Brainstem auditory evoked potentials and flash visual evoked potentials in Vietnamese miniature pot-bellied pigs

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and flash visual evoked potentials (VEP) were recorded from juvenile (5-7 weeks of age) and adult Vietnamese miniature pot-bellied pigs to provide normative data for clinical applications. BAEP responses were collected in response to stimulus intensities of 85, 95, and 105 dB nHL. VEP responses were collected in response to flashes of white light in a darkened room. Left-right ear and left-right eye responses did not differ significantly, and were combined for analysis, with each animal providing two data points for each response. BAEP responses in juvenile subjects were mature, and in all subjects showed the typical pattern of decreasing peak latencies and increasing peak amplitudes with increasing stimulus intensity. VEP responses in juvenile subjects were near to mature values, but the latencies still exceeded those of adults. Differences in response maturation between precocial and altricial species are discussed.