Comparison of hearing threshold determined by auditory pathway electric responses and by behavioural responses

In order to evaluate their reliability for determing the hearing threshold, the cochlear microphonic potentials, the auditory nerve and brain stem neural evoked responses as well as the cortical evoked responses were compared with the behavioural hearing thresholds of the same subjects in the same session. The threshold for recording the cochlear microphonic potnetial was found to be appreciably higher than the behavioral threshold. The threshold for recording the auditory nerve and brain stem responses was within a few decibels of the behavioural threshold. The thresold of the cortical evoked response was several decibels higher. It is concluded that (1) the auditory nerve and brain stem neural evoked responses are the best indicators of hearing threshold; (2) the cortical evoked responses are usually comparable, and (3) all types of evoked responses are indispensable aids in the evaluation of hearing and the determination of site of lesion in the auditory system.