Correlation between auditory brainstem response (ABR) and speech discrimination scores in patients with acoustic neurinoma and in patients with cochlear hearing loss.

In a pilot study of patients with cochlear hearing loss and hearing loss due to acoustic neurinoma (AN), the correlation between ABR wave V-features and speech discrimination was investigated. In cochlear hearing loss no correlation of ABR features to speech discrimination was found. In 12 patients with AN the correlation between ABR wave V amplitude to speech discrimination was significant. These results suggest that the decline of speech discrimination in AN patients is due to a deterioration in temporal accuracy of eighth nerve activity.