Re: painfully loud sound

[jan schnupp <jan.schnupp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Allan Goldstein wrote:
> Dr Depireux’s reply to the location of
> acoustic pain is interesting. The experiment is simple to perform.
> Anesthesia of the tympanic membrane can be achieved by any
> otolaryngologist in about 30 seconds with an injection of local
> anesthetic along the posterior bony canal wall. Thus expose to
> painful sound level before and after. Experiment completed.
>   
>   
> Allan J. Goldstein M.D.
>   
> Retired otolaryngologist.
>   
> Bostonear-auditory@yahoo.com
>   
>   
True: the only difficulty might be to convince the ethical review
committee that there is no danger that the painfully loud sound might
actually damage hair cells in the unfortunate subject. 
>From the replies that I've had so far (thank you all for your
insightful contributions by the way) it seems to be not uncommon
for people who have some sensory-neural hearing loss to find some loud
sounds painful even though they can't hear them. To my mind that
supports Didier's and Yale's thoughts that nociceptors in the middle
ear may be at least partly responsible, but more direct experimental
proof
would be nice. (Would anyone like to  volunteer as a subject ;-) ?)

Jan


--

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Dr. Jan Schnupp
University Laboratory of Physiology             St Peter's College
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