Electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. III. Response initiation sites and temporal fine structure

Abstract

Latency, temporal dispersion and input-output characteristics of auditory nerve fiber responses to electrical pulse trains in normal and chronically deafened cat ears were classified and tentatively associated with sites where activity is initiated. Spikes occurred in one or more of four discrete time ranges whose endpoints overlapped partially. A responses had latencies <0.44 ms, exhibited asymptotic temporal dispersion of 8-12 μs and possessed an average dynamic range of 1.2 dB for 200 pulses/s (pps) pulse trains. They likely originated from central processes of spiral ganglion cells. B1 and B2 responses (0.45-0.9 ms, 25-40 μs, 1.9 dB) likely stemmed from activity at myelinated and unmyeli..