Test–retest reliability of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response

Abstract

Objective The speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR) provides an objective measure of subcortical encoding of complex acoustic features. However, the intrasubject reliability of this response in both optimal and challenging listening conditions has not yet been systematically documented. This study aimed to evaluate test-retest reliability of the speech-evoked ABR in young adults. Methods In each of two sessions, ABRs were obtained with: 1) a 170 ms/da/ syllable presented in quiet as well as 2-talker and 6-talker babble background noise conditions and 2) a 40 ms/da/ syllable presented in quiet. Test-retest reliability of the responses was analyzed in the frequency and time domains. Results The speech-evoked ABR does not vary significantly across sessions within individuals on measures of temporal encoding (i.e., peak latencies, stimulus-to-response and response-to-response measures), frequency representation and response magnitude. Conclusions The subcortical auditory pathway produces a response to a complex sound that is stable and replicable from session to session. Significance By demonstrating the high degree of replicability in optimal and challenging listening conditions, the applicability of the speech-evoked ABR may be increased to examining a range of auditory processing abilities in clinical and research settings.

Effects of Long-Term Speech-in-Noise Training in Air Traffic Controllers and High Frequency Suppression. A Control Group Study

“…This was the first time that short-term training was shown to have the potential to improve neural mechanisms for SIN perception. These results involve and define biological mechanisms that contribute to learning success, and they provide a conceptual increase in our understanding of the kind of training that can influence sensory processing in adulthood [22] . More recently, Sweethow and Sabes [24] prospectively assessed the generalization of SIN training in a cohort of individuals with hearing loss.…”

“…Song et al [22] studied training-related malleability using a program that incorporates cognitively based listening exercises to improve SIN perception. Trained subjects exhibited significant improvements in SIN perception that were retained 6 months later.…”

“…Unfortunately, the majority of studies on how training affects SIN perception used small stimulus sets and revealed that while SIN perception can improve in artificial listening conditions, the benefit for untrained materials is not clear [19][20][21][22] . As opposed to previous studies, in which the patients were trained in situ and then tested, the aim of this study is to clarify the extent to which an individual's "real world" listening experience gained because of their occupation can lead to enhanced performance on a laboratory-based test.…”

Neural Encoding of Speech and Music: Implications for Hearing Speech in Noise

“…67 Both children and young adults who have greater F 0 magnitudes in their cABRs also have better SIN perception. 68 19 This difference in F 0 encoding was seen in the transition but not the in steady-state region of the response. The formant transition carries phonetic information 70 and its perception can easily be disrupted by noise.…”

“…In addition, when the brain stem response waveform is converted to a sound file, it actually sounds like the stimulus. 18 The cABR is particularly suited for testing individuals as the response is highly reliable, 19 and timing differences of fractions of milliseconds can be clinically significant. [20][21][22][23][24] The brain stem faithfully represents the three main features of speech and music: timing (onsets/offsets and envelope of the response), pitch (encoding of the fundamental frequency), and timbre (harmonics).…”