Maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response in low-risk late preterm babies

Abstract

Babies born at 33-36 weeks gestation without major complications had an increased III-V interval at high-rate stimulation. This suggests that late preterm babies have a mild delay in neural conduction in the more central part of the auditory brainstem.

Mild maturational delay of the brainstem at term in late preterm small-for-gestation age babies

“…We further conducted a more detailed study in low-risk late preterm babies using a relatively new technique -the maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response (MLS BAER). No major abnormalities were found in any MLS BAER variables, either [13]. It appears that there is no appreciable abnormality in neural maturation in late preterm babies who have no major perinatal conditions.…”

Small-for-gestation birth exerts a minor additional effect on functional impairment of the auditory brainstem in high-risk babies born at late preterm

“…The amplitude in the high-risk SGA (HR-SGA) group tends to be smaller than that in the low-risk AGA (LR-AGA) group, but greater than that in the high-risk AGA (HR-AGA) group. 2012b; Li et al, 2011). No notable abnormalities were found in low-risk late preterm babies except for a marginal increase in III-V interval at high-rate stimulation.…”

“…SGA birth exerts a minor additional effect on the impaired brainstem auditory function in high-risk babies born at late preterm Previous BAER and MLS BAER studies found no notable abnormalities in low-risk late preterm babies, suggesting that brainstem auditory function is basically normal in low-risk late preterm babies and that late preterm birth per se does not exert any significant effect on the immature brainstem auditory pathway (Li et al, 2011). On the other hand, there were apparent abnormalities in high-risk late preterm babies, suggesting functional impairment of the brainstem auditory pathway (Jiang et al, , 2012.…”

“…However, higher intensities were also used for those babies who had a BAER threshold >20 dB nHL, the same as our previous MLS BAER studies (Jiang, 2012a(Jiang, , 2015Jiang et al, 2012;Li et al, 2011). As such, MLS BAER data in all subjects could be collected at a hearing level or click intensity slightly higher than 40 dB above the threshold of each baby to compensate for individual differences in hearing sensation and for the influence of sensation level on BAER interpeak intervals (Jiang, 2012a(Jiang, , 2015Sohmer and Friedman, 1992;Stockard et al, 1979).…”

Sex and gestational age effects on auditory brainstem responses in preterm and term infants

“…Several studies indicated that preterm birth adversely affects the development of the central auditory system [6–9]. For instance, Ribeiro et al reported that preterm neonates showed longer wave V latencies than term neonates in a tone-evoked ABR study [6].…”