Importance of auditory brainstem responses in the CT diagnosis of traumatic brainstem lesions.

Changes in brainstem auditory-evoked potential response were serially investigated in 20 head-injury patients with neurologic and computed tomographic signs of brainstem lesion. The reliability of computed tomography in the evaluation of indirect signs of brainstem lesion from the image was investigated with elaboration of the brainstem auditory-evoked potential response. The measurement of auditory brainstem response is thought to be useful in detecting the severity and predicting possible recovery in posttraumatic brainstem injury. Brainstem deformity on computed tomography was a bad prognostic sign, indicating irreversible structural change.