Auditory Brainstem Response

The auditory-evoked potentials are electrical changes occurring in the ear and brain in response to sounds. Potentials evoked in the first 15 ms after a brief sound make up the auditory brainstem response (ABR), also known as the brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP). These waves originate in the cochlea, auditory nerve, and brainstem. The ABR is clinically useful in the objective evaluation of hearing and in assessing the transmission of auditory information through the cochlea and brainstem.

This initial processing is largely determined by the stimulus and relatively unaffected by the state of the subject. The ABR is the most reliable of the auditory-evoked potentials. When it is abnormal, something is wrong either in the ear or in the brainstem. This entry describes ABR, sources of ...