The P1 component of the cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) shows clearly documented age-related decreases in latency and changes in morphology in normal hearing children, providing a biomarker for development of the auditory cortical pathways in humans. In hearing-impaired children, auditory deprivation may affect the normal age-related changes in central auditory maturation. Appropriate early intervention with amplification and/or electrical stimulation can provide the necessary stimulation needed to drive progress in central auditory maturation and auditory skill development, however objective measures are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these treatments in infants and young children. We describe three pediatric cases, where we explored the clinical utility of the P1 as an objective biomarker of auditory cortical development after early intervention. We assessed development of P1 CAEP latency and morphology in two children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) who received intervention with hearing aids (case 1) and cochlear implants (case 2) and a child with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD) (case 3). Overall, we find that the P1 CAEP serves as useful tool for assessing the effectiveness of early intervention treatment and clinical management of pediatric hearing- impaired patients.
Keywords: Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder; Cochlear implant; P1; biomarker; children; cortical auditory evoked potential; hearing aid; hearing impairment; pediatric.