Generation of human auditory steady-state responses (SSRs). I: Stimulus rate effects

Network resonance and the auditory steady state response

The auditory steady state response (ASSR) arises when periodic sounds evoke stable responses in auditory networks that reflect the acoustic characteristics of the stimuli, such as the amplitude of the sound envelope. Larger for some stimulus rates than others, the ASSR in the human electroencephalogram (EEG) is notably maximal for sounds modulated in amplitude at 40 Hz. To investigate the local circuit underpinnings of the large ASSR to 40 Hz amplitude-modulated (AM) sounds, we acquired skull EEG and local field potential (LFP) recordings from primary auditory cortex (A1) in the rat during the presentation of 20, 30, 40, 50, and 80 Hz AM tones. 40 Hz AM tones elicited the largest ASSR from the EEG acquired above auditory cortex and the LFP acquired from each cortical layer in A1. The large ASSR in the EEG to 40 Hz AM tones was not due to larger instantaneous amplitude of the signals or to greater phase alignment of the LFP across the cortical layers. Instead, it resulted from decreased latency variability (or enhanced temporal consistency) of the 40 Hz response. Statistical models indicate the EEG signal was best predicted by LFPs in either the most superficial or deep cortical layers, suggesting deep layer coordinators of the ASSR. Overall, our results indicate that the recruitment of non-uniform but more temporally consistent responses across A1 layers underlie the larger ASSR to amplitude-modulated tones at 40 Hz.

Retinal GABAergic Alterations in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Alterations in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) have been implicated in sensory differences in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Visual signals are initially processed in the retina, and in this study, we explored the hypotheses that the GABA-dependent retinal response to light is altered in individuals with ASD. Light-adapted electroretinograms were recorded from 61 adults (38 males and 23 females; n = 22 ASD) in response to three stimulus protocols: (1) the standard white flash, (2) the standard 30 Hz flickering protocol, and (3) the photopic negative response protocol. Participants were administered an oral dose of placebo, 15 or 30 mg of arbaclofen (STX209, GABAB agonist) in a randomized, double-blind, crossover order before the test. At baseline (placebo), the a-wave amplitudes in response to single white flashes were more prominent in ASD, relative to typically developed (TD) participants. Arbaclofen was associated with a decrease in the a-wave amplitude in ASD, but an increase in TD, eliminating the group difference observed at baseline. The extent of this arbaclofen-elicited shift significantly correlated with the arbaclofen-elicited shift in cortical responses to auditory stimuli as measured by using an electroencephalogram in our prior study and with broader autistic traits measured with the autism quotient across the whole cohort. Hence, GABA-dependent differences in retinal light processing in ASD appear to be an accessible component of a wider autistic difference in the central processing of sensory information, which may be upstream of more complex autistic phenotypes.

Task matters: Individual MEG signatures from naturalistic and neurophysiological brain states

The discovery that human brain connectivity data can be used as a "fingerprint" to identify a given individual from a population, has become a burgeoning research area in the neuroscience field. Recent studies have identified the possibility to extract these brain signatures from the temporal rich dynamics of resting-state magneto encephalography (MEG) recordings. Nevertheless, it is still uncertain to what extent MEG signatures can serve as an indicator of human identifiability during task-related conduct. Here, using MEG data from naturalistic and neurophysiological tasks, we show that identification improves in tasks relative to resting-state, providing compelling evidence for a task dependent axis of MEG signatures. Notably, improvements in identifiability were more prominent in strictly controlled tasks. Lastly, the brain regions contributing most towards individual identification were also modified when engaged in task activities. We hope that this investigation advances our understanding of the driving factors behind brain identification from MEG signals.

Visual load does not decrease the auditory steady-state response to 40-Hz amplitude-modulated tones

The auditory pathway consists of multiple recurrent loops of afferent and efferent connections that extend from the cochlea up to the prefrontal cortex. The early‐filter theory proposes that these loops allow top‐down filtering of early and middle latency auditory responses. Furthermore, the adaptive filtering model suggests that the filtering of irrelevant auditory stimuli should start lower in the pathway during more demanding tasks. If so, the 40‐Hz auditory steady‐state responses (ASSRs) to irrelevant sounds should be affected by top‐down crossmodal attention to a visual task, and effects should vary with the load of the visual task. Because few studies have examined this possibility, we conducted two preregistered studies that manipulated visual load (Study 1: N = 43, Study 2: N = 45). Study 1 used two levels (low and high), and Study 2 used four levels (no, low, high, and very high). Subjects were asked to ignore a 500‐Hz task‐irrelevant tone that was amplitude‐modulated to evoke 40‐Hz ASSRs. Results from Bayesian analyses provided moderate to extreme support for no effect of load (or of a task) on ASSRs. Results also supported no interaction with time (i.e., over blocks, over minutes, or with changes in ASSRs that were synchronized with the onset of the visual stimuli). Further, results provided moderate support for no correlation between the effects of load and working memory capacity. Because the present findings support the robustness of ASSRs against manipulations of crossmodal attention, they are not consistent with the adaptive filtering model.

The adaptive filtering model suggests that the filtering of irrelevant auditory stimuli should start lower in the auditory pathway during more demanding tasks. Two preregistered studies (N = 43, N = 45) examined the effects of visual perceptual load (from no to very high) on the 40‐Hz auditory steady‐state response (ASSR) to a task‐irrelevant tone. Bayesian analyses provided evidence for no effect of load. This robustness of ASSR against manipulations of crossmodal attention is not consistent with the adaptive filter model.

Reduced auditory steady state responses in autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

Auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) are elicited by clicktrains or amplitude-modulated tones, which entrain auditory cortex at their specific modulation rate. Previous research has reported reductions in ASSRs at 40 Hz for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participants and first-degree relatives of people diagnosed with ASD (Mol Autism. 2011;2:11, Biol Psychiatry. 2007;62:192-197).

METHODS

Using a 1.5 s-long auditory clicktrain stimulus, designed to elicit an ASSR at 40 Hz, this study attempted to replicate and extend these findings. Magnetencephalography (MEG) data were collected from 18 adolescent ASD participants and 18 typically developing controls.

RESULTS

The ASSR localised to bilateral primary auditory regions. Regions of interest were thus defined in left and right primary auditory cortex (A1). While the transient gamma-band response (tGBR) from 0-0.1 s following presentation of the clicktrain stimulus was not different between groups, for either left or right A1, the ASD group had reduced oscillatory power at 40 Hz from 0.5 to 1.5 s post-stimulus onset, for both left and right A1. Additionally, the ASD group had reduced inter-trial coherence (phase consistency over trials) at 40 Hz from 0.64-0.82 s for right A1 and 1.04-1.22 s for left A1.

LIMITATIONS

In this study, we did not conduct a clinical autism assessment (e.g. the ADOS), and therefore, it remains unclear whether ASSR power and/or ITC are associated with the clinical symptoms of ASD.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our results support a specific reduction in ASSR oscillatory power and inter-trial coherence in ASD, rather than a generalised deficit in gamma-band responses. We argue that this could reflect a developmentally relevant reduction in non-linear neural processing.

Improved Transient Response Estimations in Predicting 40 Hz Auditory Steady-State Response Using Deconvolution Methods

The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is one of the main approaches in clinic for health screening and frequency-specific hearing assessment. However, its generation mechanism is still of much controversy. In the present study, the linear superposition hypothesis for the generation of ASSRs was investigated by comparing the relationships between the classical 40 Hz ASSR and three synthetic ASSRs obtained from three different templates for transient auditory evoked potential (AEP). These three AEPs are the traditional AEP at 5 Hz and two 40 Hz AEPs derived from two deconvolution algorithms using stimulus sequences, i.e., continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) and multi-rate steady-state average deconvolution (MSAD). CLAD requires irregular inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs) in the sequence while MSAD uses the same ISIs but evenly-spaced stimulus sequences which mimics the classical 40 Hz ASSR. It has been reported that these reconstructed templates show similar patterns but significant difference in morphology and distinct frequency characteristics in synthetic ASSRs. The prediction accuracies of ASSR using these templates show significant differences (p < 0.05) in 45.95, 36.28, and 10.84% of total time points within four cycles of ASSR for the traditional, CLAD, and MSAD templates, respectively, as compared with the classical 40 Hz ASSR, and the ASSR synthesized from the MSAD transient AEP suggests the best similarity. And such a similarity is also demonstrated at individuals only in MSAD showing no statistically significant difference (Hotelling's T² test, T² = 6.96, F = 0.80, p = 0.592) as compared with the classical 40 Hz ASSR. The present results indicate that both stimulation rate and sequencing factor (ISI variation) affect transient AEP reconstructions from steady-state stimulation protocols. Furthermore, both auditory brainstem response (ABR) and middle latency response (MLR) are observed in contributing to the composition of ASSR but with variable weights in three templates. The significantly improved prediction accuracy of ASSR achieved by MSAD strongly supports the linear superposition mechanism of ASSR if an accurate template of transient AEPs can be reconstructed. The capacity in obtaining both ASSR and its underlying transient components accurately and simultaneously has the potential to contribute significantly to diagnosis of patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.

New metric for optimizing Continuous Loop Averaging Deconvolution (CLAD) sequences under the 1/f noise model

Continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) is one of the proven methods for recovering transient auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) in rapid stimulation paradigms, which requires an elaborated stimulus sequence design to attenuate impacts from noise in data. The present study aimed to develop a new metric in gauging a CLAD sequence in terms of noise gain factor (NGF), which has been proposed previously but with less effectiveness in the presence of pink (1/f) noise. We derived the new metric by explicitly introducing the 1/f model into the proposed time-continuous sequence. We selected several representative CLAD sequences to test their noise property on typical EEG recordings, as well as on five real CLAD electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to retrieve the middle latency responses. We also demonstrated the merit of the new metric in generating and quantifying optimized sequences using a classic genetic algorithm. The new metric shows evident improvements in measuring actual noise gains at different frequencies, and better performance than the original NGF in various aspects. The new metric is a generalized NGF measurement that can better quantify the performance of a CLAD sequence, and provide a more efficient mean of generating CLAD sequences via the incorporation with optimization algorithms. The present study can facilitate the specific application of CLAD paradigm with desired sequences in the clinic.

MEG and EEG demonstrate similar test-retest reliability of the 40Hz auditory steady-state response

The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is increasingly being used as a biomarker in neuropsychiatric disorders, but research investigating the test-retest reliability of this measure is needed. We previously reported ASSR reliability, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), to 40Hz amplitude-modulated white noise and click train stimuli. The purpose of the current study was to (a) assess the reliability of the MEG-measured ASSR to 40Hz amplitude-modulated white noise and click train stimuli, and (b) compare test-retest reliability between MEG and EEG measures of ASSR, which has not previously been investigated. Additionally, impact of stimulus parameter choice on reliability was assessed, by comparing responses to white noise and click train stimuli. Test-retest reliability, across sessions approximately one week apart, was assessed in 17 healthy adults. On each study day, participants completed two passive listening tasks (white noise and click train stimuli) during separate MEG and EEG recordings. Between-session correlations for evoked power and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) were assessed following source-space projection. Overall, the MEG-measured ASSR was significantly correlated between sessions (p<0.05, FDR corrected), suggesting acceptable test-retest reliability. Results suggest greater response reproducibility for ITPC compared to evoked responses and for click train compared to white noise stimuli, although further study is warranted. No significant differences in reliability were observed between MEG and EEG measures, suggesting they are similarly reliable. This work supports use of the ASSR as a biomarker in clinical interventions with repeated measures.

Large-scale network-level processes during entrainment

Visual rhythmic stimulation evokes a robust power increase exactly at the stimulation frequency, the so-called steady-state response (SSR). Localization of visual SSRs normally shows a very focal modulation of power in visual cortex and led to the treatment and interpretation of SSRs as a local phenomenon. Given the brain network dynamics, we hypothesized that SSRs have additional large-scale effects on the brain functional network that can be revealed by means of graph theory. We used rhythmic visual stimulation at a range of frequencies (4–30 Hz), recorded MEG and investigated source level connectivity across the whole brain. Using graph theoretical measures we observed a frequency-unspecific reduction of global density in the alpha band “disconnecting” visual cortex from the rest of the network. Also, a frequency-specific increase of connectivity between occipital cortex and precuneus was found at the stimulation frequency that exhibited the highest resonance (30 Hz). In conclusion, we showed that SSRs dynamically re-organized the brain functional network. These large-scale effects should be taken into account not only when attempting to explain the nature of SSRs, but also when used in various experimental designs.

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Visual entrainment is considered mostly to modulate cortical power locally.

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Instead, we hypothesized large-scale effects in the brain functional network.

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Graph theoretical analysis combined with MEG source localization.

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Visual entrainment indeed yielded network-level effects.

Simulation on the Comparison of Steady-State Responses Synthesized by Transient Templates Based on Superposition Hypothesis

The generation of auditory-evoked steady-state responses (SSRs) is associated with the linear superposition of transient auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) that cannot be directly observed. A straightforward way to justify the superposition hypothesis is the use of synthesized SSRs by a transient AEP under a predefined condition based on the forward process of this hypothesis. However, little is known about the inverse relation between the transient AEP and its synthetic SSR, which makes the interpretation of the latter less convincible because it may not necessarily underlie the true solution. In this study, we chose two pairs of AEPs from the conventional and deconvolution paradigms, which represent the homo-AEPs from a homogenous group and the hetero-AEPs from two heterogeneous groups. Both pairs of AEPs were used as templates to synthesize SSRs at rates of 20–120 Hz. The peak-peak amplitudes and the differences between the paired waves were measured. Although amplitude enhancement occurred at ~40 Hz, comparisons between the available waves demonstrated that the relative differences of the synthetic SSRs could be dramatically larger at other rates. Moreover, two virtually identical SSRs may come from clearly different AEPs. These results suggested inconsistent relationships between the AEPs and their corresponding SSRs over the tested rates.

Comparison of Auditory Middle-Latency Responses From Two Deconvolution Methods at 40 Hz

GOAL

Auditory middle-latency responses (MLRs) are reported to be particularly susceptible to stimulation rate. Deconvolution methods are necessary to unwrap the overlapping responses at a high rate under the linear superposition assumption. This study aims to investigate and compare the MLR characteristics at high and conventional stimulation rates.

METHODS

The characteristics were examined in healthy adults by using two closely related deconvolution paradigms, namely continuous-loop averaging deconvolution and multirate steady-state averaging deconvolution at a mean rate of 40 Hz, and a conventional low rate of 5 Hz.

RESULTS

The morphology and stability of the MLRs can benefit from a high-rate stimulation. It appears that stimulation sequencing strategies of deconvolution methods exerted divergent rate effects on MLR characteristics, which might be associated with different adaptation mechanisms.

CONCLUSION

MLRs obtained by two deconvolution methods and the conventional reference feature differently from one another.

SIGNIFICANCE

These findings have critical implications in our current understanding of the rate effects on MLR characteristics which may inspire further studies to explore the characteristics of evoked responses at high rates and deconvolution paradigms.

Synchronization of β and γ oscillations in the somatosensory evoked neuromagnetic steady-state response

The sensory evoked neuromagnetic response consists of superimposition of an immediately stimulus-driven component and induced changes in the autonomous brain activity, each having distinct functional relevance. Commonly, the strength of phase locking in neural activities has been used to differentiate the different responses. The steady-state response is a strong oscillatory neural activity, which is evoked with rhythmic stimulation, and provides an effective tool to investigate oscillatory brain networks. In this case, both the sensory response and intrinsic activity, representing higher order processes, are highly synchronized to the stimulus. In this study we hypothesized that temporal dynamics of oscillatory activities would characterize the differences between the two types of activities and that beta and gamma oscillations are differently involved in this distinction. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) for studying how ongoing steady-state responses elicited by a 20-Hz vibro-tactile stimulus to the right index finger were affected by a concurrent isolated touch stimulus to the same hand ring finger. SI source activity showed oscillations at multiples of 20 Hz with characteristic differences in the beta band and the gamma band. The response amplitudes were largest at 20 Hz (beta) and significantly reduced at 40 Hz and 60 Hz (gamma), although synchronization strength, indicated by inter-trial coherence (ITC), did not substantially differ between 20 Hz and 40 Hz. Moreover, the beta oscillations showed a fast onset, whereas the amplitude of gamma oscillations increased slowly and reached the steady state 400 ms after onset of the vibration stimulus. Most importantly, the pulse stimuli interacted only with gamma oscillations in a way that gamma oscillations decreased immediately after the concurrent stimulus onset and recovered slowly, resembling the initial slope. Such time course of gamma oscillations is similar to our previous observations in the auditory system. The time constant is in line with the time required for conscious perception of the sensory stimulus. Based on the observed different spectro-temporal dynamics, we propose that while beta activities likely relate to independent representation of the sensory input, gamma oscillation likely relates to binding of sensory information for higher order processing.

Hierarchical organization of gamma and theta oscillatory dynamics in schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia patients have deficits across a broad range of important cognitive and clinical domains. Synchronization of oscillations in the gamma frequency range (~40 Hz) is associated with many normal cognitive functions and underlies at least some of the deficits observed in schizophrenia patients. Recent studies have demonstrated that gamma oscillations are modulated by the phase of theta waves, and this cross-frequency coupling indicates that a complex and hierarchical organization governs neural oscillatory dynamics. The aims of the present study were to determine if schizophrenia patients have abnormalities in the amplitude, synchrony, and cross-frequency coupling of gamma and theta oscillations in response to gamma-frequency steady-state stimulation and if abnormal neural oscillatory dynamics are associated with cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

METHODS

Schizophrenia patients (n = 234) and healthy control subjects (n = 188) underwent electroencephalography testing in response to 40-Hz auditory steady-state stimulation. Cognitive functions were assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tests.

RESULTS

Schizophrenia patients had significantly reduced gamma intertrial phase coherence, increased theta amplitude, and intact cross-frequency coupling relative to healthy control subjects. In schizophrenia patients, increased theta amplitude was associated with poor verbal memory performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that schizophrenia patients have specific alterations in both gamma and theta oscillations, but these deficits occur in the context of an intact hierarchical organization of their cross-frequency modulation in response to 40-Hz steady-state stimulation. Cortical oscillatory dynamics may be useful for understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie the disparate cognitive and functional impairments of schizophrenia.

Interference in dichotic listening: the effect of contralateral noise on oscillatory brain networks

Coupling of thalamocortical networks through synchronous oscillations at gamma frequencies (30-80 Hz) has been suggested as a mechanism for binding of auditory sensory information into an object representation, which then becomes accessible for perception and cognition. This study investigated whether contralateral noise interferes with this step of central auditory processing. Neuromagnetic 40-Hz oscillations were examined in young healthy participants while they listened to amplitude-modulated sound in one ear and a multi-talker masking noise in the contralateral ear. Participants were engaged in a gap-detection task, for which their behavioural performance declined under masking. The amplitude modulation of the stimulus elicited steady 40-Hz oscillations with sources in bilateral auditory cortices. Analysis of the temporal dynamics of phase synchrony between source activity and the stimulus revealed two oscillatory components; the first was indicated by an instant onset in phase synchrony with the stimulus while the second showed a 200-ms time constant of gradual increase in phase synchrony after phase resetting by the gap. Masking abolished only the second component. This coincided with masking-related decrease of the P2 wave of the transient auditory-evoked responses whereas the N1 wave, reflecting early sensory processing, was unaffected. Given that the P2 response has been associated with object representation, we propose that the first 40-Hz component is related to representation of low-level sensory input whereas the second is related to internal auditory processing in thalamocortical networks. The observed modulation of oscillatory activity is discussed as reflecting a neural mechanism critical for speech understanding in noise.

Transient and steady-state auditory gamma-band responses in first-degree relatives of people with autism spectrum disorder

Background

Stimulus-related γ-band oscillations, which may be related to perceptual binding, are reduced in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of this study was to examine auditory transient and steady-state γ-band findings in first-degree relatives of people with ASD to assess the potential familiality of these findings in ASD.

Methods

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings in 21 parents who had a child with an autism spectrum disorder (pASD) and 20 healthy adult control subjects (HC) were obtained. Gamma-band phase locking factor (PLF), and evoked and induced power to 32, 40 and 48 Hz amplitude-modulated sounds were measured for transient and steady-state responses. Participants were also tested on a number of behavioral and cognitive assessments related to the broad autism phenotype (BAP).

Results

Reliable group differences were seen primarily for steady-state responses. In the left hemisphere, pASD subjects exhibited lower phase-locked steady-state power in all three conditions. Total γ-band power, including the non-phase-locked component, was also reduced in the pASD group. In addition, pASD subjects had significantly lower PLF than the HC group. Correlations were seen between MEG measures and BAP measures.

Conclusions

The reduction in steady-state γ-band responses in the pASD group is consistent with previous results for children with ASD. Steady-state responses may be more sensitive than transient responses to phase-locking errors in ASD. Together with the lower PLF and phase-locked power in first-degree relatives, correlations between γ-band measures and behavioral measures relevant to the BAP highlight the potential of γ-band deficits as a potential new autism endophenotype.

Steady-state visual evoked potentials can be explained by temporal superposition of transient event-related responses

BACKGROUND

One common criterion for classifying electrophysiological brain responses is based on the distinction between transient (i.e. event-related potentials, ERPs) and steady-state responses (SSRs). The generation of SSRs is usually attributed to the entrainment of a neural rhythm driven by the stimulus train. However, a more parsimonious account suggests that SSRs might result from the linear addition of the transient responses elicited by each stimulus. This study aimed to investigate this possibility.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We recorded brain potentials elicited by a checkerboard stimulus reversing at different rates. We modeled SSRs by sequentially shifting and linearly adding rate-specific ERPs. Our results show a strong resemblance between recorded and synthetic SSRs, supporting the superposition hypothesis. Furthermore, we did not find evidence of entrainment of a neural oscillation at the stimulation frequency.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

This study provides evidence that visual SSRs can be explained as a superposition of transient ERPs. These findings have critical implications in our current understanding of brain oscillations. Contrary to the idea that neural networks can be tuned to a wide range of frequencies, our findings rather suggest that the oscillatory response of a given neural network is constrained within its natural frequency range.

Auditory steady-state responses to 40-Hz click trains: relationship to middle latency, gamma band and beta band responses studied with deconvolution

OBJECTIVE

The nature of the auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) evoked with 40-Hz click trains and their relationship to auditory brainstem and middle latency responses (ABR/MLR), gamma band responses (GBR) and beta band responses (BBR) were investigated using superposition theory. Transient responses obtained by continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) and last click responses (LCR) were used to synthesize ASSRs and GBRs.

METHODS

ASSRs were obtained with trains of low jittered 40 Hz clicks presented monaurally and deconvolved using a modified CLAD. Resulting transient responses and modified LCRs were used to predict the ASSRs and the GBR.

RESULTS

The ABR/MLR obtained with deconvolution predicted accurately the steady portion of the ASSR but failed to predict its onset portion. The modified LCR failed to fully predict both portions. The GBRs were predicted by narrow band filtering of the ASSRs. Significant BBR activity was found both in the ASSRs and deconvolved ABR/MLRs.

CONCLUSIONS

Simulations using deconvolved ABR/MLRs obtained at 40 Hz predict fully the steady state but not the onset portion of the ASSRs, thus confirming the superposition theory.

SIGNIFICANCE

Click rate adaptation plays a significant role in ASSR generation with click trains and should be considered in evaluating convolved response generation theories.

Steady state responses: electrophysiological assessment of sensory function in schizophrenia

Persons with schizophrenia experience subjective sensory anomalies and objective deficits on assessment of sensory function. Such deficits could be produced by abnormal signaling in the sensory pathways and sensory cortex or later stage disturbances in cognitive processing of such inputs. Steady state responses (SSRs) provide a noninvasive method to test the integrity of sensory pathways and oscillatory responses in schizophrenia with minimal task demands. SSRs are electrophysiological responses entrained to the frequency and phase of a periodic stimulus. Patients with schizophrenia exhibit pronounced auditory SSR deficits within the gamma frequency range (35-50 Hz) in response to click trains and amplitude-modulated tones. Visual SSR deficits are also observed, most prominently in the alpha and beta frequency ranges (7-30 Hz) in response to high-contrast, high-luminance stimuli. Visual SSR studies that have used the psychophysical properties of a stimulus to target specific visual pathways predominantly report magnocellular-based deficits in those with schizophrenia. Disruption of both auditory and visual SSRs in schizophrenia are consistent with neuropathological and magnetic resonance imaging evidence of anatomic abnormalities affecting the auditory and visual cortices. Computational models suggest that auditory SSR abnormalities at gamma frequencies could be secondary to gamma-aminobutyric acid-mediated or N-methyl-D-aspartic acid dysregulation. The pathophysiological process in schizophrenia encompasses sensory processing that probably contributes to alterations in subsequent encoding and cognitive processing. The developmental evolution of these abnormalities remains to be characterized.

Generation of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) explained using convolution

OBJECTIVE

In this study, the superposition theory of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) generation is investigated using auditory brainstem response (ABR) and middle latency responses (MLRs) obtained with 40 Hz jittered sequences with the continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) algorithm.

METHODS

Click sequences at around 40 Hz with high (maximum length sequence), medium and low jitters were presented to normal hearing awake adult subjects monaurally. Overlapping MLR responses were deconvolved using the frequency domain CLAD method. In addition, conventional auditory MLRs at 4.88 Hz and ASSRs at 39.1 Hz were obtained in all subjects. Synthetic ASSRs were constructed using different rate and jitter MLRs as base recordings. Contributions of the primary components were investigated by wave elimination using phasors.

RESULTS

Findings indicate that the generation of the 40-Hz ASSRs can be explained successfully by the superposition of the ABR and MLR waves generated at that stimulation rate. N(a)-P(a) and N(b)-P(b) components of the MLR contribute about equally (45% each), while the wave V of the ABR contributes a lesser amount (10%).

CONCLUSIONS

Forty-Hertz ASSRs are composite responses generated by the superposition of the major waves of the ABR and the MLR. Dramatic amplitude increase of the ASSR at 40Hz is primarily due to the superposition of the resonating P(b) component to the P(a) wave.

SIGNIFICANCE

Several unexplained properties of the 40-Hz ASSR can be explained by the stimulus and brain state dependent characteristics of the slow ABR, the P(a) and the P(b) components of the MLR.

Audiometric threshold screening method using envelope detection filters of intensity ramping click auditory steady-state responses

The Auditory Steady-state Responses (ASSR) elicited by click stimuli can be utilized for hearing screening as is traditionally done with click-evoked Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR). In a typical ASSR or ABR hearing screening, several recordings at different intensities are required to find the response threshold. In this study the use of binaural click stimulus with time ramping intensity produces dual-ear evoked potentials in only one recording session, decreasing significantly the recording time. To achieve this performance a one second sweep consisting of repetitive click stimuli, with logarithmically ramping up intensity, is presented to one or both ears simultaneously. Unique repetition frequencies for each ear are used in order to differentiate the responses coming from each ear. The stimuli sweep is repeated and the EEG data corresponding to each sweep is averaged until a pre-specified residual noise level is achieved. Hilbert-transform-based envelope detection filters in the time domain are used to estimate the signal and noise energy around the main stimulation rate. Because the stimulus time-intensity functions are known, thresholds can be estimated from the response onset time position by estimating the significance of the signal to noise ratio. Preliminary results indicate a strong agreement of the obtained thresholds with behavioral thresholds.

Pb(P1) resonance at 40Hz: Effects of high stimulus rate on auditory middle latency responses (MLRs) explored using deconvolution

OBJECTIVE

In this study, the effects of high stimulus rate on middle latency response (MLR) components P(a) and P(b) (P(1) or P50) were studied using high rate clicks in normal hearing awake subjects were investigated.

METHODS

Five jittered click sequences at different mean rates (24.4, 39.1, 58.6, 78.1, 97.7Hz) were presented to 10 subjects. Overlapping MLRs were deconvolved using the frequency domain continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) [Ozdamar O., Bohórquez, J., Signal to noise ratio and frequency analysis of continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) of overlapping evoked potentials. J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 119:429-438, 2006]. In addition conventional auditory transient MLRs at 4.88Hz were obtained using conventional averaging.

RESULTS

P(a) amplitude, latency and waveshape remained fairly constant up to 78.1Hz. P(b) component, however, showed a variable waveshape with latencies covering a wide range (50-70ms) and N(b)-P(b) amplitudes increasing at 39.1 and 58.6Hz and decreasing at other rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Recordings show that both P(a) and P(b) MLR components can be consistently recorded at all rates up to 100Hz. P(b) amplitude shows an increase at around 40Hz showing a resonance at that frequency.

SIGNIFICANCE

The dramatic increase of the P(b) component at around 40Hz may account for the high amplitude of the 40Hz ASSR.

Gamma band oscillations reveal neural network cortical coherence dysfunction in schizophrenia patients

BACKGROUND

Gamma band activity has been associated with many sensory and cognitive functions, and is important for cortico-cortical transmission and the integration of information across neural networks. The aims of the present study were to determine if schizophrenia patients have deficits in the generation and maintenance of coherent, synchronized oscillations in response to steady-state stimulation, and to examine the clinical and cognitive correlates of the electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory dynamics.

METHODS

Schizophrenia patients (n = 100) and nonpsychiatric subjects (n = 80) underwent auditory steady-state event-related potential testing. Click trains varying in rate of stimulation (20, 30, and 40 Hz) were presented; EEG-evoked power and intertrial phase synchronization were obtained in response to each stimulation frequency. Subjects also underwent clinical and neurocognitive assessments.

RESULTS

Patients had reductions in both evoked power and phase synchronization in response to 30- and 40-Hz stimulation but normal responsivity to 20-Hz stimulation. Maximal deficits were detected in response to 40-Hz stimulation. A modest association of reduced working memory performance and 40-Hz intertrial phase synchronization was present in schizophrenia patients (r = .32, p <.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Schizophrenia patients have frequency-specific deficits in the generation and maintenance of coherent gamma-range oscillations, reflecting a fundamental degradation of basic integrated neural network activity.

Modulation of steady-state auditory evoked potentials by cerebellar rTMS

Steady-state auditory evoked responses (SSAER) obtained via electroencephalography (EEG) co-vary in amplitude with blood flow changes in the auditory area of the cerebellum. The aim of the present EEG study was to probe the cerebellar role in the control of such SSAER. For this purpose, we investigated changes in SSAERs due to transient disruption of the cerebellar hemisphere by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). SSAERs to click-trains of three different frequencies in the gamma-band (32, 40 and 47 Hz) were recorded from 45 scalp electrodes in six healthy volunteers immediately after 1-Hz rTMS and compared to baseline SSAERs assessed prior to magnetic stimulation. Cerebellar rTMS contralateral to the stimulated ear significantly reduced the amplitude of steady-state responses to 40-Hz click-trains and showed a tendency to reduce the amplitude to 32-Hz click-trains. No effects were observed for 47-Hz click-trains, nor for magnetic stimulation of the cerebellum ipsilateral to auditory stimulation or after sham stimulation. Our results suggest that interference with cerebellar output by rTMS modifies functional activity associated with cortical auditory processing. The finding of maximum effects on 40-Hz SSAERs provides support to the notion that the cerebellum is part of a distributed network involved in the regulation of cortical oscillatory activity and points at some frequency-specificity for the control of auditory-driven neuronal oscillations.

Wiener filter deconvolution of overlapping evoked potentials

Evoked potentials (EPs) typically contain components that last up to several seconds. In order to save time and study adaptation effects, stimuli are often presented at high stimulation rates. Unfortunately, such protocols often suffer from a response overlap problem. Techniques based on Continuous Loop Averaging Deconvolution (CLAD) have been developed to formulate circular convolution to restore the source EP. These techniques, however, are sensitive to the additive noise and do not perform well when stimulus sequences with poor noise attenuation properties are chosen. This study offers a solution to this problem by applying Wiener theory to obtain an optimal filter that adapts the ratio of noise-to-signal by estimating the power spectra of both noise and signal using non-parametric or parametric methods. Experiments are conducted on simulation data and Auditory Evoked potentials (AEPs) acquired from human subjects to demonstrate the validity of the proposed theory. The results show that the Wiener deconvolution method improves the quality of the responses acquired with sequences with poor noise attenuation in the presence of high noise levels compared to the straight CLAD method. The results are comparable to responses obtained by conventional and Maximum Length Sequence (MLS) methods.

[Stable auditory evoked potentials in the study of two patients with auditory neuropathy]

INTRODUCTION

We described the results of the auditory multiple steady state response (MSSR) technique in the assessment of two patients with auditory neuropathy (AN). The aim of this study was to corroborate the correspondence between the MSSR generators elicited by amplitude modulated tones ranging between 80-100 Hz, with the generators of auditory brain stem response (ABR). Moreover, we would also try to demonstrate the validity of the MSSR in the diagnosis of AN in children.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Two children diagnosed of hyperbilirrubinemia, aged, 18 months and 10 years have been studied with MSSR (500, 1000, 2000 and 4000Hz); ABR with clicks; OAE; behavioural audiometry; MRI and acoustic reflexes.

RESULTS

A difference between electrophysiological and behavioural audiogram in both cases diagnosed with auditory neuropathy have been found. The auditory thresholds were similar using the two types of evoked potentials (MSSR and ABR). Both techniques showed an increment of auditory threshold congruous with a severe auditory impairment, while behavioural audiometry showed only a mild elevation of auditory threshold. We can also see how the threshold differed between frequencies using behavioral audiometry and MSSR.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that our findings are in agreement with previous studies and they sustain the theory about the coincidence of MSSR at fast rate (80-110 Hz) and ABR generators. Also, we demonstrate the usefulness of the MSSR as an objective [corrected] electroaudiometric tool in patients with auditory neuropathy as ABR. This technique is thus a recommendable test to complete the audiological study in infants with AN, to establish a more precise treatment.

Method for the deconvolution of auditory steady-state responses

The potential evoked by a 'train' of N equally spaced auditory clicks, with an inter-click period shorter than the duration of the response to an isolated click, is said to be a steady-state response (SSR). Extracting the individual responses evoked by the clicks of the train during steady state can be key to understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying SSR generation. In the literature, this task has been dealt with only under the (unwarranted) assumption that the response of the system does not vary during the presentation of the clicks, i.e. no neurophysiological adaptation is present. In this work, a new, non-parametric algorithm is proposed that, relaxing the time-invariance hypothesis, allows the extraction from the SSR of the N waveforms individually evoked by the N clicks of the train. The performance of the approach is evaluated on simulated SSRs and on real data recorded from the temporal cortex of awake rats. Results show that the method is able to detect and assess possible adaptation of the neurophysiological system in the generation of SSRs.

Deconvolution of evoked responses obtained at high stimulus rates

Continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) is a new general mathematical theory and method developed to deconvolve overlapping auditory evoked responses obtained at high stimulation rates. Using CLAD, arbitrary stimulus sequences are generated and averaged responses deconvolved. Until now, only a few special stimulus series such as maximum length sequences (MLS) and Legendre sequences (LGS) were capable of performing this task. A CLAD computer algorithm is developed and implemented in an evoked potential averaging system. Computer simulations are used to verify the theory and methodology. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and middle latency responses (MLR) are acquired from subjects with normal hearing at high stimulation rates to validate and show the feasibility of the CLAD technique.

Human auditory steady-state responses

Steady-state evoked potentials can be recorded from the human scalp in response to auditory stimuli presented at rates between 1 and 200 Hz or by periodic modulations of the amplitude and/or frequency of a continuous tone. Responses can be objectively detected using frequency-based analyses. In waking subjects, the responses are particularly prominent at rates near 40 Hz. Responses evoked by more rapidly presented stimuli are less affected by changes in arousal and can be evoked by multiple simultaneous stimuli without significant loss of amplitude. Response amplitude increases as the depth of modulation or the intensity increases. The phase delay of the response increases as the intensity or the carrier frequency decreases. Auditory steady-state responses are generated throughout the auditory nervous system, with cortical regions contributing more than brainstem generators to responses at lower modulation frequencies. These responses are useful for objectively evaluating auditory thresholds, assessing suprathreshold hearing, and monitoring the state of arousal during anesthesia.

Equivalent dipoles of the binaural interaction components and their comparison with binaurally evoked human auditory 40 Hz steady-state evoked potentials

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to acquire the Binaural Interaction (BI) components of the auditory middle-latency steady-state 40 Hz potentials, compare them with those of the binaurally evoked 40 Hz response and with transient-evoked Auditory Middle Latency Evoked Potentials (AMEP) and suggest possible contributors and generators of the composite 40 Hz BI.

METHODS

Potentials were recorded from 15 normal-hearing adults in response to 40/sec clicks. BI was derived by subtracting the binaurally evoked potentials from the algebraic sum of the evoked potentials to left and to right ear stimulation. Latencies, magnitudes and orientations of the dipole equivalents of 40 Hz components were compared with their BI counterparts, as estimated by three-channel Lissajous' trajectories. Comparison of the transient AMEP to binaural stimulation with the BI of the steady-state 40 Hz response was also conducted to elucidate the contributions of different levels along the auditory pathway to the 40 Hz BI responses.

RESULTS

Each cycle of the BI of the steady-state 40 Hz AMEP included four components that corresponded in latency, amplitude, and dipole orientation to their counterparts in the binaurally evoked waveform. Amplitudes of BI components were 50 to 60% of the respective values in the binaurally evoked potentials. Orientations of BI components matched those of the cortical components in the transient-evoked AMEP.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that the main contribution to the 40 Hz BI is from rate resistant thalamo-cortical neurons. The results also suggest that the binaural cortical neurons contributing to the 40 Hz BI are less affected by increased rate than monaural neurons.

Effects of isoflurane on auditory middle latency (MLRs) and steady-state (SSRs) responses recorded from the temporal cortex of the rat

Auditory steady-state responses (SSRs) are believed to result from superimposition of middle latency responses (MLRs) evoked by individual stimuli during repetitive stimulation. Our previous studies showed that besides linear addition of MLRs, other phenomena, mainly related to the adaptive properties of neural sources, interact in a complex way to generate the SSRs recorded from the temporal cortex of awake rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inhalational general anesthetic, isoflurane, on MLRs and SSRs at several repetition rates (30-60 Hz) recorded from the temporal cortex of rats. Auditory evoked potentials were obtained by means of epidural electrodes in the awake condition and during anesthesia at three isoflurane concentrations (0.38, 0.76 and 1.13 vol.% in oxygen). MLR latency significantly increased during anesthesia in a concentration-dependent manner, while MLR amplitude, even when significantly attenuated with respect to the mean awake baseline value, failed to correlate with isoflurane concentration. SSRs decreased in amplitude and increased in phase during anesthesia in a concentration-dependent manner and the anesthetic-induced decrease of SSR amplitude appeared to be higher than the corresponding MLR attenuation. SSR prediction curves synthesized by linear addition of MLRs failed to predict SSRs in both amplitude and phase. Moreover, phase discrepancies proved to be higher during anesthesia. Our results suggest that MLRs and SSRs recorded from the temporal cortex of the rat exhibit differential sensitivity to isoflurane and that isoflurane could enhance the role of rate-dependent effects in SSR generation.

Activation of human cerebral and cerebellar cortex by auditory stimulation at 40 Hz

We used functional brain imaging with positron emission tomography (PET)-H2 15O to study a remarkable neurophysiological finding in the normal brain. Auditory stimulation at various frequencies in the gamma range elicits a steady-state scalp electroencephalographic (EEG) response that peaks in amplitude at 40 Hz, with smaller amplitudes at lower and higher stimulation frequencies. We confirmed this finding in 28 healthy subjects, each studied with monaural trains of stimuli at 12 different stimulation rates (12, 20, 30, 32, 35, 37.5, 40, 42.5, 45, 47.5, 50, and 60 Hz). There is disagreement as to whether the peak in the amplitude of the EEG response at 40 Hz corresponds simply to a superimposition of middle latency auditory evoked potentials, neuronal synchronization, or increased cortical synaptic activity at this stimulation frequency. To clarify this issue, we measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with PET-H2 15O in nine normal subjects at rest and during auditory stimulation at four different frequencies (12, 32, 40, and 47 Hz) and analyzed the results with statistical parametric mapping. The behavior of the rCBF response was similar to the steady-state EEG response, reaching a peak at 40 Hz. This finding suggests that the steady-state amplitude peak is related to increased cortical synaptic activity. Additionally, we found that, compared with other stimulation frequencies, 40 Hz selectively activated the auditory region of the pontocerebellum, a brain structure with important roles in cortical inhibition and timing.

Spatiotemporal analysis of the neuromagnetic response to rhythmic auditory stimulation: rate dependence and transient to steady-state transition

OBJECTIVE

Whole head magnetoencephalography was used to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of neuromagnetic brain activity associated with rhythmic auditory stimulation.

METHODS

In order to characterize the evolution of the auditory responses we applied a Karhunen-Loève decomposition and k-means cluster analysis to globally compare spatial patterns of brain activity at different latencies and stimulation rates. Tones were presented binaurally at 27 different stimulation rates within a perceptually and behaviorally relevant range from 0.6 to 8.1 Hz.

RESULTS

Over this range, we observed a linear increase of the amplitude of the main auditory response at 100 ms latency (N1m) with increasing inter-stimulus interval, and qualitative changes of the overall spatiotemporal dynamics of the auditory response. In particular, a transition occurred between a transient evoked response at low frequencies, and a continuous steady-state response at high frequencies.

CONCLUSIONS

We show the onset of temporal overlap between responses to successive tones that leads to this transition. Response overlap begins to occur near 2 Hz, marking the onset of a continuous perceptual representation.

Band-pass specific contributions of multiple generators to the auditory 40-Hz steady state potentials

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to separate the composite components of the auditory 40 Hz steady-state potentials (40 Hz SSP), by differentially augmenting them with filtering at different low passes, and to compare them with their counterparts in the transient-evoked auditory middle-latency evoked potentials (AMEP).

METHODS

Transient-evoked AMEP to 3.3/sec clicks and 40 Hz SSP to 40/sec clicks were recorded from 18 subjects using three orthogonally positioned electrode pairs. Each type of potentials was filtered with a 100 Hz and with a 50 Hz low pass. Equivalent dipoles of components were estimated using Three-channel Lissajous' Trajectories and compared between filter settings (50 and 100 Hz low pass) and between the transient-evoked and the steady-state potentials.

RESULTS

With a band pass of 3 to 100 each period of the 40 Hz SSP consisted of a brain stem (V) and four cortical (P0 Na, Pa1 Pa2, and Nb) components. The lower-frequency components of the 40-Hz response corresponded in latency and equivalent dipole orientation to the later transient-evoked cortical AMEP components, whereas the higher-frequency components corresponded to the earlier, brain stem and primary cortical components of transient-evoked AMEP. Band-pass filtering at 3 to 50 Hz resulted in fewer components, as early brain stem and primary cortical components diminished.

CONCLUSIONS

A band pass of 3 to 100 Hz for recording the 40 Hz SSP results in a composite waveform comprising of distinct brain stem and cortical generators with different orientations of their equivalent dipoles. The relative contributions of the multiple constituents are affected by the acquisition filter low pass: brain stem and primary cortical generators mostly contribute the high frequencies and later cortical contributions dominate the lower frequencies.

A high-precision magnetoencephalographic study of human auditory steady-state responses to amplitude-modulated tones

The cerebral magnetic field of the auditory steady-state response (SSR) to sinusoidal amplitude-modulated (SAM) tones was recorded in healthy humans. The waveforms of underlying cortical source activity were calculated at multiples of the modulation frequency using the method of source space projection, which improved the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by a factor of 2 to 4. Since the complex amplitudes of the cortical source activity were independent of the sensor position in relation to the subject's head, a comparison of the results across experimental sessions was possible. The effect of modulation frequency on the amplitude and phase of the SSR was investigated at 30 different values between 10 and 98 Hz. At modulation frequencies between 10 and 20 Hz the SNR of harmonics near 40 Hz were predominant over the fundamental SSR. Above 30 Hz the SSR showed an almost sinusoidal waveform with an amplitude maximum at 40 Hz. The amplitude decreased with increasing modulation frequency but was significantly different from the magnetoencephalographic (MEG) background activity up to 98 Hz. Phase response at the fundamental and first harmonic decreased monotonically with increasing modulation frequency. The group delay (apparent latency) showed peaks of 72 ms at 20 Hz, 48 ms at 40 Hz, and 26 ms at 80 Hz. The effects of stimulus intensity, modulation depth, and carrier frequency on amplitude and phase of the SSR were also investigated. The SSR amplitude decreased linearly when stimulus intensity or the modulation depth were decreased in logarithmic steps. SSR amplitude decreased by a factor of 3 when carrier frequency increased from 250 to 4000 Hz. From the phase characteristics, time delays were found in the range of 0 to 6 ms for stimulus intensity, modulation depth, and carrier frequency, which were maximal at low frequencies, low intensities, or maximal modulation depth.

Human auditory steady-state responses to amplitude-modulated tones: phase and latency measurements

Human auditory steady-state responses were recorded to four stimuli, with carrier frequencies (f(c)) of 750, 1500, 3000 and 6000 Hz, presented simultaneously at 60 dB SPL. Each carrier frequency was modulated by a specific modulation frequency (f(m)) of 80.6, 85.5, 90.3 or 95.2 Hz. By using four different recording conditions we obtained responses for all permutations of f(m) and f(c). The phase delays (P) of the responses were unwrapped and converted to latency (L) using the equation: L=P/(360xf(m)). The number of cycles of the stimulus that occurred prior to the recorded response was estimated by analyzing the effect of modulation frequency on the responses. These calculations provided latencies of 20.7, 17.7, 16.1 and 16.1 ms for carrier frequencies 750, 1500, 3000 and 6000 Hz. This latency difference of about 4.5 ms between low and high carrier frequencies remained constant over many different manipulations of the stimuli: faster modulation rates (150-190 Hz), binaural rather than monaural presentation, different intensities, stimuli presented alone or in conjunction with other stimuli, and modulation frequencies that were separated by as little as 0.24 Hz. This frequency-related delay is greater than that measured using transient evoked potentials, most likely because of differences in how transient and steady-state responses are generated and how their latencies are determined.

Deconvolution of 40 Hz steady-state fields reveals two overlapping source activities of the human auditory cortex

Steady-state auditory evoked fields were recorded from 15 subjects using a whole head MEG system. Stimuli were 800 ms trains of binaural clicks with constant stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). Seven different SOA settings (19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31 ms) were used to give click rates near 40 Hz. Transient responses to each click were reconstructed using a new algorithm that deconvoluted the averaged responses to the different trains. Spatio-temporal multiple dipole modelling in relation to 3D MRI scans revealed two overlapping source components in both the left and right auditory cortex. The primary sources in the medial part of Heschl's gyrus exhibited a N19-P30-N40 m pattern. The secondary, weaker sources at more lateral sites on Heschl's gyrus showed a N24-P36-N46 m pattern. When applied to transient middle latency auditory evoked fields (MAEFs) recorded at SOAs of 95-135 ms, the primary sources imaged activities similar to the deconvoluted steady-state responses, but the secondary source activities were inconsistent. Linear summation of the deconvoluted source waveforms accounted for more than 96% of the steady-state variance. This indicates that the primary activity of the auditory cortex remains constant up to high stimulation rates and is not specifically enhanced around 40 Hz.

Anesthesia and the electrophysiology of auditory consciousness

Empirical work is reviewed which correlates the presence or absence of various parts of the auditory evoked potential with the disappearance and reemergence of auditory sensation during induction of and recovery from anesthesia. As a result, the hypothesis is generated that the electrophysiological correlate of auditory sensation is whatever neural activity generates the middle latency waves of the auditory evoked potential. This activity occurs from 20 to 80 ms poststimulus in the primary and secondary areas of the auditory cortex. Evidence is presented suggesting that earlier or later waves in the auditory evoked potential do not covary with auditory sensation (as opposed to auditory perception) and it is therefore suggested that they are possibly not the electrophysiological correlates of sensation.

Auditory steady-state responses to click trains from the rat temporal cortex

In order to investigate the mechanisms underlying the generation of steady-state responses (SSRs), auditory evoked potentials elicited by click trains presented at several stimulation rates (30, 40, 50, 60 Hz) were recorded in 7 awake rats by means of epidural electrodes placed over the temporal cortex. Mean amplitude-rate function calculated on the recorded responses appeared almost flat and showed the maximum value at 50 Hz, while mean phases showed a linear increase when increasing the stimulation rate. In each rat, predictions of the recorded responses at 30, 40, 50 and 60 Hz were synthesized by superimposing middle-latency auditory evoked potentials (MAEPs) at suitable time intervals at each rate. Mean amplitudes calculated on the predicted curves decreased linearly when increasing the stimulation rate and appeared higher in comparison to those obtained from the recorded SSRs. Predicted phases showed a linear increase when increasing the stimulation rate and were leading with respect to corresponding phase values calculated for recorded SSRs. Our findings indicate that the MAEP superimposition mechanism does not adequately predict the generation of temporal recorded SSRs in rats. This was explained by admitting that phenomena related to the recovery cycle and, to a lesser extent, to rate-dependent facilitating effects come into play.

Generation of human auditory steady-state responses (SSRs). II: Addition of responses to individual stimuli

In order to investigate the generation of the 40 Hz steady-state response (SSR), auditory potentials evoked by clicks were recorded in 16 healthy subjects in two stimulating conditions. Firstly, repetition rates of 7.9 and 40 Hz were used to obtain individual middle latency responses (MLRs) and 40 Hz-SSRs, respectively. In the second condition, eight click trains were presented at a 40 Hz repetition rate and an inter-train interval of 126 ms. We extracted from the whole train response: (1) the response-segment taking place after the last click of the train (last click response, LCR), (2) a modified LCR (mLCR) obtained by clearing the LCR from the amplitude enhancement due to the overlapping of the responses to the clicks preceding the last within the stimulus train. In comparison to MLRs, the most relevant feature of the evoked activity following the last click of the train (LCRs, mLCRs) was the appearance in the 50-110 ms latency range of one (in 11 subjects) or two (in 2 subjects) additional positive-negative deflections having the same periodicity as that of MLR waves. The grand average (GA) of the 40 Hz-SSRs was compared with three predictions synthesized by superimposing: (1) the GA of MLRs, (2) the GA of LCRs, (3) the GA of mLCRs. Both the MLR and mLCR predictions reproduced the recorded signal in amplitude while the LCR prediction amplitude resulted almost twice that of the 40 Hz-SSR. With regard to the phase, the MLR, LCR and mLCR closely predicted the recorded signal. Our findings confirm the effectiveness of the linear addition mechanism in the generation of the 40 Hz-SSR. However the responses to individual stimuli within the 40 Hz-SSR differ from MLRs because of additional periodic activity. These results suggest that phenomena related to the resonant frequency of the activated system may play a role in the mechanisms which interact to generate the 40 Hz-SSR.