Effects of age and sex on auditory brain stem response. A new aspect.

The age and sex dependence of the latencies and interpeak intervals (IPI) of the auditory brain stem response (ABR) was investigated in 86 males and 69 females. The latencies of the waves I, III and V as well as the IPI I-V and III-V are significantly shorter in females than in males. A correlative linear dependence on age could be shown for the latencies of waves I, III and V in males and for the wave V latency in females. The slopes of the regression lines calculated for the dependence of ABR latencies I, III and V on age tend to be steeper in males than in females. The slope increases from wave I to wave V. The male and female regression lines intersect the latency axis at about the same point (at the same latency value at age A = O). On the basis of these results, the hypothesis is established, that age and sex dependence is not caused by different mechanisms. The ABR latency differences between males and females are in the main the result of the ABR age dependence being less pronounced in females than in males.