[Auditory brainstem response in the aged and elderly].

Auditory brainstem response(ABR) was studied in 63 old healthy individuals (mean age = 66.42 +/- 9.88 years). They presented some degree of hearing loss (pure tone hearing threshold for 4 frequencies less than or equal to 30dB HL). Meanwhile 24 younger subjects (half for each sex, mean age = 17.61 +/- 2.63 years) with normal hearing were chosen as the control group. It was found that (a) the older group had greater mean values for both absolute peak latencies and inter-peak latencies than the younger group. The results indicate that age-related hearing loss is due to cochlear pathology but do not exclude the possibility of central auditory involvement. (b) the main parameters of ABR in both ears for each individual were quite symmetric. This fact implicates the diagnostic significance in differentiating presbycusis and space occupying lesion in the brainstem. (c) sex also affected the ABR in both age groups. Males were easier to be affected than females.