Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

Limited studies have investigated the use of cortical auditory-evoked potential (CAEP) to measure hearing aid outcomes in children. As such, more research efforts are needed to provide better insight into this aspect. In the present study, the waveforms of aided CAEP of hearing-impaired children (who used hearing aids consistently) were compared with those of normal children. In this study that employed a case control design, 18 normal hearing (NH) children and 13 children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) (aged 5 to 12 years) were enrolled. The aided CAEP testing was carried out according to the recommended protocol. A natural speech syllable /ba/ was used as the stimulus, and it was presented repetitively at 65 dB SPL using a loudspeaker in a dedicated soundproof room. While sitting comfortably, the children were asked to watch voiceless movies during the CAEP testing. The response rates for each of the CAEP peaks did not differ significantly between the two groups (p > 0.05). Except for N2 amplitude (p = 0.020), the amplitudes of other CAEP peaks were not statistically different between NH and SNHL groups (p > 0.05). Most of CAEP peaks (N1, P2 and N2) produced latencies that were comparable between the two groups (p > 0.05). In contrast, the mean P1 latency was statistically longer for the SNHL children (p = 0.018). To conclude, the SNHL children revealed nearly normal CAEP findings implying the positive outcomes of using hearing aids consistently. Brain maturation appears to continue over time even among hearing aid users. The aided CAEP should be considered as a potential test to document the effectiveness of amplification, particularly among children.

Keywords: Cortical auditory-evoked potential, children, hearing impairment, hearing aid, amplitude, latency