An integrated electromechanical model for the cochlear microphonic

The cochlear microphonic (CM) is an electrical signal generated inside the cochlea in response to sound. This electrical signal reflects mechanical activity in the cochlea and the excitation processes involved in its generation. However, the difficulty of obtaining this signal and the simplicity of obtaining other signals such as otoacoustic emissions have discouraged the use of the cochlear microphonic as a tool for studying cochlear functions. In this article, a model of the cochlea is presented which integrates both mechanical and electrical aspects, enabling the interaction between them to be investigated. The resulting model is then used to observe the effect of the cochlear amplifier on the CM. The results indicate that while the cochlear amplifier significantly amplifies the basilar membrane displacement, the effect on the CM is less significant. Both of these outcomes are consistent with previous physiological findings.Moreover, the close match between mechanical and electrical predictions of the model and experimental measurements validates the model, and suggests that further investigations using the model into various pathologies and anomalies are warranted.