Evaluation of TEOAE and DPOAE Measurements for the Assessment of Auditory Thresholds in Sensorineural Hearing Loss

ABSTRACT Purpose: to evaluate the perception of the level of quality of life in subjects with tinnitus, with and without hearing loss. Methods: a cross-sectional quantitative study. A total of 189 subjects (mean age 53.06 years) divided into four groups. Group 1: subjects with normal auditory thresholds without tinnitus complaint; Group 2: subjects with normal auditory thresholds and tinnitus complaint; Group 3: subjects with sensorineural hearing loss without tinnitus complaint; Group 4: subjects with sensorineural hearing loss and with tinnitus complaint. Levels of quality of life were investigated through the World Health Organization Quality Of Life (WHOQOL) website - brief and psycho-emotional and functional aspects of patients with tinnitus through the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Statistical analyzes, comparisons among groups and descriptive analysis were performed, considering a significance level of 5%. Results: the overall mean scores of quality of life in group 4 (56.07) were smaller than those of group 1 (64.67) (p<0.05). The subjects with tinnitus complaint presented a moderate level of disturbance of the symptom. Conclusion: tinnitus interferes in the quality of life of individuals who had preserved or altered auditory thresholds. Therefore, means to reduce the discomfort caused by tinnitus symptom should be developed, in order to improve patients' quality of life.

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Cortical Neurophysiologic Correlates of Auditory Threshold in Adults and Children With Normal Hearing and Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2020_aja-20-00062 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Garrett Cardon ◽

Anu Sharma

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Auditory Neuropathy ◽

Auditory Threshold ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Threshold Estimation ◽

Auditory Thresholds ◽

Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder

Purpose Auditory threshold estimation using the auditory brainstem response or auditory steady state response is limited in some populations (e.g., individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder [ANSD] or those who have difficulty remaining still during testing and cannot tolerate general anesthetic). However, cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) can be recorded in many such patients and have been employed in threshold approximation. Thus, we studied CAEP estimates of auditory thresholds in participants with normal hearing, sensorineural hearing loss, and ANSD. Method We recorded CAEPs at varying intensity levels to speech (i.e., /ba/) and tones (i.e., 1 kHz) to estimate auditory thresholds in normal-hearing adults ( n = 10) and children ( n = 10) and case studies of children with sensorineural hearing loss and ANSD. Results Results showed a pattern of CAEP amplitude decrease and latency increase as stimulus intensities declined until waveform components disappeared near auditory threshold levels. Overall, CAEP thresholds were within 10 dB HL of behavioral thresholds for both stimuli. Conclusions The above findings suggest that CAEPs may be clinically useful in estimating auditory threshold in populations for whom such a method does not currently exist. Physiologic threshold estimation in difficult-to-test clinical populations could lead to earlier intervention and improved outcomes.

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Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Upward Spread of Masking

Journal of Speech and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jshr.1302.426 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 426-437 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Ellen S. Martin ◽

J. M. Pickett

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Auditory Thresholds ◽

Noise Rejection ◽

Low Pass ◽

Masking Noise ◽

Sensorineural Loss

Pure-tone auditory thresholds were obtained in quiet and in three levels of masking noise for one normal-hearing group and five groups of subjects with different degrees of sensorineural loss. The masker was a low-pass noise, cut off at 250 Hz. It was presented at overall levels of 77, 97, and 107 dB SPL. Pure-tone thresholds were obtained at test frequencies within and above the masking band. A measure of noise rejection slope was used to describe spread of masking. Degree of loss, configuration of loss, and level of masking noise appear to have marked influences on upward spread of masking patterns in sensorineural subjects.

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A case report of absent auditory steady-state responses in an elderly person with moderate sensorineural hearing loss

Auditory and Vestibular Research ◽

10.18502/avr.v29i1.2372 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sadegh Jafarzadeh

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Case Report ◽

Steady State ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

Elderly Person ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Steady State Response ◽

Auditory Thresholds ◽

State Response ◽

Auditory Steady State Response

Background: Auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is a test for the estimation of auditory thresholds. It is used in infants, children, and adults. This case report presented unusual ASSR results in an elderly person. The Case: Pure tone and speech audiometry, tympanometry and acoustic reflexes showed a moderate sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. However, the patient did not respond in the ASSR test to different carrier frequencies with frequency modulations of 40 and 80 Hz. Conclusion: To date, the results of the different effects of the aging process obtained from ASSR responses have been reported. However, the absence of any response in the ASSR test has never been reported. The patient in this case report may have these results because of a neural deficit. Keywords: Sensorineural hearing loss; aging; auditory steady-state response

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Regulator of G Protein Signalling 4 (RGS4) as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22010003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 3

Author(s):

Christine Fok ◽

Milan Bogosanovic ◽

Madhavi Pandya ◽

Ravindra Telang ◽

Peter R. Thorne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

G Protein ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Negative Regulator ◽

Poloxamer 407 ◽

Scaffolding Protein ◽

Auditory Thresholds ◽

G Protein Signalling

We and others have previously identified signalling pathways associated with the adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) as important regulators of cellular responses to injury in the cochlea. We have shown that the “post-exposure” treatment with adenosine A1R agonists confers partial protection against acoustic trauma and other forms of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The aim of this study was to determine if increasing A1R responsiveness to endogenous adenosine would have the same otoprotective effect. This was achieved by pharmacological targeting of the Regulator of G protein Signalling 4 (RGS4). RGS proteins inhibit signal transduction pathways initiated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) by enhancing GPCR deactivation and receptor desensitisation. A molecular complex between RGS4 and neurabin, an intracellular scaffolding protein expressed in neural and cochlear tissues, is the key negative regulator of A1R activity in the brain. In this study, Wistar rats (6–8 weeks) were exposed to traumatic noise (110 dBSPL, 8–16 kHz) for 2 h and a small molecule RGS4 inhibitor CCG-4986 was delivered intratympanically in a Poloxamer-407 gel formulation for sustained drug release 24 or 48 h after noise exposure. Intratympanic administration of CCG-4986 48 h after noise exposure attenuated noise-induced permanent auditory threshold shifts by up to 19 dB, whilst the earlier drug administration (24 h) led to even better preservation of auditory thresholds (up to 32 dB). Significant improvement of auditory thresholds and suprathreshold responses was linked to improved survival of sensorineural tissues and afferent synapses in the cochlea. Our studies thus demonstrate that intratympanic administration of CCG-4986 can rescue cochlear injury and hearing loss induced by acoustic overexposure. This research represents a novel paradigm for the treatment of various forms of SNHL based on regulation of GPCR.

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