Abstract
The mechanism of human hearing under water is debated. Some suggest it is by air conduction (AC), others by bone conduction (BC), and others by a combination of AC and BC. A clinical bone vibrator applied to soft tissue sites on the head, neck, and thorax also elicits hearing by a mechanism called soft tissue conduction (STC) or nonosseous BC. The present study was designed to test whether underwater hearing at low intensities is by AC or by osseous BC based on bone vibrations or by nonosseous BC (STC). Thresholds of normal hearing participants to bone vibrator stimulation with their forehead in air were recorded and again when forehead and bone vibrator were under water. A vibrometer detected vibrations of a dry human skull in all similar conditions (in air and under water) but not when water was the intermediary between the sound source and the skull forehead. Therefore, the intensities required to induce vibrations of the dry skull in water were significantly higher than the underwater hearing thresholds of the participants, under conditions when hearing by AC and osseous BC is not likely. The results support the hypothesis that hearing under water at low sound intensities may be attributed to nonosseous BC (STC).
References
Jun 1, 1975·The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·H Hollien, S Feinstein
Sep 1, 1985·Acta Oto-laryngologica·B HåkanssonU Rosenhall
Nov 1, 1967·The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·J F Brandt, H Hollien
Jan 1, 1980·Acta Oto-laryngologica·A TjellströmA Leijon
Jan 23, 1999·Otolaryngology--head and Neck Surgery : Official Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery·B W Blakley, S Siddique
Jul 29, 2000·Hearing Research·S FreemanH Sohmer
Sep 21, 2004·Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery·John S Oghalai
Feb 9, 2005·Otology & Neurotology : Official Publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology·Avi ShupakPinchas Halpern
Jul 4, 2008·Ear and Hearing·Tomoo WatanabeRudolf Probst
Jan 22, 2010·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Simo HemiläTom Reuter
May 11, 2010·Audiology & Neuro-otology·T ItoR Probst
Mar 11, 2011·Advances in Oto-rhino-laryngology·Stefan Stenfelt
Sep 6, 2011·Acta Oto-laryngologica·Hans Wilhelm PauKarsten Ehrt
Sep 21, 2013·Hearing Research·Måns Eeg-OlofssonCaterina Finizia
May 12, 2015·BioMed Research International·Cahtia AdelmanHaim Sohmer
Jul 15, 2015·Otology & Neurotology : Official Publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology·Jameson K MattinglyStephen P Cass
Jul 29, 2015·Journal of the American Academy of Audiology·Miriam Geal-DorHaim Sohmer