Evoked Potential of Waking Human Brain to Acoustic Stimuli: A Clinical Study on its Application to Objective Audiometry

Abstract

In 1939, P. A. Davis (1) recorded for the first time an evoked potential in the waking human brain to acoustic stimuli. In her paper she described such an evoked potential as follows:

The evoked potential of the waking human brain to auditory stimuli was studied from the audiological viewpoint, an attempt being made to clarify the relationship between the intensity of stimulating tones and the prominency of the response. Dawson's superimposition technique was utilized for distinguishing the response from the background waves.

The ratio of positive response was found to be 21.7 per cent at o db of stimulation, while it rose up to 65.2 per cent at 30 db and to 82.6 per cent at 60 to 80 db level.

The minimal intensity of stimulating tones required to evoke the response did not exceed 20 db in 82.6 per cent of the total observations.

From these results obtained, conclusion was drawn that the evoked potential in the waking human brain to acoustic stimuli would offer the most promising possibilities as a reliable method for objective audiometry.