An Optimised stimulus for hearing screening of infants using the auditory brainstem response

Abstract

This study presents an effective stimulus which enhances the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) from the underlying EEG. A range of different types of stimuli are implemented and tested using a modified ABR model which is a mathematical approximation of the auditory pathway that generates the ABR. The optimised stimulus is based on a chirp signal which is designed to compensate the travelling delay caused by the anatomical structure of the cochlea, especially at sound intensity levels near the hearing threshold. Results suggest an average increase of 36% in the amplitude of wave V compared to the chirp which used to design the optimised stimulus.