Brainstem auditory-evoked potentials studied with paired stimuli in multiple sclerosis patients.

In 19 patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) brainstem auditory-evoked potentials (BAEP) with paired stimuli were recorded. Only hearing pathways without abnormalities in usual BAEP were examined. The latencies of wave III and wave V were significantly increased with the paired-stimulus technique (using paired-click intervals of 1.5 and 4.0 ms duration) compared to single clicks. In 4 patients (21%) paired-click BAEP latencies exceeded the critical values of normal subjects. This technique might give new possibilities in detecting minor lesions in MS patients.