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The Journal of Neuroscience, June 15, 2000, 20(12):4701-4707
Predicting Vulnerability to Acoustic Injury with a Noninvasive
Assay of Olivocochlear Reflex Strength
Stéphane F.
Maison and
M.
Charles
Liberman
Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School and
Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston,
Massachusetts 02114-3096
Permanent noise-induced damage to the inner ear is a major cause of
hearing impairment, arising from exposures occurring during both work-
and pleasure-related activities. Vulnerability to noise-induced hearing
loss is highly variable: some have tough, whereas others have tender
ears. This report documents, in an animal model, the efficacy of a
simple nontraumatic assay of normal ear function in predicting
vulnerability to acoustic injury. The assay measures the strength of a
sound-evoked neuronal feedback pathway to the inner ear, the
olivocochlear efferents, by examining otoacoustic emissions created by
the normal ear, which can be measured with a microphone in the external
ear. Reflex strength was inversely correlated with the degree of
hearing loss after subsequent noise exposure. These data suggest that
one function of the olivocochlear efferent system is to protect the ear
from acoustic injury. This assay, or a simple modification of it, could
be applied to human populations to screen for individuals most at risk
in noisy environments.
Key words:
cochlea; efferents; noise-induced hearing loss; otoacoustic emissions; ear; damage
Copyright © 2000 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/00/20124701-07$05.00/0
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