THE EFFECTS OF CLICK RATE ON THE AUDITORY BRAIN-STEM RESPONSE (ABR) IN PATIENTS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF HIV-INFECTION - A PILOT-STUDY

This study investigated the effects of click rate on the latencies of the auditory brain stem response (ABR) in subjects with varying degrees of HIV-infection. ABRs were evoked with broad-band clicks presented at rates of 21.1/sec and 61.1/sec in 13 AIDS patients, 9 HIV-infected patients, and 9 HIV-negative volunteers. The latency of waves I, III, and V were measured and analyzed. Statistically significant delays in wave V latency utilizing both click rates occurred for the AIDS group only, however, a comparison of the wave V latency group means obtained with both click rates revealed a demographic pattern that may be indicative of early neurological involvement in asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals.