BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response)

Alternative names:

BAEP, brainstem auditory evoked potentials; evoked auditory potentials; evoked response audiometry

How the test is performed:

You are positioned on a reclining chair or bed and are asked to relax and remain still. Electrodes are placed on your scalp, along the vertex and on each earlobe. You hear clicking noises or tone bursts through earphones, and the electrodes pick up the brains response and record it on a graph.

How to prepare for the test:

You may be asked to wash your hair the night before the test.

Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:

• infant test or procedure preparation (birth to 1 year)
• toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years)
• preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years)
• schoolage test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years)
• adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years)

How the test will feel:

There is little discomfort.

Why the test is performed:

The test is performed to help diagnose nervous-system abnormalities, hearing losses (especially in low-birth weight newborns), and to assess neurologic functions.