Auditory Disorder Following Bilateral Temporal Lobe Insult: Report of a Case

1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Jerger ◽  
Larry Lovering ◽  
Max Wertz

Audiologic data are presented for a patient with bilateral temporal lobe damage. Neuropathology examination of the brain at autopsy confirmed site of lesion. Audiologic results on this patient are contrasted to results obtained in 1969 by Jerger et al. on another patient with presumed bilateral lesions of the temporal lobe. The two patients showed striking similarities. Both experienced transient aphasia but no hearing problems after the first (left-sided) episode. Both reported severe hearing loss after the second (right-sided) episode. In both cases, the presumed sensitivity loss had essentially recovered within three months of the second episode. Both showed marked inability to recognize either single words or sentences. This profound deficit did not improve significantly, even under ideal listening conditions, in either patient during the period of study. In contrast to the striking similarities between the two patients, there was one significant difference. Whereas the 1969 patient could not localize sounds in space, the present patient’s sound localization ability was unimpaired. This finding seemed related to an interaural imbalance in the relation between loudness and signal duration. The 1969 patient had such an imbalance and could not localize effectively. The present patient did not have an imbalance and localized accurately. This finding indicates that impairment in sound localization is not an invariable concomitant of temporal lobe disease.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Gawliczek ◽  
Wilhelm Wimmer ◽  
Fabio Munzinger ◽  
Marco Caversaccio ◽  
Martin Kompis

Objective. To measure the audiological benefit of the Baha SoundArc, a recently introduced nonimplantable wearing option for bone conduction sound processor, and to compare it with the known softband wearing option in subjects with normal cochlear function and a purely conductive bilateral hearing loss.Methods. Both ears of 15 normal hearing subjects were occluded for the time of the measurement, yielding an average unaided threshold of 49 dB HL (0.5 – 4 kHz). Soundfield thresholds, speech understanding in quiet and in noise, and sound localization were measured in unaided conditions and with 1 or 2 Baha 5 sound processors mounted on either a softband or a SoundArc device.Results. Soundfield thresholds and speech reception thresholds were improved by 19.5 to 24.8 dB (p<.001), when compared to the unaided condition. Speech reception thresholds in noise were improved by 3.7 to 4.7 dB (p<.001). Using 2 sound processors rather than one improved speech understanding in noise for speech from the direction of the2nddevice and sound localization error by 23° to 28°. No statistically significant difference was found between the SoundArc and the softband wearing options in any of the tests.Conclusions. Bone conduction sound processor mounted on a SoundArc or on a softband resulted in considerable improvements in hearing and speech understanding in subjects with a simulated, purely conductive, and bilateral hearing loss. No significant difference between the 2 wearing options was found. Using 2 sound processors improves sound localization and speech understanding in noise in certain spatial settings.


1976 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Schwartz ◽  
Jay W. Sanders

Critical bandwidth measurements and sensitivity prediction from the acoustic reflex (SPAR) test results were obtained on 20 normal-hearing and two groups of 10 hearing-impaired subjects each representing mild-to-moderate and severe hearing loss. Results of critical bandwidth measurements indicated that for center frequencies of 1000 and 2000 Hz the critical bandwidth was significantly greater for the hearing-impaired subjects. A statistical analysis of the difference in critical bandwidth between those predicted by the SPAR test to have a mild-to-moderate hearing loss and those subjects for whom the test predicted severe hearing loss indicated no differences in critical bandwidth at 2000 Hz. A significant difference was found at 1000 Hz but in the wrong direction. Analysis of the relationship between predicted slope of hearing loss and critical bandwidth also failed to show significance. Although the data for hearing-impaired subjects fail to support the rationale for the SPAR test, the results for the entire research sample offer substantial support. Further, the ability of the test to predict categorically degree of hearing loss was also strongly supported.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen R. Wald ◽  
Sheldon L. Kaplan ◽  
Edward O. Mason ◽  
Diane Sabo ◽  
Lawrence Ross Md ◽  
...  

Objective. To determine whether treatment with dexamethasone and ceftriaxone for children with bacterial meningitis reduces the frequency of either sensorineural hearing loss or other neurologic sequelae. Design. This was a prospective, multicentered, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Subjects were followed for 1 year. Setting. The study was conducted in six children's hospitals located in Pittsburgh, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. Patients. Enrolled were 173 children, 8 weeks to 12 years of age, with suspected bacterial meningitis; 143 children were evaluable. Eighty-seven percent of patients were followed for at least 6 weeks to 3 months, and 67% were followed for 1 year. Interventions. Subjects were randomized to receive ceftriaxone with or without dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg every 6 hours for 4 days). Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured within 24 hours of admission. Main outcome measures. Hearing, development, and neurologic sequelae were assessed at the time of discharge and 6 weeks and 1 year later. Main results. One hundred forty-three patients (69 received dexamethasone and 74 received placebo) with bacterial meningitis were evaluable: Haemophilus influenzae type b (83), Streptococcus pneumoniae (33), Neisseria meningitidis (24), and three others. Overall, there was no significant difference in auditory outcome between dexamethasone and placebo recipients. Twenty-two children had bilateral moderate or more severe hearing loss at the time of the first ABR. At follow-up, the resolution of hearing impairment was nearly identical for each group. Nine of ten children who remained persistently deaf were deaf at the time of the first ABR. There were no differences in neurologic or developmental outcome between groups. Conclusion. All but one child with persistent bilateral moderate or more severe hearing loss had demonstrable deafness at the time of the first ABR. Dexamethasone did not significantly improve audiologic, neurologic, or developmental outcome in children with bacterial meningitis.


CoDAS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia Mondelli ◽  
Marina De Marchi dos Santos ◽  
Mariza Ribeiro Feniman

ABSTRACT Purpose To assess the hearing abilities of temporal ordering, temporal resolution and sound localization before and after the fitting of a hearing aid (HA) in individuals with unilateral hearing loss (UHL). Methods There were evaluated 22 subjects, aged 18 to 60 years, diagnosed with sensorineural or mixed UHL, from mild to severe degrees. The study was divided into two stages: the pre and post-adaptation of HA. In both phases, subjects performed an interview, application of Questionnaire for Disabilities Associated with Impaired Auditory Localization, auditory processing screening protocol (APSP) and Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT). Results This study found no statistically significant difference in sound localization and memory evaluations for verbal sounds in sequence, in RGDT and Questionnaire for Disabilities Associated with Impaired Auditory Localization. Conclusion With the effective use of hearing aids, individuals with UHL showed improvement in the auditory abilities of sound localization, ordering and temporal resolution.


1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Heffner ◽  
R. S. Heffner

1. The behavioral audiograms of four Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) were assessed before and after receiving two-stage bilateral lesions of auditory cortex. Thresholds were assessed for each ear with the use of insertion earphones. 2. The bilateral lesions resulted in a large initial hearing loss followed by partial recovery that left the animals with a permanent hearing loss in both ears. 3. The initial hearing loss consisted of a total insensitivity to sound in the ear contralateral to the second lesion with limited hearing in the other ear. However, the animal with the most complete lesion was initially unable to hear sound in either ear. Broadband noise was often more effective in eliciting a behavioral response than tones. 4. Partial recovery occurred in all animals and was observed as early as the first week after surgery. Most of this recovery occurred during the first 3-7 wk after surgery. This rapid phase of recovery was sometimes followed by a more gradual phase although thresholds were still elevated after 94 wk. 5. The permanent hearing loss, which averaged from 30 to 44 dB, was not constant across frequency. Threshold shifts were smallest at 63 Hz and progressively increased with frequency to a maximum loss from 8 to 25 kHz with slightly less loss at 32 kHz. 6. Analysis of the psychophysical functions and threshold stability gave no indication of any nonsensory deficits in attention or vigilance. 7. These results, taken with those of previous experiments, indicate that each hemisphere is primarily involved in the detection of sound in the contralateral ear and secondarily involved in detection in the ipsilateral ear. This arrangement differs from that seen in sound localization where each hemisphere is involved with the contralateral hemifield as opposed to the contralateral ear. Thus it appears that the functional organization of auditory cortex for sound localization is different from that for the detection and identification of sound itself.


2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 618-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jace Wolfe ◽  
Andrew John ◽  
Erin Schafer ◽  
Myriel Nyffeler ◽  
Michael Boretzki ◽  
...  

Background: Previous research has indicated that children with moderate hearing loss experience difficulty with recognition of high-frequency speech sounds, such as fricatives and affricates. Conventional behind-the-ear (BTE) amplification typically does not provide ample output in the high frequencies (4000 Hz and beyond) to ensure optimal audibility for these sounds. Purpose: To evaluate nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) as a means to improve speech recognition for children with moderate to moderately severe hearing loss. Research Design: Within subject, crossover design with repeated measures across test conditions. Study Sample: Fifteen children, aged 5–13 yr, with moderate to moderately severe high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss were fitted with Phonak Nios, microsized, BTE hearing aids. These children were previous users of digital hearing aids and communicated via spoken language. Their speech and language abilities were age-appropriate. Data Collection and Analysis: Aided thresholds and speech recognition in quiet and in noise were assessed after 6 wk of use with NLFC and 6 wk of use without NLFC. Participants were randomly assigned to counter-balanced groups so that eight participants began the first 6 wk trial with NLFC enabled and the other seven participants started with NLFC disabled. Then, the provision of NLFC was switched for the second 6 wk trial. Speech recognition in quiet was assessed via word recognition assessments with the University of Western Ontario (UWO) Plural Test and recognition of vowel-consonant-vowel nonsense syllables with the Phonak Logatome test. Speech recognition in noise was assessed by evaluating the signal-to-noise ratio in dB for 50% correct performance on the Bamford-Kowal-Bench Speech-in-Noise (BKB-SIN) test, an adaptive test of speech perception in a multitalker babble background. Results: Aided thresholds for high-frequency stimuli were significantly better when NLFC was enabled, and use of NLFC resulted in significantly better speech recognition in quiet for the UWO Plural Test and for the phonemes /d/ and /s/ on the Phonak Logatome test. There was not a statistically significant difference in performance on the BKB-SIN test between the NLFC enabled and disabled conditions. Conclusions: These results indicate that NLFC improves audibility for and recognition of high-frequency speech sounds for children with moderate to moderately severe hearing loss in quiet listening situations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-478
Author(s):  
Sarah Allen ◽  
Robert Mayo

Purpose School-aged children with hearing loss are best served by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The purpose of this research was to assess school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of their access to, involvement of, and working relationships with educational audiologists in their current work setting. Method An online survey was developed and distributed to school-based SLPs in North Carolina. Results A significant difference in access to and involvement of educational audiologists across the state was found. Conclusions This research contributes to professional knowledge by providing information about current perceptions in the field about interprofessional practice in a school-based setting. Overall, SLPs reported positive feelings about their working relationship with educational audiologists and feel the workload is distributed fairly.


1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 703-703
Author(s):  
B. A. Prieve ◽  
M. Gorga ◽  
S. T. Neely

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Mustafa Avcu ◽  
Mehmet Metin ◽  
Raşit Kılıç ◽  
Muhammed Alpaslan

Background: In this study, optic coherence tomography (OCT) examination was performed to check whether there was any interaction between ophthalmic axonal structures in unilateral tinnitus patients, and the relationship between optic nerve thickness and cochlear nerve thickness was evaluated. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the relatioship between hearing loss, tinnitus, and nerve thicknesses. Study Design: Prospective study. Setting: Tertiary referral university hospital. Patients: The study included 88 patients with unilateral tinnitus, for which no organic cause could be found in physical examination, psychiatric evaluation, or with imaging methods. Study groups were formed of the tinnitus side and control groups were formed of the healthy side as follows: Group 1 (Non-tinnitus side normal hearing values – n = 30), Group 2 (non-tinnitus side minimal hearing loss – n = 27), Group 3 (non-tinnitus side moderate hearing loss – n = 31), Group 4 (tinnitus side normal hearing values – n = 25), Group 5 (tinnitus side minimal hearing loss – n = 25), and Group 6 (tinnitus side moderate hearing loss – n = 38). Intervention: Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was evaluated with OCT, and the cochlear nerve cross-sectional area was evaluated with MRI. Main Outcome Measures: RNFL measurements were taken with OCT from the subfoveal area (RNFL-SF) and 1.5 mm temporal to the fovea (RNFL-T µm) and nasal (RNFL-N µm) sectors. On MRI, 3 measurements were taken along the nerve from the cerebellopontine angle as far as the internal auditory canal, and the mean value of these 3 measurements was calculated. Results: When the groups were evaluated in respect of cochlear nerve thickness, a significant difference was seen between Group 1 and both the groups with hearing loss and the tinnitus groups. In the subgroup analysis, a statistically significant difference was determined between Group 1 and Groups 3, 4, 5, and 6 (p = 0.013, p = 0.003, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). When the groups were evaluated in respect of the RNFL-SF (µm), RNFL-T (µm), and RNFL-N (µm) values, the differences were determined to be statistically significant (p < 0.001 for all). In the correlation analysis, a negative correlation was determined between hearing loss and cochlear nerve diameter (r: −0.184, p = 0.014), and RNFL-N (r: −0.272, p < 0.001) and between tinnitus and cochlear nerve diameter (r: −0.536, p < 0.001), and RNFL-T (r: −0.222, p < 0.009). Conclusion: The study results clearly showed a relationship between cochlear nerve fiber thickness and hearing loss and the severity of tinnitus in cases with unilateral tinnitus and that there could be neurodegenerative factors in the disease etiology. A similar relationship seen with the RNFL supports the study hypothesis.


2021 ◽  
pp. 014556132199018
Author(s):  
Murat Koc ◽  
Abdullah Dalgic ◽  
Mehmet Ziya Ozuer

Objective: To investigate the effects of the mechanical trauma to the round window, a model electrode inserted into the scala tympani on the cochlear reserve, and the efficacy of topical steroids in preventing hearing loss. Materials and Methods: 21 male Wistar Albino rats were equally categorized into three groups. In all groups an initial mechanical injury to round window was created. Only subsequent dexamethasone injection was administrated into the cochlea in the subjects of group 2 while a multichannel cochlear implant guide inserted into the cochlea prior to dexamethasone administration for group 3. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were obtained prior to and immediately after the surgical injury, eventually on postoperative seventh day (d 7). Mean signal/noise ratios (S/Ns) obtained at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz were calculated. Data sets were compared with non-parametric statistical tests. Results: The early intraoperative mean S/Ns were significantly less than preoperative measurements for group 1 and 2; however, preoperative and postoperative d 7 average S/Ns did not differ. There was statistically significant difference between preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative d 7 average S/Ns for group 3. Conclusion: We observed that hearing was restored approximately to the preoperative levels following early postoperative repair. However, an electrode insertion into the cochlea via round window subsequent to mechanical trauma seems to cause a progressive hearing loss. Therefore, a special care must be taken to avoid the injury to the round window membrane in the course of the placement of a cochlear implant electrode and surgery for the chronic otitis media.


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