Peristimulus Time Responses Predict Adaptation and Spontaneous Firing of Auditory-Nerve Fibers: From Rodents Data to Humans.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Translational physiological study combining animal experiments with a human intraoperative case series
PubMed 35078924 · doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0858-21.2022
What was done
Researchers developed a peristimulus time response (PSTR) method using round-window electrophysiological recordings and signal-processing algorithms to approximate single-fiber peristimulus time histograms (PSTHs). Predictive models relating PSTR to auditory nerve fiber adaptation kinetics and spontaneous firing rates were established in young adult female gerbils, validated in female mice, and then applied to humans via intraoperative auditory nerve recordings in normal-hearing patients undergoing cerebellopontine angle surgeries.
What was found
In humans tested in the 4 kHz frequency range, the model estimated a rapid adaptation time constant of ~3 ms and a mean spontaneous firing rate of ~22 spikes/s. The abstract reports no error estimates, confidence intervals, or comparative effect sizes.
Why it matters
Direct single-fiber recording from the auditory nerve is not feasible in humans. Translating round-window response modeling from rodents to humans provides a potential method to non-invasively infer auditory nerve adaptation and spontaneous discharge rates.
Limits
Sample sizes for gerbils, mice, and human patients are not reported in the abstract. Animal testing was restricted to female rodents. Human recordings were conducted intraoperatively during cerebellopontine angle surgeries, which may not represent typical outpatient recording conditions, and clinical diagnostic utility in patients with auditory disorders was not directly tested.
Cited by
- context Auditory neurons have spontaneous firing rates reaching hundreds of spikes per second.