[Refractory behaviour of the electrically stimulated auditory nerve].
BACKGROUND
Electrically evoked compound action potentials (TECAP) of the auditory nerve can be recorded in cochlear implants. TECAP thresholds are used to predict threshold levels for speech processor maps. The auditory nerve's refractory properties can influence these levels.


METHODS
Recovery functions were investigated at 84 stimulation sites in 14 patients who had Nucleus CI24 implants; neural response telemetry (NRT) and a modified forward-masking technique were used for these investigations, introducing the reference masker-probe interval (MPI).


CONCLUSIONS
An interval between 300 and 375 micros was found to be suitable as the reference MPI in our study. The median of the absolute refractory period was determined as 390 s and the median time constant of the recovery function, at 425 s. In practice, a reference MPI of 300 s is suggested for measurement of recovery and amplitude growth functions. As up to now the amplitude growth function has been measured at 500 s and thus mostly in a relatively refractory condition, the refractory behaviour should influence the TNRT. In addition, it was possible to explain the shape of standard forward-masking recovery functions with reference to the latency shift of the neural response.
Morsnowski
A
A
Cochlear Implant Centrum Schleswig-Kiel, Klinik für Hals-, Nasen-, Ohren-, Heilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Strasse 14, 24105 Kiel. morsnowski@audio.uni-kiel.de
Charasse
B
B
Collet
L
L
Killian
M
M
Müller-Deile
J
J
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012032:Refractory Period, Electrophysiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013686:Telemetry