The auditory evoked potential test evaluates electrical brain wave activity to monitor the health of pathways in the brain and diagnose hearing loss and nervous system disorders. Abnormal results may indicate medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis or stroke. The test involves electrodes attached to the head and earphones playing clicks in each ear. Newborns are often evaluated with this test to identify hearing problems present at birth.
Auditory evoked potentials, or brain stem auditory evoked response (BAER), is a medical test that some doctors use to evaluate a patient’s electrical brain wave activity. This hearing screening test is typically used to monitor the health of pathways in the brain and the neurological functions associated with these pathways. An auditory evoked potential test can help a doctor diagnose some causes of hearing loss and nervous system disorders. Abnormal results from an auditory evoked potential test can result from medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis or stroke in some cases.
A physician may decide to perform an auditory evoked potential test to investigate the patient’s symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and loss of balance. The presence of headache, hearing loss and abnormal ringing in a patient’s ears may indicate a neurological disorder which in some cases can be identified or diagnosed with the help of this test. Some patients with vision problems and numbness may also have nervous system problems and may benefit from this test being administered.
Before an auditory evoked potential test, a patient usually sits in a chair while a medical technologist attaches four electrodes to their head. The electrodes are usually connected to an electronic device that records brain wave activity. A patient normally wears earphones on both ears. In most cases, clicks play in one ear for several minutes and then in the other ear. These clicks may seem audible or inaudible to the patient, but an attached recording device typically measures any brain activity that develops in response to these clicking sounds.
Abnormal responses to an auditory evoked potential test may indicate hearing loss in some cases. Newborns are typically evaluated with this type of test to identify hearing problems present at birth. In general, the most common types of hearing loss are conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is typically caused by mechanical malfunctions in the transmission of sound from the outer ear through the middle ear. Sensorineural hearing loss usually develops from an inner ear disorder that affects the transmission of sound through the auditory nerve to the brain.
An auditory evoked potential test may have abnormal results due to multiple sclerosis or stroke in some cases. Multiple sclerosis patients typically have damage to the brain and spinal cord that can cause hearing loss. Problems with balance and loss of vision can also occur with this medical disorder. Doctors may give a patient an auditory evoked potential test in conjunction with other medical tests such as a neurological exam and an eye exam. In some cases, the auditory evoked potential test may produce abnormal results due to brain damage caused by a stroke causing problems with hearing and other nervous system functions.
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