Auditory brain stem potentials evoked by clicks in notch-filtered masking noise.

Auditory brain stem evoked potentials (ABEPs) were recorded in response to wide-band clicks in notch-filtered masking noise. Notches (1/2 octave wide, 96 dB/octave slopes) were centered on the audiometric frequencies. Without the notches, masking noise intensity was adjusted to obliterate ABEPs. Intensity series, with both clicks and masking noise attenuated by the same 10 dB steps, were obtained for clicks masked by notched noise, in addition to unmasked clicks. Absolute latencies and interpeak latency differences of ABEPs to clicks in notched noise did not change with notch frequency. Absolute latencies were longer for ABEPs to clicks with notched noise than to unmasked clicks. For all stimuli, latencies were prolonged when stimulus intensity decreased. The findings suggest that ABEPs to clicks in notched noise are initiated by low threshold cochlear activation which may account for the independence of component latency from 'travelling wave' propagation time. These potentials may be representative of only one subset of the constituents of ABEPs to wide-bank unmasked clicks. The clinical application of these potentials must await elucidation of their relevance to the process of hearing.