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Updated: May 20, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Effect of hearing aids on auditory function in infants with perinatal brain injury and severe hearing loss
Alma Janeth Moreno-Aguirre1, Efraín Santiago-Rodríguez, Thalía Harmony
1Unidad de Investigación en Neurodesarrollo Dr Augusto Fernández Guardiola, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, México.
Insights
Early hearing aid use in infants with profound hearing loss significantly reduced auditory brain response (ABR) and auditory steady state response (ASSR) thresholds. Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) showed no changes, indicating no receptor damage from hearing aid intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Neonatal neuroscience
- Hearing loss rehabilitation
Background:
- Perinatal risk factors contribute to hearing loss in 2-4% of newborns.
- Infants with perinatal brain injury and profound hearing loss require effective auditory interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of early hearing aid use on auditory function in infants with profound hearing loss and perinatal brain injury.
- To assess changes in otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), auditory brain responses (ABRs), and auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) following hearing aid intervention.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, longitudinal study design was employed.
- Auditory function was assessed using OAE, ABR, and ASSR before and after six months of hearing aid use in the affected ear (right ear).
- The contralateral ear (left ear) served as a non-stimulated control.
Main Results:
- The average ABR threshold significantly decreased from 90.0 to 80.0 dB after six months of hearing aid use (p = 0.003).
- A significant decrease in ASSR threshold at 4000 Hz was observed (from 89 dB to 72 dB, p = 0.013).
- OAEs remained absent, and no significant changes were noted in ABR or ASSR thresholds in the control ear.
Conclusions:
- Early hearing aid use effectively reduces hearing thresholds as measured by ABR and ASSR in infants with profound hearing loss.
- The study demonstrates no adverse effects on the auditory receptor, as evidenced by stable OAEs.
- Hearing aid intervention is a beneficial therapeutic strategy for improving auditory function in this vulnerable population.
Background:
Approximately 2-4% of newborns with perinatal risk factors present with hearing loss. Our aim was to analyze the effect of hearing aid use on auditory function evaluated based on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), auditory brain responses (ABRs) and auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) in infants with perinatal brain injury and profound hearing loss.
Methodology/Principal Findings:
A prospective, longitudinal study of auditory function in infants with profound hearing loss. Right side hearing before and after hearing aid use was compared with left side hearing (not stimulated and used as control). All infants were subjected to OAE, ABR and ASSR evaluations before and after hearing aid use. The average ABR threshold decreased from 90.0 to 80.0 dB (p = 0.003) after six months of hearing aid use. In the left ear, which was used as a control, the ABR threshold decreased from 94.6 to 87.6 dB, which was not significant (p>0.05). In addition, the ASSR threshold in the 4000-Hz frequency decreased from 89 dB to 72 dB (p = 0.013) after six months of right ear hearing aid use; the other frequencies in the right ear and all frequencies in the left ear did not show significant differences in any of the measured parameters (p>0.05). OAEs were absent in the baseline test and showed no changes after hearing aid use in the right ear (p>0.05).
Conclusions/Significance:
This study provides evidence that early hearing aid use decreases the hearing threshold in ABR and ASSR assessments with no functional modifications in the auditory receptor, as evaluated by OAEs.
