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Dewey JB, Shera CA. Bandpass Shape of Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emission Ratio Functions Reflects Cochlear Frequency Tuning in Normal-Hearing Mice. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2023:10.1007/s10162-023-00892-4. [PMID: 37072566 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-023-00892-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The frequency selectivity of the mammalian auditory system is critical for discriminating complex sounds like speech. This selectivity derives from the sharp tuning of the cochlea's mechanical response to sound, which is largely attributed to the amplification of cochlear vibrations by outer hair cells (OHCs). Due to its nonlinearity, the amplification process also leads to the generation of distortion products (DPs), some of which propagate out to the ear canal as DP otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). However, the insight that these signals provide about the tuned micro- and macro-mechanics underlying their generation remains unclear. Using optical coherence tomography to measure cochlear vibrations in mice, we show that the cochlea's frequency tuning is reflected in the bandpass shape that is observed in DPOAE amplitudes when the ratio of the two evoking stimulus frequencies is varied (here termed DPOAE "ratio functions"). The tuning sharpness of DPOAE ratio functions and cochlear vibrations co-varied with stimulus level, with a similar quantitative agreement in tuning sharpness observed for both apical and mid-cochlear locations. Measurement of intracochlear DPs revealed that the tuning of the DPOAE ratio functions was not caused by mechanisms that shape DPs locally near where they are generated. Instead, simple model simulations indicate that the bandpass shape is due to a more global wave interference phenomenon. It appears that the filtering of DPOAEs by wave interactions over an extended spatial region allows them to provide a window onto the frequency tuning of single cochlear locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Dewey
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033, CA, USA.
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033, CA, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
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2
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The reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations in the transverse direction in the basal turn of the living gerbil cochlea. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19810. [PMID: 36396720 PMCID: PMC9671912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24394-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevailing theory of cochlear function states that outer hair cells amplify sound-induced vibration to improve hearing sensitivity and frequency specificity. Recent micromechanical measurements in the basal turn of gerbil cochleae through the round window have demonstrated that the reticular lamina vibration lags the basilar membrane vibration, and it is physiologically vulnerable not only at the best frequency but also at the low frequencies. These results suggest that outer hair cells from a broad cochlear region enhance hearing sensitivity through a global hydromechanical mechanism. However, the time difference between the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibration has been thought to result from a systematic measurement error caused by the optical axis non-perpendicular to the cochlear partition. To address this concern, we measured the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations in the transverse direction through an opening in the cochlear lateral wall in this study. Present results show that the phase difference between the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibration decreases with frequency by ~ 180 degrees from low frequencies to the best frequency, consistent with those measured through the round window. Together with the round-window measurement, the low-coherence interferometry through the cochlear lateral wall demonstrates that the time difference between the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibration results from the cochlear active processing rather than a measurement error.
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3
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Cho NH, Puria S. Cochlear motion across the reticular lamina implies that it is not a stiff plate. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18715. [PMID: 36333415 PMCID: PMC9636238 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23525-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the cochlea, the basilar membrane (BM) is coupled to the reticular lamina (RL) through three rows of piezo-like outer hair cells (OHCs) and supporting cells that endow mammals with sensitive hearing. Anatomical differences across OHC rows suggest differences in their motion. Using optical coherence tomography, we measured in vivo and postmortem displacements through the gerbil round-window membrane from approximately the 40-47 kHz best-frequency (BF) regions. Our high spatial resolution allowed measurements across the RL surface at the tops of the three rows of individual OHCs and their bottoms, and across the BM. RL motion varied radially; the third-row gain was more than 3 times greater than that of the first row near BF, whereas the OHC-bottom motions remained similar. This implies that the RL mosaic, comprised of OHC and phalangeal-process tops joined together by adhesion molecules, is much more flexible than the Deiters' cells connected to the OHCs at their bottom surfaces. Postmortem, the measured points moved together approximately in phase. These imply that in vivo, the RL does not move as a stiff plate hinging around the pillar-cell heads near the first row as has been assumed, but that its mosaic-like structure may instead bend and/or stretch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam Hyun Cho
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Sunil Puria
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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4
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Dewey JB. Cubic and quadratic distortion products in vibrations of the mouse cochlear apex. JASA EXPRESS LETTERS 2022; 2:114402. [PMID: 36456371 PMCID: PMC9704500 DOI: 10.1121/10.0015244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
When the ear is stimulated by two tones presented at frequencies f1 and f2, nonlinearity in the cochlea's vibratory response leads to the generation of distortion products (DPs), with the cubic 2f1-f2 DP commonly viewed as the most prominent. While the quadratic f2-f1 DP is also evident in numerous physiological and perceptual studies, its presence in the cochlea's mechanical response has been less well documented. Here, examination of vibratory DPs within the mouse cochlea confirmed that f2-f1 was a significant and sometimes dominant component, whether DPs were measured near their generation site, or after having propagated from more basal locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Dewey
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
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5
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Levic S, Lukashkina VA, Simões P, Lukashkin AN, Russell IJ. A Gap-Junction Mutation Reveals That Outer Hair Cell Extracellular Receptor Potentials Drive High-Frequency Cochlear Amplification. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7875-7884. [PMID: 36261265 PMCID: PMC9617611 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2241-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cochlear amplification enables the enormous dynamic range of hearing through amplifying cochlear responses to low- to moderate-level sounds and compressing them to loud sounds. Amplification is attributed to voltage-dependent electromotility of mechanosensory outer hair cells (OHCs) driven by changing voltages developed across their cell membranes. At low frequencies, these voltage changes are dominated by intracellular receptor potentials (RPs). However, OHC membranes have electrical low-pass filter properties that attenuate high-frequency RPs, which should potentially attenuate amplification of high-frequency cochlear responses and impede high-frequency hearing. We made in vivo intracellular and extracellular electrophysiological measurements from the organ of Corti of male and female mice of the CBA/J strain, with excellent high-frequency hearing, and from the CD-1 mouse strain, which has sensitive hearing below 12 kHz but loses high-frequency hearing within a few weeks postpartum. The CD-1 mouse strain was transfected with an A88V mutation of the connexin 30 gap-junction protein. By blocking the action of the GJ protein to reduce input resistance, the mutation increased the OHC extracellular RP (ERP) magnitude and rescued high-frequency hearing. However, by increasing the organ of Corti resistance, the mutation rescued high-frequency hearing through preserving the OHC extracellular RP (ERP) magnitude. We measured the voltage developed across the basolateral membranes of OHCs, which controls their electromotility, for low- to high-frequency sounds in male and female mice of the CD-1 strain that expressed the A88V mutation. We demonstrate that ERPs, not RPs, drive OHC motility and cochlear amplification at high frequencies because at high frequencies, ERPs are not frequency attenuated, exceed RPs in magnitude, and are appropriately timed to provide cochlear amplification.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cochlear amplification, which enables the enormous dynamic range of hearing, is attributed to voltage-dependent electromotility of the mechanosensory outer hair cells (OHCs) driven by sound-induced voltage changes across their membranes. OHC intracellular receptor potentials are electrically low-pass filtered, which should hinder high-frequency hearing. We measured the intracellular and extracellular voltages that control OHC electromotility in vivo in a mouse strain with impaired high-frequency hearing. A gap-junction mutation of the strain rescued high-frequency hearing, increased organ of Corti resistance, and preserved large OHC extracellular receptor potentials but reduced OHC intracellular receptor potentials and impaired low-frequency hearing. We concluded intracellular potentials drive OHC motility at low frequencies and extracellular receptor potentials drive OHC motility and cochlear amplification at high frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snezana Levic
- Sensory Neuroscience Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9PX, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria A Lukashkina
- Sensory Neuroscience Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom
| | - Patricio Simões
- Sensory Neuroscience Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrei N Lukashkin
- Sensory Neuroscience Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ian J Russell
- Sensory Neuroscience Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom
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Burwood G, He WX, Fridberger A, Ren TY, Nuttall AL. Outer hair cell driven reticular lamina mechanical distortion in living cochleae. Hear Res 2022; 423:108405. [PMID: 34916081 PMCID: PMC9170269 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cochlear distortions afford researchers and clinicians a glimpse into the conditions and properties of inner ear signal processing mechanisms. Until recently, our examination of these distortions has been limited to measuring the vibration of the basilar membrane or recording acoustic distortion output in the ear canal. Despite its importance, the generation mechanism of cochlear distortion remains a substantial task to understand. The ability to measure the vibration of the reticular lamina in rodent models is a recent experimental advance. Surprising mechanical properties have been revealed. These properties merit both discussion in context with our current understanding of distortion, and appraisal of the significance of new interpretations of cochlear mechanics. This review focusses on some of the recent data from our research groups and discusses the implications of these data on our understanding of vocalization processing in the periphery, and their influence upon future experimental directions. This article is part of the Special Issue Outer hair cell Edited by Joseph Santos-Sacchi and Kumar Navaratnam.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Burwood
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States
| | - W X He
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States
| | - A Fridberger
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - T Y Ren
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States
| | - A L Nuttall
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States.
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7
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He W, Burwood G, Fridberger A, Nuttall AL, Ren T. An outer hair cell-powered global hydromechanical mechanism for cochlear amplification. Hear Res 2022; 423:108407. [PMID: 34922772 PMCID: PMC9156726 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
It is a common belief that the mammalian cochlea achieves its exquisite sensitivity, frequency selectivity, and dynamic range through an outer hair cell-based active process, or cochlear amplification. As a sound-induced traveling wave propagates from the cochlear base toward the apex, outer hair cells at a narrow region amplify the low level sound-induced vibration through a local feedback mechanism. This widely accepted theory has been tested by measuring sound-induced sub-nanometer vibrations within the organ of Corti in the sensitive living cochleae using heterodyne low-coherence interferometry and optical coherence tomography. The aim of this short review is to summarize experimental findings on the cochlear active process by the authors' group. Our data show that outer hair cells are able to generate substantial forces for driving the cochlear partition at all audible frequencies in vivo. The acoustically induced reticular lamina vibration is larger and more broadly tuned than the basilar membrane vibration. The reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrate approximately in opposite directions at low frequencies and in the same direction at the best frequency. The group delay of the reticular lamina is larger than that of the basilar membrane. The magnitude and phase differences between the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibration are physiologically vulnerable. These results contradict predictions based on the local feedback mechanism but suggest a global hydromechanical mechanism for cochlear amplification. This article is part of the Special Issue Outer hair cell Edited by Joseph Santos-Sacchi and Kumar Navaratnam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan He
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States
| | - George Burwood
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States
| | - Anders Fridberger
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Alfred L Nuttall
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States
| | - Tianying Ren
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, United States.
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8
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Stiepan S, Goodman SS, Dhar S. Optimizing distortion product otoacoustic emission recordings in normal-hearing ears by adopting cochlear place-specific stimuli. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:776. [PMID: 36050172 PMCID: PMC9348896 DOI: 10.1121/10.0013218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) provide a window into active cochlear processes and have become a popular clinical and research tool. DPOAEs are commonly recorded using stimulus with fixed presentation levels and frequency ratio irrespective of the test frequency. However, this is inconsistent with the changing mechanical properties of the cochlear partition from the base to the apex that lend specific frequency-dependent spatial properties to the cochlear traveling wave. Therefore, the frequency and level characteristics between the stimulus tones should also need to be adjusted as a function of frequency to maintain optimal interaction between them. The goal of this investigation was to establish a frequency-specific measurement protocol guided by local cochlear mechanics. A broad stimulus parameter space extending up to 20 kHz was explored in a group of normal-hearing individuals. The stimulus frequency ratio yielding the largest 2f1-f2 DPOAE level changed as a function of frequency and stimulus level. Specifically, for a constant stimulus level, the frequency ratio producing the largest DPOAE level decreased with increasing frequency. Similarly, at a given f2 frequency, the stimulus frequency ratio producing the largest DPOAE level became wider as stimulus level increased. These results confirm and strengthen our current understanding of DPOAE generation in the normally functioning cochlea and expand our understanding to previously unexamined higher frequencies. These data support the use of frequency- and level-specific stimulus frequency ratios to maximize DPOAE generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Stiepan
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Shawn S. Goodman
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - Sumitrajit Dhar
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
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9
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Wen H, Meaud J. Link between stimulus otoacoustic emissions fine structure peaks and standing wave resonances in a cochlear model. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:1875. [PMID: 35364913 PMCID: PMC8934193 DOI: 10.1121/10.0009839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In response to an external stimulus, the cochlea emits sounds, called stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs), at the stimulus frequency. In this article, a three-dimensional computational model of the gerbil cochlea is used to simulate SFOAEs and clarify their generation mechanisms and characteristics. This model includes electromechanical feedback from outer hair cells (OHCs) and cochlear roughness due to spatially random inhomogeneities in the OHC properties. As in the experiments, SFOAE simulations are characterized by a quasiperiodic fine structure and a fast varying phase. Increasing the sound pressure level broadens the peaks and decreases the phase-gradient delay of SFOAEs. A state-space formulation of the model provides a theoretical framework to analyze the link between the fine structure and global modes of the cochlea, which arise as a result of standing wave resonances. The SFOAE fine structure peaks correspond to weakly damped resonant modes because they are observed at the frequencies of nearly unstable modes of the model. Variations of the model parameters that affect the reflection mechanism show that the magnitude and sharpness of the tuning of these peaks are correlated with the modal damping ratio of the nearly unstable modes. The analysis of the model predictions demonstrates that SFOAEs originate from the peak of the traveling wave.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqi Wen
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 771 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
| | - Julien Meaud
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 771 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
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10
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Using electrocochleography to detect sensory and neural damages in a gerbil model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19557. [PMID: 34599220 PMCID: PMC8486782 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98658-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hearing is one of the five sensory organs that allows us to interact with society and our environment. However, one in eight Americans suffers from sensorineural hearing loss that is great enough to adversely impact their daily life. There is an urgent need to identify what part/degree of the auditory pathway (sensory or neural) is compromised so that appropriate treatment/intervention can be implemented. Single- or two-tone evoked potentials, the electrocochleography (eCochG), were measured along the auditory pathway, i.e., at the round window and remotely at the vertex, with simultaneous recordings of ear canal distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Sensory (cochlear) and neural components in the (remote-) eCochG responses showed distinct level- and frequency-dependent features allowing to be differentiated from each other. Specifically, the distortion products in the (remote-)eCochGs can precisely localize the sensory damage showing that they are effective to determine the sensory or neural damage along the auditory pathway.
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11
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Glavin CC, Siegel J, Dhar S. Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) Growth in Aging Ears with Clinically Normal Behavioral Thresholds. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:659-680. [PMID: 34591199 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00805-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a devastating public health issue. To successfully address ARHL using existing and future treatments, it is imperative to detect the earliest signs of age-related auditory decline and understand the mechanisms driving it. Here, we explore early signs of age-related auditory decline by characterizing cochlear function in 199 ears aged 10-65 years, all of which had clinically defined normal hearing (i.e., behavioral thresholds ≤ 25 dB HL from .25 to 8 kHz bilaterally) and no history of noise exposure. We characterized cochlear function by measuring behavioral thresholds in two paradigms (traditional audiometric thresholds from .25 to 8 kHz and Békésy tracking thresholds from .125 to 20 kHz) and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) growth functions at f2 = 2, 4, and 8 kHz. Behavioral thresholds through a standard clinical frequency range (up to 8 kHz) showed statistically, but not clinically, significant declines across increasing decades of life. In contrast, DPOAE growth measured in the same frequency range showed clear declines as early 30 years of age, particularly across moderate stimulus levels (L2 = 25-45 dB SPL). These substantial declines in DPOAE growth were not fully explained by differences in behavioral thresholds measured in the same frequency region. Additionally, high-frequency Békésy tracking thresholds above ~11.2 kHz showed frank declines with increasing age. Collectively, these results suggest that early age-related cochlear decline (1) begins as early as the third or fourth decade of life, (2) is greatest in the cochlear base but apparent through the length of the cochlear partition, (3) cannot be detected fully by traditional clinical measures, and (4) is likely due to a complex mix of etiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Coburn Glavin
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Northwestern University, Frances Searle Building 1-240, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | - Jonathan Siegel
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Northwestern University, Frances Searle Building 1-240, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Knowles Hearing Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sumitrajit Dhar
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Northwestern University, Frances Searle Building 1-240, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Knowles Hearing Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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12
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He W, Ren T. The origin of mechanical harmonic distortion within the organ of Corti in living gerbil cochleae. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1008. [PMID: 34433876 PMCID: PMC8387486 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02540-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although auditory harmonic distortion has been demonstrated psychophysically in humans and electrophysiologically in experimental animals, the cellular origin of the mechanical harmonic distortion remains unclear. To demonstrate the outer hair cell-generated harmonics within the organ of Corti, we measured sub-nanometer vibrations of the reticular lamina from the apical ends of the outer hair cells in living gerbil cochleae using a custom-built heterodyne low-coherence interferometer. The harmonics in the reticular lamina vibration are significantly larger and have broader spectra and shorter latencies than those in the basilar membrane vibration. The latency of the second harmonic is significantly greater than that of the fundamental at low stimulus frequencies. These data indicate that the mechanical harmonics are generated by the outer hair cells over a broad cochlear region and propagate from the generation sites to their own best-frequency locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan He
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Tianying Ren
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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13
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Bowling T, Wen H, Meenderink SWF, Dong W, Meaud J. Intracochlear distortion products are broadly generated by outer hair cells but their contributions to otoacoustic emissions are spatially restricted. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13651. [PMID: 34211051 PMCID: PMC8249639 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection of low-level sounds by the mammalian cochlea requires electromechanical feedback from outer hair cells (OHCs). This feedback arises due to the electromotile response of OHCs, which is driven by the modulation of their receptor potential caused by the stimulation of mechano-sensitive ion channels. Nonlinearity in these channels distorts impinging sounds, creating distortion-products that are detectable in the ear canal as distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Ongoing efforts aim to develop DPOAEs, which reflects the ear's health, into diagnostic tools for sensory hearing loss. These efforts are hampered by limited knowledge on the cochlear extent contributing to DPOAEs. Here, we report on intracochlear distortion products (IDPs) in OHC electrical responses and intracochlear fluid pressures. Experiments and simulations with a physiologically motivated cochlear model show that widely generated electrical IDPs lead to mechanical vibrations in a frequency-dependent manner. The local cochlear impedance restricts the region from which IDPs contribute to DPOAEs at low to moderate intensity, which suggests that DPOAEs may be used clinically to provide location-specific information about cochlear damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bowling
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943GWW School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Haiqi Wen
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943GWW School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Sebastiaan W. F. Meenderink
- grid.422066.40000 0001 2195 7301VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA 92357 USA ,grid.429814.2Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA 92350 USA
| | - Wei Dong
- grid.422066.40000 0001 2195 7301VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA 92357 USA ,grid.429814.2Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA 92350 USA
| | - Julien Meaud
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943GWW School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA ,grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943Petit Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA
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14
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Twin study of neonatal transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions. Hear Res 2020; 398:108108. [PMID: 33212398 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Our knowledge of which physiological mechanisms shape transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) is incomplete, although thousands of TEOAEs are recorded each day as part of universal newborn hearing-screening (UNHS). TEOAE heritability may explain some of the large TEOAE variability observed in neonates, and give insights into the TEOAE generators and modulators, and why TEOAEs are generally larger in females and right ears. The aim was to estimate TEOAE heritability and describe ear and sex effects in a consecutive subset of all twins that passed UNHS at the same occasion at two hospitals during a six-year period (more than 30 000 neonates screened in total). TEOAEs were studied and TEOAE level correlations compared in twin sets of same-sex (SS, 302 individual twins, 151 twin pairs) and opposite-sex (OS, 152 individual twins, 76 twin pairs). A mathematical model was used to estimate and compare monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) intra-twin pair TEOAE level correlations, based on the data from the SS and OS twin sets. For both SS and OS twin pairs TEOAE levels were significantly higher in right ears and females, compared to left ears and males, as previously demonstrated in young adult twins and large groups of neonates. Neonatal females in OS twin pairs did not demonstrate masculinized TEOAEs, as has been demonstrated for OAEs in young adult females in OS twin pairs. The within-twin pair TEOAE level correlations were higher for SS twin pairs than for OS twin pairs, whereas the within-pair correlation coefficients could not be distinguished from zero when twins were randomly paired. These results reflect heredity as a key factor in TEOAE level variability. Additionally, the estimated MZ within-twin pair TEOAE level correlations were higher than those for DZ twin pairs. The heritability estimates reached up to 100% TEOAE heritability, which is numerically larger than previous estimates of about 75% in young adult twins.
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Moleti A, Sisto R. Does the "Reticular Lamina Nonlinearity" Contribute to the Basal DPOAE Source? J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2020; 21:463-473. [PMID: 32959194 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-020-00771-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial extent of the cochlear region that actually contributes to the DPOAE signal measured in the ear canal may be evaluated experimentally using interference tones or computed numerically using nonlinear cochlear models. A nonlinear transmission-line cochlear model is used in this study to evaluate whether the recently reported nonlinear behavior of the reticular lamina (RL) over a wide basal region may be associated with generation of a significant distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) component. A two-degrees-of-freedom 1-D nonlinear model was used as discussed by Sisto et al. (2019), in which each local element consists of two coupled oscillators, roughly representing the basilar membrane (BM) and the RL. In this model, the RL shows a strongly nonlinear response over a wide region basal to the characteristic place, whereas the BM response is linear outside the narrow peak region. Such a model may be considered as that using the minimal number of degrees of freedom necessary to separately predict the motion of the BM and RL, while preserving important cochlear symmetries, such as the zero-crossing invariance of the impulse response. In the numerical simulations, the RL nonlinearity generates indeed a large intracochlear distortion product source, extended down to very basal cochlear regions. Nevertheless, due to the weak and indirect coupling between the RL motion and the differential fluid pressure in the basal part of the traveling wave path, no significant contribution from this mechanism is predicted by the model to the generation of the DPOAE signal that is eventually measured in the ear canal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Moleti
- Department of Physics, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Renata Sisto
- DIMEILA, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy
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An intracochlear DP-gram: Proof of principle in noise-damaged rabbits. Hear Res 2020; 396:108058. [PMID: 32871416 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) can be used to assess cochlear damage and are often evaluated by generating a DP-gram in which 2f1-f2 DPOAE levels are plotted as a function of the higher-frequency primary at f2. DPOAEs are derived from the reverse propagation of distortion-product (DP) wavelets from their intracochlear sites of generation to emerge as measurable acoustic signals in the outer ear canal. However, at least, some of these same wavelets also propagate within the cochlea in the normal forward direction to the DP-frequency (fdp) place, where they appear as intracochlear distortion products (iDPs). Depending on several factors, especially, the extent to which DP wavelets add or cancel with each other in phase, one might expect iDPs to differ from DPOAEs in their ability to map the frequency pattern of cochlear damage. In the present study, the behavior of 2f1-f2 iDPs was inferred by interacting a probe tone (f3) with the iDP of interest to produce a 'secondary' DPOAE (i.e., DPOAE2ry), which was then used to infer the level of 2f1-f2 iDPs as a function of the f2-test frequency, thus, constituting a newly developed iDP-gram. To determine the feasibility of and potential applications for the iDP-gram procedure, noise-induced cochlear damage was assessed in two 'test' rabbits, one of which exhibited a well-defined punctate loss in their DP-gram, while the other exhibited a broader V-shaped loss. To validate the iDP-gram procedure, standard DP-grams were simultaneously collected and compared to their iDP-gram counterparts. Cochlear damage was independently assessed using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) describing threshold-shift patterns to which both DP-gram types could be compared. Each DP-gram variety, to some extent, was able to detect a punctate loss in one rabbit and a broader V-shaped loss in the other. For the punctate-loss subject, the standard DP-gram showed a more generalized loss across test frequencies, while iDP-grams showed several localized notches superimposed on the generalized-loss pattern. In general, for the V-shaped loss pattern, both DP-gram types performed very well at detecting the large loss, with the lower primary-tone levels being most sensitive. At the narrow primary-tone ratios of f2/f1=1.05, standard DP-grams were unable to detect either loss pattern, while for the punctate loss, they paradoxically showed enhancement. Notably, the simultaneously collected iDP-grams performed favorably at the narrow-ratio setting, which is consistent with the notion that DPs travelling toward the 2f1-f2 fdp place are not subject to the cancellation of wavelets typical for narrow primary-ratio conditions that can confound measures of DPs moving towards the ear canal to emerge as DPOAEs.
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