OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to compare the basic characters of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR) between young adults and school-age children.

METHODSSpeech-ABR of thirty eight normal hearing subjects including eighteen school-age children and twenty young adults were recorded. The speech syllable/da/as stimulus sound was transmitted to right ear by insertion the earphones in speech-ABR test.

RESULTSResponse waves of speech-ABR in school-age children were similar to those in young adults, which contained the onset response (peak V and A), the transition (peak C), the frequency following responses (peak D, E and F) and the offset response (peak O). Both the latency and amplitude showed no significant difference in all waves between young adults and school-age children, except the latency of wave O and amplitude of wave F. The latency of O wave in school-age children (47.80 ± 0.38) ms were significantly shorter than that in adults (48.10 ± 0.40) ms (t = 2.330,P = 0.026). The amplitude of F wave in school-age children (-0.21 ± 0.15) µV were significantly larger than that in adults (-0.12 ± 0.08) µV (t = 2.146,P = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONBoth the latency and amplitude of the speech ABR in school age children at 6 - 11 years old show the great similarity with the young adults, which indicate that the ability of speech processing of brainstem in children has completely reached maturity.