The effect of forward masker duration, rise/fall time, and integrated pressure on auditory brain stem evoked responses in human newborns and adults.

The effects of duration, rise/fall time, integrated pressure, and intensity of a forward masker on the auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR) were examined in three studies. Keeping peak masker intensity constant, integrated masker pressure was a better predictor of ABR latency prolongation than masker duration or rise/fall time in human newborns. Masker effects varied as a function of masker intensity. Greater ABR latency prolongation was observed for more intense maskers. Furthermore, latency prolongation was observed with increasing masker duration for high-intensity, but not low-intensity maskers. Forward masking had a greater effect on newborn wave V latencies than adult wave V latencies; however, increasing masker duration had similar effects on newborn and adult wave V latencies.