[Auditory brainstem responses in full-term infants and pre-term neonates]

Area of Science:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Audiology

Context:

• Infant hearing assessment is crucial for early detection of auditory processing disorders.
• Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) and behavioral audiometry are key diagnostic tools for evaluating auditory function in neonates and infants.
• Understanding auditory maturation in infants born prematurely is essential for their developmental outcomes.

Purpose:

• To investigate the relationship between gestational age (GA) and postconceptional age (PCA) and auditory maturation in infants.
• To compare auditory thresholds and Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) characteristics between full-term and pre-term infants.
• To analyze changes in wave V latency and interpeak latency I-V with maturation and stimulus intensity.

Summary:

• This study examined Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) and behavioral thresholds in 52 infants (28-41 weeks GA, 33-42 weeks PCA).
• Full-term infants had click thresholds of 32.5-35.1 dB and pure tone thresholds of 86 dB.
• Pre-term infants exhibited higher click thresholds (37.6-40 dB) and pure tone thresholds (91 dB). Wave V latency decreased from 7.84 ms (33-35 weeks PCA) to 6.57 ms (40-41 weeks PCA).
• ABR showed variable wave V latency but stable interpeak latency I-V with decreasing stimulus intensity.

Impact:

• Provides normative data for auditory development in infants, aiding in the identification of hearing impairments.
• Highlights differences in auditory maturation between pre-term and full-term infants, informing targeted interventions.
• Contributes to the understanding of electrophysiological and behavioral auditory measures in pediatric audiology.