Binaural Interaction Component in Speech Evoked Auditory Brainstem Responses

OBJECTIVE: This article aims to describe the characteristics of the binaural interaction component (BIC) of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR). MATERIALS and METHODS: All 15 subjects had normal peripheral hearing sensitivity. ABRs were elicited by speech stimulus /da/. RESULTS: The first BIC (BIC-SP1) in the speech-evoked ABR occurred at around 6 ms in the region of peak V. The second BIC (BIC-SP2) was present around 8 ms in the latency region of peak A. The third and fourth BICs of speech-evoked ABR (BIC-SP3 & BIC-SP4) were observed at around 36 ms and 46 ms, respectively, in the latency regions of peaks E and F, respectively. BIC-SP1 and BIC-SP2 were present in all subjects tested (100%), whereas BIC-SP3 and BIC-SP4 were present in 11 (73%). CONCLUSION: Because ABRs are not affected by sleep and mature early, this tool can be evaluated in identifying binaural interaction in younger and difficult-to-test populations.