Auditory brainstem response thresholds difference using Click and CE-Chirp in auditory brainstem response

Abstract

Introduction: Auditory Brainstem Response, also known as short-latency auditory evoked potentials (SLAEP) is a useful tool for performing auditory evaluations in children and difficult to test patients. Different types of stimuli have been described to elicit the auditory response including Click and CE-chirps among others. Objective: The objective the study is to compare the auditory brainstem response thresholds obtained with Click and CE-Chirp stimuli and to describe if there is a difference in the correction factor for the auditory brainstem hearing threshold between the two stimuli. Material and methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, comparative, and descriptive study was carried out. The patients’ records who, as a diagnostic protocol, had been evaluated with auditory brainstem response with both Click and CE-Chirp, were analyzed. 38 ears were reviewed with both CE-Chirp and Click recordings. The mean and standard deviations between the electrophysiological hearing thresholds of both stimuli were calculated. A student’s t-test was performed between the means of the hearing threshold. The correction factor for CE-Chirp was calculated. Results: The means of the electrophysiological hearing threshold obtained with Click stimulus were of 30.26 dBnHL and with CE-Chirp of 23.21 dBnHL. There is a significant difference between the hearing thresholds obtained with both stimuli with p = 0.000. Conclusions: The threshold difference between CE-Chirp and Click was 6.57 dB, and the thresholds obtained with CE-Chirp are lower than with Click. Therefore, thresholds between 20 dBnHL and 25 dBNHL with CE Chirp should be considered normal, unlike the Click that is universally accepted as normal with 30 dBnHL or less.

Keywords

• Auditory brainstem response; CE-Chirp stimuli; Click stimuli; Hearing threshold