A nonlinear feedback model for the mechanical response of outer‐hair‐cell sterocilia

Abstract

There is some experimental evidence that the mechanical cochlear function is strongly influenced by the efferent innervation of outer‐hair‐cell stereocilia (OHCS). [See, e.g., D. C. Mountain, Science 210, 71–72 (1980); J. H. Siegel and D. O. Kim, Hear. Res. 6, 171–182 (1982).] This suggests that the various nonlinear and active mechanical features of the cochlear response may be mainly rooted in the OHCS. We propose a specific nonlinear feedback model for the mechanics of the OHCS, which is a generalization of a linear model proposed by Mountain. It gives formally the combination of negative resistance and nonlinear damping used in previous calculations [S. Koshigoe and A. Tubis, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Suppl. 1 71, S17 (1982)]. The parameters of the model are determined so as to account for experimental measurements of the basilar membrane response as well as stimulated and spontaneous emissions in the ear canal. [This work was supported by NSF.]