Melatonin in children undergoing auditory brainstem response and auditory steady state response tests

Abstract

Objective: Testing children with ABR/ASSR demands that the child is asleep to obtain valid results. This is a difficult task, and in some cases the uncooperative child is tested under general anaesthesia. By giving a low dose of melatonin – an endogenous hormone that induces natural sleep – the success rate of ABR/ASSR could be evaluated and compared with the results from a control group. Method: One hundred and twenty-seven children with a mean age of 2.3 years suspected of hearing loss and undergoing ABR/ASSR were included in the study. Ninety-nine children assessed by the parents as having difficulties in obtaining spontaneous sleep were given melatonin 3–6 mg depending on weight. A group of 80 children undergoing ABR/ASSR the previous year was used as a control group. Results: The test group had an overall success rate of 71.7% (n = 96) and the control group had a success rate of 51.3% (n = 41). When looking at the test group according to age, the success rate was significantly higher than the control group in all age groups and highest in children above four years of age. The low dosage of melatonin seemed sufficient to test the patients.

Key words::

• ABR
• ASSR
• melatonin
• hearing loss
• children

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.