When we listen to loud sounds, our hearing may become impaired for a short time.
When we listen to loud sounds, our hearing may become impaired for a short time. Researchers at Linköping University have discovered a mechanism that helps to explain how this happens.
“Most people have experienced that their hearing is impaired and the ear feels numb after listening to loud sounds. After a while hearing returns to normal. We have discovered that a tiny structure in the cochlea known as the tectorial membrane plays an important role in this process, by acting as a storage depot for calcium ions. These calcium ions contribute to regulating the function of the sensory cells”, says Anders Fridberger at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, who has led the study which is presented in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.
Calcium ions, which are calcium atoms with a positive charge, play a key role in the processes that make hearing possible. The conversion of sound waves to nerve impulses takes place in the inner ear, also known as the cochlea, which looks like the spiral shell that some snails have. The cochlea contains many sensory cells, which detect sounds and generate signals that are passed on to the brain.
Read more at Linköping University
Image: Anders Fridberger, professor at Linköping University (Credti: Thor Balkhed/LiU)
