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Low-frequency hearing assessment by middle latency responses in children with pervasive developmental disorder
1ORL Clinic, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece. psillasgeo@the.forthnet.gr
Insights
A significant number of children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) experience undiagnosed low-frequency hearing loss. Early audiological evaluation is crucial for identifying and managing hearing deficits in PDD populations.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) can present with complex communication challenges.
- Undetected hearing impairments may exacerbate communication difficulties in children with PDD.
- Assessing auditory function is critical for comprehensive PDD care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate middle latency responses (MLR) in children with PDD.
- To detect low-frequency auditory thresholds in this population.
- To investigate the prevalence of hearing loss in children diagnosed with PDD.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 35 children diagnosed with PDD (under 5 years old) underwent audiological assessments.
- Evaluations included free-field testing, tympanometry, middle latency responses (MLR), and auditory brainstem responses (ABR).
- A control group of 15 typically developing children was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five percent (9 out of 35) of children with PDD exhibited low-frequency sensory hearing loss.
- Hearing loss was unilateral in seven children and bilateral in two, ranging from slight to severe.
- In 44% of affected children, parents did not suspect hearing loss due to the child's general responsiveness to sound.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of children with PDD are affected by low-frequency hearing loss, detectable by MLR.
- Aural rehabilitation was initiated for children with bilateral or severe unilateral hearing loss to enhance auditory responses and communication.
- Thorough audiometric evaluation, including low-frequency hearing assessment, is recommended for all children with PDD, regardless of their apparent reaction to sound.
Objective:
In this study, we assessed middle latency responses (MLR) in children diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) in order to detect low-frequency auditory thresholds.
Methods:
35 children, 25 males and 10 females, aged below 5, diagnosed with PDD were referred to rule out any possible hearing deficit. Audiologic evaluation included free-field testing, tympanometry, and both MLR and auditory brainstem responses. A control group of 15 normal children matched for sex and age were used.
Results:
In 9 out of 35 children (25%), low-frequency sensory hearing loss was revealed. The hearing loss was unilateral in seven children and bilateral in two, and varied from slight to severe. In four out of the nine cases (44%), parents had not suspected hearing loss, since these children always responded to sound.
Conclusions:
Among children diagnosed with PDD a significant proportion (25%) was affected by low-frequency sensory hearing loss, detected by MLR. In these children, when low-frequency hearing loss was found bilateral or severe unilateral, aural rehabilitation was initiated in order to improve their responses to auditory stimuli and their impaired communication with the environment. PDD children, even if their reaction to sound is normal, must be referred to thorough audiometric evaluation while low-frequency hearing level should always be tested.