title: ABER Assessment in Pre-school Children with Developmental Speech and Language Impairment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Developmental speech and language disorders (DLD) constitute a group of disorders when children with normal intelligence and hearing fail to develop language in an age-appropriate manner. There is no definite or surrogate neurophysiologic laboratory marker to quantitate the extent of speech and language impairment. The current study was designed to evaluate the abnormalities in Auditory Brainstem Evoked Responses (ABER) in children with speech and language impairment who do not have a hearing deficit or autism.
  
  
  METHODS
  ABER recording was done in a cohort of 94 children (age 2-8 y) with DLD without overt hearing deficit or autism. The mean latencies for waves I, II, III, IV and V along with inter peak latencies for I-III, I-V, III-V and amplitude ratio of wave V/I was measured after click stimulus with intensities 110 db until 40 db and compared to age appropriate normograms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The peak latencies for waves I, III & V, inter-peak latencies I-III & I-V, III-V and wave amplitude ratio V/I was found within normal limits in both ears of all the children when compared to age appropriate normograms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study therefore emphasizes the fact that ABER may not be used/recommended as diagnostic or prognostic tool in children with speech and language impairment without autism or hearing deficit. The results and the recommendations of this study will definitely reduce the burden on electrophysiologist, laboratories and also save time and financial resources.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India .
authors.forename: Bharati
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Professor & Head, Department of Physiology, Jodhpur Medical College & Hospitals , Boranada, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India .
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Dr SN Medical College , Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India .
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parakh
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India .
authors.forename: Bharti
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhandari
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Dr SN Medical College , Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India .
authors.forename: Anoop Singh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gurjar
keywords: Autism; Brainstem; Hearing deficit; Speech and language delay