Efferent feedback to the organ of the Corti (Matt Flax )

Subject: Efferent feedback to the organ of the Corti
From:    Matt Flax  <flatmax(at)IEEE.ORG>
Date:    Thu, 10 Oct 2002 14:48:23 +1000

I would like to point researchers to the article [1] which slivers the
cochlea for electron microscope inspection. Of interest is the finding
that the efferent neural innervation is mostly in contact with the high
frequency portion of the spiral ganglion / organ of the Corti. There is
completely minimal contact for the low frequency portion of the  spiral
ganglion / organ of the Corti. There is medium contact for medium
frequencies.
In fact the afferent system is reported to be oversampled by
the efferent system at high frequencies, one to one sampled for medium
frequencies and under-sampled for low frequencies.

This suggests that low frequencies are uniquely unaffected by the
efferent system. Medium frequencies are affected by efferent feedback and
high frequencies are seriously under the influence of the efferent
system.

It is also noted that the efferent system is believed to develop post
birth.

Matt

[1]
(at)article{Thiers:2002,
   author    = {Thiers, F.A. and Burgess, B.J. and Nadol, J.B.},
   title     =
{\href{http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/03785955}{Axodendritic and
dendrodendritic synapses within outer spiral bundles in a human}},
   journal   = {Hearing Research},
   pages     = {97-104},
   year      = {2002},
   volume    = {164},
   issue     = {1-2}
}

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