Sex differences in the amplitudes and latencies of the human auditory brain stem potential

Sex differences in the amplitudes and latencies of the auditory brain stem potential (BAEP) were investigated using 3 levels of intensity and 3 stimulus presentation rates. The females displayed consistently larger BAEPs for waves IV, V, VI, VII than the males. The only latency differences which reached significance over all the intensities and rates occurred for wave V. The females showed significantly shorter wave V latencies than the males. Since hearing losses and individually determined click thresholds were comparable between the two groups tested, the exact sources of the uneven distribution of amplitude and latency effects are in question. Differences in the relative distances of the anatomical generators are considered in accounting for the sex differences. Because the precise origin of the sex differences cannot be stated with certainty at this time, attempts to develop normative data for the BAEP should consider the possible influences of sex differences.