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Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
[Audiological characteristics of young children with otitis media with effusion]
Qiu-ju Wang1, Wei Shi, Lan Lan
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, China. wqcr@263.net
Insights
Objective audiometry methods like tympanometry, auditory brainstem response (ABR), and otoacoustic emission (OAE) effectively diagnose otitis media with effusion (OME) in infants, aiding early intervention for hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Context:
- Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common condition in infants, potentially leading to hearing impairment.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for developmental outcomes.
- Conventional otolaryngological exams may not fully capture the audiological impact of OME.
Purpose:
- To characterize the audiological features of OME in infants.
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of various objective audiometry methods for OME.
- To investigate the role of these methods in guiding intervention strategies.
Summary:
- Fifty-six infants with suspected OME underwent auditory brainstem response (ABR), otoacoustic emission (OAE), tympanometry (226 Hz and 1000 Hz), and behavioral audiometry.
- Results indicated high referral rates for hearing screening and significant abnormalities across all tested audiometry methods.
- Combined testing, including tympanometry at both frequencies, ABR, OAE, and behavioral tests, demonstrated effectiveness in characterizing OME.
Impact:
- The study highlights the importance of objective audiometry in the early diagnosis of OME in infants.
- Findings support the integrated use of multiple non-invasive audiological tests for comprehensive assessment.
- Improved diagnostic accuracy can lead to timely interventions, mitigating long-term effects of infant hearing loss.
Objective:
To characterize the audiological features in the infants with otitis media with effusion (OME) and to investigate the utility of variety of objective audiometry methods in diagnosis and intervention on OME.
Methods:
Fifty six infants (40 males and 16 females) were investigated, who were referred to our clinic at the General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army by the other hospitals from December 2004 to June 2007 when the infants were diagnosed or highly suspected of OME. The ages at the initial diagnosis ranged from 42 days to three years, with an average of five months. The infants, after receiving the conventional otolaryngological exams, were subjected to the tests of auditory brainstem response (ABR), otoacoustic emission (OAE), tympanometry (226 Hz and 1000 Hz) and behaviors audiometry.
Results:
Among 56 affected infants, 87 ears were diagnosed with OME, of which 31 infants were affected bilateral and 25 with monaural. For the 49 infants who received hearing screening at birth, 36 infants were referred at the initial screening. For the 52 infants who received repeated screening, all subjects were referred. Six infants without receiving hearing screening came to clinic when their parents observed their kids' hearing impairment. Among the 52 cases (104 ears) who received tympanometry test, 20 subjects (28 ears) showed B or C type tympanometry curve. Thirty-nine cases (78 ears) were given tympanometry test at 1000 Hz, of which 38 cases (55 ears) showed abnormal hearing. Among 56 infants (112 ears) with ABR test, 49 subjects (74 ears) exhibited prolonged ABR type I curve. All 56 infants (112 ears) received OAE test, of which 55 subjects (81 ears) were referred. Four infants (8 ears) accepted the behavior test and all of them showed A-B Gap.
Conclusions:
The combined tympanometry test at both 226 Hz and 1000 Hz, ABR latency or threshold test, infant's behavior test and OAE, used jointly, enable characterizing better OME in infants, thus helping early diagnosis of this hearing disorder.
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