A finite element model to predict the consequences of endolymphatic hydrops in the basilar membrane

• Published in: International journal for numerical methods in biomedical engineering 2022-01, Vol.38 (1), p.e3541-n/a
• Main Authors: Areias, Bruno, Parente, Marco P. L., Gentil, Fernanda, Caroça, Cristina, Paço, João, Natal Jorge, Renato M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: basilar membrane; cochlea; endolymphatic hydrops; Finite element method; Hearing; Hearing loss; Inner ear; Membranes; Meniere's disease; Ménière's disease; Pathogenesis; Tinnitus; Vertigo
• ISSN: 2040-7939; 2040-7947
• DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3541

Ménière's disease is an inner ear disorder, associated with episodes of vertigo, fluctuant hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. Ménière's disease is associated with endolymphatic hydrops. Clinical evidences show that this disease is often incapacitating, negatively affecting the patients' everyday life. The pathogenesis of Ménière's disease is still not fully understood and remains unclear. Previous numerical studies available in the literature related with endolymphatic hydrops, are very scarce. The present work applies the finite element method to investigate the consequences of endolymphatic hydrops in the normal hearing, associated with the Ménière's disease. The obtained results for the steady state dynamics analysis are in accordance with clinical evidences. The results show that the basilar membrane is not affected in the same intensity along its length and that the lower frequencies are more affected by the endolymphatic hydrops. From a clinical point of view, this work shows the relationship between the increasing of the endolymphatic pressure and the development of hearing loss. The basilar membrane is not affected with the same intensity along its length, being the lower frequencies more affected by the endolymphatic hydrops. The finite element model showed that the static pressure leads to greater deformations near the apex of the cochlea, where the stiffness is lower. Such deformation follows approximately a logarithmic evolution. It is then expected that the hearing loss should be more accentuated on the lower frequencies. For these frequencies, a high‐pitched sound becomes heard as low pitched, if the basilar membrane amplitude is able to trigger the mechanotransduction process, since the peak of the traveling wave changes its frequency to a location nearest to the apex.