Effects of the rates of pseudo-spontaneous spikes generated by electric stimuli on information transmission in an auditory nerve fiber model

In this study, the effects of the rate of pseudo-spontaneous spikes on information transmission of the spike trains in response to the electric pulsatile stimulus currents in an auditory nerve fiber (ANF) model is investigated through computer simulation. The pseudo-spontaneous spikes can be generated by high rate pulsatile electric stimuli, making it possible to efficiently encode sound stimuli into the spike trains of the ANF in cochlear prostheses. In this investigation, the information rate of the spike trains in response to sinusoidally modulated pulsatile electric stimuli was estimated as the amplitude of the pulsatile electric stimuli (the rate of pseudo-spontaneous spikes) was varied. The results show that the information rates increased, reached a maximum, and then decreased, in several different values of modulation depth, as the rate of pseudo-spontaneous spikes increased. This may imply a resonance phenomenon dependent on the rate of pseudo-spontaneous spikes generated by electric stimuli in the ANF model. These findings may play a key role in the design of better cochlear prostheses.