Early auditory evoked potentials (EAEP) in vertebral basilar insufficiency

Abstract

Stimulation with a short tone pip elicits an acoustic nerve compound action potential (I) and different waves (II--VII) in the inital 10 ms. Seven waves have been studied in 40 control subjects and five waves in 12 patients with vertebral-basilar insufficiency. Abnormalities of the different waves were observed at levels such as cochlea and/or acoustic nerve, medulla, caudal pons, rostral pons, and midbrain. The recording of early auditory evoked potentials (EAEP) is a noninvasive method of confirming impairment of the auditory pathway caused by a reduced vascular supply of vertebral and basilar arteries.

A self-report of sensory deficit after posterior right brain infarction.

“…The origin of the anisocoria and the neuralgic pains in the area of some cranial nerves on the right side, as well as of increased frequency of hiccup periods, still remain unknown; possibly these symptoms point to additional lesions in the brain stem region. This was supported by the finding of an impaired auditory brain stem evoked response on the right side with significantly prolonged (Maurer, Mameros, Schäfer, & Leitner, 1979) latency of Wave V (right ear 6.5 ms, left ear 5.9 ms) as well as pathological interaural time difference (0.6 ms). The pure tone audiogram, as well as the normal discrimination of speech, indicated that the lesion was probably located in the brain stem and not in the cochlear nerve.…”

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials in basilar artery occlusion.

“…Abnormal BAEPs were reported in many cases with brainstem infarction and vertebro basilar insufficiency (Faught and Oh, 1985;Maurer et al 1979;Rossi et al 1983). Although abnormal BAEPs were reported in a few cases with basilar artery occlusion (Kaji et al 1985), a systematic study had not been conducted in this disease.…”

“…auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) are sensitive indicators of neoplastic, demyelinating and ischemic lesions involving auditory pathways in the pons and midbrain (Faught and Oh, 1985;Gilroy et al 1977;Kjaer, 1980;Maurer et al 1979;Starr and Hamilton, 1976;Stem et al 1982). Basilar artery occlusion is often difficult to diagnose clinically in its early stage (Kubik and Adams, 1946).…”

Akustisch evozierte Potentiale und topische Diagnostik im Zentralnervensystem

“…Es zeigte sich dabei eine erstaunlich exakte Korrelation zwischen neurologischem Schädigungsort und entsprechenden Wellenveränderungen. Diesen Erstveröffentlichungen folgten dann weitere Arbeiten (3, 32,36,43,45), die die topodiagnostische Aussage der frühen akustisch evozierten Potentiale bestätigten. Auch tierexperimentell waren die Wellen von guter Reproduzierbarkeit und zeigten eine gute Korrelation zwischen experimenteller Läsion und Veränderungen der Komponenten I-V (1,4,23).…”