Inner-ear damage accumulates silently before audiometric thresholds rise
Evidence
Comparing these two conditions gives an estimate of cochlear gain around the signal frequency place. It is possible that the decrease in gain for the older adults was due to their slightly poorer auditory thresholds. However, correlation coefficients between auditory threshold and gain estimates did not reach significance. This measure of gain may reflect decreases in cochlear function that occur prior to elevations in auditory thresholds. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 959 (
#corroborates, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Neural hearing damage occurs without measurable threshold elevation; Hidden hearing loss can impair speech in noise without raising thresholds; Age-related hearing decline in noise begins while thresholds remain normal — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 1140 (+4 more)
Related
- Cochlear gain declines with age before measurable threshold elevation appears (similarity 0.91)
- Neural hearing damage occurs without measurable threshold elevation (similarity 0.90)
- Inner-ear damage permanently corrupts higher-level auditory perception, not just thresholds (similarity 0.86)
- Age-related hearing decline in noise begins while thresholds remain normal (similarity 0.86)
- Objective brainstem measures may detect functional hearing changes before permanent threshold shifts appear. (similarity 0.86)
- Older adults show significantly lower cochlear gain estimates than younger adults (similarity 0.85)
- Reversible threshold shifts after noise exposure mask ongoing neural degeneration (similarity 0.84)
- Recovered hearing thresholds can mask permanent neural damage (similarity 0.83)
- Inner ear hair cell damage accumulates before any measurable hearing threshold rise (similarity 0.83)
- Hearing sensitivity degrades with age and is lower in early childhood (similarity 0.82)
- Tinnitus after exposure signals damage even below the 85 dB threshold (similarity 0.82)
- Small amounts of hearing loss disproportionately impair speech-in-noise perception (similarity 0.82)
- Aging impairs speech-in-noise ability beyond what hearing thresholds predict (similarity 0.81)
- Age-linked decline in cochlear function stems from falling endocochlear potential (similarity 0.81)
- Aging significantly reduces cochlear gain estimates at multiple signal levels (similarity 0.81)
Broader Connections
- Neural hearing damage occurs without measurable threshold elevation
#corroborates(0.95) - Hidden hearing loss can impair speech in noise without raising thresholds
#corroborates(0.90) - Cochlear gain declines with age before measurable threshold elevation appears
#corroborates(0.90) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 959 - Age-related hearing decline in noise begins while thresholds remain normal
#corroborates(0.85) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 1140