A model for the auditory evoked brainstem responses

The present research was undertaken to approach the formation of the Brainstem Evoked Response (BSER) by means of modelling techniques similar to those previously successfully adopted to interpret the generation of the Auditory Nerve Action Potential. The definition of a model intended to reproduce the compound electrical response of a given ensemble of neural units, firing after stimulation, is taken as the basic constituent for the formulation of the complete model. The activity of the primary auditory neurons is assumed to be the input to the BSER model; then, a simplified structure for the connections among the neural complexes contributing to the BSER is proposed to account for monaurally evoked, homolaterally recorded responses. Computer simulations of the model show a satisfactory degree of approximation between the experimental data taken as reference and the final output, in spite of the rather small number of parameters and the simplicity of the structure used. Even though this work has to be considered as preliminary in character, at least in certain respects, some applicative implications of the present approach can be outlined.