Exploring the Relationship Between Auditory Brainstem Response Testing and Disease Progression in Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine auditory brainstem response (ABR) test results in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to provide valuable insights for the future diagnosis and treatment of ASD.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis involving 26 children diagnosed with ASD admitted to our hospital between April 2021 and December 2022 (the observation group) and 38 children who underwent health checkups during the same period (the control group). ABR testing was administered to both groups at our hospital. We assessed differences in ABR test results between the observation and control groups and analyzed the correlation between ABR test results and the outcomes of the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) surveys. Additionally, we examined variations in ABR test results among ASD children across different age groups.

RESULTS

In the observation group, we observed higher right ear latencies of waves I and III, as well as differences in left and right ear interpeak latencies (IPLs) of waves I-V compared to the control group (P < .05). However, the left and right ear IPLs of waves III-V were lower in the observation group (P < .05). There were no significant differences in ABR test results among ASD children of different ages (P > .05). Furthermore, we identified positive correlations between the right ear wave III latency, left ear wave I-III IPL, and right ear wave I-III IPL with ABC and CARS scores (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with ASD display abnormal ABR characteristics, indicating the potential of ABR as a valuable tool for evaluating ASD progression in the future.