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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...

The Cochlea

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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

High-frequency sensorineural hearing loss in children.

Kaalan Johnson¹, Meredith Tabangin², Jareen Meinzen-Derr^2,3

¹Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

The Laryngoscope

|August 13, 2015

Summary

High-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (HFSNHL) affects 7.6% of pediatric patients. Genetic testing is recommended as the initial diagnostic step due to its cost-effectiveness compared to imaging.

Keywords:

High frequency sensorineural hearing loss

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Area of Science:

Pediatric Audiology
Genetics in Hearing Loss
Diagnostic Algorithms

Background:

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common condition in children.
High-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (HFSNHL) presents unique diagnostic challenges.
Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of HFSNHL is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the prevalence of HFSNHL in a pediatric hearing loss population.
To establish a diagnostic algorithm for identifying and managing HFSNHL.
To compare the diagnostic yield of genetic testing versus imaging in SNHL patients.

Main Methods:

Retrospective case series of 2,867 patients diagnosed with SNHL from 1981 to 2010.
Patients were categorized into flat SNHL and HFSNHL based on audiometric profiles.
Data on imaging, genetic testing, age at diagnosis, laterality, and risk factors were collected and compared.

Main Results:

HFSNHL was identified in 7.6% of the study population.
HFSNHL patients were diagnosed at a significantly older age (8.3 vs. 6.1 years) and had a higher proportion of unilateral loss.
Genetic testing and imaging showed similar diagnostic utility, but imaging yielded higher results in flat SNHL cases.

Conclusions:

Genetic testing offers comparable positive predictive value to imaging for SNHL diagnosis.
Genetic testing is recommended as the initial diagnostic approach due to cost-effectiveness.
Further research is needed to evaluate the benefit of multigene diagnostic platforms for pediatric HFSNHL.