Enhancement of neural stochastic firing in cochlear implant stimulation by the addition of noise: A computational study of the influence of stimulation settings and spontaneous activity

  • Authors:

  • Alessia Paglialonga;Serena Fiocchi;Paolo Ravazzani;Gabriella Tognola

  • Affiliations:

  • Istituto di Ingegneria Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ISIB-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy and Dipartimento di Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza ...;Istituto di Ingegneria Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ISIB-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy and Dipartimento di Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza ...;Istituto di Ingegneria Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ISIB-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy;Istituto di Ingegneria Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ISIB-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy

  • Venue:
  • Computers in Biology and Medicine
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

It is known that, in cochlear implants (CIs), the addition of noise to CI stimuli may enhance the stochastic firing in the auditory nerve (AN). The aim of this study was to investigate, by using a model of a fiber of the AN the influence of CI stimulation settings (i.e., stimulation rate and stimulus magnitude) and fiber spontaneous activity on the enhancement of stochastic firing when CI stimuli are combined with noise. Results showed that the stimulation rate had an effect on the enhancement of stochastic firing in the AN, whereas the stimulus magnitude and the spontaneous firing rate had no influence.