A comparative study of auditory brain stem response and distortion product otoacoustic emission in neonates and infants

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare auditory brain stem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) in the audiologic evaluation of neonates and infants. We investigated 53 cases (106 ears) of neonates and infants under 1 year old who underwent the DPOAE and ABR tests concurrently. The different rate of the results of the two tests was 28/106 (26.4%). The main causes of the DPOAE failures when compared with ABR were middle-ear effusion and a narrow external ear canal. In one case, the difference of the results of DPOAE and ABR was thought to be due to a high-frequency hearing loss. We found 4 cases (7 ears) with auditory neuropathy, which is a disorder characterized by an absent ABR together with preserved otoacoustic emissions. The combined use of objective testing (such as DPOAE, ABR) and behavioral testing is recommended for pediatric audiologic assessment.