Frequency map of the spiral ganglion in the cat.

A frequency map of the cat spiral ganglion has been determined on the basis of reconstructed cochleas in which individual spiral ganglion cells were labeled with horseradish peroxidase following determination of their characteristic frequency; the cochleas were the same as those used by Liberman and Oliver [J. Comp. Neurol. 223, 163-176 (1984)]. By matching this map to one previously described for the organ of Corti [M. C. Liberman, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 72, 1441-1449 (1982)], an estimate of the afferent innervation density of the inner hair cells was derived. Counts of myelinated nerve fibers at the habenula perforata and inner hair cells were also performed and yielded similar results in all but the most basal 10%-15% of the cochlea. Between 0.1 and 20 kHz there is a gradual monotonic increase as a function of frequency in the number of spiral ganglion cells terminating on each inner hair cell, from about eight ganglion cells per inner hair cell to about 30 ganglion cells per inner hair cell. Above 20 kHz, it seems there is a decrease to about ten ganglion cells per inner hair cell. The greatest innervation density is at approximately the region of the basilar membrane with the greatest density of inner hair cells per millimeter.