Physical frequency is the wrong scale for describing inner-ear effects

Evidence

For decades, low-frequency sound, i.e. sound with frequencies lower than 250 Hz (Berglund et al. 1996 ), has been considered to largely bypass the inner ear even at intense levels, simply because human hearing thresholds for frequencies below 250 Hz are relatively high. Recent evidence from animal models shows that physiological cochlear responses to LF sound are even larger than those evoked by equal-level, higher frequencies in the more sensitive range of hearing (Salt et al. 2013 ). No data for human subjects are available, but, considering the higher sensitivity of humans for LF sounds, similar results can be expected (Salt et al. 2013 ). … Perceptual thresholds essentially reflect the sensitivity of inner hair cells (IHCs), which are functionally coupled to inner ear fluids (Nowotny and Gummer 2006 ; Guinan 2012 ). IHCs are therefore sensitive to basilar-membrane velocity, which decreases with decreasing frequency. OHCs, in contrast, are mechanically linked to both the basilar membrane and the tectorial membrane. OHCs are therefore sensitive to basilar membrane displacement (Dallos et al. 1982 ; Dallos 1986 ), which does not decrease with decreasing stimulus frequency. Thus, OHCs are more sensitive to LF sound than IHCs and it is this difference in LF sensitivity, which contributes to the LF limit of sound perception (Salt and Hullar 2010 ; Salt et al. 2013 ). — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3704 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Perceptual insensitivity to low-frequency sound masks its physiological impact on the inner ear; Auditory sensitivity varies nonuniformly across the frequency range; Perceived loudness and physical sound intensity follow different, non-intuitive mathematical scales — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 53 (+5 more)

Related

• Perceptual insensitivity to low-frequency sound masks its physiological impact on the inner ear (similarity 0.94)
• Low-frequency sound triggers larger cochlear responses than comparable higher frequencies. (similarity 0.93)
• Intense low-frequency sound alters inner ear function even though we barely hear it (similarity 0.85)
• Outer hair cells respond better than inner hair cells to low-frequency sound (similarity 0.85)
• Frequency is a poor physical scale for describing inner-ear effects; critical-band rate works better. (similarity 0.83)
• The ear’s frequency response is level-dependent, favoring mid frequencies at low volume (similarity 0.82)
• Human hearing sensitivity peaks near 4 kHz and falls off at both extremes (similarity 0.82)
• Sound measurement must be frequency-weighted because ears are not uniformly sensitive (similarity 0.81)
• Internal physiological noise from blood flow and heartbeat raises low-frequency thresholds (similarity 0.81)
• The basilar membrane’s mechanics enable the inner ear’s frequency analysis (similarity 0.81)
• Inner-ear damage permanently corrupts higher-level auditory perception, not just thresholds (similarity 0.80)
• What the ear perceives can diverge from sound’s physical components. (similarity 0.80)
• Active outer hair cell processing boosts internal response levels by up to 40 dB (similarity 0.80)
• Frequency-domain analysis mirrors how the human ear processes sound (similarity 0.80)
• Frequency selectivity is the auditory system’s ability to represent one frequency independently of another. (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Perceptual insensitivity to low-frequency sound masks its physiological impact on the inner ear #expands (0.85)
• The auditory spectrum differs from the physical power spectrum in resolution and shape #expands (0.85)
• Low-frequency sound triggers larger cochlear responses than comparable higher frequencies. #expands (0.80) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3704
• Auditory sensitivity varies nonuniformly across the frequency range #expands (0.75)
• Perceived loudness and physical sound intensity follow different, non-intuitive mathematical scales #expands (0.75) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 53