BAER - brainstem auditory evoked response

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Brain wave monitor

BAER - brainstem auditory evoked response

Definition:

This test focuses on changes and responses in brain waves that are stimulated by a clicking sound to evaluate the central auditory pathways of the brainstem.

Alternative Names:

Evoked auditory potentials; BAEP - brainstem auditory evoked potentials; Evoked response audiometry

How the test is performed:

You are positioned on a reclining chair or bed and are asked to relax and remain still. Electrodes are placed on your scalp, along the vertex and on each earlobe. You hear clicking noises or tone bursts through earphones, and the electrodes pick up the brains response and record it on a graph.

How to prepare for the test:

You may be asked to wash your hair the night before the test.

Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experiences, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:

Infant test or procedure preparation (birth to 1 year)
Toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years)
Preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years)
Schoolage test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years)
Adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years)

How the test will feel:

There is little discomfort.

Why the test is performed:

The test is performed to help diagnose nervous-system abnormalities, hearing losses (especially in low-birth weight newborns), and to assess neurologic functions.

Normal Values:

The auditory brain stem values are in a normal range. This varies among patients and instruments used.

What abnormal results mean:

Abnormal findings may indicate a hearing loss, multiple sclerosis, or a cerebrovascular accident (stroke).

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

What the risks are:

There are no risks.

Review Date: 7/26/2001
Reviewed By: Galit Kleiner-Fisman MD, FRCP(C), Department of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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