Research › Learning & Development
Developmental course of brain-stem auditory evoked potentials in the first days of full term infants
STS Instructor Authored by Giuseppe A. Chiarenza
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Study at a glance
- Area
- Learning & Development
- Study type
- Observational study
- Authors
- Chiarenza GA, D'Ambrosio GM, Guareschi Cazzullo A
- Journal
- Early Human Development
- Year
- 1991
- Population
- Children
- Protocol
- brainstem auditory evoked potentials
Key findings
- The share of babies responding at the quietest level (20 dB HL) rose day by day
- Waves III and V shortened in latency between days 2 and 3, and again between days 4 and 5; wave I shortened between days 3 and 4
- Longer gestation was linked to a longer wave I latency between days 2 and 5
- Changes are attributed to post-birth maturation, likely starting in brainstem auditory nuclei before the inner ear
Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (the brain's early electrical response to clicks) were recorded in healthy full-term newborns across their first five days of life, at four sound intensities. Regression analysis looked at how wave timing and size changed with days since birth and with length of gestation. The responses sped up noticeably over the first few days, suggesting rapid maturation of the auditory pathway just after birth.