Artikel
Subclinical cochlear dysfunction in patients with de-novo multiple sclerosis
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Veröffentlicht: | 13. April 2017 |
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Gliederung
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Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) has numerous neurologic signs and symptoms, including hearing impairment. The aim of our study was to investigate: the type and severity of cochlear dysfunction in patients with MS compared to healthy subjects; the potential prognostic value of cochlear dysfunction for disease severity and progression; the relationship between cochlear impairment and disease characteristics-clinical-radiological parameters.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed using Pure-Tone Audiometry (PTA), Otoacustic Emissions (OAEs) and Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABRs). MOC function was evaluated by the olivocochlear suppression test, using OAEs. We enrolled 40 untreated de-novo MS patients and 40 healthy controls. In order to evaluate exclusively the peripheral disorders, patients with a brainstem involvement or abnormal ABR responses were not included.
Results: TEOAE responses in all the frequencies studied were lower in MS patients compared to controls. There were significant differences at the frequencies of 1-1,5 and 2 kHz, as also confirmed by the olivocochlear suppression test. OC suppression reveals the same significant value. Finally, to exclude a central hearing disorder, ANOVA One-Way test does not point out a significant difference between right ear and left ear.
Conclusions: Our work is the first that investigate hearing impairment in de-novo SM patients in a large group of patients. Our results suggest that the MS pathophysiology couldn’t be considered as a central disease, but we can suppose that there is a systemic subclinical involvement of different structure like the cochlear pathway.
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