Bundy, Penelope2023-05-172023-05-172023https://hdl.handle.net/10092/105438http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/14533Universal newborn hearing screening has been a mainstay of many developed countries since the early to mid-2000’s, after evidence showed that the earlier hearing loss is detected, the better for the speech and language outcomes of the individual, as habilitation can commence quickly (Ching & Leigh, 2020; Ching et al., 2017; Ching et al., 2018; Cowan et al., 2018; Davis et al., 1997). The Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) has long been used in newborn hearing screening programmes to determine hearing thresholds and diagnose infants with hearing loss, due to its objective diagnostic sensitivity in a population who otherwise could not provide information regarding their hearing levels. Whilst extremely accurate, the time needed to perform a full diagnostic ABR often exceeds the average infant sleep cycle (Janssen, 2010). The desire to find an alternative electrophysiological measure that is as accurate as sensitive as the ABR but can be performed in a shorter test time has been the basis of much ongoing research. The Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) is gaining traction as an alternative or supplementary method to the ABR (Sininger, 2018). Additionally, the interleaved ABR (Bencito, 2020) has been shown to maintain waveform morphology, whilst being substantially faster to obtain than the conventional ABR. The current study will compare both test time and the detection threshold provided by the ASSR and the interleaved ABR, to determine if either are a valid alternative to the conventional ABR. Fifteen normally hearing participants (11 females and 4 males), aged 21 to 39 years (M = 28.1 SD= 4.6) underwent testing of both the ASSR and interleaved ABR in a counter balanced order. A chirp was utilised to elicit both responses, at the same three levels (20dB nHL, 30dB nHL and 40dB nHL). A fixed protocol for was used with each stimulus delivered for a set time of five minutes, before the next stimulus level or type began. The test time and sensitivity information were then extrapolated using offline analysis to determine if either method shows promise in replacing or supplementing the conventional ABR in newborn hearing screening protocols in Aotearoa and worldwide.enAll Rights ReservedTheses / Dissertations