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J Am Acad Audiol 2000; 11(01): 1-11
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1748003
Original Article

Frequency-Following Response: Effects of Interaural Time and Intensity Differences

Bopanna B. Ballachanda
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
,
George Moushegian
Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas-Dallas, Dallas, Texas
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Abstract

This research investigated whether brainstem neural mechanisms that mediate lateralization of sounds can be extracted from the frequency-following response (FFR). Monaural and binaural FFRs were obtained from normal-hearing subjects to low-frequency (500 Hz) linearly gated tone bursts (4-4-4 msec) at 40, 50, and 60 dB SL and four interaural time differences (ITDs) (0, 333, 500, and 667 μsec). FFRs were also recorded to ITDs and intensity presented in concert and in opposition (lateralization stimuli). The results show that overall intensity and interaural time differentially affect the FFR. The FFRs evoked by ITDs and intensity (in concert and in opposition) are strikingly different. The normalized amplitudes of the binaural interaction component (BIC) are minimally altered by ITDs and intensity. The study presents strong evidence that ITDs of 0, 333, 500, and 667 μsec and lateralization stimuli, easily discriminated perceptually, evoke clearly distinguishable FFR waveforms. These ITDs provide the cues that mammals use to localize sound in a freefield. The BIC is essentially unaffected by overall intensity, ITDs, and lateralization stimuli. Based on the findings of this study, the FFR has the potential to become a tool for identification of normal and abnormal binaural processing at lower brainstem levels.

Abbreviations: ABR = auditory brainstem response, BIC = binaural interaction component, EEC = electroencephalographic, FFR = frequency-following response, IID = interaural intensity difference, ILD = interaural level difference, ITD = interaural time difference

Key Words

Auditory evoked potentials - binaural hearing - binaural interaction component - frequency-following response - lateralization


Publication History

Article published online:
05 April 2022

© 2000. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

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