Sound-induced displacement responses in the plane of the organ of Corti in the isolated guinea-pig cochlea

Abstract

Sound-induced displacement responses in the plane of the organ of Corti were studied in the apical turn in the isolated temporal-bone preparation of the guinea-pig cochlea. Swept sinusoidal sound stimuli (100–500 Hz) were delivered closed-field to the external auditory meatus. The surface of the organ of Corti was continuously monitored using a CCD video camera. Displacement responses in the plane of the organ of Corti were determined by analyzing the change of the location of the cells (pixel-by-pixel) within the visual field of the microscope. Displacement responses followed the stimulus amplitude and were observable at Hensen's cells, three rows of outer hair cells and inner hair cells. The most prominent displacement responses were over the outer hair cells; the maximum amplitude was 0.6–1.7 μm at 100 dB SPL. Tuned displacement responses were found; the Q 10 dB was 1.3±0.6. The best frequency was tonotopically organized, decreasing toward the apex with a space constant of 0.4–0.9 mm/oct. The motion was directed either strial-apically or strial-basally in a frequency dependent manner. With the aid of laser interferometric measurements of the transverse displacement, it was concluded that sound stimulation does not induce slow DC motion in the organ of Corti for the isolated temporal-bone preparation.