The Effect of Middle Ear Pressure upon Distortion

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Abstract
"The general pattern of auditory distortion, as revealed by measurements of overtones, combination tones, and interference, is relatively unchanged after the introduction of pressure into the middle ear cavity. When the loss of sensitivity is compensated for by raising the level of stimulation, the distortion remains similar in amount and character to that found under normal conditions. These observations lend further weight to the evidence already obtained on the locus of distortion in the ear. If distortion took place in the middle ear it would probably be modified by a procedure that has as profound a mechanical effect as a change in middle ear pressure. As the distortion pattern is altered but little under these conditions, the present evidence, like that previously reported, indicates the inner ear as the chief site of distortion. The observations show, therefore, that the peripheral conductive apparatus of the ear maintains a high degree of fidelity even under the conditions of unusual stress imposed by pressure in the middle ear cavity.".

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