title: Comparison of Etymotic insert and TDH supra-aural earphones in auditory brainstem response measurement.
abstract: There are few systematic comparisons of Etymotic ER-3A insert earphones versus supra-aural earphones in auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurement. We compared ER-3A insert earphones and two types of supra-aural earphones (TDH-39P and TDH-49P) in a group of normal hearing adults. Acoustic analyses revealed spectral and temporal differences among earphones. Behavioral and ABR thresholds to click stimuli were slightly elevated with the ER-3A compared to the TDH earphones. The ER-3A earphones produced a latency delay, relative to the TDH earphones, that varied from about 0.8 to 1.0 msec, and increased at lower stimulus intensity levels. In addition, ABR wave I amplitude was significantly reduced with the ER-3A earphone. Based on these data, we recommend collection of normative data with the ER-3A earphones prior to their use in ABR measurement.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Van Campen
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sammeth
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Peek
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004867:Equipment Design; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014159:Transducers