Residual hearing does not predict electrically evoked compound action potential shape

Evidence

Assuming that any residual hearing correlates with the auditory nerve’s neural health, subjects were divided into two groups having pre-operative 0.5–4 kHz pure tone averages ≤ 105 dB hearing loss (HL) (24 subjects) or > 105 dB HL (28 subjects). No significant between-subject group effects were found (p = 0.054; rmANOVA with cochlear region and stimulation intensity as within factors, and group as between factor). A significant decrease of a2 /a1 with increasing stimulation intensity (p < 0.001) and distance from the apex (apex vs. middle and base, p < 0.05) was found. The latency μ1 was significantly longer in the apical cochlear region compared to middle and base (p < 0.001). The width of the first Gaussian σ1 was significantly smaller in the apex vs. middle and base (p < 0.05) and with increasing stimulation intensity (p < 0.001). — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 2429

Categorization

• QUESTION: If the presumed neural-health proxy (residual hearing) shows no group effect at p = 0.054, borderline — is the assumption itself weak, or is the measure insensitive? Worth chasing the actual clinical implication.