Graeme Clark Collection

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    Cochlear implant research directions
    Clark, Graeme M. (Monduzzi Editore, 1997)
    Frequency Coding: Initial cochlear implant research (Clark, 1969) showed that with electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve there is an electroneural "bottle-neck" limiting the flow of information from sound to the central auditory nervous system. This electroneural "bottle-neck" is due to the difficulty in simulating with electrical stimulation the temporal as well as the place coding of frequency. One of the main aims of our research is to improve cochlear implant performance by widening the "bottle-neck" with better simulation of the temporal and place coding of frequency. Temporal coding is considered to be due to a direct relationship between the intervals between action potentials and the period of the sound wave. Temporal coding is thought to apply to low frequencies, but its importance for high frequencies is still not clear. Place coding is due to excitation of specific sites within the cochlea and the central auditory pathways 'so that a frequency scale is preserved anatomically (i.e. the brain is organized tonotopically).
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    An improved model of electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve
    Bruce, I. ; Irlicht, L. S. ; White, M. ; O'Leary, S. J. ; Dynes, S. ; Javel, E. ; Clark, Graeme M. (Monduzzi Editore, 1997)
    Mathematical models are a useful means of formally describing and investigating pertinent features of complex systems such as the human auditory system. These features may be deduced from physiological and psychophysical experiments utilising animal models or humans, and from engineering studies. Historically, models of the auditory nerve's (AN) response to electrical stimulation have ignored randomness in single-fiber activity which has been recorded in physiological studies. These models, however, have been unable to accurately predict a number of important psychophysical phenomena. In this study, a model that incorporates random activity of the AN is presented, and is shown to predict psychophysical performance. These results indicate that random activity is indeed an important part of the response of the AN to electrical stimulation.