria vascularis dysfunction) contribute to hearing deficits.
Central auditory system alterations also occur with aging, potentially independent of peripheral changes.

Purpose of the Study:

To review age-related changes in the central auditory system.
To explore how these central changes contribute to age-related hearing impairment.

Main Methods:

Review of studies on experimental animals using immunocytochemistry for neurotransmitters and proteins (glutamic-acid-decarboxylase, parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin).
Analysis of data on age-related neuron count changes and behavioral alterations in animals.
Examination of human studies using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Main Results:

Aging causes gray and white matter atrophy, leading to enlarged cerebrospinal fluid spaces.
The aged human auditory cortex shows atrophy and altered metabolite content.
Functional neuroimaging reveals differences in central auditory system activation between young and old brains.

Conclusions:

Specific age-related changes occur in the central auditory system.
These central changes are largely independent of inner ear alterations.
These central nervous system changes are a basis for central presbycusis.