Noise masking in cochlear synaptopathy: auditory brainstem response vs. auditory nerve response in mouse

Abstract

Using a masking paradigm, we demonstrate that noise-damaged animals exhibit “improved” performance, i.e., the dynamic range of masker levels over which an ABR remains detectable is increased in regions of damaged cochlear ribbon synapses. Furthermore, the normal masker-induced changes in ABR response latency, used as a biomarker of a healthy cochlear neural population, may reflect a shift in cochlear frequency regions dominating the response, rather than from high- to low spontaneous-rate groups as previously thought.