Observation of click-evoked compound VIII nerve responses before, during, and over seven months after kanamycin treatment in the guinea pig.

Compound VIII nerve action potential responses to clicks and filtered-clicks were recorded regularly over a period of 7 months following Kanamycin treatment (8 days, 400 mg/kg), in 3 awake guinea pigs each with an implanted electrode on the round window (left ear). From the end of the treatment the responses to the click became dissociated in various degrees within three major phases: (1) a rapid phase (8 to 10 days) where the responses were dramatically altered, (2) a recovery phase which lasted about 2 months, (3) a slow phase over the subsequent 5 months where the responses to the click decreased slowly but gradually while the N 1 component, as well as the responses to the 8 000 Hz filtered-click (which became recruiting at the end of the treatment), disappeared progressively. Responses to the low frequency filtered-clicks were less affected. Cochlear cytograms showed almost complete degeneration of the inner and outer hair cells of the first turn only.