The auditory brainstem response (ABR) test is frequently used to measure hearing sensitivity and to evaluate the auditory system. The test involved a computer measuring the way a child’s hearing nerve responds to different sounds. Audiologists performed the ABR recordings during both the study and control group. The process involved electrodes being placed typically on a child’s forehead and in front or in back of the ears. The electrodes are connected to the computer, and earphones are placed on the child to help measure the hearing. Each ear was stimulated separately by alternating clicks at a normal hearing level. During the process, the audiologists focus on neurological “markers” as the child’s hearing nerves respond to the sounds. At
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Each control case infant was matched with ASD infants on birth week, gender and chronological age. All of the participants were born at Sheba Medical Center and referred for an ABR evaluation for mostly prematurity, and other factors such as family history of hearing. During the study, the case matched control infants tested normal for ABR air conduction thresholds to clicks. For both case matched control and ASD, birth week and infant age were similar in results after the evaluation. According to Sheba Medical Center records, the participants in the case matched control group had no ASD diagnosis. However, this part of research could not be ruled out, due to the possibility of an infant being diagnosed at another facility. In contrast to the infant control group, the toddler control group was compared to clinical norms. The article explains how it was impossible to use control toddlers because in practices, ABRs are rarely recorded in healthy, typically developing children at 2 years of age and older. The ABR evaluations in toddlers are performed under sedation or anesthesia. This makes it difficult to collect data from healthy toddlers and also raises ethical concerns. There is lack of research with toddlers, and the one of the only findings was that ABR matures and reaches a plateau by 12-18
Each control case infant was matched with ASD infants on birth week, gender and chronological age. All of the participants were born at Sheba Medical Center and referred for an ABR evaluation for mostly prematurity, and other factors such as family history of hearing. During the study, the case matched control infants tested normal for ABR air conduction thresholds to clicks. For both case matched control and ASD, birth week and infant age were similar in results after the evaluation. According to Sheba Medical Center records, the participants in the case matched control group had no ASD diagnosis. However, this part of research could not be ruled out, due to the possibility of an infant being diagnosed at another facility. In contrast to the infant control group, the toddler control group was compared to clinical norms. The article explains how it was impossible to use control toddlers because in practices, ABRs are rarely recorded in healthy, typically developing children at 2 years of age and older. The ABR evaluations in toddlers are performed under sedation or anesthesia. This makes it difficult to collect data from healthy toddlers and also raises ethical concerns. There is lack of research with toddlers, and the one of the only findings was that ABR matures and reaches a plateau by 12-18