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Steady-State Measurement and Analysis for Profiling Auditory Evoked Potentials from Short- to Long-Latency

Detailed Technology Description

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*Abstract

BackgroundThe brain is well-known to be highly electrically active at all times, as manifested on the scalpΓÇÖs surface in the electroencephalogram (EEG). This electrical activity can be synchronized, at least to some extent, with an event such as the occurrence of a sound, if not with more elaborate stimuli such as a semantic change in a brief spoken phrase. These are event-related potentials (ERPs). Steady-state responses (SSRs) pertain to a stimulus and analysis approach that recently has found great research and commercial interests in audiology, primarily for hearing threshold estimation in uncooperative subjects (e.g. very young infants). However, current methods focus on potentials corresponding to middle- and short-latency auditory ERPs, as defined by the more traditional transient response stimulus and measurement methods.TechnologyThe investigators sought to apply SSR concepts in broader neurological applications and specifically to include longer-latency responses that, a priori, reflect the activity of more cortical/cortical-ward activity. Indeed, the progression from shorter- to longer-latency responses corresponds to progressive changes in the primary levels of brain activity from pontine to cortical levels (in the case of auditory ERPs), namely using progressively slower stimulus repetition rates, e.g. from 80/s down to 1/s or less.Applications1. Hearing assessmentAdvantages1. Ability to test infants and uncooperative subjects2. Testing can continue if subject falls asleepStage of DevelopmentPrototype system and steady state technique successfully tested (n=25).

*Principal Investigator

Name: John Boston

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering

Name: Rafael Delgado, Executive Vice President & Director of Research & Software Dev

Department:

Name: John Durrant

Department: SHRS-Commu Science & Disorders

Name: Abreena Tlumak, doctoral student

Department:

Country/Region

USA