Adaptation

• What is Adaptation?
• Examples?
• Fatigue?
Auditory Adaptation
• Decreased sensitivity to a continuous auditory stimulus presented for a
prolonged period of time.

• Tone Decay !!
• Why???

• There is rapid or gradual decrease in audibility at 5dBSL..again the tone

could be heard when increased by 5 dB
• AKA PERSTIMULATORY ADAPTATION since loudness decreases during the
presentation of the stimulus.
• Browning GG (1948) : A phenomenon where the sound level appears
to get quitter with time.
• Hood (1956): Sound stimulation of long duration may influence the
auditory function by gradual deterioration of the hearing threshold –
threshold decay. This is form of adaptation.
• Small (1973): A reversible reduction of loudness of the ongoing
sound.
• It is a time dependent phenomenon
What happens???
• It is the adjustment of the nervous system to an unchanging stimulus.
• It is observed in persons with normal hearing ,but incase of SN lesion,
the reaction could be rapid.
Physiology and theories of adaptation
B.Elliott and fraser (1970):
• Adaptation is followed by fatigue.
• Meaning : after the decrement in the loudness , there is also a
threshold shift after the stimulus is removed.
• This is TTS
C. Hood (1950, 1972):
Auditory adaptation and fatigue are two different processes.
Since The physiological capability of the receptor (Cell/Neuron/Organ)
decreases, the steady response which had to be recorded fades away
and hence there is a need to increase the intensity of the signal in order
to elicit the response. This new increased intensity of the signal
indicates the threshold shift threshold because the receptor is fatigued
to respond to earlier intensity.
This new threshold help in quantifying the fatigue.
AKA Temporary threshold shift.
D. Moore (1982)
Auditory adaptation is essential feature of equilibrium.
The response of the receptor (to a steady signal)decreases with time
But then it becomes stable as the metabolic energy is steadily produced
to maintain a sustained response.
In pathological ears this metabolic energy is low hence the sustained
response turns to zero rapidly as compared to normal ears.
• Durrant and Lovrinic (1984):
Adaptation is time dependent.
If tone is presented in short bursts(200ms) there is no adaptation
observed.
Parameters affecting adaptation
• 1. Adaptation as a function of frequency.
More adaptation at HF vs LF.
Hence as frequencies increase, adaptation increase.
2. Adaptation as a function of sensation level.
SL increases, Adaptation increases.
3. Adaptation as a function of duration:
Maximum adaptation seen at 125,250and 500Hz after 3 minutes of
continuous signal.
But from 1kHz to 8KHz, Maximum adaptation was seen after 5 min.
4. Adaptation as a function of Loudness.

Loudness increases, adaptation increases.

Models of Adaptation
Kros (1996):
When Mechanically stimulated, hair bundle in cochlea produce
currents known as transducer currents.
This stimulation occurs due to displacement of Tectorial membrane
relative to reticular lamina.
Or
Due to the motion of the fluid around hair bundle.
This could be explained by the following models:
Gating spring Model of adaptation.
• Imagine Hair cell as a spring
• As the hair cells move there is an exchange of ions.
• The Ca 2+ ions move in and out of the hair cells and while the cells
move as spring.
• When the cell is still, slipping rate of Ca 2+ =climbing rate and the
tension is maintained.
• But when in adaptation slipping rate is faster hence tension decreases
and hence movement decreases and we say the cell is adapted.
Transducer channel model
• Polarization: increased negative charge. (+ve ions out)
• Depolarization: increased positive charge.(+ve ions in)

• Adaptation is not due to polarization or depolarization.

Clinical applications
• TDT
• Bekesy
• Reflex decay