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BAER - brainstem auditory evoked response    See images

Overview | Risks | Results

Alternative names:

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

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.

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.

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