Why does sensorineural hearing loss from prolonged exposure to high-intensity sound often manifest initially at specific frequencies, typically around 4 kHz?

💡 Explanation

Sensorineural hearing loss begins at 4kHz because the basilar membrane's tonotopic organization causes that specific region to resonate most strongly when exposed to high-intensity sounds, therefore damaging the hair cells at that location preferentially, rather than randomly damaging all cells or selectively inhibiting them through efferent pathways.

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