Auditory evoked potentials from the human cochlea and brainstem.

Abstract

Auditory evoked potentials generated in the cochlea and the brainstem can be recorded from the human scalp. These potentials generally have a latency of less than 15 ms and an amplitude of less than 2 microV. They are, nevertheless, relatively easy to record using averaging, provided that appropriate attention is paid to the frequency band-pass of the amplifier-filters and to the locations of the recording electrodes. The responses are precisely determined by a variety of stimulus factors such as intensity and frequency, and by many subject parameters such as age and sex. This paper considers the anatomical and physiological principles underlying these relationships.