Influence of obstructive sleep apnea on auditory event-related potentials.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the P300 response of auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) and to correlate the electrophysiological findings with OSA severity. METHODS: Patients with no OSA and mild, moderate, and severe OSA according to polysomnography (PSG) with normal hearing and no comorbidities were studied. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, the use of chronic medications, and a risk of hearing loss were excluded. All patients underwent full PSG and auditory ERP measurement using the oddball paradigm with tone burst and speech stimuli. For P300 analysis (latencies and amplitudes), normal multiple linear regression models were adjusted with the groups (No OSA, Mild OSA, Moderate OSA, Severe OSA), age, BMI, and Epworth score as explanatory variables. RESULTS: We studied 54 individuals (47 males) aged 35 ± 8 years with a BMI of 28.4 ± 4.3 kg/m2. Patients were divided according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) derived from PSG into no OSA (n = 14), mild (n = 16), moderate (n = 12), and severe OSA (n = 12) groups. Patients with severe OSA presented prolonged P300 latencies with tone burst stimuli compared to patients with no OSA and those with mild and moderate OSA. CONCLUSION: Severe OSA is associated with impairment of the P300 response of auditory ERPs, suggesting a decrease in the processing speed of acoustic information that may be mediated by the level of somnolence.

Interaction between diabetes mellitus and hypertension on hearing of elderly.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic diseases and metabolic changes may act as accelerating factor in the degeneration of the auditory system due to age. However, studies involving an association between hearing loss and diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HA) in the elderly have shown controversial conclusions. Thus, further studies on this topic are needed in order to elucidate the effect of these chronic diseases on the auditory system. AIM: To compare the hearing thresholds of elderly patients with DM, HA and DM + HA with a control group (CG). METHODS: Retrospective study was conducted through survey charts of 80 elderly people with full hearing assessment, between 2008 and 2012. Subjects were divided into four groups: DM, HA, DM + HA and without chronic diseases known (CG). The ANOVA, Tukey and Mauchly tests, with a significance level of 0.05, were used. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the ears, which are grouped. Comparisons between the means of hearing thresholds of CG and DM or HA showed no statistically significant differences. However, a statistically significant difference in the comparison between these three groups and DM + HA group for several of the frequencies evaluated was observed. CONCLUSION: It was found that older adults with DM and hypertension associated showed greater hearing impairment in comparison with the other groups, suggesting a synergistic effect of the two chronic diseases on hearing.

Interação entre diabetes mellitus e hipertensão arterial sobre a audição de idosos / Interaction between diabetes mellitus and hypertension on hearing of elderly

RESUMO Introdução: Doenças crônicas e alterações metabólicas podem atuar como fator de aceleração na degeneração do sistema auditivo decorrente da idade. No entanto, estudos envolvendo a associação entre a perda auditiva com a diabetes mellitus (DM) e com a hipertensão arterial (AH) em idosos mostraram conclusões controversas. Sendo assim, novos estudos sobre essa temática são necessários, a fim de elucidarmos o efeito dessas doenças crônicas sobre o sistema auditivo. Objetivo: Comparar os limiares auditivos de idosos portadores de DM, de HA e de DM+AH com um grupo controle (GC). Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo realizado por meio de levantamento de prontuários de 80 idosos com avaliação audiológica completa, entre 2008 e 2012. Os idosos foram distribuídos em quatro grupos: portadores de DM, portadores de AH, portadores de DM+AH e sem doenças crônicas conhecidas (GC). Foram utilizados os testes estatísticos ANOVA, Tukey e Mauchly, com nível de significância de 0,05. Resultados: Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre as orelhas, sendo esses resultados agrupados. As comparações entre as médias dos limiares auditivos dos grupos GC e DM ou AH não mostraram diferenças estatisticamente significantes, entretanto houve diferença estatisticamente significante na comparação entre esses três grupos e o grupo DM+AH para várias das frequências da audiometria avaliadas. Conclusão: Verificou-se que idosos com DM e AH associados apresentaram maior comprometimento auditivo com relação aos outros grupos, sugerindo um efeito sinérgico das duas doenças crônicas sobre a audição.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Chronic diseases and metabolic changes may act as accelerating factor in the degeneration of the auditory system due to age. However, studies involving an association between hearing loss and diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HA) in the elderly have shown controversial conclusions. Thus, further studies on this topic are needed in order to elucidate the effect of these chronic diseases on the auditory system. Aim: To compare the hearing thresholds of elderly patients with DM, HA and DM + HA with a control group (CG). Methods: Retrospective study was conducted through survey charts of 80 elderly people with full hearing assessment, between 2008 and 2012. Subjects were divided into four groups: DM, HA, DM + HA and without chronic diseases known (CG). The ANOVA, Tukey and Mauchly tests, with a significance level of 0.05, were used. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the ears, which are grouped. Comparisons between the means of hearing thresholds of CG and DM or HA showed no statistically significant differences. However, a statistically significant difference in the comparison between these three groups and DM + HA group for several of the frequencies evaluated was observed. Conclusion: It was found that older adults with DM and hypertension associated showed greater hearing impairment in comparison with the other groups, suggesting a synergistic effect of the two chronic diseases on hearing.

Processamento auditivo em teste e reteste: confiabilidade da avaliação / Test and retest of auditory processing: reliability of the evaluation

OBJETIVOS: Verificar a confiabilidade de alguns dos testes que avaliam o Processamento Auditivo Central (PAC), por meio de um estudo do tipo teste-reteste. MÉTODOS: Quarenta indivíduos voluntários, falantes do Português, foram sorteados ao acaso e avaliados quanto ao PAC nas situações de teste e reteste, com intervalos que variaram entre uma semana a um mês. Foram aplicados os testes de localização, memória sequencial verbal e não verbal, dois testes monóticos e dois dicóticos. Estes últimos, escolhidos de acordo com a faixa etária e condições de resposta de cada sujeito. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença entre as orelhas testadas, nem entre as situações de teste e reteste, de todo o grupo. Quando comparados os desempenhos dos indivíduos, cujos resultados apontaram para um transtorno do PAC, com aqueles cujos resultados estiveram dentro da normalidade, em ambas as situações houve variação na maior parte dos testes aplicados. CONCLUSÃO: Os testes do PAC utilizados neste estudo demonstraram sua confiabilidade por meio do teste-reteste.

PURPOSE: To verify the reliability of a few Central Auditory Processing (CAP) tests through a test-retest study. METHODS: Forty Portuguese speaking volunteer subjects were randomly selected and evaluated on CAP abilities in the situations of test and retest, with interval periods that varied from one week to one month. The following tests were applied: localization, verbal and non-verbal sequential memory, two monotic and two dichotic tests. These last ones were selected according to each subject's age and response conditions. RESULTS: There was no difference between the tested ears, nor between the test and retest situations for the entire group. When the performances of subjects indicating an auditory processing disorder were compared to those whose results were within normal limits there was a variation in the majority of the tests, in both situations. CONCLUSION: The CAP tests used in this study indicated their reliability through the test-retest.