Details

Session Overview: In recent years there has been increasing interest in chirp stimuli, and consequent moves away from traditional click and toneburst stimuli, as the primary stimulus in threshold estimation using ABR - a routine and key test supporting newborn hearing screening programs worldwide. The interest in chirps (both broadband and narrowband) stems from their ability to compensate for dysynchrony of neural firing activity produced by the travelling wave (and consequential timing delays) in the cochlea. Traditional stimuli, which do not have this compensation, require longer test times in order to gather more sweeps and achieve the requisite signal-to-noise ratio for accurate ABR assessment. With chirp stimuli, greater neural synchronisation results in larger response amplitudes. Fewer sweeps are therefore required, which translates into reduced test time and/or greater certainty in the interpretation of results. This talk aims to provide concise review of the evidence for use of chirps in audiological screening and diagnostics to date, and aims to highlight areas of continued uncertainty requiring further research.

 

Presenter(s): Michael Maslin

 

Event: Trans Tasman Conference 2020