[Brain stem auditory evoked potentials in patients with cerebrovascular diseases]

Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were recorded in 30 patients with brainstem lesions. The aim of the study was to find the correlation between an abnormal BAER and the adequate level of a brainstem lesion. The correlation noted between an abnormal BAER and level of a brainstem lesion (medulla, pons, midbrain) was not statistically significant (p = 0.073 Kruskal-Wallis H-test). This could be explained partly by the fact that a brainstem generators for the BAERs are complex and the various components of the BAERs may actually depend on multiple generators. In patients with unilateral lesions the most prominent abnormality was noted in BAERs generated by stimulating the ear ipsilateral to the lesion, except for wave V. The present study supports the concept that ipsilateral pathway (uncrossed fibres) and crossing fibres contribute to its generation.