Physiological properties of the electrically stimulated auditory nerve. II. Single fiber recordings

• Published in: Hearing research Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 225 - 243
• Main Authors: van den Honert, C., Stypulkowski, P.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 1984; Elsevier
• Subjects: Action Potentials; Animals; auditory nerve; Auditory Threshold - physiology; Axons - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cats; Cochlea - physiology; Dendrites - physiology; Electric Stimulation; electrical stimulation; Ent and stomatology; Hair Cells, Auditory - physiology; Medical sciences; Nerve Fibers - physiology; Neurons - physiology; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Reaction Time; single fiber recording; Synapses - physiology; Vestibulocochlear Nerve - physiology; auditory nerve; electrical stimulation; single fiber recording; Fissipedia; Carnivora; Histogram; Electric; Instrumentation therapy; Stimulation; Experimental study; Auditory nerve; Hearing loss; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Cat; ENT disease; Nerve fiber
• ISSN: 0378-5955; 1878-5891
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-5955(84)90052-2

Single fiber recordings from the electrically stimulated auditory nerve yield post-stimulus time (PST) histograms demonstrating several response patterns. With pulsatile stimulation of the cochlea, the PST histografri for most fibers at threshold consists of a long-latency (500–800 μs), broad response peak with significant latency variability. At increased stimulus intensities, the response pattern changes to a short-latency (300–500 μs), high-synchrony peak. In preparations where stimulation is applied directly to the axons of the auditory nerve, the response pattern consists solely of a short-latency, high-synchrony peak. It is postulated that threshold excitation of normal auditory neurons occurs on the dendritic processes. At higher stimulus intensities, the site of excitation appears to shift to the axonal region of the cells. Two additional response patterns to electrical stimulation which are attributed to synaptic excitation of the auditory neurons via the hair cells are described.