title: Latency and amplitude tuning curves of the N1 and N2 components of the cochlear nerve compound action potential.
abstract: Compound action potential tuning curves (CAP TCs) generated by masking the N1 component of the CAP provide a means of assessing the ability of the cochlea to selectively tune to certain stimuli. This paper examines some of the factors which can influence this TC when a moderately intense (i.e. 40-80 dB SPL) probe stimulus is used. At these levels, each of the four corners of the trapezoidal stimulus envelope is capable of generating a CAP. Also, short stimulus rise times can merge the CAPs produced by the first two corners, but this does not appear to have a major effect on the CAP TC. It was shown that the N2 component of the CAP for the first corner of the stimulus is equally capable of producing a well-tuned TC. Another study has shown that, in addition to amplitude decrements, one can use latency increases as a criterion for CAP TCs. We have demonstrated that latency TCs are more finely tuned than amplitude TCs at high levels, especially when the stimulus rise time is short.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Prince
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response / Q000295:instrumentation; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D003055:Cochlear Microphonic Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology; D010897:Pitch Discrimination / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted