Effects of cochlear implantation on electrically-evoked auditory brainstem response in patients with syndromic sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects of cochlear implantation on the electrically evoked auditory brainstem response (EABR) in patients with syndromic sensorineural hearing loss. Methods Thirty-two patients with sensorineural hearing loss who were admitted to the Third People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou from January 2016 to January 2018 were selected as research subjects. Patients were treated by cochlear implantation and received EABR and pure tone auditory thresholds test after surgery. The characteristics of EABR were observed. The correlation between different electrode stimulation patterns and EABR threshold, the correlation between the latency of EABR and stimulation intensity, and the change of pure tone average of bilateral ears before and after surgery were analyzed. Results The wave Ⅲ and IV were observed in all 32 patients, the wave Ⅱ was observed in 15 patients (46.9%), and the wave I was observed in 8 patients (26.7%). No wave V was observed at the initial intensity, but wave V appeared as the stimulation intensity increased. When the stimulating intensity ≥ 180 CL, there was a significant difference between the latency of wave Ⅲ and IV and the latency of previous stimulation (P<0.05). The EABR thresholds of the 9 and 16 electrodes were higher than those of the 1, 5 and 13 electrodes, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The pure tone average of both ears at 6 months after operation were lower than those before surgery (P<0.05). Conclusions The EABR waveform and auditory nerve function is good after the cochlear implantation in patients with sensorineural deafness syndrome. EABR examination can accurately assess the conduction speed and function state of the auditory pathway. Key words: Neural deafness; Cochlear implant; Electrically evoked auditory brainstem response; Acoustic field threshold