Changes of gestational BAEP and VEP-P in women of childbearing age

Abstract

Objective To investigate the change of brainstem auditory pathway and visual pathway during pregnancy in women of childbearing age, and observe the changes of brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and brainstem visual evoked potentials (VEP-P). Methods 398 women of reproductive age who did pre-pregnancy physical examination, prenatal examination, and childbirth in our hospital during the last 3 years were selected. BAEP and VEP-P examinations were performed before pregnancy, in early pregnancy, and in late pregnancy respectively. And the results of three tests were compared with each other by the paired sample mean t test. Results In the third trimester of pregnancy, the mean values of latent time of I wave, III wave, and V wave of BAEP and P100 of VEP-P were all delayed, while those at the other two time points were normal; there were no statistically significant differences between pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy (P>0.05), but there were statistically significant differences between late pregnancy and pre-pregnancy, late pregnancy and early pregnancy (P<0.05). Conclusions In the third trimester of pregnancy, the mean values of latent time of I wave, III wave, and V wave of BAEP and P100 of VEP-P in the pregnant women are all delayed, and the conduction of auditory and visual pathways in brainstem slow down. Key words: Gestation period; Brainstem auditory evoked potentials; Visual evoked potentials