Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
Semi-Automated Analysis of Peak Amplitude and Latency for Auditory Brainstem Response Waveforms Using R
Published on: December 9, 2022
Hearing screening for Japanese children and young adults using the automated auditory brainstem response
Marina Soares1, Misao Nakazawa2, Kazuo Ishikawa1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
Insights
The MB11BERAphone(®) device accurately screens hearing in children and young adults, showing high sensitivity and specificity. This automated auditory brainstem response tool is efficient for early detection of hearing problems.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Healthcare
- Medical Devices
Background:
- School hearing screening is crucial for early detection and intervention.
- Limited research exists on hearing screening for older children and young adults.
- The MB11BERAphone(®) is a novel Automated Auditory Brainstem Response device for infant hearing screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the MB11BERAphone(®) for hearing screening in pre-school, school-age, and young-adult individuals.
- To assess the accuracy of the MB11BERAphone(®) compared to traditional audiometry.
- To determine the device's effectiveness across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- 163 individuals (3-22 years) with normal or impaired hearing underwent screening.
- Automated Auditory Brainstem Response using MB11BERAphone(®) was performed after audiometry.
- Statistical analysis included sensitivity, specificity, and false-positive/negative rates.
Main Results:
- The MB11BERAphone(®) achieved 96.3% sensitivity and 95.1% specificity.
- False positive rate was 5%, and false negative rate was 4%.
- Screening time was under 7 minutes, with no significant differences across age groups.
Conclusions:
- The MB11BERAphone(®) is effective for hearing screening in individuals beyond infancy.
- Its low cost and speed make it suitable for broader age ranges.
- The device facilitates early detection of hearing issues in school-aged populations.
Objective:
Hearing screening programs in schools are particularly important for children because they can enable early detection of hearing problems and early intervention. However, there has been little research on this topic. The MB11BERAphone(®) is a novel, accurate and efficient Automated Auditory Brainstem Response device for hearing screening in infants. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of the MB11BERAphone(®) as a hearing screening device for pre-school, school-age and young-adult individuals.
Methods:
Between January 2010 and March 2012, 163 normal and hearing impaired individuals, corresponding to 321 ears from subjects aged 3-22 years 11 months at Luther Aiji Kindergarten and Nakadori General Hospital in Akita, Japan, underwent primarily conditional play audiometry or conventional audiometry followed by the Automated Auditory Brainstem Response by MB11 BERAphone(®). The statistical analysis was performed with the Predictive Analytics Software (PASW Statistics 18) and presented as the mean, standard deviation (SD) and frequency distribution. The sensitivity, specificity and false-positive and false-negative rates were estimated to analyze the validity of the MB11 BERAphone(®) test over audiometry.
Results:
Among the normal and hearing impaired ears, 140 were scored as "REFER" and 181 were scored as "PASS" during the hearing screening examination conducted using the MB11BERAphone(®) device. The specificity was 95.1%, and the sensitivity was 96.3%. The false positive rate was 5%, and the false negative rate was 4%. The overall timing without precise measurement was less than 7min. The individuals were divided into groups: pre-schoolers (3-5 years), school-age (6-17 years) and young-adults (18-22 years). When the audiometry and MB11BERAphone(®) results were compared, no statistically significant differences (p=ns) were detected among general (pre-schoolers+school-age+young-adult), pre-school, school-age, and young-adult groups.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that the MB11BERAphone(®) is not only useful for newborn hearing screening but also for hearing screening in older individuals, due to the low cost of the integrated electrodes and the speed with which the examination can be performed.
