Electrophysiological Responses in Individuals with Auditory Neuropathy

ABSTRACT

Auditory neuropathy describes a condition that displays auditory characteristics consistent with absent neural function in the presence of normal cochlear or outer hair cell function. This review reveals a constellation of diagnostic features and inconsistent test results associated with auditory neuropathy. It also details some of the first hypothesized etiologies and briefly touches on the current philosophy of auditory dys-synchrony. The remainder identifies two important problems that arise in the auditory neuropathy literature: the inconsistent reporting and lack of standardization in testing criteria, specifically for middle- and long-latency responses, and sample size. Because of the lack of a testing protocol, issues surrounding electrode montage, filter parameters, stimulus characteristics, and rise-fall times are explored, mainly because of their profound effects on electrophysiological waveforms. Lastly, an idea is proposed for collaboration to record a potential continuum, starting with the cochlear microphonic through the auditory brainstem response, middle-latency response, and long-latency response through the P3 response.

KEYWORDS

Auditory neuropathy - summating potential - middle-latency response - long-latency response - testing criteria

REFERENCES

• 1 Starr A, Picton T W, Sininger Y, Hood L J, Berlin C I. Auditory neuropathy.  Brain . 1996;  119 741-753
• 2 Berlin C I, Bordelon J, St John P. Reversing click polarity may uncover auditory neuropathy in infants.  Ear Hear . 1998;  19 37-47
• 3 Deltenre P, Mansbach A L, Bozet C, Clercx A, Hecox K E. Auditory neuropathy: a report on three cases with early onsets and major neonatal illnesses.  Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol . 1997;  104 17-22
• 4 Starr A, McPherson D, Patterson J. Absence of both auditory evoked potentials and auditory percepts dependent on timing cues.  Brain . 1991;  114 1157-1180
• 5 Starr A, Sininger Y, Nguyen T, Michalewski H J, Oba S, Abdala C. Cochlear receptor (microphonic and summating potentials, otoacoustic emissions) and auditory pathway (auditory brain stem potentials) activity in auditory neuropathy.  Ear Hear . 2001;  22 91-99
• 6 Rance G, Beer D E, Cone-Wesson B. Clinical findings for a group of infants and young children with auditory neuropathy.  Ear Hear . 1999;  20 238-252
• 7 Starr A, Sininger Y, Pratt H. The varieties of auditory neuropathy.  J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol . 2000;  11 215-230
• 8 Starr A, Sininger Y, Winter M. Transient deafness due to temperature-sensitive auditory neuropathy.  Ear Hear . 1998;  19 169-179
• 9 Hall III  J W. Overview of auditory evoked responses: past, present and future. In: Hall JW III, ed. Handbook of Auditory Evoked Responses Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon 1992: 3-40
• 10 Jacobson J T. Neural generators of auditory evoked potentials. In: Jacobson JT, ed. Principles and Applications in Auditory Evoked Potentials Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon 1994: 23-46
• 11 Musiek F E, Lee W. Auditory middle and late potentials. In: Musiek FE, Rintelmann WF, eds. Contemporary Perspectives in Hearing Assessment Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon 1999: 243-271
• 12 McGee T, Kraus N. Auditory development reflected by middle latency response.  Ear Hear . 1996;  17 419-429
• 13 Krause N, McGee T. Auditory event-related potentials. In: Katz J, ed. Handbook of Clinical Audiology, 4th ed Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins 1994: 406-423
• 14 Berlin C I, Hood L J, Cecola P, Jackson D F, Szabo P. Does type I afferent neuron dysfunction reveal itself through lack of efferent suppression?.  Hear Res . 1993;  65 40-50
• 15 Salvi R J, Wang J, Ding D, Stecker N, Arnold S. Auditory deprivation of central auditory system resulting from selective inner hair cell loss: animal model of auditory neuropathy.  Scand Audiol . 1999;  1-12
• 16 Lee J SM, McPherson B, Yuen K CP, Wong L LN. Screening for auditory neuropathy in a school for hearing impaired children.  Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol . 2001;  61 39-46
• 17 Sininger Y S, Hood L J, Starr A, Berlin C I, Picton T W. Hearing loss due to auditory neuropathy.  Audiol Today . 1995;  7(2) 10-13
• 18 Doyle K J, Sininger Y, Starr A. Auditory neuropathy in childhood.  Laryngoscope . 1998;  108 1374-1377
• 19 Trautwein P G, Sininger Y S, Nelson R. Cochlear implantation of auditory neuropathy.  J Am Acad Audiol . 2000;  11 309-315
• 20 Rasminsky M. The effects of temperature on conduction in demyelinated single nerve fibers.  Arch Neurol . 1973;  28 287-292
• 21 Chaudhry V, Crawford T O, DeRossett S E. Thermal sensitivity in demyelinating neuropathy.  Muscle Nerve . 1993;  16 301-306
• 22 Ferber-Viart C, Savourey G, Garcia C. Influence of hyperthermia on cochlear micromechanical properties in humans.  Hear Res . 1995;  91 202-207
• 23 Harrison R V. An animal model of auditory neuropathy.  Ear Hear . 1998;  19 355-361
• 24 Abdala C, Sininger Y, Starr A. Distortion product otoacoustic emission suppression in subjects with auditory neuropathy.  Ear Hear . 2000;  21 542-553
• 25 Wake M, Takeno S, Ibrahim D, Harrison R. Selective inner hair cell ototoxicity induced by carboplatin.  Laryngoscope . 1994;  104 488-493
• 26 Shirane M, Harrison R V. The effects of hypoxia on sensory cells of the cochlea in chinchilla.  Scanning Microsc . 1987;  1 1175-1183
• 27 Takeno S, Harrison R V, Ibrahim D, Wake M, Mount R J. Cochlear function after selective inner hair cell degeneration induced by carboplatin.  Hear Res . 1994;  75 93-102
• 28 Puel J L, Rebillard G. Effect of contralateral sound stimulation on the distortion product 2F1 F2: evidence that the medial efferrent system is involved.  J Acoust Soc Am . 1990;  87 1630-1635
• 29 Mott J B, Norton S J, Neely S T, Warr W B. Changes in spontaneous otoacoustic emissions produced by acoustic stimulation of the contralateral ear.  Hear Res . 1989;  38 229-242
• 30 Collet L, Kemp D T, Veuillet E. Effect of contralateral auditory stimuli on active cochlear micromechanical properties human subjects.  Hear Res . 1990;  43 251-262
• 31 Zeng F G, Oba S, Garde S, Sininger Y, Starr A. Temporal and speech processing deficits in auditory neuropathy.  Neuroreport . 1999;  10 3429-3435
• 32 Kraus N, Bradlow A R, Cheatham M A. Consequences of neural asynchrony: a case of auditory neuropathy.  J Assoc Res Otolaryngol . 2000;  1 33-45
• 33 Miyamoto R T, Kirk K L, Renshaw J, Hussain D. Cochlear implantation in auditory neuropathy.  Laryngoscope . 1999;  109(2, part 1) 181-185
• 34 Shallop J K, Peterson A, Facer G W, Fabry L B, Driscoll C LW. Cochlear implants in five cases of auditory neuropathy: postoperative findings and progress.  Laryngoscope . 2001;  111 555-562
• 35 Hall III J W. Effect of acquisition factors. In: Hall JW III, ed. Handbook of Auditory Evoked Responses Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon 1992: 177-220
• 36 Kadobayashi I, Kira Y, Toyoshima A, Nishijima H. A study of auditory latency responses in relation to electrode combinations and stimulus conditions.  Audiology . 1984;  23 509-519
• 37 McGee T, Kraus N, Manfredi C. Toward a strategy for analyzing the auditory middle-latency response waveform.  Audiology . 1988;  27 119-130
• 38 Maurizi M, Ottaviani F, Paludetti G. Middle-latency auditory components in response to clicks and low- and middle-frequency tone pips (0.5-1 kHz).  Audiology . 1984;  23 569-580
• 39 Thornton A R, Mendel M I, Anderson C V. Effects of stimulus frequency and intensity on the middle components of the averaged auditory electroencephalic response.  J Speech Hear Res . 1977;  20 81-94
• 40 Hall III J WI. Effect of stimulus factors. In: Hall JW III, ed. Handbook of Auditory Evoked Responses Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon 1992: 104-176
• 41 Vivion M C, Hirsch J E, Frye-Osier J L, Goldstein R. Effects of stimulus rise-fall time and equivalent duration on middle components of AER.  Scand Audiol . 1980;  9 223-232
• 42 Onishi S, Davis H. Effects of duration and rise time of tone bursts on evoked V potentials.  J Acoust Soc Am . 1968;  44 582-591
• 43 Hood L J. Auditory neuropathy/auditory dys-synchrony.  Hear J . 2002;  55 10-18