Development of auditory brainstem evoked response in normal Chinese children

The average brainstem evoked potentials elicited by auditory click stimuli were recorded from 144 normal Chinese children including the age groups of newborns, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 to 5 years, 5 to 10 years and 10 to 15 years. The auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were analyzed for peak latencies, interpeak latencies and wave configuration in each group. The latencies of the wave components decreased with age. The auditory function related to peripheral transmission (PT) and central (brainstem) transmission (CT) was shown to mature at different rates. PT reached the adult pattern around the age of 3 months; whereas CT matched that of adult until or soon after 1 year of age. In addition, the waveforms of ABR display an independent course for development. By 6 months of age, the adult configuration replaces the infantile response. Longitudinal follow-ups on several subjects paralleled the transverse data. It is estimated that the first one year of life is the critical period for the development of auditory function postnatally, both peripheral and central pathways. ABR is a very reliable test to show the maturational changes of auditory and brainstem function.