Neonate auditory brainstem response repeatability with controlled force gauge bone-conducted stimulus delivery.

OBJECTIVE

The feasibility and repeatability of neonate auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) with a controlled hand-held applied force gauge for bone-conducted stimulus delivery was examined.

DESIGN

A repeated measures test-retest design was employed.

STUDY SAMPLE: Participants were 27 healthy neonates. A 4000 Hz bone-conducted CE-Chirp octave band stimulus evoked the ABRs. Intra- and intertester conditions were employed with a prototype hand-held applied force gauge (Etymōtic Research) attached to the superior aspect of the bone vibrator. The bone vibrator was placed in a superoposterior auricular position and held manually. The force gauge displayed a desired coupling force via an LED light indicator.

RESULTS

Three sets of replicated ABRs were recorded from all neonates: initial test and retest with one tester (i.e. intratester 1 and 2) and final test with a second tester (i.e. intertester). No significant differences in intra- or intertester ABR wave V latencies or amplitudes were found (p > 0.05). Coefficients of reliability (Cronbach's α) were .95 and .43 for wave V latencies and amplitudes, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A hand-held applied force gauge may be a reliable means of delivering controlled bone-conducted stimuli in ABR assessments in neonates and infants.