Noise level, inner hair cell damage, audiometric features, and equal-energy hypothesis.
Rabbits were exposed to 2- to 7-kHz noise either for a short duration at a high sound-pressure level (15 or 30 min at 115 dB SPL), or a long duration at a low level (512 h at 85 dB SPL). The high-level exposure produced a hearing loss in the frequency range 2-6 kHz, whereas the low-level exposure gave maximum hearing loss at 12-20 kHz. The 115-dB exposure caused significantly more damage to inner hair cells than the 85-dB exposure. The implications of the present results for evaluating audiograms, equal-energy hypothesis, risk criteria, and subjective auditory features are pointed out.
Borg
E
E
Department of Audiology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Engström
B
B
D000818:Animals; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000473:pathology*; D006199:Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner / Q000473:pathology*; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors