Noise-induced changes in cochlear compression in the rat as indexed by forward masking of the auditory brainstem response

The current study was undertaken to investigate changes in forward masking patterns using on-frequency and off-frequency maskers of 7 and 10 kHz probes in the Sprague–Dawley rat. Off-frequency forward masking growth functions have been shown in humans to be non-linear, while on-frequency functions behave linearly. The non-linear nature of the off-frequency functions is attributable to active processing from the outer hair cells, and was therefore expected to be sensitive to noise-induced cochlear damage. For the study, nine Sprague–Dawley rats' auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were recorded with and without forward maskers. Forward masker-induced changes in latency and amplitude of the initial positive peak of the rats' auditory brainstem responses were assessed with both off-frequency and on-frequency maskers. The rats were then exposed to a noise designed to induce 20–40 dB of permanent threshold shift. Twenty-one days after the noise exposure, the forward masking growth functions were measured to assess noise-induced changes in the off-frequency and on-frequency forward masking patterns. Pre-exposure results showed compressive non-linear masking effects of the off-frequency conditions on both latency and amplitude of the auditory brainstem response. The noise rendered the off-frequency forward masking patterns more linear, consistent with human behavioral findings. On- and off-frequency forward masking growth functions were calculated, and they displayed patterns consistent with human behavioral functions, both prior to noise and after the noise exposure.

► Forward masking of ABR latency and amplitude was tested in rats.
► Growth of masking functions were measured before and after noise exposure.
► Off-frequency growth of masking functions were non-linear, compressive pre-noise.
► Noise exposure rendered off-frequency growth of masking functions more linear.