title: Auditory steady-state evoked potentials (ASSEPs): a study of optimal stimulation parameters for frequency-specific threshold measurement in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the optimal stimulation parameters (AM/FM vs AM alone and modulation rate) for frequency-specific threshold measurements using ASSEPs in dogs. Dependent variables were thresholds and recording times needed to obtain a response at threshold. To compare the ASSEP threshold results obtained with the optimal stimulation parameters to those obtained with the Tone-Burst/Auditory Brainstem Response (TB/ABR) combination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two sedated Beagle puppies were tested at 5 audiometric frequencies (0.5-8 kHz) and 6 ASSEP modulation rates (21-199 Hz).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ASSEP threshold-modulation rate functions had a high-pass profile with corner frequencies of 101 Hz for 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz carriers and of 151 Hz for 4 and 8 kHz carriers. AM stimuli did not yield higher thresholds than the AM/FM ones except at 1 kHz. Modulation type had no effect on testing duration. Audiometric profiles were obtained much more rapidly with ASSEPs than with TB/ABRs (mean: 50 vs 135 min). Both ASSEP and TB/ABR provided thresholds estimates characterized by low intersubject variability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASSEPs are a valid and rapid method for audiometric assessment in sedated dogs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASSEPs offer a new, competitive tool for frequency-specific assessment of hearing in the canine species.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium. emarkess@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Markessis
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poncelet
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colin
authors.forename: Angélique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coppens
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoonhorst
authors.forename: Naima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Deggouj
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deltenre
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response / Q000379:methods; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male