Over the last decade, there has been a revolution in our understanding of the physiological role of the cochlea (the inner ear), and the mechanisms of cochlear hearing loss, the most common type in adults, which results in distortions in sound perception. This is the first book to cover the topic; aimed at students and researchers in auditory rehabilitation and its technology, it explains the nature of hearing distortion and relates them to the underlying physiological mechanisms. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding the changes that follow cochlear damage which had important implications not only for theories of normal perception but also the design of signal processing hearing aids.