Application of maximum length sequence analysis to auditory brainstem response testing of premature newborns

The feasibility of utilizing maximum length sequence analysis (MLSA) with newborns was examined on 40 premature infants residing in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were initially obtained using a conventional stimulus rate of 33.3/sec. Using MLSA, responses were also recorded using much faster stimulus rates (227.3/sec, 454.5/sec, and 909.1/sec). As expected, faster stimulus rates resulted in longer ABR component wave latencies. Less expected was the clarity of the ABRs that were obtained through MLSA. Well-defined responses were obtained from premature infants at all stimulus rates. The findings suggest that MLSA may have clinical applications to newborn hearing screening.