Clinical Application of BAEP Changes in Patients with Brainstem Lesion

Kim, Dong Kun; Lim, Young Jin; Kim, Tae Sung; Rhee, Bong Arm; Kim, Gook Ki; Leem, Won

Abstract

Recently, brainstem auditory evoked potentials(BAEP;s) have been employed in many clinical situation as a sensitive electro-physiological parameter to assess the central auditory pathway and, indirectly, the integrity of brainstem functions. In this study, the author has recorded BAEP's in 17 patients with brainstem lesion who were admitted to the Department of neurosurgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital and analyses the abnormalities related with site of lesion by clinical signs and CT scan, and outcome and clinical course. The results are as followings: 1) In the patients suspected brainstem lesions, abnormalities of BAEP's, particularly BTT(brainstem transmission time) are very sensitive indicator to the diagnosis of brainstem lesions. 2) Abnormalities of BAEP's are useful in localizing the site of lesions within brainstem. 3) The patients with bilateral pathological BAEP's clearly have a poor prognosis compared with those with unilateral pathological BAEP's and the patients with flat wave form have the higher possibility of poor prognosis than those with prologation of latency or abnormal wave form. 4) There are significant correlation between changes of follow-up BAEP's and clinical course.