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What is an Auditory Brainstem Response Evaluation (ABR)?

An auditory brainstem response evaluation (ABR) is a test that evaluates how well sounds travel along the hearing nerve from the ear to the brainstem. ABR assesses electrical activity from the auditory nerve and the auditory pathway in the lower part of the brain and determines the presence, type, and degree of hearing loss.

If our doctors suspect that your child has sensorineural hearing loss, she will be given an ABR. The test, performed while she's comfortably sedated, shows the softest sounds your child's ears can detect at various pitches.

How Boston Children's approaches ABR

Your child will be seen by members of our Audiology Program, which specializes in all aspects of infant and child hearing loss, from psychological effects to technological assistance. Our team has more than 11,000 visits each year.

Auditory Brainstem Response Evaluation | Programs & Services