Is the Power Law Simply Related to the Driven Spike Response Rate from the Whole Auditory Nerve

The frequently hypothesized proportionality between loudness and driven spike rate from the whole auditory-nerve bundle is examined with available auditory-nerve data. Salient features of the auditory-nerve data are represented by a mathematical model. It is shown that a neural driven rate for simple tones that is proportional to approximately the square root of sound pressure above about 40 dB sound-pressure level is compatible with auditory nerve data. In consequence of the saturation of firing rate from single auditory-nerve fibers at moderate levels, the recruitment of neural firings from fibers with characteristic frequencies above the stimulus frequency plays a decisive role in the computed power law. The expected dependence of the loudness power law upon masking at frequencies above the stimulus frequency is not supported by psychophysical data.

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