A method is provided for processing a neural measurement obtained in the presence of noise, in order to detect whether a locally evoked neural response is present in the neural measurement. A first neural measurement is obtained from a first sense electrode. A second neural measurement is contemporaneously obtained from a second sense electrode spaced apart from the first electrode along a neural pathway of the neural response. A neural response decay is determined, being a measure of the decay in the neural response from the first sense electrode to the second sense electrode. A ratio of the neural response decay to an amplitude normalising term is calculated. From the ratio it is determined whether a locally evoked neural response is present in the neural measurement.