Utilization of a clinical testing battery to help identify suspected hidden hearing loss (HHL) in humans

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http://library.towson.edu/digital/collection/etd/id/68698

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Towson University Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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2019-03-19

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Towson University. Department of Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology and Deaf Studies

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Abstract

Objective: The goal of the current study was to investigate the potential presence of hidden hearing loss (HHL) in adult participants with and without a reported history of noise exposure. Methods: Six normal hearing adults, three with and three without a reported history of noise exposure, were recruited as participants in the study and were able to complete the entire test battery consisting of audiometric testing, central auditory processing disorder ((C)APD) testing, and threshold seeking auditory brainstem response (ABR). Comprehensive audiometric testing included otoscopy, tympanometry, ARTs, pure tone audiometry from 250-8000 Hz, speech audiometry, DPOAEs, and TEOAEs. (C)APD testing included a comprehensive test battery of dichotic listening, temporal processing, monaural low redundancy, and binaural interaction tests. Threshold seeking ABR was then performed at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz at descending intensities from 80-20 dB nHL. ABR wave V amplitudes and latencies were measured and compared. Non-parametric one way ANOVAs and T-tests were used to analyze the results. Results: Each participant demonstrated normal hearing sensitivity with healthy middle ear function, as demonstrated by normal audiometric results. The control group tended to demonstrate higher average DPOAE and TEOAE SNRs and higher average scores on (C)APD tests. The experimental group, surprisingly, tended to have comparable or higher average wave V amplitudes and faster latencies. However, few significant differences for these tests among the test groups were obtained and these significant differences could not be extrapolated toward a conclusion of presence of HHL in the participant groups. Conclusions: The hallmark complaints of HHL are very real for the individuals who experience them and more research into this suspected phenomenon should continue. Further research on extended high-frequency audiometry, analysis of ABR wave I, and potential individual behavioral differences is necessary before clinical testing for suspected HHL can become a clinical reality.