Hearing loss caused by hair cell lesions.

Abstract

Objective: Hearing loss is a major public health problem faced all over the world and has now become one of the prevalent chronic diseases among the world's population. Most of the sensorineural hearing loss in the human ear is caused by structural damage and irreversible degeneration of the hair cells(HCs) in the cochlea. However, in current research, the microstructure of the organ of Corti (OC) within the cochlea is mostly ignored, which cannot explore the 3D overall structure of HCs.

Methods: In this study, a multi-scale cochlear model containing a spiral OC is developed based on the experimental data of CT scan and light source imaging of the human ear, the clinically relevant lesions of the HCs in the OC are also explored.

Results: HC loss affects the hearing by depleting traveling wave energy, whereas HC sclerosis increases the structural burden, and may result in a greater susceptibility to damage of the basilar membrane(BM) structure in different frequency ranges. Both loss and sclerosis may cause a rise in the stress on the remaining HCs, with the region of stress amplitude shifting towards the lesion area, thereby triggering secondary damage to the HC.

Conclusion: The loss or sclerosis of HCs can cause varying degree of hearing loss.

Significance: This article reveals the impact of HC lesions on the human ear's hearing perception process, providing corresponding theoretical guidance for the treatment of related lesions in clinic sensorineural hearing loss.