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Auditory Evoked Potential Audiograms Compared with Behavioral Audiograms in Aquatic Animals
Joseph A Sisneros1, Arthur N Popper2, Anthony D Hawkins3
1Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA. sisneros@uw.edu.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|November 28, 2015
Summary
Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) can estimate hearing, but often underestimate thresholds in fish and marine mammals. AEP and behavioral audiograms are not equivalent and require similar acoustic conditions for valid comparisons.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Bioacoustics
- Auditory Neuroscience
Background:
- Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) are increasingly used to assess hearing in aquatic animals.
- Understanding the relationship between AEP and behavioral audiograms is crucial for accurate hearing assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of AEPs for estimating hearing thresholds and audiograms in fishes and marine mammals.
- To compare AEP audiograms with behavioral audiograms under various acoustic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Review and comparison of existing studies on AEP and behavioral audiograms in aquatic species.
- Analysis of factors influencing the discrepancy between AEP and behavioral measures, particularly acoustic conditions.
Main Results:
- AEP measurements frequently underestimate behavioral hearing thresholds in fishes and marine mammals.
- Direct comparisons between AEP and behavioral audiograms are complicated by differing acoustic environments.
- No universal relationship exists between AEP and behavioral audiograms; they are not interchangeable.
Conclusions:
- AEP audiograms should not be considered equivalent to behavioral audiograms.
- For meaningful comparisons, AEP and behavioral audiograms must be obtained under identical acoustic conditions by the same researchers.
