Electric auditory brainstem response (E-ABR) in cochlear implant children: Effect of age at implantation and duration of implant use

AimThe objective of this study is to obtain stable and accurate electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses (EABR) in cochlear implant children and to evaluate the effect of age at implantation and duration of implant use on these responses.Method30 Children were implanted with Nucleus 24 cochlear implant. EABR recording were performed to all subjects using a stimulus with pulse width of 25 μs/phase. The EABR signals were recorded from two electrodes (electrode 5 and 20) and at different intensities. The latency of the EABR waves III and V, and the EABR threshold were measured and analyzed.ResultsEABR waves could be recorded in 93.3% of the studied subjects. This study indicated better EABR responses at electrode 20 (apical electrode) relative to the basal site (electrode 5). EABR responses in children did not differ from adult responses. Moreover, the age of implantation and duration of implant use were correlated with EABR wave latencies and thresholds.ConclusionA well-established EABR was obtained in cochlear implant children with proper parameters. The characterizations of the EABR waves including wave latencies and threshold were extracted at different electrodes. The EABR test proves to be an effective method to evaluate the functions of the auditory pathway in children after cochlear implantation.