19th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 8-10, 2020 • Kansas City, MO
Effects of Stimulation Rate on Newborn Hearing Screening
Newborn hearing screening is currently mandated by forty-three states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in order to identify children with hearing loss at birth, in accordance with guidelines set by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH). These programs typically utilize Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) testing to screen for hearing loss in infants. AABR screenings have been shown to have lower fail rates than DPOAE methods of hearing screening (Vohr et al., 2001; Meier et al., 2004). In addition, AABR has the ability to detect neural hearing losses while DPOAE testing cannot. However, DPOAE testing generally has a shorter test time and is less expensive partly because of the lower labor costs associated with shorter test time when compared to AABR (Meier, 2014; “What is the best equipment to use for newborn hearing screening?", 2001). Increasing the stimulus rate used during AABR may subsequently decrease the test time needed to achieve an equivalent hearing screen result. To validate that increasing the stimulation rate of the AABR hearing screening produces the same result as the slower rate currently used for clinical screening, a study was conducted at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This study looked at the results provided by a standard stimulation rate of 37.7 Hz as well as a faster stimulation rate of 91.3 Hz. No significant difference was found between the results provided by both stimulation rates. In addition, the time required for a "pass" result was analyzed, which determiend that using a faster stimulation rate would lead to a quicker test. The results of this study imply that using a faster stimulation rate for AABR testing will decrease the time of the test, thereby improving the efficiency of AABR testing, without impacting screening results.
- Learners will be able to determine whether or not a faster stimulation rate produces the same hearing screen result as the slower rate currently used.
- Learners will be able to describe the benefits of using a faster stimulation rate for newborn hearing screening.
- Learners will be able to identify possible improvements for their newborn hearing screening protocols.
Poster:
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Presenter: Sarah Alfieri
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Professional (Board of Directors )
relationship for Board membership.