Clinical status of the auditory steady-state response in infants

Abstract

Pediatric audiology has seen the inclusion of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) in slinical test batteries as a valuable diagnostic tool. Its unique stimuli, recording and analysis characteristics allow for applications not previously possible with other auditory evoked responses in infants and young children. Althought the longstanding research and clinical validation history of the frequency-specific auditory brain stem response (ABR) make it the current gold standard for estimating hearing thresholds, accumulating evidence is establishing the ASSR as a reliable and accurate tool for the diagnosis of hearing loss in infants. Current test-protocol efficiency and accuracy may be improved by including the ASSR to supplement ABR data and to cross-check test results. This article reviews the ASSR and its current clinical applications and limitations for determining hearing thresholds in infants and young children.