Definition of ABR test

ABR test: Auditory brainstem response test. A test for hearing and brain (neurological) functioning. ABR may be used in the evaluation of:

• Hearing integrity (and neurologic normalcy) in infants and young children.
• Neurologic integrity (and hearing) in patients who are comatose, unresponsive, or impaired due to a stroke, an acoustic neuroma (tumor on the hearing nerve), Meniere's disease, etc.

The ABR test involves attaching electrodes to the head to record electrical activity from the auditory nerve (the hearing nerve) and other parts of the brain. Also known as brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP).