Functional anatomy of auditory brainstem nuclei: application to the anatomical basis of brainstem auditory evoked potentials.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) are used routinely in clinical practice to evaluate the normality of the lower auditory system. The objective of this review is to describe the functional anatomy of the structures implicated in BAEP generation (cochlear nerve and the auditory brainstem nuclei). Indications and results of BAEP in clinical practice are presented and correlated with auditory structures, which generate each waveform of BAEP.