Electrophysiological testing: What to expect

Electrophysiological tests monitor the activity of your brain and/or auditory nerves in response to a sound stimulus. 

These tests involve the placement of electrodes on the skin of the head and neck, which monitor the automatic activity of your auditory system in response to sounds such as ‘clicks’ or short tone bursts that are presented via headphones. 

The procedure is completely non-invasive and you are required to do little more than relax.

Electrophysiological tests may be used when a client is unable to complete a normal hearing assessment, when the results obtained in an assessment are highly inconsistent, or as part of the differential diagnosis of some hearing disorders. An example of this type of testing is the Auditory Brainstem Response, which is used to screen the hearing of newborns and find disorders in the auditory nerve. The later, Slow Vertex responses may allow a measure of hearing ability to be determined and has been used in medico-legal cases.