Frequency-following response among neonates with progressive moderate hyperbilirubinemia

Gabriella Musacchia; Jiong Hu; Vinod K Bhutani; Ronald J Wong; Mei-Ling Tong; Shuping Han; Nikolas H Blevins; Matthew B Fitzgerald

doi:10.1038/s41372-019-0421-y

Frequency-following response among neonates with progressive moderate hyperbilirubinemia

J Perinatol. 2020 Feb;40(2):203-211. doi: 10.1038/s41372-019-0421-y. Epub 2019 Jul 1.

Authors

Gabriella Musacchia^{1

2}, Jiong Hu³, Vinod K Bhutani⁴, Ronald J Wong⁴, Mei-Ling Tong⁵, Shuping Han⁵, Nikolas H Blevins⁶, Matthew B Fitzgerald⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Audiology, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA, 94103, USA. gmusacchia@pacific.edu.
² Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. gmusacchia@pacific.edu.
³ Department of Audiology, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA, 94103, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Nanjing Maternal and Child health Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
⁶ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.

PMID: 31263204
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-019-0421-y

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of auditory monitoring of neurophysiological status using frequency-following response (FFR) in neonates with progressive moderate hyperbilirubinemia, measured by transcutaneous (TcB) levels.

Study design: ABR and FFR measures were compared and correlated with TcB levels across three groups. Group I was a healthy cohort (n = 13). Group II (n = 28) consisted of neonates with progressive, moderate hyperbilirubinemia and Group III consisted of the same neonates, post physician-ordered phototherapy.

Result: FFR amplitudes in Group I controls (TcB = 83.1 ± 32.5µmol/L; 4.9 ± 1.9 mg/dL) were greater than Group II (TcB = 209.3 ± 48.0µmol/L; 12.1 ± 2.8 mg/dL). After TcB was lowered by phototherapy, FFR amplitudes in Group III were similar to controls. Lower TcB levels correlated with larger FFR amplitudes (r = -0.291, p = 0.015), but not with ABR wave amplitude or latencies.

Conclusion: The FFR is a promising measure of the dynamic neurophysiological status in neonates, and may be useful in tracking neurotoxicity in infants with hyperbilirubinemia.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acoustic Stimulation*
Bilirubin / blood
Brain Stem / physiology*
Cohort Studies
Electroencephalography
Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem*
Humans
Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / blood
Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / physiopathology*
Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / therapy
Infant, Newborn
Neonatal Screening / methods*
Phototherapy
Speech

Substances

Bilirubin