Mechanisms of hearing question

[TONYJEFFS]

In article <751p50$6fp at dfw-ixnews8.ix.netcom.com>, flefever at ix.netcom.com(F.
Frank LeFever) writes:

>
>I'll admit to some ignorance about the fine details of auditory sense
>mechanisms,
Me also.  I don't believe they are as well understood as vision.

> but why do you invoke higher centers in this "tuning"? 
Because the common theory is that the Inner hair cells only send messages   to
the brain, while the OHCs mostly (90%) receive messages from the brain, and I
haven't found any information suggesting that there are localised connections
between the two. 
So if the theory (and my understanding of it) is correct, to communicate any
messages between the IHCs and OHCs  must take the 'scenic route'

There is quite an abundance of cell types  in the retina which clearly appear
capable of conducting the process of  lateral inhibition at that level, but in
the ear there are only the hair cells ... and of course the dendrites running
to the cochlear nucleus. No neurons with the appropriate processing ability..



Regards
Tony



>Lateral inhibition in the retina works at the retinal level, I believe.
>Of course, the retina is ALREADY in the CNS (at the level of the
>ganglion cells), so maybe this is not the best comparison, but is it
>not possible that lateral inhibition and fine-tuning is at the level of
>lateral inhibition between hair cells?  Someone out there with a better
>grasp of cochlear funcction out there?  HELP!
>
>F. Frank LeFever, Ph.D.
>New York Neuropsychology Group