@phdthesis{Ciba2021,
  author    = {Ciba, Manuel},
  title     = {Synchrony Measurement and Connectivity Estimation of Parallel Spike Trains from in vitro Neuronal Networks},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-22364},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223646},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The goal of this doctoral thesis is to identify appropriate methods for the estimation of connectivity and for measuring synchrony between spike trains from in vitro neuronal networks. Special focus is set on the parameter optimization, the suitability for massively parallel spike trains, and the consideration of the characteristics of real recordings. Two new methods were developed in the course of the optimization which outperformed other methods from the literature. The first method "Total spiking probability edges" (TSPE) estimates the effective connectivity of two spike trains, based on the cross-correlation and a subsequent analysis of the cross-correlogram. In addition to the estimation of the synaptic weight, a distinction between excitatory and inhibitory connections is possible. Compared to other methods, simulated neuronal networks could be estimated with higher accuracy, while being suitable for the analysis of massively parallel spike trains. The second method "Spike-contrast" measures the synchrony of parallel spike trains with the advantage of automatically optimizing its time scale to the data. In contrast to other methods, which also adapt to the characteristics of the data, Spike-contrast is more robust to erroneous spike trains and significantly faster for large amounts of parallel spike trains. Moreover, a synchrony curve as a function of the time scale is generated by Spike-contrast. This optimization curve is a novel feature for the analysis of parallel spike trains.},
  subject      = {Synchronit{\"a}tsmessung},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Kretzer2022,
  author    = {Kretzer, Katharina},
  title     = {Einfluss der Form elektrischer Impulse auf die intracochle{\"a}re neuronale Antwort bei Cochlea-Implantat-Tr{\"a}gern: triphasische Pulse mit anodischer und kathodischer zweiter Phase},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-28165},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-281650},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Vorliegende Arbeit besch{\"a}ftigte sich mit der Verbesserung von Defiziten der elektrischen Stimulation durch Cochlea Implantate (CI) mit alternativen Pulsformen. Dabei wurde mit elektrophysiologischen und psychophysikalischen Methoden untersucht, wie sich die Pulsformen auf die Effektivit{\"a}t der Stimulation auswirken. Es wurden pr{\"a}zisions-triphasische Pulse (pTP) mit anodischer und kathodischer zweiter Phase anhand der Daten von elf Probanden untersucht. Im Rahmen der objektiven elektrophysiologischen Messung wurde mit den unterschiedlichen Formen des pTP an drei unterschiedlichen Kontaktpositionen auf den CI-Elektrodentr{\"a}gern stimuliert, und die St{\"a}rke der jeweils evozierten neuronalen Antwort aufgezeichnet. Der subjektive psychophysikalische Test diente dazu, die pulsformspezifischen H{\"o}rschwellen zu bestimmen und wurde an zwei unterschiedlichen Kontakten auf den CI-Elektrodentr{\"a}gern durchgef{\"u}hrt. Dabei erzielten pTP, welche eine symmetrisch-triphasische Pulsform aufwiesen, geringere neuronale Antwortst{\"a}rken und h{\"o}here H{\"o}rschwellen als die pTP, die einer biphasischen Pulsform glichen. Diejenigen pTP, die biphasischen Pulsen mit anodischer erster Phase glichen, erzielten dabei die h{\"o}chsten neuronalen Antwortst{\"a}rken und die niedrigsten H{\"o}rschwellen.},
  subject      = {Cochlear-Implantat},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Pieper2021,
  author    = {Pieper, Sabrina H.},
  title     = {Temporal information transfer by electrical stimulation in auditory implants},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-22388},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223887},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {In deafness, which is caused by the malfunctioning of the inner ear, an implantation of a cochlear implant (CI) is able to restore hearing. The CI is a neural prosthesis that is located within the cochlea. It replaces the function of the inner hair cells by direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve fibers. The CI enables many deaf or severe hearing-impaired people to achieve a good speech perception. Nevertheless, there is a lot of potential for further improvements. Compared to normal-hearing listeners rate pitch discrimination is much worse. Rate pitch discrimination is the ability to distinguish the pitch of two stimuli with two different pulse rates. This ability is important for enjoying music as well as speech perception (in noise). Further, the small dynamic range in electrical hearing (compared to normal-hearing listeners) and therefore the small intensity resolution limits the performance of CI users. Both, rate pitch coding and dynamic range were investigated in this doctoral thesis. For the first issue, a pitch discrimination task was designed to determine the just-noticeable-difference (JND) in pitch with 200 and 400 pps as reference. Additionally to the default biphasic pulse (single pulse) the experiment was performed with double pulses. The double pulse consists out of two biphasic pulses directly after each other and a small interpulse interval (IPI) in between. Three different IPIs (15, 50, and 150 µs) were tested. The statistical analysis of JNDs revealed no significant effects between stimulation with single-pulse or double-pulse trains. A follow-up study investigated an alternating pulse train consisting of single and double pulses. To investigate if the 400 pps alternating pulse train is comparable in pitch with the 400 pps single-pulse train, a pairwise pitch comparison test was conducted. The alternating pulse train was compared with single-pulse trains at 200, 300 and 400 pps. The results showed that the alternating pulse train is for most subjects similar in pitch with the 200 pps single-pulse train. Therefore, pitch perception seemed to be dominated by the double pulses within the pulse train. Accordingly, double pulses with different amplitudes were tested. Based on the facilitation effect, a larger neuronal response was expected by stimulating with two pulses with a short IPI within the temporal facilitation range. In other studies, this effect was shown to be maximal in CIs of the manufacturer Cochlear, with first pulse amplitudes set at or slightly below the electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) threshold. The second pulse amplitude did not influence the facilitation effect and therefore could be choose at will. Similarly, this effect was tested in this thesis with CIs of the manufacturer MED-EL. Nevertheless, to achieve a proper signal-to-noise ratio, technical issues had to be addressed like a high noise floor, resulting in incorrect determination of the ECAP threshold. After solving this issues, the maximum facilitation effect was around the ECAP threshold as in the previous study with Cochlear. For future studies this effect could be used in a modified double pulse rate pitch experiment with the first pulse amplitude at ECAP threshold and the second pulse amplitude variable to set the most comfortable loudness level (MCL). The last study within this thesis investigated the loudness perception at two different loudness levels and the resulting dynamic range for different interphase-gaps (IPG). A larger IPG can reduce the amplitude at same loudness level to save battery power. However, it was unknown if the IPG has an influence on the dynamic range. Different IPGs (10 and 30 µs) were compared with the default IPG (2.1 µs) in a loudness matching experiment. The experiment was performed at the most comfortable loudness level (MCL) of the subject and the amplitude of half the dynamic range (50\%-ADR). An upper dynamic range was calculated from the results of MCL and 50\%-ADR (therefore not the whole dynamic range was covered). As expected from previous studies a larger IPG resulted in smaller amplitudes. However, the observed effect was larger at MCL than at 50\%-ADR which resulted in a smaller upper dynamic range. This is the first time a decrease of this dynamic range was shown.},
  subject      = {Cochlear-Implantat},
  language  = {en}
}