Measurements of brain-stem auditory evoked potentials in infancy, childhood, and adolescence.
Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were measured in 38 patients between 3 months and 18 years of age. In patients with blunt head injuries (N = 28; 73.7%) no significant correlation between BAEP changes and final outcome could be established until day 36 with the exception of wave III changes in 3 children. Because various BAEP abnormalities occurred in all outcome groups and the nature of the changes was transient, we conclude that within this age group there must be a higher resistance to various lesions until irreversible impairment of brain-stem function results. In spite of this result, continuous BAEP recording in this age group appears useful, since this noninvasive investigation represents an objective assessment of topical brain-stem function.
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology