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Original Article

The effects of very slow rates of stimulus presentation on event-related potential estimates of hearing threshold

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Pages 34-43 | Received 16 Jul 2006, Published online: 07 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

The present study evaluated the use of slow rates of stimulus presentation on the accuracy of the N1-P2 cortical response in estimating hearing threshold. Long interstimulus intervals (ISI) allow the non-specific component of the N1 response to emerge, believed to reflect widespread cortical arousal that facilitates sensory and motor responses. We examined whether the non-specific N1 would be elicited at intensity levels near threshold. Event-related potentials were recorded to 0.5-, 1.0, and 4.0-kHz tone bursts with a long ISI (8–12 s) while the eleven subjects read a book. The stimulus level varied from -5 to 45 dB nHL. The 1.0-kHz tone burst was also presented with a shorter ISI (1.5–2.5 s), akin to that typically used in the audiological setting. The amplitude of N1-P2 was significantly enhanced in the long compared to short ISI condition, but, importantly, only for the stimuli with a level ≥25 dB nHL. Therefore, the N1-P2 recorded with long ISIs was not more precise in estimating threshold than that recorded with short ISIs, remaining visible to within 10 dB of behavioural threshold.

Sumario

El presente estudio evaluó el uso de tasas lentas de presentación del estímulo y su efecto en la exactitud de las respuestas corticales N1-P2 para estimar los umbrales auditivos. Los intervalos inter-estímulo (ISI) prolongados permiten que emerja el componente no específico del N1, que se cree refleja el despertar cortical amplio que facilita las respuestas sensitivas y motoras. Se registraron potenciales relacionados con el evento con bursts tonales a 0.5, 1.0 y 4.0 kHz con un ISI prolongado (8–12 ms) mientras los once sujetos leían un libro. El nivel del estímulo varió de -5 a 45 dB nHL. El burst tonal a 1.0 kHz también se presentó a con un ISI más corto (1.5–2.5 s), semejante al típicamente utilizado en el contexto audiológico. La amplitud del N1-P2 se incrementó significativamente en la condición prolongada comparada con el ISI corto, pero, importantemente, sólo para los estímulos con un nivel ≥25 dB hHL. Por lo tanto, el N1-P2 registrado con un ISI prolongado no fue más preciso en la estimación del umbral que aquel registrado con el ISI corto, permaneciendo visible hasta 10 dB del umbral conductual.

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