Erratum: A Dynamical Theory of the Cochlea

Peterson, L. C.; Bogert, B. P.

doi:10.1121/1.1906668

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Generally, the dimensions of the OoC increase from the base towards the apex (Fig. 3c-f), which is consistent with the decreasing characteristic frequency in the apical direction that is a key feature of the mammalian cochlea (Peterson and Bogert, 1950;Von Békésy, 1960). Despite the increases in all of these dimensions as one moves apically, the AZ_W/OoC_W ratio maintains an approximately constant value of around 0.25 (not shown).…”

Section: Sslsupporting

confidence: 78%

Watching Death in the Gerbil Cochlea Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Cho

Wang

Puria

2021

Preprint

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Because it is difficult to directly observe the morphology of the living cochlea, our ability to infer the mechanical functioning of the living ear has been limited. Nearly all of our knowledge about cochlear morphology comes from postmortem tissue that was fixed and processed using procedures that possibly distort the structures and fluid spaces of the organ of Corti. In this study, optical coherence tomography was employed to obtain in vivo and postmortem micron-scale volumetric images of the high-frequency hook region of the gerbil cochlea through the round-window membrane. The anatomical structures and fluid spaces of the organ of Corti were segmented and quantified in vivo and over a 90-minute postmortem period. The results show that some aspects of the organ of Corti are significantly altered over the course of death, such as the volumes of the fluid spaces, whereas the dimensions of other features change very little. We postulate that the fluid space of the outer tunnel and its surrounding tectal cells form a resonant structure that can affect the motion of the reticular lamina and thereby have a profound effect on outer-hair-cell transduction and thus cochlear amplification. In addition, the in vivo fluid pressure of the inner spiral sulcus is postulated to effectively inflate the connected sub-tectorial gap between the tectorial membrane and the reticular lamina. This gap height decreases after death, which is hypothesized to reduce and disrupt hair-cell transduction.

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Section: Sslsupporting

confidence: 78%

Watching Death in the Gerbil Cochlea Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Cho

Wang

Puria

2021

Preprint

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“…One approach to better understand these different possibilities would be to use a finite-element model of the RL mosaic that incorporates the radial and longitudinal angles of the PhPs across the three OHC rows, as well as the outer-tunnel fluid space, and that includes frequency-dependent impedances. Regardless of the underlying reason(s) for the observed motion differences, these measurements suggest that the RL does not move as a stiff plate hinging around the pillar-cell heads as has been assumed for over a century 25 , 34 , 35 , but that its mosaic-like structure may instead bend and/or stretch. Understanding the specifics of RL motion is fundamental to understanding both cochlear amplification via OHC stimulation and sound transduction via inner-hair-cell stimulation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Cochlear motion across the reticular lamina implies that it is not a stiff plate

Cho

Puria

2022

Sci Rep

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Within the cochlea, the basilar membrane (BM) is coupled to the reticular lamina (RL) through three rows of piezo-like outer hair cells (OHCs) and supporting cells that endow mammals with sensitive hearing. Anatomical differences across OHC rows suggest differences in their motion. Using optical coherence tomography, we measured in vivo and postmortem displacements through the gerbil round-window membrane from approximately the 40–47 kHz best-frequency (BF) regions. Our high spatial resolution allowed measurements across the RL surface at the tops of the three rows of individual OHCs and their bottoms, and across the BM. RL motion varied radially; the third-row gain was more than 3 times greater than that of the first row near BF, whereas the OHC-bottom motions remained similar. This implies that the RL mosaic, comprised of OHC and phalangeal-process tops joined together by adhesion molecules, is much more flexible than the Deiters’ cells connected to the OHCs at their bottom surfaces. Postmortem, the measured points moved together approximately in phase. These imply that in vivo, the RL does not move as a stiff plate hinging around the pillar-cell heads near the first row as has been assumed, but that its mosaic-like structure may instead bend and/or stretch.

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