Evoked responses to sisi stimuli contralateral masking effects

Abstract

Evoked cortical responses to Sisi—type stimuli at 20—dB sensation level and increment magnitudes 2, 3 and 5 dB tend to be enhanced by the application of contralateral masking noise. With 5 dB increments and the continuous tone at the threshold of hearing the same masking noise caused the response to disappear. The enhancement of auditory discrimination at suprathreshold levels through application of contralateral masking and the “central masking effect” at the threshold are thought to be comparable to the so—called indirect adaptation mechanism of the eye, and an indication that the efferent innervation to the cochlea is important for the adaptation of the ear.