[Short-latency brain-stem auditory evoked potentials in patients with a brain concussion].

The short-latent acoustic stem potentials were examined in 72 males aged 9 to 61 years (mean 32.3 +/- 10.2 years) with concussion of the brain in different early posttraumatic periods (0.5-15 days). The clinical picture of the victims was characterized by systemic cerebral and mild transient symptoms of involvement of stem regions of the brain. Two thirds of the patients were found to have decreased rates of conduction of electric pulses along the acoustic pathway of the brain stem. Moreover, a fourth of the victims had a retarded perception of acoustic stimuli, which implies that concussion of the brain led to the decreased function of the auditory nerve and all relay nuclei of the acoustic system of the brain. The normal pattern of short-latent acoustic stem evoked potentials was seen in 8.3%, their mild and moderate abnormal changes were observed in 40.3 and 51.4% of the patients. Prolongation of a latent period and interpeak intervals, the deformation and lack of waves were considered to be criteria for abnormal changes in short-latent acoustic stem evoked potentials.