New Perspectives on Old Ideas in Hearing Science: Intralabyrinthine Pressure, Tenotomy, and Resonance

Abstract

It is natural to think that hearing science progresses linearly, making new discoveries and opening up fresh vistas. But it doesn't always happen that way, and false starts are not uncommon. Here a brief survey is made of ideas about the mechanics of the middle ear and cochlea that appeared before 1900 but which have now, after a period of neglect, attracted renewed attention. Luminaries of 19th-century otology -Helmholtz and Weber-Liel -are used to illustrate the case. Three of their ideas -the mode of action of the middle ear muscles, the role of intralabyrinthine pressure, and resonance in the cochlea -were central to their thinking but for various reasons were later set aside. Notably, however, some old perspectives -such as the value of tenotomy in Meniere's disease -appear consistent with recent suggestions. Another discovery of modern science -Piezo1, a piezoelectric channel protein shaped like a propeller -strengthens the idea that pressure-sensing is crucial to cochlear function and indeed that Helmholtz's original resonance theory might still have merit.