title: Brainstem auditory response findings in term neonates in intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Whether term infants in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have brainstem auditory abnormalities remains to be determined. This study aimed to detect any abnormality in brainstem auditory function in term neonates who are admitted to NICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a NICU, we recruited 55 term neonates with various perinatal problems. They were studied during the first week after birth using brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER), and the results were compared with normal term controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wave I and III latencies and I-III interpeak interval of the evoked response in the NICU term neonates were similar to those in the controls. Wave V latency and I-V and III-V interpeak intervals tended to be increased at 21/s clicks. The increase was more obvious at higher rates 51 and 91/s. Analysis of variance revealed that at 21/s clicks only III-V interval was significantly increased (p < 0.05). At 51 and 91/s clicks, wave V latency and III-V and I-V intervals were significantly increased (p < 0.05-0.01). The rates of the abnormalities were seen more at higher than at lower click rates. The amplitudes of waves I, III, and V in the NICU neonates were all slightly reduced, but none differed significantly from the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are some abnormalities in BAER in term neonates in NICU, suggesting functional abnormality in the auditory brainstem in NICU infants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. zedong.jiang@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ze D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D047929:Term Birth / Q000502:physiology*