Effect of hypothermia on the cochlear potentials.

The effects of hypothermia upon the cochlear potentials were studied in 30 guinea pigs. Particular attention was paid to the transient increase in AP amplitude at a moderate temperature. CM and AP were recorded via an Ag-AgCl lead placed on the round window membrane. Although the CM amplitude and threshold, and the AP latency and threshold were both impaired concomitant with the lowering of body temperature, the AP amplitude exhibited a transient increase at the beginning of cooling (peak at 30 degrees C) and a decrease thereafter. Narrow-band analysis of AP revealed that this phenomenon was most prominent in the high-frequency region. When the cochlear efferent fibers (crossed and uncrossed olivocochlear bundle) were cut, this transient increase in AP amplitude disappeared. This phenomenon seems to be due to the difference in sensitivity to hypothermia between the efferent and afferent fiber systems.