Source Model of Magnetic Fields of Auditory Evoked Brainstem Responses

The origins of auditory evoked brainstem responses (ABRs) are not fully understood. In the present study we investigate a possible mechanism of ABR occurrence. A source model for ABRs is proposed which simulates, in part, ABR waveforms. Pathways of auditory nerves are represented by a combination of five or six straight lines. Using this simple pathway model, the waveforms and spatial distributions of electrical potentials and magnetic fields are simulated. The results show that electrical potentials change with the dipole orientation. The spatial patterns of electrical potentials and magnetic fields also vary as the dipole orientation changes. The spatial patterns of calculated potentials closely simulate the contour maps of wave V in measured ABRs.