The superiority of narrow band CE-Chirp auditory brainstem response for predicting the behavioral hearing thresholds in healthy adults

Abstract Objectives In this study, we aimed to compare the estimated behavioral hearing thresholds (BHT), wave V latencies, and amplitudes obtained with auditory brainstem response (ABR) with tone burst (TB) and narrow band (NB) CE-Chirp stimuli. Method A prospective study was designed at the Otorhinolaryngology and Audiology Clinic of a university hospital. ABRs were recorded from 31 ears belonging to 24 adults (17 females, 7 males) determined as having normal hearing confirmed with the pure tone audiometry (PTA) test. ABR was recorded using NB CE-Chirp and TB for four frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz). Wave V was obtained for 60, 40, and 20 dB nHL intensity levels for two procedures. BHT was identified at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz. The duration of TB and NB CE-Chirp ABR tests for each ear was recorded. Wave V latencies, amplitudes, BHTs, and duration of tests were compared. Results The thresholds obtained from NB CE-Chirp stimulus (20, 19, 16, 15 dB nHL) at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz were significantly closer to the BHT (11, 10, 9, 9 dB HL) compared to TB ABR thresholds (25, 23, 20, 19 dB nHL) (at all frequencies p < 0.001, CI = 2.0–5.9 dB). The absolute latencies of peak V with TB stimuli were significantly longer than NB CE Chirp stimuli at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz at all sound intensity levels ( p < 0.001). The mean test time for NB CE-Chirp was 23.6 ± 3.9 min and significantly shorter than the TB (28.2 ± 4.5), ( p = 0.011). Conclusion Frequency-specific BHT is estimated better with NB CE-Chirp than TB.