Determining electrically evoked compound action potential thresholds: A comparison of computer versus human analysis methods

摘要

ObjectivesCurrent cochlear implants (CIs) have telemetry capabilities for measuring the electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP). Neural Response Telemetry (NRT™; Cochlear) and Neural Response Imaging (NRI; Advanced Bionics [AB]) can measure ECAP responses across a range of stimulus levels to obtain an amplitude growth function. Software-specific algorithms automatically mark the leading negative peak, N1, and the following positive peak/plateau, P2, and apply linear regression to estimate ECAP threshold. Alternatively, clinicians may apply expert judgments to modify the peak markers placed by the software algorithms, and/or use visual detection to identify the lowest level yielding a measurable ECAP response. The goals of this study were to: (1) assess the variability between human and computer decisions for (a) marking N1 and P2, and (b) determination of linear regression threshold (LRT) and visual detection threshold (VDT); and (2) compare LRT and VDT methods within and across human and computer decision methods.