Otoacoustic Estimates of Cochlear Tuning: Testing Predictions in Macaque.
Otoacoustic estimates of cochlear frequency selectivity suggest substantially sharper tuning in humans. However, the logic and methodology underlying these estimates remain untested by direct measurements in primates. We report measurements of frequency tuning in macaque monkeys, Old-World primates phylogenetically closer to humans than the small laboratory animals often taken as models of human hearing (e.g., cats, guinea pigs, and chinchillas). We find that measurements of tuning obtained directly from individual nerve fibers and indirectly using otoacoustic emissions both indicate that peripheral frequency selectivity in macaques is significantly sharper than in small laboratory animals, matching that inferred for humans at high frequencies. Our results validate the use of otoacoustic emissions for noninvasive measurement of cochlear tuning and corroborate the finding of sharper tuning in humans.
Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Harvard Medical School.
Christopher A
CA
Shera
Department of Mathematics, University of Arizona.
Christopher
C
Bergevin
Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Harvard Medical School.
Radha
R
Kalluri
Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, University of Leuven.
Myles Mc
MM
Laughlin
Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, University of Leuven.
Pascal
P
Michelet
Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, University of Leuven.
Marcel
M
van der Heijden
Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, University of Leuven.
Philip X
PX
Joris
auditory nerve; cochlea; frequency tuning; otoacoustic emissions