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[Objective determination of auditory threshold in the child]
E Swoboda-Brunner1, H Swoboda, K Neuwirth-Riedl
11. HNO-Klinik, Universität, Wien.
Insights
Brainstem electric response audiometry (BERA) accurately determines hearing thresholds in children, even those with difficult-to-interpret behavioral results. This method, enhanced by oral sedation, offers a reliable outpatient diagnostic solution for pediatric hearing assessments.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Context:
- Assessing hearing in young children presents challenges due to behavioral variability.
- Traditional behavioral audiometry can yield unreliable results in difficult-to-test pediatric populations.
- Accurate hearing threshold determination is crucial for early intervention and developmental outcomes.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the efficacy and reliability of Brainstem Electric Response Audiometry (BERA) in pediatric hearing assessments.
- To determine if oral sedation with chloroprothixene facilitates outpatient BERA procedures.
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of BERA with behavioral audiometry in children.
Summary:
- Brainstem Electric Response Audiometry (BERA) was performed on 77 children (aged 11 weeks to 12 years) with inconsistent behavioral-audiometric findings.
- Frequency-following responses were analyzed, demonstrating BERA's sensitivity and reliability, particularly for asymmetrical auditory thresholds.
- Oral sedation with chloroprothixene enabled successful outpatient BERA, improving diagnostic capabilities.
Impact:
- BERA provides a sensitive and reliable method for accurate hearing threshold determination in challenging pediatric cases.
- Outpatient BERA, facilitated by sedation, offers a less disturbing diagnostic option for children.
- Integrating BERA into the standard pediatric audiology test battery enhances overall diagnostic accuracy.
Abstract:
In children who are difficult to test with dubious behavioural-audiometric results, brainstem electric response audiometry (BERA) is today the method of choice for accurate determination of hearing threshold. Oral sedation with the shortacting neuroleptic chloroprothixene allows BERA to be performed on an outpatient basis. Thirty-six girls and 41 boys aged between 11 weeks and 12 years (median age 40 months) with inconsistent behavioural-audiometric findings were examined. Frequency-following responses were searched for in flat fast response curves. BERA proved to be a very sensitive method compared with behavioural audiometry and was reliable even for children who are difficult to evaluate clinically, and for asymmetrical auditory thresholds. In conjunction with the standard pedaudiological test battery, BERA improves diagnostic accuracy and causes little disturbance as an outpatient procedure.