[Mid-latency auditory evoked potential]

Given the diversity of criteria regarding the use of the midlatency auditory evoked potential (MLAEP) for diagnostic purposes, we carry out a review of the subject and highlight areas such as the generators of fundamental components, the conditions in which responses are obtained, factors that can modify results and the clinical uses that have been reported.

There seems to be a strong tendency towards considering areas of the primary and secondary auditory cortex as generators of the response, with the subcortical structures playing a moderating role. Factors such as age, the method of stimulation used and the monitoring conditions can all exert an influence on the characteristics of this evoked response and modify its capacity for detection and repetition. Clinical uses of this potential range from the detection of the hearing threshold, monitoring the depth of anaesthesia, the functional evaluation of cochlear implants, and the diagnosis of neurological disorders, among others.

MLAEP is a technique that is widely used in the study of the most rostral segments of the auditory pathway and this information complements that provided by short latency responses and increases the diagnostic sensitivity of auditory evoked potentials.