Early auditory evoked potentials (EAEPs) for the clinical diagnosis of otitis media in the rabbit

The main objectives of the study presented here were to prove the early auditory evoked potentials (EAEPs) as an objective procedure to confirm the diagnosis of otitis media in the rabbit. Therefore, in a clinical study the latencies and amplitudes of the EAEPs of 67 (ear) healthy rabbits were determined at sound pressure levels (SPLs) of 80, 60 and 40 dB. In comparison, the EAEPs of 9 rabbits with otitis media/interna were measured and the deviation of the latencies and amplitudes statistically analysed. The rabbits (no clinical signs of ear disease) showed at 80 dB SPLs the following latencies: potential 0 appeared with 0.53 ms (= average latency, +/- 0.12 ms standard deviation), potential I with an average latency from 1.26 (+/- 0.13) ms, potential II with 2.04 (+/- 0.14) ms, potential III with 2.71 (+/- 0.13) ms, potential IV with 3.72 (+/- 0.17) ms and potential V, which often was difficult to recognize, had an average latency of 4.62 (+/- 0.30) ms. In comparison to these results the rabbits with otitis media showed significant longer latencies at a sound pressure level of 80 dB for potential II, III and IV. Altogether, all mean values of latencies were prolonged in the affected rabbits. The amplitudes of the potentials of the rabbits without clinical signs of ear disease had a broad mean variation with large individual differences. The comparison of the results of EAEPs between rabbits with and without otitis media showed some differences of the latencies but these differences were not obviously enough to confirm the diagnosis of otitis media. Overall, the results showed that EAEPs with only three different sound pressure levels give no convincing results, although extensively prolonged latencies could lead suspicion on the diagnosis of otitis media. Further studies about the ascertainment of the objectively acoustic threshold in the rabbit with otitis media are necessary. The comparison of the latencies and amplitudes in the EAEPs between male and female rabbits showed longer latencies of potential III for male rabbits at 80 and 60 dB SPLs. Furthermore the results of latencies and amplitudes were compared between dwarf rabbits and other breeds. In dwarf rabbits (with an average body weight of 1420 g) significant higher amplitudes for the potentials I, II, IV and V were detectable than in other breeds (with an average body weight of 2852 g). This can be due to different body mass or different headsize.