Maturation and effect of stimulus rate on brainstem auditory evoked potentials.
Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) at three stimulus rates (20, 41.3 and 61.3 c/s) were recorded in 104 normal preterm infants, distributed in four age groups between 32 and 39 weeks (conceptional age), and in 20 normal adults. The latency shifts between 61.3 c/s and 20 c/s, and between 41.3 c/s and 20 c/s, were calculated for each wave, and studied as a function of age. A significant effect of conceptional age was shown on the '61.3-20 c/s' and the '41.3-20 c/s' wave V latency shifts, and a significant difference between adults and newborns was noted for the wave V and wave III latency shifts. No significant difference was obtained for the wave I latency shifts. This suggests that the changes of auditory adaptation with maturation may be predominantly at a central level, i.e. on central synapses.
Lina-Granade
G
G
Laboratoire de Physiologie Sensorielle, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS URA 1447, Lyon, France.
Collet
L
L
Morgon
A
A
Salle
B
B
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D012044:Regression Analysis