Neurological aspects of infant hearing assessment.

Abstract

The relationship between the results of an infant hearing screening program and neurological impairment may be considered in two ways: 1) Is there a correlation between incidence of neurological dysfunction and the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss in the target population? In our target population, the incidence of sensorineural hearing impairment was 3.13% for the group with a positive neurological history vs. 1.3% in those with a negative neurological history. 2) Do auditory evoked potentials used for hearing screening and follow-up provide any additional information on the neurological status of the target population, or, are certain neurological conditions associated with certain typical auditory evoked potential configurations? In our experience auditory evoked responses do provide additional information especially if for diagnostic purposes both the brainstem and the later components are considered. Often, specific neurological problems may be associated with typical auditory evoked response configurations.