scholarly journals Auditory brainstem responses to continuous natural speech in human listeners

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross K Maddox ◽  
Adrian KC Lee
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Natural Speech ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Recording Time ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
High Degree

ABSTRACTSpeech is an ecologically essential signal whose processing begins in the subcortical nuclei of the auditory brainstem, but there are few experimental options for studying these early responses under natural conditions. While encoding of continuous natural speech has been successfully probed in the cortex with neurophysiological tools such as electro- and magnetoencephalography, the rapidity of subcortical response components combined with unfavorable signal to noise ratios has prevented application of those methods to the brainstem. Instead, experiments have used thousands of repetitions of simple stimuli such as clicks, tonebursts, or brief spoken syllables, with deviations from those paradigms leading to ambiguity in the neural origins of measured responses. In this study we developed and tested a new way to measure the auditory brainstem response to ongoing, naturally uttered speech. We found a high degree of morphological similarity between the speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and the standard click-evoked ABR, notably a preserved wave V, the most prominent voltage peak in the standard click-evoked ABR. Because this method yields distinct peaks at latencies too short to originate from the cortex, the responses measured can be unambiguously determined to be subcortical in origin. The use of naturally uttered speech to evoke the ABR allows the design of engaging behavioral tasks, facilitating new investigations of the effects of cognitive processes like language processing and attention on brainstem processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSpeech processing is usually studied in the cortex, but it starts in the auditory brainstem. However, a paradigm for studying brainstem processing of continuous natural speech in human listeners has been elusive due to practical limitations. Here we adapt methods that have been employed for studying cortical activity to the auditory brainstem. We measure the response to continuous natural speech and show that it is highly similar to the click-evoked response. The method also allows simultaneous investigation of cortical activity with no added recording time. This discovery paves the way for studies of speech processing in the human brainstem, including its interactions with higher order cognitive processes originating in the cortex.

scholarly journals Exposing distinct subcortical components of the auditory brainstem response evoked by continuous naturalistic speech

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa J Polonenko ◽  
Ross K Maddox
Keyword(s):  
Speech Processing ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Subcortical Structures ◽  
Deconvolution Analysis ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Brainstem Response

ABSTRACTThe auditory brainstem is important for processing speech, yet we have much to learn regarding the contributions of different subcortical structures. These deep neural generators respond quickly, making them difficult to study during dynamic, ongoing speech. Recently developed techniques have paved the way to use natural speech stimuli, but the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) they provide are temporally broad and thus have ambiguous neural sources. Here we describe a new method that uses re-synthesized “peaky” speech stimuli and deconvolution analysis of EEG data to measure canonical ABRs to continuous naturalistic speech of male and female narrators. We show that in adults with normal hearing, peaky speech quickly yields robust ABRs that can be used to investigate speech processing at distinct subcortical structures from auditory nerve to rostral brainstem. We further demonstrate the versatility of peaky speech by simultaneously measuring bilateral and ear-specific responses across different frequency bands. Thus, the peaky speech method holds promise as a powerful tool for investigating speech processing and for clinical applications.

The Effect of Kalman-Weighted Averaging and Artifact Rejection on Residual Noise During Auditory Brainstem Response Testing

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-124
Author(s):  
Linda W. Norrix ◽  
Julie Thein ◽  
David Velenovsky
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Weighted Averaging ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Residual Noise ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
Artifact Rejection ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Active Motor ◽  
Averaging Time

Purpose Low residual noise (RN) levels are critically important when obtaining electrophysiological recordings of threshold auditory brainstem responses. In this study, we examine the effectiveness and efficiency of Kalman-weighted averaging (KWA) implemented on the Vivosonic Integrity System and artifact rejection (AR) implemented on the Intelligent Hearing Systems SmartEP system for obtaining low RN levels. Method Sixteen adults participated. Electrophysiological measures were obtained using simultaneous recordings by the Vivosonic and Intelligent Hearing Systems for subjects in 2 relaxed conditions and 4 active motor conditions. Three averaging times were used for the relaxed states (1, 1.5, and 3 min) and for the active states (1.5, 3, and 6 min). Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to examine RN levels as a function of noise reduction strategy (i.e., KWA, AR) and averaging time. Results Lower RN levels were obtained using KWA than AR in both the relaxed and active motor states. Thus, KWA was more effective than was AR under the conditions examined in this study. Using KWA, approximately 3 min of averaging was needed in the relaxed condition to obtain an average RN level of 0.025 μV. In contrast, in the active motor conditions, approximately 6 min of averaging was required using KWA. Mean RN levels of 0.025 μV were not attained using AR. Conclusions When patients are not physiologically quiet, low RN levels are more likely to be obtained and more efficiently obtained using KWA than AR. However, even when using KWA, in active motor states, 6 min of averaging or more may be required to obtain threshold responses. Averaging time needed and whether a low RN level can be attained will depend on the level of motor activity exhibited by the patient.

Comparisons of Auditory Brainstem Responses Between a Laboratory and Simulated Home Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 3877-3892
Author(s):  
Ashley Parker ◽  
Candace Slack ◽  
Erika Skoe
Keyword(s):  
Home Environment ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Simulated Home Environment ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Research Populations ◽  
Response Consistency

Purpose Miniaturization of digital technologies has created new opportunities for remote health care and neuroscientific fieldwork. The current study assesses comparisons between in-home auditory brainstem response (ABR) recordings and recordings obtained in a traditional lab setting. Method Click-evoked and speech-evoked ABRs were recorded in 12 normal-hearing, young adult participants over three test sessions in (a) a shielded sound booth within a research lab, (b) a simulated home environment, and (c) the research lab once more. The same single-family house was used for all home testing. Results Analyses of ABR latencies, a common clinical metric, showed high repeatability between the home and lab environments across both the click-evoked and speech-evoked ABRs. Like ABR latencies, response consistency and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were robust both in the lab and in the home and did not show significant differences between locations, although variability between the home and lab was higher than latencies, with two participants influencing this lower repeatability between locations. Response consistency and SNR also patterned together, with a trend for higher SNRs to pair with more consistent responses in both the home and lab environments. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining high-quality ABR recordings within a simulated home environment that closely approximate those recorded in a more traditional recording environment. This line of work may open doors to greater accessibility to underserved clinical and research populations.

scholarly journals Auditory Brainstem Responses to Successive Sounds: Effects of Gap Duration and Depth

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-46
Author(s):  
Fan-Yin Cheng ◽  
Craig A. Champlin
Keyword(s):  
Background Noise ◽  
Tone Burst ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Temporal Acuity ◽  
Harmonic Complex ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Physiological Correlate

Temporal acuity is the ability to differentiate between sounds based on fluctuations in the waveform envelope. The proximity of successive sounds and background noise diminishes the ability to track rapid changes between consecutive sounds. We determined whether a physiological correlate of temporal acuity is also affected by these factors. We recorded the auditory brainstem response (ABR) from human listeners using a harmonic complex (S1) followed by a brief tone burst (S2) with the latter serving as the evoking signal. The duration and depth of the silent gap between S1 and S2 were manipulated, and the peak latency and amplitude of wave V were measured. The latency of the responses decreased significantly as the duration or depth of the gap increased. The amplitude of the responses was not affected by the duration or depth of the gap. These findings suggest that changing the physical parameters of the gap affects the auditory system’s ability to encode successive sounds.

scholarly journals Comparison of auditory steady state response (ASSR) & auditory brainstem response (ABR) hearing thresholds in young children.

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-21
Author(s):  
Adil Munir ◽  
Nazia Mumtaz ◽  
Ghulam Saqulain ◽  
Munir Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Hearing Threshold ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Steady State Response ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
State Response ◽  
Hearing Thresholds ◽  
Auditory Steady State Response ◽  
Brainstem Response

Objective: Hearing loss (HL) with a local prevalence of 5.7%, is the commonest childhood disability, requiring Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs to reduce the disability burden. Knowing the degree, type and configuration of HL is prerequisite for appropriate amplification, with Automated Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) being commonly used for this purpose, however Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) has been recently introduced in the region. This study was conducted to compare ABR to ASSR, as an early diagnostic tool in children under five years of age. Methodology: This cross-sectional comparative study was performed at the Auditory Verbal Institute of Audiology and Speech (AVIAS) clinics in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, from December 2016 to September 2017. It included thirty-two cases (n=32) who visited AVIAS clinics for hearing assessment and conformed to the investigative protocol using non probability convenient sampling technique, and subjected to both ABR and ASSR for comparative purposes. Correlations were calculated between the thresholds obtained by ABR and ASSR. Results: N=32 children (64 ears) with male female ratio of 2.2:1 and mean age of 33.50±17.73 months were tested with ABR and ASSR for hearing thresholds and correlation coefficient between 2KHz, 4KHz ASSR and average of both with ABR was calculated to be 0.92 and 0.90 and 0.94 respectively. Conclusion: ASSR provides additional frequency specific hearing threshold estimation compared to C-ABR, essentially required for proper setting of amplification devices. 

Auditory Brainstem Responses and Clinical Follow-up of High-Risk Infants

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-392
Author(s):  
Steven J. Kramer ◽  
Dianne R. Vertes ◽  
Marie Condon
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Hearing Impairments ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Infant Program ◽  
High Risk Infants

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) evaluations were performed on 667 high-risk infants from an infant special care unit. Of these infants, 82% passed the ABR. Those infants who failed the ABR were classified into two groups, those who failed at 30 dB hearing level and those who failed at 45 dB hearing level. All of the infants were encouraged to return for otologic/audiologic follow-up in 1, 3, or 6 months, depending on the initial ABR results. All of the infants with severe hearing impairments came from the group who failed at 45 dB hearing level. The incidence of severe sensorineural hearing impairment in this population was estimated to be 2.4%. For the group that failed at 30 dB hearing level, 80% of those who were abnormal at follow-up were considered to have conductive hearing disorders and 20% had mild sensorineural hearing impairments. In addition, infants enrolled in a parent-infant program for hearing impaired by 6 months of age were from the ABR program; however, several infants entered the parent-infant program at a relatively late age because they did not meet the high-risk criteria, they were from other hospitals, or they were not detected by the ABR program.

scholarly journals Auditory brainstem responses in the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans (Testudoformes: Emydidae) reveal sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity

2019 ◽  
Vol 205 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tongliang Wang ◽  
Handong Li ◽  
Jianguo Cui ◽  
Xiaofei Zhai ◽  
Haitao Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Tympanic Membrane ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Trachemys Scripta ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Trachemys Scripta Elegans ◽  
Hearing Sensitivity ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Auditory Systems

Abstract Hearing sensitivity is of general interest from the perspective of understanding the functionality and evolution of vertebrate auditory systems. Sexual dimorphism of auditory systems has been reported in several species of vertebrates, but little is known about this phenomenon in turtles. Some morphological characteristics, such as middle ear and tympanic membrane that influence the hearing sensitivity of animals can result in hearing sexual dimorphism. To examine whether sexual dimorphism in hearing sensitivity occurs in turtles and to compare hearing characteristics with respect to the shape of the tympanic membrane, we measured the hearing sensitivity and tympanum diameter in both sexes of Trachemys scripta elegans. The results showed that, with the exception of 0.9 kHz, auditory brainstem response thresholds were significantly lower in females than in males for frequencies in the 0.2–1.1 kHz range, indicating that the hearing of females shows greater sensitivity. No significant differences were detected in the tympanum diameter of both sexes. These results showed that sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity has evolved in turtles; however, this difference does not appear to be related to differences in the size of the tympanic membrane. The possible origin and function of the sexual differences in auditory characteristic are discussed.

scholarly journals The Parallel Auditory Brainstem Response

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 233121651987139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa J. Polonenko ◽  
Ross K. Maddox
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Brainstem Response ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Test Duration ◽  
Recording Time ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Periodic Sequences ◽  
Hearing Thresholds ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Indispensable Tool

The frequency-specific tone-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR) is an indispensable tool in both the audiology clinic and research laboratory. Most frequently, the toneburst ABR is used to estimate hearing thresholds in infants, toddlers, and other patients for whom behavioral testing is not feasible. Therefore, results of the ABR exam form the basis for decisions regarding interventions and hearing habilitation with implications extending far into the child’s future. Currently, responses are elicited by periodic sequences of toneburst stimuli presented serially to one ear at a time, which take a long time to measure multiple frequencies and intensities, and provide incomplete information if the infant wakes up early. Here, we describe a new method, the parallel ABR (pABR), which uses randomly timed toneburst stimuli to simultaneously acquire ABR waveforms to five frequencies in both ears. Here, we describe the pABR and quantify its effectiveness in addressing the greatest drawback of current methods: test duration. We show that in adults with normal hearing the pABR yields high-quality waveforms over a range of intensities, with similar morphology to the standard ABR in a fraction of the recording time. Furthermore, longer latencies and smaller amplitudes for low frequencies at a high intensity evoked by the pABR versus serial ABR suggest that responses may have better place specificity due to the masking provided by the other simultaneous toneburst sequences. Thus, the pABR has substantial potential for facilitating faster accumulation of more diagnostic information that is important for timely identification and treatment of hearing loss.

scholarly journals Intraoperative Monitoring of the Cochlear Nerve during Neurofibromatosis Type-2 Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery and Description of a “Test Intracochlear Electrode”

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (01) ◽  
pp. e1-e9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anand Kasbekar ◽  
Yu Chuen Tam ◽  
Robert Carlyon ◽  
John Deeks ◽  
Neil Donnelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Vestibular Schwannoma ◽  
Intraoperative Monitoring ◽  
Neurofibromatosis Type ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Cochlear Nerve ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
Objective Evidence ◽  
Brainstem Response

Objectives A decision on whether to insert a cochlear implant can be made in neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) if there is objective evidence of cochlear nerve (CN) function post vestibular schwannoma (VS) excision. We aimed to develop intraoperative CN monitoring to help in this decision. Design We describe the intraoperative monitoring of a patient with NF2 and our stimulating and recording set up. A novel test electrode is used to stimulate the CN electrically. Setting This study was set at a tertiary referral center for skull base pathology. Main outcome measure Preserved auditory brainstem responses leading to cochlear implantation. Results Electrical auditory brainstem response (EABR) waveforms will be displayed from different stages of the operation. A cochlear implant was inserted at the same sitting based on the EABR. Conclusion Electrically evoked CN monitoring can provide objective evidence of CN function after VS excision and aid in the decision-making process of hearing rehabilitation in patients who will be rendered deaf.

Encoding of a binaural speech stimulus at the brainstem level in middle-aged adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
A K Neupane ◽  
S K Sinha ◽  
K Gururaj
Keyword(s):  
Binaural Hearing ◽  
Auditory Pathway ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Speech Stimulus ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Fast Fourier Transform Analysis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Objective Binaural hearing is facilitated by neural interactions in the auditory pathway. Ageing results in impairment of localisation and listening in noisy situations without any significant hearing loss. The present study focused on comparing the binaural encoding of a speech stimulus at the subcortical level in middle-aged versus younger adults, based on speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses. Methods Thirty participants (15 young adults and 15 middle-aged adults) with normal hearing sensitivity (less than 15 dB HL) participated in the study. The speech-evoked auditory brainstem response was recorded monaurally and binaurally with a 40-ms /da/ stimulus. Fast Fourier transform analysis was utilised. Results An independent sample t-test revealed a significant difference between the two groups in fundamental frequency (F0) amplitude recorded with binaural stimulation. Conclusion The present study suggested that ageing results in degradation of F0 encoding, which is essential for the perception of speech in noise.

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