All issues > Volume 38(8); 1995

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1995;38(8):1036-1045. Published online August 15, 1995.

Auditory Brainstem Responses in Premature and Fullterm Infants

Hyun Mi HM Kim³, Tae Sung TS Ko³, Ki Soo KS Kim³, Moo Song MS Lee², Kyung Hee KH Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha Wamans University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Kore
³Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Kore

Abstract

Purpose
: We tried to know normal range of auditory brainstem responses in premature and fullterm infants who have no rksk factor during perinatal period and to determine that the abnormal ABR in premature and fullterm infants may predict developmental delay.
Methods
: ABR evaluations were performed on 283 premature and fullterm infants from NICU of the Asan Medical Center during the period from Aug. 1989 to Dec 1992. Among 283 cases, 37 cases(13.1%) were followed by neulorogic examination and Korean Denver developmental screening test(DDST) in Apr. 1994.
Results
: The results are as follows; 1) The peak latencies of each wave decreased with maturation. Wave I, changed in latency from 1.53 msec, 1.52 msec, 1.53 msec, 1.53 msec, and 1.54 msec below 44 weeks of postconceptional age to 1.30 msec above 44 weeks of postconceptional age, Wave III, from 4.61 msec to 4.45 msec below 44 weeks of postconceptional age to 4.24 msec above 44 weeks of postconceptional age, and Wave V, from 6.90 msec to 6.47 msec. 2) Central conduction time(I-V interpeak latencies) in the auditory pathway also decreased with maturation from 5.35 msec to 5.22 msec elow 44 weeks of postconceptional age to 2.21 msec above 44 weeks of postconceptional age. 3) There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of abnormal ABR between the group with risk factors and the group without risk factors except only in 34-36 weeks of postconceptional age. 4) The validity of ABRs to delayed development as follows; sensitivity 33.3%, specificity 82.4%, positive predictability 14.3% and negative predictability 93.3%. That is, ABRs had high specificity and negative predictability as screening test of diffuse CNS dysfunctions in infants. 5) In validity of ABR to delayed Korean DDST in each item, there was high specificity and high negative predictability in all items.
Conclusion
: The abnormal ABR was related to developmental delay with high specificity and negative predictability. However, it was restriction that this follow-up study was done in only a part. We proposed to follow-up longuitudinally in large population and to reevaluate the usefulness of the aBR for potential usefulness as a predictor of developmental outcome.

Keywords :Auditory Brainstem Response, Korean Denver Development Screening Test, Delayed Development