Discharge patterns of cat primary auditory fibers with electrical stimulation of the cochlea

Intact and destroyed cat cochleae were electrically stimulated through round window electrodes. Intact cochleae provided information about fiber properties with acoustic stimuli. With sinusoidal currents thresholds for synchronization were 4-68 microA rms. Thresholds were independent of the fiber's characteristic frequencies and thus of their places of origin in the intact cochleae. This shows large current spread. Phase-locking of the responses to electric stimulation was much stronger than it was to acoustic stimulation. Destroyed cochleae had no spontaneous activity and showed even stronger phase-locking. Thresholds obtained using 0.2 ms per phase biphasic pulse stimuli were 60-350 microApp. Action potentials were found to be released with as little as 0.3 ms latency. The neuronal responses to any electric stimulus differed considerably from the responses to corresponding acoustic stimuli. Vestibular fibers were easily activated by electric stimulation.