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Auditory brainstem responses in congenital heart disease
Y Sunaga1, K Sone, K Nagashima
1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Gunma University, Japan.
Insights
Chronic hypoxemia in infants with congenital heart disease may impair brainstem maturation. Auditory brainstem responses were prolonged in cyanotic infants, indicating developmental delays.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Cardiology
Background:
- Congenital heart disease (CHD) can lead to chronic hypoxemia.
- Brainstem maturation is crucial for auditory processing and neurological development in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of chronic hypoxemia on brainstem maturation in infants with CHD.
- To assess auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in children with and without cyanosis due to CHD.
Main Methods:
- Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were measured in 70 infants with CHD (32 cyanotic, 38 non-cyanotic) and 91 healthy controls.
- I-V interpeak latencies were analyzed at different age groups (1-3 months and 4-11 months).
- Correlation between ABR latencies and oxygen levels (partial pressure and saturation) was examined in cyanotic infants.
Main Results:
- Prolonged I-V interpeak latencies were observed in cyanotic infants compared to controls and non-cyanotic infants at both age intervals.
- A significant negative correlation was found between I-V interpeak latency and oxygen partial pressure/saturation in cyanotic children.
- Absent ABRs were noted in 4.3% of CHD patients.
Conclusions:
- Chronic hypoxemia associated with CHD appears to retard brainstem maturation in infants.
- ABR testing can reveal neurodevelopmental effects of hypoxemia in pediatric CHD.
- Early detection and management of hypoxemia may be vital for optimal neurological outcomes in infants with CHD.
Abstract:
To evaluate the effect of chronic hypoxemia on brainstem maturation, auditory brainstem responses were examined in 70 children (32 with and 38 without cyanosis) who had congenital heart disease. Ninety-one age-matched normal children served as controls. At 1-3 months of age, the I-V interpeak latencies of cyanotic infants (mean +/- S.D.; 5.17 +/- 0.17 ms) were more prolonged than were those of controls (4.95 +/- 0.11 ms) and those without cyanosis (4.84 +/- 0.22 ms; P < .05; P < .01). At 4-11 months of age, the I-V interpeak latencies of cyanotic infants (4.85 +/- 0.13 ms) were more prolonged than were those of controls (4.67 +/- 0.19 ms) and those not experiencing cyanosis (4.5 +/- 0.17 ms; P < .05; P < .01). In the cyanotic children, there was a significant negative correlation between the I-V interpeak latency and oxygen partial pressure (P < .01) or oxygen saturation (P < .05). Three of the 70 patients (4.3%) with congenital heart disease had absent auditory brainstem response. These data indicate that chronic hypoxemia may be one of the factors in retarded brainstem maturation.