Evidence for spatio-topic organization of binaural processing in the human brainstem

Three-channel Lissajous' trajectories (3-CLT) of the binaural interaction (BI) in auditory brainstem evoked potentials (ABEP) were derived from 13 normally and symmetrically hearing adults by subtracting the response to binaural clicks from the algebraic sum of monaural responses. ABEPs were recorded from four channels, three of them orthonormal to each other, in response to alternating polarity clicks, presented at a rate of 11/s with interaural time differences (ITD) of 0.2, 0.4 and 1.0 ms and an intensity of 65 dB nHL, or isochronic to both ears with interaural intensity differences (IIDs) of 5, 10 and 15 dB (65 dB nHL +/- 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 dB, respectively). All 3-CLTs included 6 planar segments (labeled BdI, BdII, BdIII, BeI, BeII and Bf). Amplitudes of 3-CLT BI components were not significantly affected by increasing ITDs and IIDs, but latencies of all components increased significantly. The most remarkable finding was a significant change in apex orientations of BeI and BeII of the BI 3-CLT across stimulus conditions. The changes in BeI and BeII apex orientations, across stimulus conditions, may reflect differences in the anatomical representation of activity evoked by differently lateralized sounds. We suggest that this may indicate spatio-topic organization in the human brainstem.