Cochlear Potentials of the Pigeon: Relationships to Age, Serum Cholesterol Level, and Atherosclerosis

Abstract

The cochlear potentials of different breeds of pigeons were measured. Potentials of old pigeons that developed spontaneous carotid atherosclerotic plaques were generally 15–18 dB poorer in sensitivity than younger birds of the same breed with little or no evidence of plaques. In another breed of pigeon, resistant to spontaneous atherosclerosis, but susceptible to high‐cholesterol‐diet‐induced coronary atherosclerosis, differences in potentials were less clearly defined; however, both the older birds and younger diet treated birds tended to be less sensitive than young nondiet treated birds.