Page 1 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2025

CLINICAL CONNECTIONS

RVC Clinical Services Newsletter Autumn 2025

BRAINSTEM AUDITORY EVOKED RESPONSE

Sadie Mae Mace did a Veterinary brainstem function in patients. appears on the screen, it is determined
Journalism placement within the Click sounds are played through the patient cannot perceive sound. If
RVC’s External Relations team during headphones held over the animal’s waveforms appear, quieter noises are
the final year of her BVetMed degree. ears and five small needle electrodes, then sequentially played to determine
She interviewed members of the which are inserted at specific locations how well the animal can hear.
Neurology and Neurosurgery Service under the skin on the head, detect the The BAER can therefore determine
and then wrote the following article. subsequent electrical signals as the if an animal is deaf, such as puppies
sound information is carried along the born with a congenital deafness, or has
he Queen Mother Hospital for hearing pathways. partial hearing loss, such as due to an
Animals (QMHA) has acquired These electrical signals are displayed inner ear infection.
Ta brainstem auditory evoked as waveforms on the connected screen, Causes of deafness are often divided
response (BAER) electrodiagnostic tool allowing clinicians to analyse their into two main groups – conductive and
through donations to the RVC Animal size and shape to determine auditory sensorineural. Conductive deafness,
Care Trust (ACT). pathway function. where the auditory stimuli are not
The BAER creates auditory stimuli and The diagnostic test begins with effectively transmitted to the nervous
then records the resulting electrical activity playing a loud noise to rapidly establish system, can be due to otitis media or
in the hearing system to assess hearing and if the patient can hear. If a flat line interna, neoplasia, or other structural

P. 4 P. 5 P.6 P.8
ECC RESIDENTS' VETERINARY NURSE CARDIOTHORACIC PIONEERING EQUINE
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