Brainstem auditory evoked potentials with speech stimulus in neonates.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Audiology
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) assess subcortical neural responses to auditory stimuli.
• Speech-based BAEPs offer insights into complex sound processing but require normative data.
• Standardizing BAEPs in diverse populations is essential for clinical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze wave latencies and amplitudes of BAEPs using speech stimuli in healthy Brazilian neonates.
• To establish normative data for speech-evoked BAEPs in a specific infant population.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 21 healthy neonates (mean age 9 days) with normal hearing screening.
• Administered speech stimuli (/da/ syllable) at 80 dBNA to record BAEPs.
• Analyzed latencies and amplitudes of transient (Waves I, III, V, A) and sustained portions.

Main Results:

• 100% response rate for transient waves (I, III, V, A) with latency <10ms.
• High identification rates for sustained waves (B, C, D, E, F, O) with latencies from 11.51ms to 52.16ms.
• Neonatal BAEPs showed greater latency and amplitude variability compared to adult data.

Conclusions:

• Speech-evoked BAEPs in neonates exhibit wave morphology comparable to adults.
• Neonatal BAEPs demonstrate longer latencies and increased amplitude variability.
• Findings contribute to establishing normative values for speech-evoked BAEPs in infants.