Re: Microelectrode recordings before pallidotomy

[Alicia Saenz de Cabezon <asaenz@REDESTB.ES>]

Thank you very much by your answer. Next Wensday I have to be in a round
table talking about this issue together with neonatologists, and I will
feel better after your comments.
Alicia

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De:             Gary Goldberg MD[SMTP:goldberg@VM.TEMPLE.EDU]
Enviado:        jueves 27 de noviembre de 1997 13:41
Para:           Multiple recipients of list CLIN_NEUROPHYSIOL
Asunto:         Re: Microelectrode recordings before pallidotomy

We have been doing objective audiometry (ObjAud) with BAEP testing on
neonates in our laboratory for several years.  The babies are screened in
the NICU for auditory impairment and then sent to us if they fail a
screening examination.  Otherwise we only test the most high-risk infants
with ObjAud.  The OEA examination may be useful as a screening tool only if
it has significantly more false positive results than false negative
results.  We looked at this technology a few years ago and did not feel it
offered much advantage over ObjAud or our current screening techniques
which are BAEP-based (although not at all perfected).  We believe that
BAEP-based objective audiometry is the most accurate test but it is fairly
expensive and time-consuming to perform and therefore not suitable for
screening large numbers of infants.  I think the challenge in this area is
to create a series of examinations that begins with a determination of
clinical risk and then goes to a suitable screening examination (relatively
quick and inexpensive but with a relatively large number of false positive
results but low number of false negative results) followed by a
high-accuracy examination like ObjAud.  I would be very interested in
hearing of others' experiences with this techology applied to this clinical
problem.  Thanks.
Gary Goldberg MD
Director, Evoked Potential Lab
MossRehab Hospital
Albert Einstein Healthcare Network