The effectiveness of the Auditory Steady State Response in diagnosing hearing loss in infants: review

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a review of the emerging Auditory Steady State Response in light of existing procedures for diagnosis of hearing loss in infants. Determining the type, degree, and configuration of hearing loss in infants is a challenge requiring sophisticated electrophysiological equipment of which Auditory Evoked Responses, and more specifically the Auditory Brainstem Response, are currently the most reliable and widely used. These techniques, however, present with definite limitations. An emerging technique, the Auditory Steady State Response, promises to address many of the existing limitations of Auditory Evoked Response techniques. The Auditory Steady State Response exhibits the potential to estimate reasonably accurate frequency specific hearing thresholds across low and high frequencies in a time-efficient manner. Accurate diagnosis of the magnitude and configuration of hearing loss is the first and primary step toward effective and accountable intervention services to hearing impaired infants. The Auditory Steady State Response technique, however, requires further clinical validation and should be used in combination with the Auditory Brainstem Response. This will ensure that results are cross-checked and that more accurate and reliable diagnosis of hearing loss is made.



Hierdie artikel poog om 'n oorsig te verskaf van die opkomende Ouditief Standhoudende Respons teenoor huidige prosedures wat gebruik word om gehoorverlies in babas en jong kinders te diagnoseer. Bepaling van die tipe, graad en konfigurasie van gehoorverlies in babas en jong kinders is 'n uitdaging wat gesofistikeerde elektrofisiologiese apparaat vereis waarvan Ouditief Ontlokte Response, en meer spesifiek die Ouditiewe Breinstam Respons, huidiglik die mees betroubare en algemene prosedure is. Hierdie tegnieke presenteer egter met duidelike beperkings. 'n Opkomende tegniek, die Ouditief Standhoudende Respons, beloof om baie van die huidige beperkings van Ouditief Ontlokte Response aan te spreek. Die Ouditief Standhoudende Respons vertoon die potensiaal om akkurate frekwensie spesifieke gehoordrempels oor die lae en hoë frekwensie spektrum te voorspel op 'n tydseffektiewe wyse. Akkurate diagnose van die grootte en konfigurasie van gehoorverlies dien as die eerste en primêre stap na effektiewe en verantwoordbare intervensie dienste vir gehoorgestremde kinders. Die Ouditief Standhoudende Respons benodig egter nog verdere kliniese validasie en behoort in kombinasie met die Ouditiewe Breinstam Respons gebruik te word. Dit sal verseker dat alle resultate geverifieer word en dat meer akkurate en betroubare diagnoses van gehoorverlies gemaak word.


(Health SA Gesondheid : interdisciplinary research journal: 2002 7(4): 47-56)