BERA or brainstem evoked auditory response process helps characterize the type of hearing loss, minimum level of auditory electrophysiological response, and the topographic location of the injury. Hospitals are relying more and more on VER/BERA/Audiometry for advanced ENT procedures. It is also a test of great importance in the early detection of hearing disorders in children.

What is its importance?

The mortality rates of high-risk newborns have been progressively decreasing due to medical-scientific advances, specifically in the area of ​​neonatology. Such progress has contributed to increased survival, especially for preterm and low birth weight newborns. However, newborns who resist perinatal complications become prone to manifest deviations in their development and may have neurological or sensory deficiencies.

Hearing is of fundamental importance in the development of a child. Auditory changes can cause deficits in language and cognitive, intellectual, cultural, and social development. Given these facts, measures to detect hearing disorders should be taken as early as possible throughout the individual’s life, favoring language development and allowing the establishment of social function.

What is the process?

The Brainstem Evoked Response Auditory consists of recording the electrical activity in the auditory system, from the inner ear to the brainstem. It is a non-invasive and straightforward objective test for assessing hearing function and has been widely used for the detection of hearing loss in children since it does not require patient collaboration. Concerning clinical applications, BERA allows the diagnosis of changes in the hearing threshold, characterizing the hearing loss, identifying retro cochlear or central nervous system changes, and assessing the maturation of the central auditory system in neonates.

The neurological maturation of the auditory system occurs in two phases. The first phase occurs in intrauterine life, ending around the sixth month of pregnancy. The second phase begins after birth and is completed around 18 months of age.