Central auditory battery testing in brain stem disease.

The CAT scan and the BERA have revolutionized the practice of otology. There is a tendency to accept a negative scan report as indicating a lack of pathology. The authors have found cases where central battery testing has indicated progressing brain stem disease in the presence of a normal CAT scan. In one case, the abnormal test preceded a hemiplegia by two weeks. This raises the possibility of delaying or aborting an infarct if the correct diagnosis is made early.