Effect of selective attention on auditory brainstem response

Introduction: Auditory selective attention can enhance the processing of relevant information and inhibit irrelevant information. The attentional modulation of auditory processing is evidenced through cortical auditory event-related potentials and frequency following response. On the other hand, such attentional effects on brainstem evoked potentials showed mixed results. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of selective attention on Auditory Brainstem Response. Methods: Sixteen young adults with bilateral normal hearing sensitivity were recruited for the study, and their auditory brainstem responses were recorded using IHS Smart EP version 3.92 for active listening, passive listening with the visual task, and passive listening with visual distracter conditions. Results: The statistical analysis of the wave-V latency and amplitude obtained from three conditions revealed no effect on the latency; however, peak V amplitude was lower in passive listening with visual distractor condition than in active listening and passive listening with visual task condition. Further attentional modulation was seen only on the contralateral montage and not on the ipsilateral montage. Conclusion: The current study results demonstrate the attentional modulation at earlier stages of auditory processing as evidenced by the increased amplitude of peak V.