Electrical response audiometry examination refers to the testing of hearing ability based on the conduction of nerve activity in the brainstem (cerebral cortex) during hearing. This examination is one of the objective examinations of hearing ability.
Indications (areas of application)
- Hearing screening in newborns
- Early detection of intoxications affecting the ear; these occur primarily with cytostatic drugs
- Detection of hearing disorders
- Suspicion of acoustic neuroma – tumor that occurs in the area of the auditory nerve.
The procedure
In the measurement of electrical response audiometry, a periodic stimulus is applied, which under normal conditions leads to a derivable activity in the EEG (electroencephalography: recording of electrical brain activity).
BERA (brainstem electric response audiometry) in particular is used nowadays. Here, nerve impulses are recorded via electrodes on the head.
Checking electrical response audiometry is a meaningful diagnostic procedure in otolaryngology that can be used to detect or localize hearing disorders at an early stage, because hearing disorders are not always inner-ear related, but can also have other causes.
