Genetic and audiologic study in elderly with sensorineural hearing loss.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Audiology
• Genetics

Background:

• Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common condition in the elderly.
• Identifying predisposing factors is crucial for prevention and management.
• Genetic factors are implicated in some forms of hearing loss, but their role in age-related SNHL requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential predisposing factors for SNHL in the elderly.
• To correlate audiologic characteristics with lifestyle factors and genetic mutations.
• To examine the frequency of mutations in genes associated with non-syndromic hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 60 elderly individuals (30 with SNHL, 30 with normal hearing).
• Audiometric evaluation including pure tone audiometry across various frequencies.
• Analysis of blood samples for mutations in nuclear and mitochondrial genes linked to SNHL.

Main Results:

• The SNHL group showed a higher tendency for noise exposure and alcohol consumption.
• Tinnitus and hearing difficulties in various environments were statistically significant symptoms.
• All SNHL cases presented bilateral, sensorineural, progressive, and symmetrical hearing loss.
• No genetic mutations were identified in the studied genes.

Conclusions:

• Communication difficulties and tinnitus are prominent symptoms in elderly SNHL.
• Audiologic findings consistently showed bilateral, progressive, and symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss.
• This study did not find a relationship between SNHL in the elderly and the investigated genes for non-syndromic hearing loss.