Inner-ear damage permanently corrupts higher-level auditory perception, not just thresholds

Evidence

Currently, the fact is that once the inner ears have been damaged, the damage is permanent. Some audio information fails to reach the brain, and some that is delivered is corrupted. It is more than just not hearing small sounds; some higher-level aspects of perception occurring within the brain are modified, even when threshold shifts are not present. It is a truly insidious affliction. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1879

Categorization

• QUESTION: Which higher-level perceptual aspects in the brain are modified, and how are they measured beyond threshold audiometry? Worth chasing into Moore (2016).
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1879
• XREF: connects to: Hearing loss widens critical bands and alters music perception itself — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1897; Loud music damages cochlear structures in distinct ways producing distinct perceptual deficits; Recovered hearing thresholds can mask permanent neural damage — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1815 (+13 more)

Broader Connections

• Recovered hearing thresholds can mask permanent neural damage #corroborates (0.90) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1815
• Neural hearing damage occurs without measurable threshold elevation #corroborates (0.85)
• Hidden hearing loss impairs separating sounds in complex acoustic scenes #exemplifies (0.85)
• Reversible threshold shifts after noise exposure mask ongoing neural degeneration #corroborates (0.85)
• Auditory nerve damage degrades sound localization by corrupting ILD and ITD cues #exemplifies (0.82)
• Increasing sensorineural hearing loss shifts tone perception from fine structure to envelope cues #expands (0.80) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3380
• Hearing loss impairs frequency selectivity beyond what stimulus level differences explain. #expands (0.80) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 558
• Perceptual insensitivity to low-frequency sound masks its physiological impact on the inner ear #epitomizes (0.78)
• Small amounts of hearing loss disproportionately impair speech-in-noise perception #expands (0.75) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 5472
• Auditory neuropathy severely impairs fine-structure processing while preserving envelope use #expands (0.75)
• Even modest hearing loss increases variability in sound quality judgments #expands (0.75)