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Brain stem auditory-evoked responses in premature infants.
Journal of Speech and Hearing Research
|September 1, 1975
Summary
Brain stem auditory-evoked responses in infants show latency changes with sound intensity and age. This auditory function test may aid in evaluating high-risk newborns.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Assessing auditory function in newborns is crucial for early detection of hearing impairments.
- Brain stem auditory-evoked responses (BAERs) offer an objective measure of auditory pathway integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the characteristics of brain stem auditory-evoked responses in infants.
- To determine the relationship between response latency, stimulus intensity, and infant age.
- To evaluate the potential of BAERs for assessing auditory function in high-risk newborns.
Main Methods:
- Brain stem auditory-evoked responses were recorded in 24 infants.
- Infants' ages ranged from six-weeks premature to term.
- Stimulus intensity was varied to observe changes in response latency.
Main Results:
- At a given age, response latency increased as stimulus intensity decreased.
- With increasing age, there was a consistent decrease in response latency across all sound intensity levels.
- The observed responses were independent of infant fatigue or sleep stage.
Conclusions:
- Brain stem auditory-evoked response latency is influenced by both stimulus intensity and infant maturation.
- BAERs provide a reliable method for evaluating auditory pathway function in developing infants.
- This technique holds promise for the audiological assessment of high-risk newborn populations.