[Characteristics of auditory brainstem response in presbyacusis--compared with the results of pure tone, speech or binaural audiometry].

The relationships between the auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies and the results of three phychophysical measurements-pure tone audiometry, speech discrimination test and directional hearing test-were investigated in 58 subjects with presbyacusis. ABR latencies in presbyacusis patients were also compared with those in young adults with normal hearing or cochlear hearing loss. The results were as follows: There was a significant correlation between the average thresholds of pure tone audiometry and latencies of ABR waves I, III, V and/or interpeak latencies of waves I-III and I-V. There was a significant correlation between the scores of the speech discrimination test and latencies of waves I, III and V. There was also a significant correlation between the value of the directional hearing test and only interpeak latency of waves I-III. It was found that the I-III peak interval was prolonged in the ABR of presbyacusis, and that the results of pure tone audiometry and directional hearing tests were rather well correlated with the prolonged I-III peak interval.