[Studies of brain stem function in infants with apnea syndrome using acoustically evoked brain stem potentials and heart rate variability].

Twenty-four infants aged between 6 days and 7 months and 2 infants (16 m and 3 y) were subjects of combined brain-stem auditory evoked potential and heart rate variability measurements. Ten infants had a sleep apnea syndrome and one a Near miss sudden infant death syndrome; thirteen infants formed the control group. Seventeen of the twenty-six infants had normal, age-depended brain stem potentials. All infants of the apnea syndrome-group, which had no therapy, had increased I to V interpeak latencies outside of the one-sigma level, the six infants treated with aminophylline were within the normal range. Heart rate variability measurements revealed the following mean +/- standard deviation of the control group: 4.5% +/- 1.5%; of the apnea syndrome-group without therapy: 5.4% +/- 2.0%.