Auditory perceptions induced by low-frequency acoustic and electric stimulation.

A comparison was made between listeners' perceptions of low frequency (LF) acoustic and electric stimuli. One normal-hearing S participated, and 3 profoundly deaf pts with intracochlear electrode systems. All Ss described their auditory perceptions to pulsatile and sinusoidal stimuli from 5 to 60 c/s. LF acoustic and electric stimuli produced similar auditory perceptions; no tactual component was found to electrical stimuli, although tactual components have been reported for LF acoustic stimuli; and at 5 c/s perceptual differences were noted between pulsed and sinusoidal stimuli, differences believed to be related to the degree of neural synchrony elicited by the two types of stimulus. This study provides direct support for the theory that in normal listeners LF auditory perception is attributable to a neural volley mechanism.