[Highpass filtering of auditory evoked brain stem potentials (author's transl)].

Twenty ears of normal-hearing subjects are investigated as to the influence of highpass filtering on latency, amplitude, and shape of auditory evoked brain stem potentials. For this purpose, three different Bessel-filters (steepness 24 dB/octave) with lower cut-off frequencies at 100, 200, and 300 Hz (3-dB down points) and an upper cut-off frequency at 3 kHz are used. Spectral composition of brain stem potentials is analyzed by digital filtering based on Fast Fourier Transformation. Results show decreasing latency and amplitude of the negative wave between Jewett V and VI with increasing lower cut-off frequency. With higher edge frequencies we find attenuation of wave V relative to wave IV amplitudes. For that reason we must assume that an essential part of brain stem activity is located below 300 Hz. In our experience moderate highpass filtering seems to be useful in neurological cases to eliminate low frequency components of the signal. In that way potentials I -- V are easy to be identified and interpeak latencies can be determined without any problems. For objective threshold determination, however, brain stem potentials should be derived preferably with broadband filter settings to improve correlation of tone audiometric hearing loss (at about 3 kHz) and brain stem response threshold. A filter set with different lower cut-off frequencies has proved to be really useful in routine work. However, it must by taken into account that highpass filtering means an alteration of the original response in any case.