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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.

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...

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...

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.

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 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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2025

In Vivo Morphometric Analysis of Human Cranial Nerves Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Menière's Disease Ears and Normal Hearing Ears

In Vivo Morphometric Analysis of Human Cranial Nerves Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Menière's Disease Ears and Normal Hearing Ears

Published on: February 21, 2018

Speech Perception in Ménière Disease.

Patricia Craveiro Fernandes¹, Bruno Takegawa², Fernando Freitas Ganança³

¹Departament of Phonoaudiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology

|October 25, 2023

Summary

Speech recognition in Ménière disease (MD) improves at higher presentation levels during audiometry. Vertigo significantly impacts the quality of life for individuals with MD.

Keywords:

hearing meniere's disease speech discrimination tests tinnitus vertigo

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2025

In Vivo Morphometric Analysis of Human Cranial Nerves Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Menière's Disease Ears and Normal Hearing Ears

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Published on: February 21, 2018

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Published on: April 11, 2025

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

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

Published on: May 10, 2019

Area of Science:

Audiology
Neurology
Otolaryngology

Background:

Ménière disease (MD) is an inner ear disorder affecting the cochlea and semicircular canals.
Symptoms include vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness, significantly impacting quality of life.
Speech audiometry is crucial for quantifying speech discrimination and intelligibility deficits in MD.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effect of stimuli presentation levels in speech audiometry on speech recognition in adults with and without MD.
To assess the influence of MD on quality of life, particularly concerning vertigo and tinnitus.

Main Methods:

A comparative study involving two groups (n=9 each): one with MD and one without.
Speech Recognition Percentage Index (SRPI) was measured using stimuli presented at comfortable or near-discomfort levels.
Validated questionnaires (Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) assessed quality of life in symptomatic individuals.

Main Results:

Speech recognition performance improved with higher stimuli presentation levels in the study sample (75% showed improvement).
The presence of vertigo was identified as a significant factor negatively affecting the quality of life in individuals with MD.
Higher presentation levels in speech audiometry correlate with better speech recognition outcomes.

Conclusions:

Speech recognition abilities in Ménière disease can be enhanced by increasing auditory stimuli presentation levels.
Ménière disease substantially diminishes quality of life, with vertigo being a primary limiting factor.