Diagnostic significance of the staggered spondaic word test and 40-Hz auditory event-related potentials.

This paper discusses the diagnostic value of the staggered spondaic word (SSW) test, the auditory brainstem response (ABR) and the 40-Hz auditory event-related potentials (40-Hz AERP). The results show that upper brainstem lesions consistently produce abnormal 40-Hz auditory event-related potentials (AERP) and acoustic neuromas consistently produce abnormal ABR. If SSW test results are abnormal and the 40-Hz AERP and ABR normal, a temporal lobe lesion must be considered. This study supports the view that the origin of the 40-Hz AERP is at the level of the midbrain or thalamus.