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Updated: Jun 14, 2025
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Factors influencing auditory brainstem response changes in infants
Tomoko Esaki1, Tadao Yoshida2, Masumi Kobayashi2
1Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center, Aichi, Japan.
Insights
Infant auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds can improve over time, particularly in infants with otitis media with effusion or Down syndrome. Further auditory assessments are recommended for these infants to ensure accurate hearing loss diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) is crucial for infant hearing assessment.
- Understanding factors influencing ABR threshold improvement is vital for early diagnosis.
- Infant hearing loss diagnosis requires accurate and reliable assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors affecting auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold improvement in infants.
- To compare ABR waveform latencies in infants with and without hearing improvement.
- To guide follow-up ABR testing protocols for infants at risk.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 626 infants undergoing ABR between 2016-2020.
- Categorization into improved (≥20 dBnHL) and unchanged (<20 dBnHL) ABR threshold groups.
- Evaluation of risk factors and comparison of wave latencies (I, III, V) between groups.
Main Results:
- 185 infants showed ABR threshold improvement; 167 did not.
- Otitis media with effusion and Down syndrome were associated with ABR improvement.
- Prolonged wave latencies (I, III, V) seen in improved group with otitis media; shortened I-V interval in unchanged group with Down syndrome.
Conclusions:
- Approximately 50% of infants demonstrated ABR threshold improvement upon retesting.
- Congenital syndromes like Down syndrome and otitis media with effusion warrant repeat ABR testing.
- Accurate diagnosis of infant hearing loss necessitates careful consideration of these factors and potential follow-up assessments.
Background:
To elucidate the factors influencing auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold improvement in infants.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 626 infants who underwent ABR at the our Health and Medical Center between 2016 and 2020. Preliminary assessment indicated that 352 infants had an ABR threshold ≥40 dBnHL in both ears. A second ABR examination was conducted 5 months after delivery. The participants were divided into the improved (improvement ≥20 dBnHL) and unchanged (improvement <20 dBnHL) groups. The associations between risk factors were evaluated. Furthermore, we measured and compared the latencies of waves I, III, and V between participants with normal hearing and those in the improved and unchanged groups.
Results:
The improved and unchanged groups consisted of 185 and 167 participants, respectively. ABR deterioration occurred in one infant with unilateral congenital cytomegalovirus-associated hearing loss. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of otitis media with effusion and Down syndrome were factors contributing to ABR threshold improvement. In the ABR waveform analysis, patients in the improved group who had otitis media with effusion exhibited prolonged latencies of waves I, III, and V. Conversely, patients in the unchanged group who had Down syndrome showed shortened I-V interval.
Conclusions:
Half of the infants tested the second time showed improvement in ABR threshold. Children with congenital syndromes (such as Down syndrome) or otitis media with effusion should undergo a second ABR examination or other auditory assessments to ensure an accurate diagnosis of hearing loss.
