[Auditory brainstem potentials in old adult subjects (author's transl)]

Auditory brainstem potentials were recorded in 54 old adult subjects ranging in age from 61 to 89 years. Attention was paid to interwave latencies in order to assess the effects of aging on central conduction time. The data were compared to those obtained in 41 young adult subjects. Advancing age resulted in a slight-prolongation of I-III, III-V and I-V interpeak latencies when compared to young adult subjects (about 0.2 ms); nevertheless there were no statistical differences between the mean values of old and young subjects. Abnormalities of brainstem potentials were found in 30% of the old patients; i.e. interpeak latency prolongation and desynchronisation. Brainstem abnormalities were more likely to be found in patients with delta E.E.G. activity and criteria of deterioration at the psychometric tests. Lesser degrees of abnormalities (7%) were seen in old patients without any vascular or neurologic disorder, than in patients with one of those pathological processes (77%). The results suggest that brainstem potentials abnormalities observed in old subjects are not related to age as such, but to associated vascular or degenerative disorders, the frequency of which increases with age.