Constant RMS versus constant peak modulation for the perceptual equivalence of sinusoidal amplitude modulated signals

Neuroprosthetics using intracortical microstimulation can potentially alleviate sensory deprivation due to injury or disease. However the information bandwidth of a single microstimulation channel remains largely unanswered. This paper presents three experiments that examine the importance of Peak Power/Charge and RMS Power/Charge for detection of acoustic and electrical Sinusoidal Amplitude Modulated stimuli by the auditory system. While the peripheral auditory system is sensitive to RMS power cues for the detection of acoustic stimuli, here we provide results that suggest that the auditory cortex is sensitive to peak charge cues for electrical stimuli. Varying the modulation frequency and depth do not change this effect for detection of modulated electrical stimuli.