Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response Testing (BAER)

Evaluations of Hearing Disorder (BAER)

A BAER test is the recording of the brainstem potentials in response to an auditory click stimulus  in the ear canal.  This test measures the electrical signal to the brain generated by hearing.  The BAER detects electrical activity in the cochlea and in the auditory pathways, similar to an antenna detecting a TV signal.

What Happens in a BAER Test?

While the patient is awake, and with minimal discomfort, small, hair thin electrodes are placed under the skin of the scalp and a stimulus click is produced by a computer which is directed into the ear by a ear phone that is foam tipped.  Each ear is tested individually and a printout of the record wave form is produced for evaluation.  The response wave form consists of a series of numbered peaks.  Peak 1 is produced by the cochlea and later peaks are produced within the auditory pathways of the brain.  The response from an ear that is deaf or has hearing loss is a flat line.

How Can BEAR Diagnostics Help My Pet?

Brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) is used identify hearing losses, vestibular abnormalities, brainstem lesions, and congenital deafness.  Frequently litters of puppies with possible genetic hearing loss predisposition are tested at the MVRC.

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