The sense of hearing is the fastest of our senses and provides the first all-or-none action potential in the auditory nerve in less than four milliseconds. Short stimulus evoked latencies and their minimal variability are hallmarks of auditory processing from spiral ganglia to cortex. Here, we review how even small changes in first spike latencies (FSL) and their variability (jitter) impact aud...

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPERS are produced periodically by the Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services to present discussion of current topics. The TA Papers may be used for inservice sessions, technical assistance visits, parent organization meetings, or interdisciplinary discussion groups. Topics are identified by state steering committees, district personnel, and individuals, or...

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) are electrical field potentials generated by stimulation of the auditory pathways. With repetitive auditory stimulation, reproducible electrical potentials can be elicited and recorded from scalp electrodes. These waves are generated by specific brain regions and occur at predictable intervals. Clinically, this neurophysiological property is useful t...

In modern clinical practice, there are often cases of cochleovestibular disorders induced by the use drugs. The term "drug-induced ototoxicity" is directly related to introduction streptomycin in medical practice and means ability drugs or chemicals cause functional degeneration internal ear structures: sensory-epithelial (hair) cells organ Corti, neurons eighth cranial nerve (nervus vestibuloc...

A lthough the etiology and nature of central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) remain unresolved (ASHA, 1992; Musiek, Gollegly, & Ross, 1985), performance deficits associated with this complex group of disorders are well documented. Children with CAPD present deficits in auditory perception and auditory-language processing (Katz, 1992; Keith, 1983; Willeford & Burleigh, 1985). In addition to...

Since its original description the diagnosis of word deafness has been greatly expanded. Confusion has arisen with regard to the usage of the related terms pure word deafness, auditory agnosia, and cortical deafness. Three new cases of word deafness are presented including one case with CT and necropsy correlation. These cases are compared with 34 previously reported cases of various cortical a...