Pathogenesis of Hearing Loss in Head Trauma

Abstract

A common type of head trauma in man was simulated in guinea pigs by delivering them a head blow with the pendulum device.
The effects of the direction and intensity of the head blow and the effects of the lapse of time after the head blow on the development of hearing loss were studied.
The electrical responses from the inferior collicurus and from the round window to acoustic stimuli were measured. The elevation in threshold of the evoked responses from the inferior colliculus in the presence of normal cochlear potentials in the animals suggests that the site of lesions is central to the cochlea. Biomechanics of the development of damages in the central auditory pathway secondary to a head blow was discussed further.