Comparison between auditory steady-state responses and pure-tone audiometry

Abstract

A more recent method, the auditory steady-state response (ASSR), has become more and more important test method due to difference that was found in previous investigations between hearing thresholds determined by the ASSR and the pure-tone audiometry (PTA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the ASSR in determining the frequency specific hearing thresholds by establishing a correlation between the thresholds determined by PTA, as well as to evaluate the reliability of ASSR in determining the hearing threshold with respect to the level of hearing loss and the configuration of the PTA findings. The prospective study included 46 subjects (92 ears) which were assigned to groups based on their level of hearing loss and audiometric configuration. All the subjects underwent determination of hearing thresholds by PTA and ASSR without insight into their previously obtained PTA results. The overall sample differences between the ASSR and PTA thresholds were 4.1, 2.5, 4.4, and 4.2 dB at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz, respectively. A high level of correlation was achieved in groups with different configurations of PTA findings. The correlation coefficients between the hearing thresholds determined by ASSR and PTA were significant in subjects with all levels of hearing loss. The differences between hearing thresholds determined by ASSR and PTA were less than 10 dB in 85% of subjects (ranging from 4 dB for moderately severe hearing loss to 7.2 dB for normal hearing). The ASSR is an excellent complementary method for the determination of hearing thresholds at the 4 carrier frequencies, as well as determination of the level of hearing loss and the audiometric configuration.