ASSR (Auditory Steady-State Response)

What it is:

Unlike traditional hearing tests that require the patient to respond (e.g., by pressing a button), ASSR measures the brain's electrical activity in response to sound, making it suitable for individuals who cannot cooperate

ASSR measures the brain's electrical activity evoked by sound stimuli, using electrodes placed on the scalp.

The test uses a series of rapidly repeated (steady-state) auditory stimuli, such as modulated tones or clicks, to elicit a response from the auditory system.

ASSR can provide information about hearing thresholds at different frequencies, allowing for a more detailed assessment of hearing ability.

▪️ Useful for infants and young children who are unable to participate in traditional hearing tests.

▪️ Can be used to estimate hearing thresholds in individuals with severe hearing loss.

▪️ Helps in determining the need for hearing aids or cochlear implants.

▪️ Provides a more efficient way to test hearing compared to some other objective tests.

▪️ Electrode placement: Electrodes are placed on the scalp to record the brain's electrical activity.

▪️ Stimulus presentation: A series of rapidly repeated auditory stimuli are presented to the patient.

▪️ Response detection: The device detects and analyzes the brain's electrical response to the stimuli, looking for a consistent pattern at the modulation frequency of the stimulus.

▪️ Threshold estimation: The test determines the lowest sound level at which a consistent response is detected, providing an estimate of the hearing threshold.

ASSR vs. ABR:

Uses rapid, periodic stimuli (modulated tones) and is more frequency-specific.

Uses brief sounds presented at a lower repetition rate and provides less frequency-specific information