Audiology (BERA OEA)

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses (BERA)
What is BERA test?

The BERA test measures the reaction of the parts of a child’s nervous system that affect hearing. The ABR test measures the auditory nerve’s response to sounds. It performed if a newborn or infant fails the hearing screening test given in the hospital shortly after birth, or for older children if there is a suspicion of hearing loss that was not confirmed through more conventional hearing tests.

• The BERA test is safe and does not hurt.
• The BERA test can be completed only if the child is sleeping or lying perfectly still, relaxed and with his or her eyes closed.
• If your child is younger than 6 months of age, the ABR test usually can be done while he or she naps.
• If your child is older than 7 years, the BERA test usually can be done while your child is awake if he or she can relax and lie still. The test will be done in a special sound-treated suite in the Audiology department.
• For children between the ages of 6 months and 7 years, the ABR test is done under anesthesia, which means that your child will need medication to help him or her sleep throughout the test. ABR tests with anesthesia are done through the Same Day Surgery Center.
• When anesthesia is needed, there are special rules for eating and drinking that must be followed in the hours before the test. If these rules are not followed, the test cannot be done that day.
• When the test is done under anesthesia, your child’s primary care provider will need to see your child for a physical to fill out a history and physical form.
• The test itself takes about 1 hour to 11/2 hours, but the entire appointment will take about 2 hours without anesthesia and up to 4 hours if your child needs anesthesia, due to the recovery time.

How is it done?

The BERA is a helpful tool in determining a child’s ability to hear. The test uses a special computer to measure the way the child’s hearing nerve responds to different sounds.
Three to four small stickers called “electrodes” will be placed on your child’s head and in front of his or her ears and connected to a computer. As sounds are made through the earphones, -the electrodes measure how your child’s hearing nerves respond to them.

The audiologist, or hearing specialist, looks for certain neurological “markers” as your child’s hearing nerves respond to sounds. The softest intensity or loudness level at which these markers appear roughly corresponds to the child’s hearing level in that frequency range or pitch. By reading a computer printout of your child’s responses and interpreting these markers, the audiologist can tell if your child has a hearing problem.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing

The OAE (Otoacoustic Emissions) test checks part of the inner ear’s response to sound. The test is mostly done on infants and children who may not be able to respond to behavioral hearing tests because of their age.

What are otoacoustic emissions?

Otoacoustic emissions are sounds given off by one small part of the cochlea when it is stimulated by soft clicking sounds. When the sound stimulates the cochlea, the outer hair cells vibrate. The vibration produces a nearly inaudible sound that echoes back into the middle ear.

How is the test done?

Soft foam or rubber tips are placed in your child’s ear. Your child will hear soft sounds through the soft foam or rubber tips. A computer will record quiet echoes from the ear.

How should I prepare for the test?

Your child is not required to sleep during this test. However, for this test, your child, and everyone in the room, must be able to sit still and be very quiet. Your child will not feel anything during this test.

How long is the test?

This test should only take a few minutes.