Hidden Hearing Loss
Normal audiogram, real hearing difficulties
Overview
Cochlear nerve synapse damage, synaptopathy, from noise or age, can decimate neural connections while sparing hair cells, so OAEs and thresholds stay normal while clarity in noise crumbles. Animal models show it clearly, human diagnostics remain research tools, ABR wave I reduction, envelope following. Suspected contributors include tinnitus without loss and hyperacusis. The concept pushes medicine beyond the audiogram, listening skills live in connections as much as thresholds.
Related Topics
Hair Cells
Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the cochlea, named for the bundles of stereocilia on their upper surface. Each human cochl...
Tonotopy
Tonotopy is the orderly mapping of sound frequency onto position in the auditory system. It begins in the cochlea, where the basil...
Auditory Pathway
Auditory nerve fibers synapse in cochlear nuclei, cross to superior olive, first binaural comparison station, ascend lateral lemni...
Binaural Hearing
Two ears compute sound direction two ways: interaural time differences, ITDs, microseconds of arrival delay for lows, and interaur...