Neural correlates of sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is characterized by a relatively well defined set of audiological signs and symptoms such as elevated thresholds, abnormally rapid loudness growth, subjective tinnitus, poor speech discrimination, and a reduction in temporal summation of acoustic energy. Knowledge of the underlying neural mechanisms responsible for some of these auditory distortions has progressed substantially within the past 10 yrs as a result of physiological studies on hearing-impaired animals. Some of the important neurophysiological changes relevant to sensorineural hearing loss are reviewed. One important effect associated with sensorineural hearing loss is the broadening of the cochlear filtering mechanism which may influence loudness growth and the perception of complex sounds. The neurophysiological results may also provide new insights in interpreting traditional audiological data and help in developing more refined tests for fitting hearing aids or differentiating patients with sensorineural hearing loss.