Noise-noise effect upon the spreading of the posttraumatic progressive necrosis in the organ of Corti.

Progressive necrosis of the organ of Corti caused by a disturbance of the ionic composition of the Cortilymph resulting from the infiltration of endolymph into the organi of Corti after traumatization of its barrier against the scala media, is greatly intensified by posttraumatic stimulation with noise of physiological intensities. This effect is attributed to oscillation of the cochlear partition, with resultant greater blending of the Cortilymph and the endolymph. Stimulation augments necrosis fourfold towards the base of the cochlea and twofold towards the helicotrema. Posttraumatic stimulation is one of the factors which markedly potentiate the regressive effect of acoustic trauma.