Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2025
04:32
Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention
Published on: December 20, 2024
445
Intracochlear pressure as an objective measure for perceived loudness with bone conduction implants.
Tristan Putzeys1, Charlotte Borgers2, Guy Fierens3
1KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Heverlee, Belgium.
Hearing Research
|June 11, 2022
Summary
Intracochlear sound pressure (ICP) correlates with perceived loudness in bone conduction hearing. This study validates ICP as an objective measure of cochlear stimulation, offering direct insight into inner ear sound levels.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Otoacoustic Emissions
Background:
- Current preclinical assessment of bone conduction implants relies on cochlear promontory vibration measurement.
- Bone conduction sound transmission is complex, influenced by frequency, amplitude, and multiple pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate intracochlear sound pressure (ICP) as an objective indicator of perceived loudness for bone conduction (BC) stimulation.
- To investigate the correlation between ICP measurements in cadaveric temporal bones and clinical loudness balancing experiments.
Main Methods:
- Normal hearing subjects performed loudness balancing between air conducted (AC) and bone conducted (BC) sound.
- ICP was measured in four cadaveric temporal bones during AC and BC stimulation at 80 dBHL.
- A lock-in amplification technique was used for precise ICP measurement.
Main Results:
- Stimulating at equal perceived loudness via AC and BC resulted in similar differential ICP.
- Differences in ICP between AC and BC stimulation fell within the normal variability range observed in human subjects.
Conclusions:
- ICP measurements validate its use as an objective indicator of cochlear drive for both AC and BC stimulation.
- While more time-consuming than vibratory measurements, ICP provides direct data on sound pressure levels within the cochlear scalae.
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