Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2019 Aug;62(8):435-441. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2018.00843.

Correlation between Auditory Brainstem Response Characteristics and Hearing Recovery in Sudden Deafness

• Lim EJ
• Shin J
• Kim TH
• Park JH
• Kim S

• KMID: 2457189
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2018.00843

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) can be utilized to verify the hearing threshold and determine the existence of retrocochlear pathology in sudden deafness. However, little is known about the significance of ABR characteristics as a prognostic factor in sudden deafness. The purpose of this study is to evaluate which characteristics of ABR is associated with the prognosis of sudden deafness.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
We studied patients who were diagnosed with unilateral sudden deafness from January 2017 to May 2018. ABR results of click stimuli at 90 dB nHL were analyzed by the latency of wave I, III, and V.
RESULTS
A total of 113 patients (55 men and 58 women) participated in the study. Hearing recovery was observed in 94 cases (83.2%). The absolute latency of wave I, III, and V was prolonged in the affected ears when compared with the unaffected ears. Hearing improvement was only correlated to the interaural latency delay of wave I (Pearson's r=−0.278, p<0.05). Prolonged interaural latency delay was noted from complete toward slight hearing recovery group. When the hearing outcome was evaluated by the interaural latency delay of wave I at 0.2 ms, the result of under 0.2 ms was significantly better than that over 0.2 ms and no visible wave I.
CONCLUSION
Prolonged interaural delay of wave I over 0.2 ms and no visible wave I in ABR showed worse hearing outcome in sudden deafness. This finding may provide ABR as a potential prognostic indicator in sudden deafness.

Keyword

Auditory; Evoked potentials; Latency

MeSH Terms

Ear
Evoked Potentials
Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem*
Hearing Loss, Sudden*
Hearing*
Humans
Male
Methods
Pathology
Prognosis