Auditory Brainstem Evoked Responses in Newborns with Down Syndrome

• Published in: American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities Vol. 114; no. 6; pp. 393 - 400
• Main Authors: Kittler, Phyllis M, Phan, Ha T. T, Gardner, Judith M, Miroshnichenko, Inna, Gordon, Anne, Karmel, Bernard Z
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 01-11-2009
• Subjects: Auditory Pathways - embryology; Auditory Pathways - physiology; Auditory Stimuli; Brain; Brain Stem - embryology; Brain Stem - physiology; Child Development; Cognitive Development; Comparative Analysis; Control Groups; Down Syndrome; Down Syndrome - physiopathology; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem - physiology; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Neonates; Prenatal Influences; Reaction Time - physiology
• ISSN: 1944-7515
• DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-114.6.393

Auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABRs) were compared in 15 newborns with Down syndrome and 15 sex-, age-, and weight-matched control newborns. Participants had normal ABRs based upon values specific to 32- to 42-weeks postconceptional age. Although Wave III and Wave V component latencies and the Wave I-III interpeak latency (IPL) were shorter in ABRs of infants with Down syndrome, the Wave III-V IPL was not, pointing to anomalies in the lower rather than upper brainstem auditory pathways. Shorter Down syndrome ABR latencies have been reported at many ages. Extending these findings to newborns suggests that the underlying basis for this develops prenatally. ABR patterns in infants with Down syndrome were similar to reports for intrauterine growth restricted newborns.