Family Health
What is ABR testing?
This hearing test, offered through the St. Joseph’s/Candler Center for Oto-Neurology, can help diagnosis hearing loss in infants, others
You’ve most likely had a hearing test multiple times throughout your life. And, that hearing test most likely included responding (such as raising your hand) to sounds at certain tones and frequencies as you hear them.
But, what if someone can’t or doesn’t know how to respond, such as a newborn or individuals with developmental conditions?
That’s when Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing comes in. During ABR testing, headphones are placed on the patient and then electrodes are placed on the head to measure the brain’s response to sounds, explains Patrick Pead, audiologist with the St. Joseph’s/Candler Center for Oto-Neurology.
There are two types of ABR tests. The first is automated, which is most commonly performed on infants before they leave the hospital to assess their response to sound. This is also known as Universal Infant Hearing Screening. St. Joseph’s/Candler does Universal Infant Hearing Screenings on every baby born at the Telfair BirthPlace.
If during the automated testing there’s even a slight indication of a hearing deficiency, your infant may be referred for a diagnostic ABR test by a certified audiologist. We offer diagnostic ABR testing at the Center for Oto-Neurology.
“The automated tests tend to air on the side of caution, so if there’s even a potential risk of hearing loss, they should get diagnostic testing to learn more,” Pead says. “Things like amniotic fluid or immobility of eardrums can affect the automated testing; even the headphone cups not being in the right place can have an impact. So if you are a new parent, just know we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure your child has adequate hearing and sometimes that requires you to come see us.”
Diagnostic ABR testing is the same set up as automated but the audiologist will test more frequencies and tones. Testing doesn’t take nearly as long as it used to as technology advanced, Pead says, but you should plan on being at the office for about two hours.
“Why we want to do this diagnostic testing is to identify if a person has a hearing loss and then be able to give them the best amplification we can as far as habituations,” Pead says. “We want to make sure that even if there’s a small chance of hearing loss, we catch it.”
The Center for Oto-Neurology is located across from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Plaza B (second floor). For more information visit our website or call the Center at 912-819-2479.