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Updated: Jun 7, 2026
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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Associations between Neonatal Auditory Brainstem Response and Long-Term Language Development in Preterm Children
Akari Takai1,2, Tatsuji Hasegawa1, Mitsuko Nakata3
1Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Japan, Kyoto.
American Journal of Perinatology
|June 5, 2026
Summary
Longer auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I-V interpeak latency (I-V IPL) in preterm infants is linked to poorer long-term language development. Neonatal ABR testing may help identify children needing language support.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Audiology
Background:
- Preterm birth is a risk factor for developmental delays, including language impairments.
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) assesses the integrity of the auditory pathway from the cochlea to the brainstem.
- The interpeak latency between waves I and V (I-V IPL) on ABR reflects neural conduction time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between neonatal auditory brainstem conduction (I-V IPL) and long-term language outcomes in preterm children.
- To determine if ABR measures at term-equivalent age can predict later language development.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 45 preterm infants (≤33 weeks gestation) without hearing loss.
- ABR testing performed at term-equivalent age, measuring I-V IPL.
- Language-social developmental quotients (DQs) assessed at 3 and 5-6 years using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001.
Main Results:
- Longer neonatal I-V IPL was significantly correlated with lower language-social DQ scores at 3 years (rs = -0.32, p = 0.03) and 5-6 years (rs = -0.39, p = 0.04).
- After adjusting for sex and age, longer I-V IPL remained a significant predictor of lower language-social DQ scores at 5-6 years (β = -21.00).
Conclusions:
- Neonatal I-V IPL is associated with poorer long-term language outcomes in preterm children.
- ABR I-V IPL measurement at term-equivalent age may aid clinicians in identifying preterm infants requiring long-term language development monitoring and support.
