Using the Auditory Steady State Response to Record Response Amplitude Curves. A Possible Fast Objective Method for Diagnosing Dead Regions

Abstract

Cochlear dead regions (DRs) can be diagnosed by recording psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs). PTC recording methods are time consuming and cannot be applied to infants. We propose, using the auditory steady-state response, to record response amplitude curves by development of the method that could be used to diagnose and define DRs in infants whilst they are asleep.

Auditory Steady State Responses in Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Adults

“…The subjects received financial compensation for their time. The normally hearing subjects were the same subjects as reported in Wilding et al (2011).…”

Feasibility of Diagnosing Dead Regions Using Auditory Steady-State Responses to an Exponentially Amplitude Modulated Tone in Threshold Equalizing Notched Noise, Assessed Using Normal-Hearing Participants

“…Poor repeatability of ASSR f max was found between the two mirrored half-tracks; the coefficient of repeatability was 3.36 kHz. Wilding et al (2011) found a coefficient of repeatability for ASSR Response Amplitude Curve tip frequency between repeated recordings to be 0.39 kHz. The high repeatability coefficient of ASSR f max in our study may be due to a number of reasons.…”

“…The modulation frequency of 87 Hz meant that the ASSR originated mainly from the level of the brainstem (Luke et al, 2017;Rance, 2008;Weisz & Lithari, 2017). The carrier frequency of 2 kHz was chosen to allow comparisons of the results with those for other studies (Markessis et al, 2009;Wilding et al, 2011).…”

“…In Markessis et al (2009) and Wilding et al (2011), the ASSR amplitude decreased as the frequency of a narrowband masker approached the frequency of the ASSR-evoking signal. In the present study, an AM2 tone of fixed frequency and level was presented in the presence of a TEN with a spectral notch, called here "notched-TEN" (the term "full TEN" refers to the TEN without a notch).…”

“…The masker levels required for participants with moderate or severe hearing loss might be too high to be safe, and the long duration of the protocol reduces the feasibility of using ETCs as a clinical method. Wilding et al (2011) proposed a faster method that required a lower masker level. Instead of measuring ASSR thresholds in the presence of several maskers, Response Amplitude Curves were derived from ASSR amplitudes collected for 2 kHz AM tones presented with a sweeping narrow-band masking noise.…”