Abstract
Pure-tone threshold audiograms showing sensorineural hearing loss, when plotted on a data-based anatomic frequency scale, show a close spatial correlation with their respective cytocochieograms. Whereas most of the cochleae show pathology of several different cell types, a sufficient number show losses that involve predominantly a single cell type, which permits the following deductions: (1) focal lesions of the organ of Corti are strongly tonotopic and are responsible for those instances of abrupt pure-tone threshold losses; (2) lesions of the stria vascuiaris show no tonotopic organization but lead to flat pure-tone threshold losses; and (3) the principal effect of neuronal losses is a diminished capability for word recognition. There Is an indeterminate group where no pathologic correlate can be identified by light microscopy.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.