ABRS

ABRs are acronyms with multiple meanings across fields. The most widely used in clinical contexts refers to Auditory Brainstem Response, a non-invasive test that assesses the auditory pathway from the ear to the brainstem.

Auditory Brainstem Response testing uses surface electrodes placed on the scalp, forehead, and earlobes to record electrical activity in response to sound stimuli such as clicks or tone bursts. The resulting waveforms, labeled I through VII, reflect neural conduction along the auditory nerve and brainstem.

ABR testing helps estimate hearing thresholds, particularly in infants or individuals who cannot provide behavioral responses. It can aid in the diagnosis of retrocochlear disorders, assess the integrity of the auditory pathway during certain medical procedures, and contribute to newborn hearing screening programs.

In telecommunications and networking, ABR commonly stands for Available Bit Rate, a service category used in ATM networks to allocate bandwidth dynamically based on demand.

In media and streaming contexts, ABR is used to denote Adaptive Bitrate or Adaptive Bitrate Streaming, a technique that adjusts video quality in real time to changing network conditions and reduces buffering.

Because ABRs has multiple meanings, the intended sense is determined by context. When referring to hearing science, ABRs almost always means Auditory Brainstem Response.