Simultaneous measurement of human auditory nerve and brainstem potentials: Effects of upward spread of excitation

Abstract

Acoustic clicks evoke strong synchrony of auditory-nerve (AN) fibers, thereby eliciting a compound action potential (CAP); however, synchrony is reduced by the delay of the cochlear traveling wave. Upward-frequency chirps compensate for this delay, resulting in larger CAPs evoked by chirps than clicks. Our model simulations of CAPs suggest that chirps presented at high intensities (100 dB peSPL) adapt basal AN fibers via upward spread of excitation of low-frequency chirp components. This adaptation results in less-than-or-equal-to CAP amplitudes and distorted CAP morphology compared to CAPs evoked by clicks. Simulations show that these effects on CAP amplitude and morphology can be avoided by reducing the amplitude of the low-frequency components of the chirp (i.e., modified chirp). Here we present CAPs from 12 young adults with NH, which for high stimulus intensities, exhibit reduced amplitudes and broader CAP morphology for chirps than clicks, whereas CAP amplitudes for modified chirps exceed those for clicks, consistent with model simulations. The distorted CAP morphology in response to high-level chirps is consistent with adaptation of AN responses and broad cochlear excitation. Interestingly, the deleterious effects of high-level chirps on CAP amplitude and morphology are reduced or absent in simultaneous recordings of the auditory brainstem response.