Definition
Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) test the function of the auditory nerve and auditory pathways of the brain by measuring the electrophysiologic responses to repeated clicks presented to each ear. The response time of electrical waves generated from different anatomical parts of the brain-ear system are plotted as summarized below (Lew et al. 2007):
Wave I: Cochlear nerve (CN VIII)
Wave II: Cochlear nucleus (CN VIII)
Wave III: Superior olivary complex
Wave IV: Lateral lemniscus
Wave V: Inferior colliculus
Waveform morphology and interwave differences are compared to healthy controls to establish abnormality in function along the auditory pathway. Unilateral delays suggest a lesion to cranial nerve VIII along its pathway or in the brainstem. BAER may be abnormal in acoustic...
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References and Readings
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Hammond, F., Katta-Charles, S. (2016). Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_7-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_7-3
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