Auditory brain stem response laboratory norms: when is the data base sufficient?

Area of Science:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Biostatistics
• Medical Instrumentation

Background:

• Establishing reliable laboratory norms for auditory brain stem response (ABR) requires adequate subject sampling.
• Current methods for determining sample adequacy may not always be efficient or statistically rigorous.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a statistical index for a posteriori assessment of subject sample adequacy in ABR laboratory norm development.
• To introduce the standard error of the mean as a criterion for sample size validation.

Main Methods:

• Calculation of the standard error of the mean (SEM) from collected ABR data.
• Comparison of the calculated SEM against the laboratory's measurement resolution.

Main Results:

• The SEM serves as a reliable indicator of the data set's precision in estimating the true population mean.
• When SEM is within the laboratory's resolution, the current sample size is deemed adequate.

Conclusions:

• Utilizing the SEM simplifies and enhances the process of validating sample adequacy for ABR norms.
• This approach obviates the need for additional subject sampling once the SEM criterion is met, improving efficiency.