What is it about?

Auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) are available for frequency-dependent hearing threshold estimation in addition to the technique of conventional auditory brainstem responses (ABR). The diagnostic consistency between ABR and ASSR using narrow-band-chirp-stimuli at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz was analyzed in 47 children with single-sided deafness with varying MRI-morphologic findings: cochlear nerve malformation (CNM, n = 24), cochlear malformation (CM, n = 7) vs. combined malformation (CM + CNM, n = 8) vs. absent temporal bone and inner ear pathology (n = 8). Children with additional health issues other than SSD were excluded.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Although ABR and ASSR principally show strong correlations in hearing threshold estimation, there is preliminary evidence that temporal bone malformations might be associated with significantly greater differences between ABR- and ASSR-results. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare hearing threshold estimation derived from ABR and ASSR in a larger cohort of single-sided deafness (SSD) of various etiology, including temporal bone anomalies.

Perspectives

In cochlear nerve malformation, ASSR and ABR frequently provide significantly discrepant hearing threshold estimations, probably derived from a cochlear origin. ASSR should only be used in conjunction with conventional ABR in the diagnostic management of suspected severe-profound hearing loss or deafness in children. A large difference between ASSR and ABR thresholds may indicate a cochlear nerve anomaly.

Dr. rer. biol. hum. Daniel Polterauer-Neuling (née Polterauer)
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: A comparison of ABR and ASSR using narrow-band-chirp-stimuli in children with single-sided deafness of various etiology, European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, October 2025, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s00405-025-09708-y.
You can read the full text:

Read

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page