In spite of extensive research, still relatively little is known about how sound is processed by the brain and how various sound attributes are neurally represented. Questions remain even regarding very basic attributes like sound level. In subjects with sensorineural hearing loss, hearing thresholds are elevated over some range of frequencies, due to defects in the inner ear haircells that are required to achieve good sensitivity to soft sounds. At the same time, uncomfortable intensity levels may not have changed notably or may even have decreased. The difference between the hearing threshold and the intensity level of uncomfortable loudness is a measure of the input dynamic range of the ear. A reduction of the input dynamic range is a characteristic of sensorineural hearing loss.
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Langers, D., Backes, W., Van Dijk, P. (2007). Brain Activation in Relation to Sound Intensity and Loudness. In: Kollmeier, B., et al. Hearing – From Sensory Processing to Perception. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73009-5_25
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