Nonlinear responses in prestin knockout mice: implications for cochlear function

M. A. Cheatham*, K. H. Huynh, P. Dallos

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Construction of pseudotransducer functions in prestin knockout (KO) mice reveal that the outer hair cell (OHC) transducer appears to function normally, which allows one to study nonlinearities in mice that do not show frequency selectivity or amplification. Measurement of harmonic distortion indicates that the second harmonic exceeds the third in homozygotes and their controls. In addition, intermodulation distortion shows that the cubic difference tone (CDT), 2f1-f2, is ~20 dB down from f1 in both KO and wildtype (WT) mice. However, in contrast to controls where the cubic exceeds the quadratic difference tone (QDT, f2-f1), f2-f1 and 2f1-f2 are similar in magnitude for KO mice. Because KO mice also exhibit two-tone suppression, these results support the idea that cochlear nonlinearity persists in the absence of low thresholds and sharp tuning and that the hair cell transducer is the primary source of cochlear distortion.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAuditory Mechanisms
Subtitle of host publicationProcesses and Models - Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium
EditorsAlfred L. Nuttall, Tianying Ren, Peter Gillespie, Karl Grosh, Egbert de Boer
PublisherWorld Scientific Publishing Co. Pte Ltd
Pages218-225
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9812568247, 9789812568243
StatePublished - 2005
Event9th International Mechanics of Hearing Workshop on Auditory Mechanisms: Processes and Models, MoH 2005 - Portland, United States
Duration: Jul 23 2005Jul 28 2005

Publication series

NameAuditory Mechanisms: Processes and Models - Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium

Conference

Conference9th International Mechanics of Hearing Workshop on Auditory Mechanisms: Processes and Models, MoH 2005
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPortland
Period7/23/057/28/05

Funding

Work supported by the NIDCD Grant #DC00089 and by the Hugh Knowles Center. We thank J.H. Siegel and M.A. Ruggero for comments on the manuscript.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Biomedical Engineering

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