An Open-Source Deep Learning-Based GUI Toolbox For Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Analyses (ABRA)

Overview

Journal bioRxiv

Date 2024 Jul 1

PMID 38948763

Authors

Abhijeeth Erra

Jeffrey Chen

Elena Chrysostomou

Shannon Barret

Cayla Miller

Yasmin M Kassim

Rick A Friedman

Federico Ceriani

Walter Marcotti

Cody Carroll

Uri Manor

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce a new, open-source software developed in Python for analyzing Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) waveforms. ABRs are a far-field recording of synchronous neural activity generated by the auditory fibers in the ear in response to sound, and used to study acoustic neural information traveling along the ascending auditory pathway. Common ABR data analysis practices are subject to human interpretation and are labor-intensive, requiring manual annotations and visual estimation of hearing thresholds. The proposed new Auditory Brainstem Response Analyzer (ABRA) software is designed to facilitate the analysis of ABRs by supporting batch data import/export, waveform visualization, and statistical analysis. Techniques implemented in this software include algorithmic peak finding, threshold estimation, latency estimation, time warping for curve alignment, and 3D plotting of ABR waveforms over stimulus frequencies and decibels. The excellent performance on a large dataset of ABR collected from three labs in the field of hearing research that use different experimental recording settings illustrates the efficacy, flexibility, and wide utility of ABRA.

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