聴覚機構に関する最近の知見

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The recent findings on the hearing mechanism were reviewed anatomically and physiologically. The travelling wave theory is insufficient for explaining the cochlear fine tuning ability and the active movement of outer hair cells is necessary for the fine tuning. In the outer hair cells there exist K+, Ca++ channels. With the movement of basilar membrane by travelling waves, these channels open and the actin-myosin system is activated. This active movement has an important role for fine tuning of cochlea. Outer hair cells have two types of movement, that is, slow and fast movements. From the superior olivary complex efferent fibers project to cochlea and have feed back role for the active movements of outer hair cells. The afferent cochlear nerves from the inner hair cells transmit the signals caused by cochlear fine tuning. On the other hand, the nerves from the outer hair cells donot respond to sound and the role is uncertain. For the tuning of cochlea, outer hair cells play an important role and the tuning signals are transmitted to the afferent cochlear nerves originated from the inner hair cells. However, no anatomical fiber connection between inner and outer hair cells has been found.
耳鼻咽喉科臨床学会の論文