Auditory evoked potentials in aged gerbils: responses elicited by noises separated by a silent gap

The compound action potential (CAP) and the auditory brainstem response (ABR; waves ii and iv) were recorded in young (4-8 month) and aged (33-37 month) gerbils using a paradigm similar to that used in some psychophysical studies of gap detection (a pair of identical low-pass noises separated by a silent gap). Response amplitudes were analyzed in terms of absolute amplitudes and the 'amplitude ratio' (the amplitude of the response to the second noise of a pair divided by that to the first). Response latencies were analyzed in terms of the absolute latencies as well as the 'latency shift' (the latency of the response to the second noise minus that to the first). Response amplitudes were much smaller in the aged subjects for both the first and second stimuli of a pair. There were minimal changes in amplitude ratios across age for both the CAP and ABR. Absolute latencies were similar between groups for the first stimulus of a pair, but latencies to wave iv were much longer for the aged subjects when the gap was short. Thus, the latency shift for the aged group was much longer for wave iv in the aged compared to the young group, but were similar between groups for the CAP or wave ii of the ABR. The results suggest that there may be changes in coding of temporal information in the auditory brainstem of aged gerbils which are not a direct result of abnormal temporal processing in the auditory periphery.