Auditory Steady-State Responses for Children With Severe to Profound Hearing Loss

Abstract

The addition of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) to clinical test batteries for evaluation of hearing sensitivity has resulted in an increasing interest in possible applications of the technique. Assessment of children for cochlear implant candidacy is one such application for which the ASSR has been investigated.1-3 Unlike the transient stimuli used to evoke auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), the ASSR is evoked by continuous modulated tones that are frequency specific and allows for stimulation at increased intensity levels.4,5 Whereas the ABR cannot differentiate between severe and profound hearing losses,6 the ASSR can provide threshold information in a frequency-specific manner at intensity levels of 120 dB and higher.2 This intensity stimulation advantage uniquely qualifies the ASSR for investigation of residual hearing in young and difficult-to-test cochlear implant candidates.7