Auditory Brainstem Responses to Bone-Conducted Brief Tones in Young Children with Conductive or Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Abstract

The bone-conduction (BC) tone ABR has been used clinically for over 20 years. The current study formally evaluated the test performance of the BC tone-evoked ABR in infants with hearing loss. Method. By comparing BC-ABR results to follow-up behavioural results, this study addressed two questions: (i) whether the BC tone ABR was successful in differentiating children with conductive versus sensorineural hearing loss (Study A; conductive: 68 ears; SNHL: 129 ears) and (ii) the relationship between BC ABR and behavioural hearing loss severity (Study B: 2000 Hz: 104 ears; 500 Hz: 47 ears). Results. Results demonstrate that the “normal” BC-ABR levels accurately differentiated normal versus elevated cochlear sensitivity (accuracy: 98% for 2000 Hz; 98% for 500 Hz). A subset of infants in Study A with elevated BC-ABR (i.e., no response at normal level) had additional testing at higher intensities, which allowed for categorization of the degree of cochlear impairment. Study B results indicate that the BC ABR accurately categorizes the degree of cochlear hearing loss for 2000 Hz (accuracy = 95.2%). A preliminary dBnHL-to-dBHL correction factor of “0 dB” was determined for 2000 Hz BC ABR. Conclusions. These findings further support the use of BC tone ABR for diagnostic ABR testing.

Hearing outcome of infants with congenital cytomegalovirus and hearing impairment

“…Due to variability in BC thresholds and following previous clinical recommendations, below those thresholds, the children were considered as a ‘normal hearing group’ 8. The auditory responses were digitised at a sampling rate of 10 kHz with 12-bit accuracy using the Bio-Logic Explorer System (Bio-Logic Systems, Mundelein, Illinois, USA).…”

Comparisons of Auditory Steady State Response and Behavioral Air Conduction and Bone Conduction Thresholds for Infants and Adults With Normal Hearing

“…Correction factors are available for AC tone-evoked ABR thresholds, and conservative preliminary values have been proposed for AC ASSR thresholds. Hatton et al (2012) recently posited a correction factor for 2000 Hz BC ABR; however, there are no correction factors at other frequencies for BC ABR or at any frequencies for BC ASSR for reasons discussed earlier. Until further data are obtained to determine appropriate correction factors, ASSR can only be used as a screening tool or a supplement to the ABR Van Maanen & Stapells 2010).…”

Air-And Bone-Conduction Auditory Brainstem Response in Children with Congenital External Auditory Canal Atresia

“…Vibration of the skull results in auditory sensation and a way to bypass the outer and middle ears to stimulate the cochlea. The goal of bone ABR is to estimate cochlear function and to help identify the type of hearing loss present [11,12]. Moreover, bone-conduction ABR can be used to evaluate the hearing level after wearing boneanchored hearing aid, particularly in children.…”