Brainstem dysfunction in the infant apnea syndrome.

Abstract

Thirty-six infants identified as infant apnea syndrome (IAS) and 25 controls with a comparable age distribution were evaluated with Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential (BAEP) testing. There was a significant predilection for leftsided BAEP abnormalities in IAS patients. Fifteen IAS patients had bilateral abnormalities, and of the 21 IAS patients with unilateral abnormalities, 17 had abnormalities on the left side (p less than 0.01 by McNemar's test). Significant differences (p less than 0.05 by analysis of covariance adjusting for age) between normal controls and IAS infants were found for peak latencies I, III, and V, and amplitude III. Linear regression analyses of the above parameters versus age in months for normal controls were constructed with 68% and 95% prediction interval bands to permit analysis of individual data points. Data points from the IAS infants with bilateral BAEP abnormalities have been plotted on these linear regression curves. No single measurement of latency or amplitude is abnormal in the majority of IAS infants, but many of the individual points fall outside of the 95% prediction curve.