Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
A Method for Tracking the Time Evolution of Steady-State Evoked Potentials
Published on: May 25, 2019
Latencies of auditory steady-state responses recorded in early infancy
Jane Alaerts1, Heleen Luts, Bram Van Dun
1ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium. Jane.Alaerts@med.kuleuven.be
Insights
Auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) in infants show higher thresholds and variable latencies compared to adults. These findings provide a clinical reference for assessing hearing in high-risk infants and understanding auditory development.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Infants at risk for hearing loss require reliable audiological assessments.
- Auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) are a key objective measure for hearing assessment.
- Understanding normative ASSR data in infants is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative auditory steady-state response (ASSR) thresholds and latency estimates in infants.
- To compare infant ASSR data with adult norms.
- To investigate the relationship between ASSR thresholds and behavioral hearing thresholds (BHTs) in infants.
- To examine developmental changes in ASSR latency within the infant group.
Main Methods:
- Auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) were measured in 111 ears of 70 infants aged -4 to 19 weeks.
- ASSR thresholds in normal-hearing infants were compared to adult data.
- The correlation between ASSR thresholds and behavioral hearing thresholds (BHTs) was analyzed.
- Latency of ASSRs in response to 50 dB SPL stimuli was compared between infants and adults.
- Developmental changes in infant ASSR latency were evaluated based on age groups.
Main Results:
- Infant ASSR thresholds were, on average, 12 dB higher than adult thresholds.
- Strong correlations were found between infant ASSR thresholds and BHTs across frequencies (0.75–0.87).
- ASSR latency was influenced by carrier frequency, with higher frequencies yielding shorter latencies in both infants and adults.
- Infant ASSR latencies were generally longer than adult latencies, with significant age-related differences observed within the infant group.
Conclusions:
- Normative ASSR data for infants are essential for accurate hearing assessment in this population.
- ASSRs demonstrate a strong relationship with behavioral thresholds in infants.
- Auditory system maturation, reflected in ASSR latency, continues during early infancy.
- These findings offer valuable clinical reference for interpreting ASSR results in high-risk infants.
Abstract:
Multiple-stimulus auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) were assessed in 111 ears of 70 infants between -4 and 19 weeks of age at risk for hearing loss. ASSR thresholds obtained in infants with normal hearing (n = 69 ears) were compared with normal adult ASSR thresholds (n = 32 ears), and the linear relation between ASSR thresholds and behavioral thresholds (BHTs) was investigated in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired infants (n = 79 ears). Furthermore, latency estimates of significant responses to stimuli of 50 dB SPL were compared between the normal-hearing infants (n = 171 data points) and adults (n = 124 data points) and developmental changes in latency were evaluated within the infant group. Normal ASSR thresholds were on average 12 dB higher in infants compared with adults. Correlations between ASSR thresholds and BHTs were 0.75, 0.87, 0.87 and 0.79 for 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz, respectively. There was a significant effect of carrier frequency on ASSR latency, with higher carrier frequencies evoking shorter latencies in both infants and adults. Mean latencies in adults were 24.3 +/- 1.5, 22.3 +/- 1.1, 19.4 +/- 1.0 and 18.0 +/- 1.1 ms for 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz, respectively. Depending on the data fit of the infant latency estimates, mean latencies were 1.0 ms shorter or 9.5 ms longer in infants compared with adults. In infants, latencies were on average 2.0 ms longer in the youngest infant group (< or =0 weeks) relative to the oldest infant group (3-8 weeks). These age-related trends, together with other arguments, point to longer latencies in infants compared with adults. The results of this study are valuable as a clinical reference for interpreting ASSR results obtained in high-risk infants within their first months of life and indicate that developmental changes occur regarding ASSR latency.
