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A Method for Tracking the Time Evolution of Steady-State Evoked Potentials
12:03

A Method for Tracking the Time Evolution of Steady-State Evoked Potentials

Published on: May 25, 2019

Maturation of bone conduction multiple auditory steady-state responses

Susan Anne Small1, David Richard Stapells

  • 1School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, The University of British Columbia, 5804 Fairview Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada. ssmall@audiospeech.ubc.ca

International Journal of Audiology
|July 9, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Infant bone-conduction (BC) hearing sensitivity matures over time. Young infants show greater BC auditory steady-state response (ASSR) amplitudes at low frequencies compared to adults, indicating enhanced sensitivity that persists for years.

Area of Science:

  • Audiology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Hearing Science

Background:

  • Understanding the maturation of auditory pathways is crucial for early detection of hearing impairments.
  • Bone-conduction (BC) hearing sensitivity development in infants is not fully characterized.
  • Auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) provide objective measures of hearing thresholds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare BC ASSRs in infants and adults with normal hearing.
  • To investigate the maturation timeline of BC hearing sensitivity.
  • To establish age-specific normative data for BC ASSRs in infants.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded BC multiple ASSRs in three age groups: 0-11 months (n=35), 12-24 months (n=13), and adults (n=18).
  • Analyzed ASSR thresholds and amplitudes across different frequencies.
  • Compared BC ASSR results between infant age groups and adults.

Main Results:

  • Low-frequency BC ASSR thresholds increased with age, suggesting developmental changes.
  • High-frequency ASSR thresholds were largely unaffected by age, except for a minor improvement at 2000 Hz.
  • Young infants exhibited larger low-frequency BC ASSR amplitudes and potentially higher sensitivity to high frequencies compared to adults, with differences persisting up to two years.

Conclusions:

  • Infant BC hearing sensitivity differs significantly from adult levels, particularly at low frequencies.
  • These differences in BC hearing sensitivity mature gradually and persist beyond infancy.
  • Age-specific normative data are necessary for accurate interpretation of BC ASSRs in infants.

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