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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
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Data Acquisition and Analysis In Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry In Mice
Published on: May 10, 2019
Test-retest reliability of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response
Judy H Song1, Trent Nicol, Nina Kraus
1Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
Summary
The speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR) is reliable for measuring how the brain processes sound. This objective measure is consistent across testing sessions, even in noisy environments.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
- Speech Processing
Background:
- The speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR) offers an objective method to assess subcortical encoding of complex acoustic features.
- Intrasubject reliability of speech-evoked ABR in varying listening conditions remains under-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the speech-evoked ABR in young adults.
Main Methods:
- ABRs were recorded in two sessions using a /da/ syllable (170 ms) in quiet, 2-talker babble, and 6-talker babble.
- A shorter /da/ syllable (40 ms) in quiet was also used.
- Test-retest reliability was assessed using frequency and time-domain analyses.
Main Results:
- Speech-evoked ABRs showed no significant session-to-session variation within individuals.
- Measures of temporal encoding, frequency representation, and response magnitude were stable.
Conclusions:
- The subcortical auditory pathway generates stable and replicable responses to complex sounds.
- High replicability supports increased use of speech-evoked ABR for auditory processing research and clinical applications.
