Genesis of Endolymphatic Hypoxia Following Acoustic Trauma

(1) Loud bursts of pure tone tend to decrease slightly the hydrogen diffusion rate into the first turn of the scala media of the eupneic guinea pig and markedly in the hyperventilated animal (2) White noise increases the rate of diffusion of hydrogen gas into the auditory cortex of the nonanesthetized cat. (3) Acoustic trauma produces vascular stasis in exposed blood vessels of the hamster cheek pouch.These results are interpreted as indicating that the endolymphatic hypoxia following loud sound is due to a decrease in the oxygen supply/demand ratio resulting from (a) an increase in metabolism, and (b) no change, or decrease in cochlear blood flow and/or permeability of the stria vascularis.