Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

1.2K
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...
1.2K
The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

51.9K
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.
51.9K
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

7.9K
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...
7.9K
Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

45.8K
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.
45.8K
Hearing01:31

Hearing

58.1K
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.
58.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Evaluating measurement accuracy of ear-canal reflectance using a conical horn.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same author

Cochlear Dispersion Shapes Processing of Frequency Sweeps.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

Binaural diplacusis in individuals with suspected endolymphatic hydrops.

Hearing research·2026
Same author

Distinguishing Between Presbycusis and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss With a Joint-Otoacoustic Emission Profile.

Ear and hearing·2025
Same author

Suppression of Low-Frequency Tones in the Organ of Corti Vibrations of the Basal Turn in the Mongolian Gerbil Cochlea.

Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO·2025
Same author

Visualizing motions within the cochlea's organ of Corti and illuminating cochlear mechanics with optical coherence tomography.

Hearing research·2024
Same journal

Relationship between spontaneous EEG oscillations at 7 and 45 days of acute plateau exposure and the plateau acclimatization index.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Neuroprotective effects of paederoside against mitochondrial dysfunction in rotenone-induced cell models of Parkinson's disease.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Covariance-based analysis of spindle-band EEG during declarative and non-declarative odor cueing in sleep.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Correction: Physiological determinants of cortical P100 responses in pattern visual evoked potentials: a scoping review.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Transcranial magnetic stimulation and motor overflow: a systematic review in neurological disorders.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Editorial: Advancing neurodegenerative disease biomarkers: the role of neuroimaging in TDP-43 and tau proteinopathies.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 4, 2026

Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention
04:32

Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention

Published on: December 20, 2024

948

Using Cochlear Microphonic Potentials to Localize Peripheral Hearing Loss.

Karolina K Charaziak1,2, Christopher A Shera1, Jonathan H Siegel2

  • 1Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA, USA.

Frontiers in Neuroscience
|April 20, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new method using residual cochlear microphonic (rCM) measurements can pinpoint outer hair cell (OHC) damage in specific cochlear regions. This technique offers improved diagnostic capabilities for hearing loss.

Keywords:
acoustic traumacochleacochlear microphonicelectrophysiologyhearing loss

More Related Videos

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea
09:54

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Published on: May 10, 2019

12.8K
Performing Intracochlear Electrocochleography During Cochlear Implantation
09:10

Performing Intracochlear Electrocochleography During Cochlear Implantation

Published on: March 8, 2022

5.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 4, 2026

Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention
04:32

Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention

Published on: December 20, 2024

948
Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea
09:54

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Published on: May 10, 2019

12.8K
Performing Intracochlear Electrocochleography During Cochlear Implantation
09:10

Performing Intracochlear Electrocochleography During Cochlear Implantation

Published on: March 8, 2022

5.1K

Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Otoacoustic Emissions
  • Hearing Impairment Diagnostics

Background:

  • Cochlear microphonic (CM) reflects outer hair cell (OHC) function but lacks frequency specificity when measured conventionally.
  • Standard CM recordings are dominated by basal cochlear sources, limiting their ability to identify localized OHC dysfunction.
  • A novel approach is needed to overcome the spatial limitations of CM measurements for precise OHC assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and validate the residual cochlear microphonic (rCM) as a frequency-specific measure of OHC function.
  • To determine if rCM can accurately assess localized OHC impairment following acoustic trauma.
  • To explore the potential clinical applications of rCM for diagnosing hearing loss.

Main Methods:

  • Measured round-window cochlear microphonics (CM) in chinchillas using probe tones alone and with a saturating tone (ST).
  • Calculated the residual cochlear microphonic (rCM) as the complex difference between CM with and without the ST.
  • Induced localized cochlear damage using a 4-kHz notch acoustic trauma and re-measured CM and rCM.

Main Results:

  • Probe-alone CM showed minimal changes after acoustic trauma.
  • Residual cochlear microphonics (rCM) significantly decreased in a frequency-specific manner correlating with the ST frequency.
  • rCM changes closely matched shifts in neural thresholds, indicating origin at the ST tonotopic place.

Conclusions:

  • Residual cochlear microphonics (rCM) effectively isolate OHC activity at specific cochlear tonotopic locations.
  • rCM measurements provide a frequency-specific assessment of OHC function and are sensitive to localized cochlear damage.
  • rCM holds promise for clinical diagnosis of hearing loss, potentially differentiating site and cause of impairment.