Auditory brainstem response and auditory steady state response elicited using narrowband chirps: A comparison with tone burst auditory brainstem response

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to compare hearing thresholds estimated using three different electrophysiological measures – auditory brainstem response (ABR) for narrow band level specific chirp (NB LS chirp ABR), ABR for tone bursts (TBABR), and auditory steady state responses (NB chirp ASSR) for NB chirp stimuli. Materials and Methods: A repeated-measures study design with purposive sampling was used to assess 27 ears with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and 26 ears with normal hearing. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 70 years. NB chirp ASSR, TBABR, and NB LS chirp ABR were recorded to obtain electrophysiological hearing thresholds. The difference between electrophysiological threshold and audiometric threshold (referred to as D), obtained for all electrophysiological tests, was compared. Also, audiometric thresholds predicted from electrophysiological tests were compared with thresholds obtained through pure-tone audiometry. Results: Friedman analysis of variance revealed no significant difference between the D obtained for NB chirp ASSR and NB LS chirp ABR. A significant difference was observed between the D obtained for TBABR and NB chirp ASSR as well as NB LS chirp ABR. Bland–Altman analysis revealed that least bias, as well as the strongest correlation between audiometric threshold and predicted audiometric threshold, was obtained for NB LS chirp ABR. Conclusion: NB LS chirp-evoked ABR is a good test for estimating hearing thresholds in individuals with SNHL.