Hearing Threshold Evaluation in Children Using Narrow Band Chirp Auditory Brainstem Response and Tone Burst Auditory Brainstem Response

Objectives: Correlation between Narrow Band Chirp Auditory Brainstem Response (NB-CE chirp ABR) as a frequency specific method for hearing threshold detection in children and Tone burst Auditory Brainstem Response (Tb-ABR) in reference to behavioral hearing threshold audiometry. Material and Methods: This study was conducted on 100 patients at audiology unit, Menoufia University hospital, in the period from Oct. 2015 to Feb. 2017. Patients enrolled within this study were classified into four groups: Group I: included 40 patients diagnosed with normal hearing, Group II: included 48 patients with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), Group III: included 56 patients with moderate to moderately severe SNHL and Group IV: included 56 patients with severe to profound SNHL. All patients’ enrolled NB-CE chirp ABR, Tb-ABR as well as pure tone audiogram (PTA). Results: there was a significant correlation between NB-CE chirp ABR and PTA hearing threshold. The use of a chirp-ABR testing ensures higher sensitivity and accuracy than that of Tb-ABR for measuring frequency-specific thresholds in young children. Conclusion: NB-CE Chirp ABR is more efficient than Tb-ABR as a frequency specific tool for hearing threshold estimation in children.