Abstract:
Background: Auditory Brainstem Response are series of scalp recorded electrical potentials of neural activity generated within the auditory nerve, nuclei and tracts of the lower brainstem during the first 10 ms after a click or tone pip stimulus presentation.
Aim: To develop normative data for the Intelligent Hearing Systems Smart EP systems (IHS) at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital’s Hearing Assessment Center (KBTHHAC).
Objective: The study was to discover the relationship between the clinically established normative values with the normative data provided by the IHS manufacturer and also find out the effect of filter change on normative data generation
Methodology: A prospective study design was adopted and normative data was collected from 50 normal hearing individuals (25 males and 25 females) between the ages of 18-35 years using the IHS. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), one sample independent t-test, mean, and standard deviation with the statistical significance set to p<0.05 to determine how the clinical norms compared with the manufacturer’s norm.
Results: Analyzed data showed that the clinically established latencies by the study were significantly delayed compared with IHS and Hood’s normative data, however, the data fulfilled the required standards for absolutes latencies based on how much variation is allowed for the upper or lower limits for normative data to be valid or invalid.
Conclusions: Results from the study were found to be appropriate for neurodiagnostic purposes most importantly, for adult ABR at the KBTHHAC taking into consideration the testing protocols and the testing environment.
Key words: Auditory brainstem response; waves; intensity; latency
