title: The neuronal response to electrical constant-amplitude pulse train stimulation: evoked compound action potential recordings.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of the electrically evoked compound action potential (EAP) responses to pulse train stimulation. Analysis of EAP amplitude responses suggested that an alternating pattern varied depending upon stimulus level, interpulse interval (IPI), stimulus waveform, and stimulus polarity. Stimulus level-dependent recovery was seen in the cat and the guinea pig: higher stimulus level tended to provide faster recovery. Both polarity-dependent recovery and polarity-dependent adaptation were observed in the cat and these stimulus polarity effects were less consistent in the guinea pig. The polarity-dependent recovery effect supports the hypothesis that anodal and cathodal stimuli excite different sites along auditory nerve fibers. Amplitude differences between the response to the second pulse and the steady-state response at the same IPI are significantly greater for anodal stimuli than for cathodal stimuli in all cats. These data suggest that there is a cumulative refractory effect in the auditory nerve of cats, especially in response to anodal stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA. hiro@earphone.oto.uiowa.edu
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*