Background and Aim: Middle latency auditory evoked potentials (MLAEPs) development takes longer time than the auditory brainstem response (ABR) development does, which makes them difficult to record in some children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the age effect on characteristics and detection of MLAEPs in children and adults.
Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 15 children aged   7-12 yr and 31 adults aged 20-50 yr with normal peripheral hearing. To investigate precisely, children were divided in two subgroups of older and younger than 10 years old, as well. The MLAEPs amplitudes and latencies were recorded by conventional protocol and compared.
Results: Adult Na mean latency, 20.86 ms, was less than that of children, 22.86 ms, (p=0.0025).  In contrast, the adult Nb mean latency, 44.93 ms, was longer (p=0.0001). Children Nb mean latency was 42.02 ms. There was no significant difference in MLAEP amplitudes and latencies between two children subgroups, although variance was more in younger children.
Conclusion: MLAEPs are reliably recorded after 7 years old. Characteristics of MLAEPs are different in adults and children so that the primary MLAEPs generators have a course of development extending beyond the first decade of life. As those potentials were recorded in all children, it is suggested to be used in their test batteries for hearing evaluation.