Distribution Pattern of Cochlear Harmonics

Abstract

This study is designed to determine whether or not traveling waves accompany harmonic distortion products generated in the cochlea, and also to describe the amplitude distribution of these nonlinear components. Cochlear microphonics were monitored with the differential electrode technique from the first and third turns of guinea pig cochleas. Cancellation of the distortion components was attempted by introducing bone-conducted pure tones of the frequency of the harmonic and of controllable magnitude and phase. It was demonstrated that harmonic components can never be canceled simultaneously throughout the cochlea. It was shown that the reason for this inability to cancel is that harmonics are not distributed in the cochlea as their own frequency would indicate, but instead they are prominent in the region where their fundamentals are strong.