Introduction The study of electrophysiological auditory measures with different types of masking makes it possible to understand temporal processing skills and the processes involved in speech recognition in noise situations. The use of modulated masking in cortical measures of hearing enables the obtainment of analysis parameters of the masking release and its impact on neural auditory processing.

Objective To investigate the behavior of cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) with modulated masking in the normal hearing population.

Data synthesis A total of 2,159 articles were identified in the initial search; of these, 12 were selected for full reading. After excluding studies that did not meet the eligibility criteria, six articles were included in the present systematic review.

The results show that the type of masking has an influence on cortical auditory behavior, indicating a different effect on neural posture rergarding CAEP responses. Modulated noise as masking in the CAEP record generated statistically higher and earlier responses compared with non-modulated/steady noise, evidenced by the results obtained in the meta-analysis with subgroup analysis. These responses may indicate an influence of the type of noise in the neural auditory coding.

Conclusion Better responses were observed in modulated masking in terms of the behavior of CAEPs. Decreased latency and increased amplitude of cortical measurements with the use of modulated noise indicate a lower masking effect of this noise in cortical auditory processing, evidencing the masking release phenomenon.

By their signature, all authors state that their study obtained the required ethical clearance and respected all ethical considerations and that, in particular, if the study involved human subjects, signed informed consent was obtained and privacy, respected; all the related documents are attached to this submission.

By their signature, all authors state that they have played a significant role in the conception, design, data analysis and interpretation, and writing of the manuscript, as stated by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): “Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND final approval of the version to be published; AND agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.”

Received: 05 December 2022

Accepted: 18 February 2024

Article published online:
12 April 2024

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