Theory of hearing--cellular approach.
A model was developed to simulate the combination of Davis's electrical model of cochlear excitation and the electrical model of a neuron; both afferent and efferent fibers were included. The resulting model was stimulated by varying the hair cell resistance. This is equivalent to varying the sound pressure level presented to the cochlea in the physiological system. It was found that, in the normal ear, there was a critical level of hair cell resistance below which no firings were obtained (no information transmitted). The scala media potential was varied and the previous tests repeated. This was done to simulate changes in the stria vascularis of the physiological system. It was found that as the scala media potential decreased, the critical value of the hair cell resistance increased. Two clinical procedures are proposed: the first is a procedure to improve hearing for persons with a "linear or flat loss"; the second is a procedure for improving the hearing for persons with a "ski slope loss."
D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D004560:Electricity; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D006309:Hearing; D008433:Mathematics; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons; D011312:Pressure; D013016:Sound