Simultaneous Measurements of Ossicular Velocity and Intracochlear Pressure Leading to the Cochlear Input Impedance in Gerbil

Recent measurements of three-dimensional stapes motion in gerbil indicated that the piston component of stapes motion was the primary contributor to intracochlear pressure. In order to make a detailed correlation between stapes piston motion and intracochlear pressure behind the stapes, simultaneous pressure and motion measurements were undertaken. We found that the scala vestibuli pressure followed the piston component of the stapes velocity with high fidelity, reinforcing our previous finding that the piston motion of the stapes was the main stimulus to the cochlea. The present data allowed us to calculate cochlear input impedance and power flow into the cochlea. Both the amplitude and phase of the impedance were quite flat with frequency from 3 kHz to at least 30 kHz, with a phase that was primarily resistive. With constant stimulus pressure in the ear canal the intracochlear pressure at the stapes has been previously shown to be approximately flat with frequency through a wide range, and coupling that result with the present findings indicates that the power that flows into the cochlea is quite flat from about 3 to 30 kHz. The observed wide-band intracochlear pressure and power flow are consistent with the wide-band audiogram of the gerbil.