Auditory Brainstem Response

Objective hearing test measuring nerve and brainstem pathways

Overview

Surface electrodes record the auditory nerve and brainstem response to clicking or tonal stimuli, requiring no cooperation. ABR estimates hearing thresholds in infants who cannot do behavioral tests, and in suspected auditory neuropathy, where OAEs pass but ABR fails, the nerve is the problem. It also screens for acoustic neuromas, delayed or absent waves suggest the tumor. Sedation is sometimes needed for young children. Threshold ABR with frequency specific tones maps an audiogram objectively.