Influence of click polarity on the brain-stem auditory evoked response (BAER) revisited.
Brain-stem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were recorded both to rarefaction and condensation click stimuli in 92 normal hearers and 78 patients with varying degrees of cochlear hearing loss (N = 340 ears). Frequency distributions of rarefaction minus condensation (R - C) latency and amplitude differences revealed clinically significant polarity effects in a substantial percentage of the patients studied. Bivariate plots of R - C latency and amplitude differences versus average high frequency hearing loss (PTA 3) demonstrated that the magnitude of the R - C latency and amplitude differences also seemed to be influenced by degree of high frequency hearing loss. Results are discussed relative to the phase-locking properties of the afferent auditory nerve fibers and the possible electrodiagnostic consequences of recording the BAER either to alternating or condensation clicks.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia.
D M
DM
Schwartz
M D
MD
Morris
J D
JD
Spydell
C
C
Ten Brink
M A
MA
Grim
J A
JA
Schwartz
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D015834:Cochlear Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time