The adaptive pattern of the late auditory evoked potential elicited by repeated stimuli in cochlear implant users

Abstract

Abstract

To describe the adaptive pattern of cortically generated auditory evoked potentials elicited by repeated stimuli via cochlear implants (CIs), the late auditory evoked potential (LAEP) was collected from nine postlingually deafened adult CI users. Tone bursts were presented in 30 trains consisting of 10 tone bursts each, with inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs) of 0.7 ms and inter-train intervals (ITIs) of 15s. The response to the first stimulus and the response to later tone bursts in the train were compared. Results showed that the LAEP for the first tone burst was larger than that for later tone bursts, displaying an adaptive pattern. This pattern appeared to be more prominent in CI users with good speech perception performance than in those with poorer performance. This finding is meaningful in the context of our future research to restore normal adaptation in CI users to improve their speech perception performance.

Sumario

Para describir el patrón adaptativo de los potenciales auditivos generados en la corteza, evocados por estímulos repetidos por la vía de los implantes cocleares (CI), se colectaron los potenciales evocados auditivos tardíos de nueve pacientes sordos post-lingüísticos usuarios de CI. Se presentaron 30 series de 10 burst tonales cada uno con intervalos entre los estímulos (ISI) de 0.7 ms e intervalos entre las series de 15 segundos. La respuesta a estos primeros estímulos y la respuesta a burst tonales posteriores en la serie fueron comparados. Los resultados demostraron que los LAEP para este primer burst tonal fueron más prolongados que para los burst tonales posteriores, desplegándose un patrón adaptativo. Este patrón pareció ser más prominente en usuarios de CI con buen desempeño en la percepción del lenguaje que en aquellos con un desempeño pobre. Este hallazgo es significativo en el contexto de nuestra investigación a futuro para restablecer la adaptación normal en usuarios de CI para mejorar su desempeño en la percepción del lenguaje.

Key Words:

• Late auditory evoked potential
• Adaptation
• Cochlear implant
• Auditory cortex
• Human

Acknowledgements

The results in this manuscript were presented at the 32nd MidWinter Meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology in Baltimore, USA (February 14–19, 2009). The title of the poster was ‘The adaptive pattern of the late auditory evoked potential in cochlear implant users.’ We acknowledge the contributions to EEGLAB. We would like to thank all participants in this research. The authors also thank Ms. Ruchi Sharma for her input into the data analysis.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.