Electrically evoked auditory brain-stem response in pediatric patients with cochlear implants.
OBJECTIVE
To study the feasibility and clinical applicability of preoperative, transtympanic electrically evoked auditory brain-stem response (EABR) in a pediatric patient population with cochlear implants.


METHODS
A descriptive study using repeated measures analyses of variance to determine if EABR measures were affected by response configuration or cochlear status.


METHODS
The operating room before cochlear implant surgery.


METHODS
A population-based sample of 43 patients aged 2.5 to 14.5 years who were candidates for cochlear implantation.


METHODS
Stimuli consisting of brief balanced biphasic current pulses were provided by a transtympanically placed promontory needle electrode; EABR was recorded with subdermal needle electrodes on the forehead and contralateral mastoid.


METHODS
Presence or absence of postoperative electrical excitability with a cochlear implant.


RESULTS
Electrically evoked auditory brain-stem responses were available from 41 of the 43 patients tested. Mean EABR threshold was 406.5 microA (SD = 118.1) for 31 patients with patent cochleas and 472 microA (SD = 91) for 10 patients with cochlear ossification. Mean wave V latency at threshold was 4.69 milliseconds (SD = 0.57).


CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative EABR is an integral component of the preoperative selection process for pediatric patients with cochlear implants.
Kileny
P R
PR
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor.
Zwolan
T A
TA
Zimmerman-Phillips
S
S
Telian
S A
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015834:Cochlear Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013065:Speech Intelligibility / Q000502:physiology; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology