The effect of the transducers on paediatric thresholds estimated with auditory steady-state responses

• Published in: European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology Vol. 273; no. 8; pp. 2019 - 2026
• Main Authors: Bakhos, D., Vitaux, H., Villeneuve, A., Kim, S., Lescanne, E., Pigeon, V., Aoustin, J. M., Bordure, P., Galvin, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2016
• Subjects: Audiometry - instrumentation; Audiometry - methods; Auditory Threshold - physiology; Child Behavior - physiology; Child, Preschool; Comparative Effectiveness Research; Female; Head and Neck Surgery; Hearing Loss - diagnosis; Hearing Loss - psychology; Humans; Infant; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurosurgery; Otology; Otorhinolaryngology; Retrospective Studies; Transducers - classification; Transducers - standards; Auditory steady-state response; Child; Earphones; Behavioural audiometry
• ISSN: 0937-4477; 1434-4726
• DOI: 10.1007/s00405-015-3761-z

The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) for estimating hearing thresholds in young children, compared with behavioural thresholds. The second objective was to investigate ASSR thresholds obtained with insert earphones versus supra-aural headphones to determine which transducer produces ASSR thresholds most similar to behavioural thresholds measured with supra-aural headphones. This retrospective study included 29 participants (58 ears): 12 children (24 ears) in the insert group and 17 children (34 ears) in the supra-aural group. No general anaesthesia was used. For both groups, there was a strong correlation between behavioural and ASSR thresholds, with a stronger correlation for the insert group. When behavioural thresholds are difficult to obtain, ASSR may be a useful objective measure that can be combined with other audiometric procedures to estimate hearing thresholds and to determine appropriate auditory rehabilitation approaches.