Analysis of the relationship between changes in the auditory brainstem response and prognosis in patients with sudden hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE To analyse how the auditory brainstem response changes in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. METHOD Data were collected via retrospective medical chart review. RESULTS Forty-three patients were included in this study. The mean latency of auditory brainstem response wave 1 was significantly longer for the affected side than for the unaffected side (p = 0.003). The mean latency of auditory brainstem response wave 1 was significantly shorter, and the mean amplitude of auditory brainstem response wave 1 was significantly larger, in the good response group compared to the poor response group. In forward conditional logistic regression analysis, auditory brainstem response wave 1 latency was an independent predictor of a good response (odds ratio = 34.37, 95 per cent confidence interval = 1.56-757.15, p = 0.025). CONCLUSION In patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, the latency of wave 1 of the auditory brainstem response was significantly increased and was related to prognosis.