Comparison of the efficiency of various criteria for artifact rejection in the recording of auditory brain-stem responses (ABR).

Artifact rejection using various criteria has not yet been investigated comparatively in the determination of auditory brain-stem responses (ABR). The aim of this paper is to test the efficiency of three different criteria of artifact rejection: the 'level' criterion, the 'amplitude histogram' criterion, and the 'power' criterion, and to compare their practical applicability. With regard to the identification of the single waves of ABR (percentage frequency of their appearance) and their amplitudes without and with artifact rejection, it can be shown that the frequency of appearance increases severalfold when one of the artifact rejection criteria is used. The difference between amplitude means with artifact rejection (all three criteria) and those without artifact rejection is significant on the 5% level for waves I, II, and III and on the 1% level for wave V. When the three criteria are compared with regard to the amplitude means of the individual waves, it can be shown that the best results are obtained, when the 'level' criterion is used, then follows the 'power' criterion and third is the criterion of 'amplitude histogram'. The differences, however, are not significant. With reference to the 'level' criterion used, our investigation proved that the more complicated 'amplitude histogram' and 'power' criteria are not more efficient.