Comparison of Neural Response Telemetry (NRT) results of cochlear implanted children in view of pre-operative Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR).

Objectives: To compare the Neural Response Telemetry (NRT) results of the cochlear implanted children who showed wave 5 and who could not, in preimplantation ABR.

Material and method: 24 children (11 boys, 13 girls) with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss participated in this study. Age of children ranged between 13 and 60 months (mean 30 months). All participated children were implanted with Cochlear® Nucleus brand devices. In preoperative ABR evaluation with click stimulus in 100 dBnHL intensity level, 9 children showed wave V and 15 children did not. We compared intraoperative NRT results of 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th and 22nd electrodes, those were selected from 22 electrodes, of the two groups.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the children who showed wave V and who did not in preoperative ABR, when compared the intraoperative NRT results of 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th and 22nd electrodes (p>0,05).

Conclusion: intraoperative NRT was obtained in all the implanted children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, even if they received wave V or not in preoperative ABR. There was no difference between any of the parameters of the test results of the two groups. Normal NRT results can be achievable when there is no wave V in preoperative ABR.