ABSTRACT
Purpose
To investigate the exogenous potential in normal hearing neonates born at full term and preterm, correlating them to gender and to the presence of risk indicators for hearing impairment (IRDA).
Methods
96 of 127 newborns were considered after judges’ analysis. Sixty six were born at term and 30 preterm in a public hospital. All neonates had result “pass” in neonatal hearing screening. The exam records were conducted with newborns, in natural sleep, through positioned electrodes: the active on the forehead (Fz), the ground (Fpz) on the forehead and the reference ones on the left (M1) and right (M2) mastoid. Verbal stimuli were presented binaurally. The frequent stimulus was /ba/ and /ga/ was the rare stimulus, in intensity of 70 dBHL, through insert earphones. The oddball paradigm was respected. The presence or absence of exogenous potential was analyzed. For data analysis, statistical tests were used.
Results
There was a statistically significant difference in the values of female gender components related to N1-P2 amplitude in the left ear. There was no significant difference between the IRDAs presence and components absence.
Conclusion
It was verified that the cortical auditory evoked potentials in neonates present higher amplitude values in the preterm group in females, and no statistically significant difference related to latency. However, regarding the presence of IRDAs and absence of components, it was not found significant connection.
Evoked potentials; Evoked potentials, Auditory; Infant, Newborn; Electrophysiology; Infant, Premature