Reliability of slow vertex response audiometry in young children with sensorineural hearing loss

In order to supplement our previous report on the reliability and validity of slow vertex response (SVR) audiometry, the detectability of the response, the agreement among scorers and test-retest reliability were studied in 6 children aged 2-4 years who have sensorineural hearing loss of 60-75 dB for the test frequency (1 000 Hz). Mean percentage of positive response increased from 20.6 to 62.2% as stimulus intensity was increased from 60 to 80 dB. Such a sharp increase in the detectability of the response at a level of stimulus intensity close to the auditory threshold of the subjects was not observed in normal children. The results indicate that SVR audiometry is more reliable and valid in children with sensorineural hearing loss than in normal children.