Scandinavian audiology. Supplementum
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To better understand the nature of mechanical changes following exposure to high-level impact noise, normal cochleas and cochleas from chinchillas exposed to either 125 or 131 dB SPL noise were stained with phalloidin for F-actin and examined using confocal microscopy. As seen in previous experiments, 125 dB exposures produced much more variable results than 131 dB exposures. ⋯ After 30 days, Deiters cells were disarrayed and cups were separated from OHC neural poles. Exposure to noise at a level of 131 dB SPL produced less variable results than 125 dB exposure, and damage was generally more widespread and severe.