Clinical Value of Auditory Steady State Response Versus Tone Burst ABR for Evaluation of Severe to Profound Hearing Loss in Children

Background: Hearing makes it possible to identify and distinguish objects in the world based on the sounds they make, making sound-based communication feasible. Aim and objectives: To identify the accurate threshold of hearing in young children with severe to profound hearing loss. It also aimed to support the choice of cochlear implant candidate or hearing aid fitting, as well as early treatment during the crucial phase for speech and language perception, to enhance the development and performance of each individual. Patients and methods: Sixty participants participated in this case-control study, which took place at Al-Azhar University Hospitals' audio-vestibular unit and ENT department between December 2022 and November 2023. Two groups were formed: Group A: thirty children with 60 ears each that are hearing impaired. Group B: Thirty children (60 ears) with normal hearing. Results: At all frequencies examined, the results demonstrated that the Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) thresholds were substantially superior to the tone burst Auditory Brainstem Response (Tb-ABR) threshold. Conclusion: Both Tb-ABR and ASSR may provide an accurate behavioral threshold prediction. ASSR can assess residual hearing in children with severe to profound hearing loss.