Presbyacusis A Histological-histochemical Study of the Human Cochlea

Abstract

The cochleas of thirty aged people were studied histologically as well as histochemically to demonstrate the pathology of sensori-neural elements in the organ of Corti. Loss of sensory cells was found to be most severe near the basal end of the cochlea. Nerve fibers, both afferent and efferent, showed marked changes near the basal end and less towards the apex. These changes consisted of missing, and various processes of degeneration of, nerve fibers. Changes of sensori-neural elements seen from the apex to the basal end were indicative of a process of degeneration of the individual element.