Stronger bilateral efferent influences on cochlear biomechanical activity in musicians than in non-musicians.
The auditory sensory end organ is under the control of the central nervous system via efferent projections. Contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions (acoustic signatures of the cochlear biomechanical activity) provides a non-invasive approach to assess olivocochlear efferent activity in humans. Using this approach, the present study compared professional musicians with musically-inexperienced subjects. The results revealed stronger bilateral cochlear suppression, suggesting larger efferent influences in both ears, in musicians. Furthermore, in indicating no difference in left/right asymmetry of efferent-mediated suppression between the two groups, the present findings suggest that the observed differences in olivocochlear activity reflect bilaterally-enhanced activity of the cortical auditory structures in musicians rather than differences in cerebral hemispheric asymmetry between the two groups.
Perrot
X
X
Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UPRESA 5020, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, France.
Micheyl
C
C
Khalfa
S
S
Collet
L
L
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003051:Cochlea / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*