The inner ear undertakes hearing and balance functions; and the nerves of hearing and balance run together from the ear to the brain. An ABR is a test using auditory clicks heard in the ear to evoke a signal in the hearing pathways which can be measured by electrodes on the surface of the skin at the forehead, behind the ears and the top of the head. It can assess the signals in the hearing pathways as they travel from the ear to the base of the brain. An ABR helps assess the function of the hearing in the inner ear, hearing nerve and base of the brain.

 

A patient undertaking an ABR lies on a bed with surface electrodes on the skin (forehead, behind the ears, and top of the head) and wears headphones; and relaxes whilst test is performed by our audiologist.