The Journal of Laryngology & Otology

Table of Contents - 2010 - Volume 124, Issue 09  

Main Articles

Auditory steady state response in auditory neuropathy

A A Emaraa1 c1 and T A Gabra1

a1 MD Audiology Unit, ENT Department, Tanta University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Review: Auditory neuropathy is a disorder characterised by preservation of outer hair cell function, with normal otoacoustic emissions and/or cochlear microphonics, but an absent or distorted auditory brainstem response.

Purpose: This study aimed to objectively assess hearing thresholds in patients with auditory neuropathy, using the auditory steady state response.

Materials and methods: Thirteen patients with auditory neuropathy and 15 normal hearing subjects were examined. Audiological evaluation included basic audiological tests, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response and auditory steady state response.

Results: In the auditory neuropathy patients, the auditory brainstem response was absent in 11 patients, while the auditory steady state response was absent in only three.

Conclusion: The auditory steady state response may serve as a valuable objective measure for assessing the hearing threshold across different frequencies in patients with auditory neuropathy. We recommend that auditory steady state response be used to complete the evaluation of patients with auditory neuropathy.

(Accepted January 06 2010)

(Online publication April 14 2010)

Key words

Correspondence:

c1 Address for correspondence: Dr Afaf Ahmed Emara, Assistant Professor of Audiology, Tanta University, 11 Hassan Radwan Street, Tanta, Egypt. E-mail: Afaf_emara@hotmail.com

Footnotes

Presented at the 6th Tanta International Conference on Advanced Otorhinolaryngology, 15–16 January 2009, Scientific Sessions (Cairo Sheraton Hotel), Tanta, Egypt.

Dr A A Emara takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper.

Competing interests: None declared

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