title: Are nonlinearities observed in firing rates of auditory-nerve afferents reflections of a nonlinear coupling between the tectorial membrane and the organ of Corti?
abstract: Shear motion between the reticular lamina and the tectorial membrane at the location of the inner hair cells, studied on a network model of the cochlea with a nonlinear coupling between the two structures, exhibits the same type of nonlinearities as seen in the firing rates of auditory-nerve afferents. They include wave form distortions, phase changes and nonmonotonic dependence of the output amplitude on the cochlear input amplitude.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D008144:Loudness Perception / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009925:Organ of Corti / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D013680:Tectorial Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000502:physiology*