[Acoustic evoked potentials and topical diagnosis in the central nervous system]

Acoustic stimulation evokes about 15 waves, the so-called auditory evoked potentials (AEP). According to their appearance in time there are three groups: early auditory evoked potentials, middle latency AEP and late latency AEP. The shorter the latency of a wave, the more precise the coordination to a definable structure in the CNS. Therefore only EAEP allow besides an evaluation of hearing threshold a differential diagnosis between peripheral, neural and central hearing disturbances. Still unclear are questions such as exact origin of waves II to V and the difference of response due to rarefaction and condensation stimuli. The test, however, is a sensitive indicator to evaluate hearing disturbances and brainstem disorders.