Topic Fifteen - Cochlear and Retrocochlear Loss

Question 1

What is a motor loss and what are some common pathologies within this category?*

Question 2

What is a sensory loss and what are some common pathologies within this category?*

Answer 2

• A sensory hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner hair cells
• Dysfunction can occur in three different ways

1. The inner hair cell itself
2. The dendrites connecting to the inner hair cells
3. The synapse between the IHC and the primary afferent neurons: neurotransmitter release or neurotransmitter reception

It is uncommon to have a pure sensory loss, except in the case of auditory neuropathy.

Question 3

What is a mixed loss and some common pathologies within this category?*

Question 4

What is the battery loss?*

Question 5

What is the bias loss?*

Question 6

What is the block loss?*

Question 7

What is the bundle loss?*

Question 8

What effect do retrocochlear losses have on tuning curves for both motor and sensory losses?*

Question 9

Identify and discuss retrocochlear pathologies?

Question 10

What pattern would we expect to see in the tuning curve of a sensory loss?

Answer 10

• Elevation across the entire frequency range
• Because there is no mechanical involvement, there is no impact to the frequency tuning, nonlinear compression and distortion tone.