A musician develops tinnitus after regularly playing in a band; the sound exposure damages hair cells within the cochlea. Which consequence is most likely as this damage accumulates?

💡 Explanation

The cumulative damage to hair cells in the cochlea leads to disruptions in normal auditory signal processing; because the brain misinterprets the erratic signals from the damaged cells, phantom sounds emerge. Therefore, tinnitus is characterized by perception of sounds without an external source, rather than improved localization, enhanced low-frequency hearing, or altered pain sensitivity.

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