Related Experiment Videos
Eighth nerve signs in a case of multiple sclerosis
J M Furman1, J D Durrant, W L Hirsch
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA.
American Journal of Otolaryngology
|November 1, 1989
Summary
Sudden hearing loss in multiple sclerosis (MS) can involve the auditory nerve. Brain stem-evoked response audiometry is useful for assessing high-frequency hearing in MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system.
- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is an uncommon but recognized neurological complication of MS.
Observation:
- A 25-year-old woman with MS experienced acute, severe unilateral high-frequency hearing loss.
- Clinical hearing resolved within 10 days, but auditory pathway function remained impaired.
- Brain stem-evoked response audiometry showed abnormal results with limited recovery over 11 months.
Findings:
- Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion in the eighth nerve root-entry zone and cochlear nucleus.
- This case supports the hypothesis that eighth nerve root-entry zone lesions contribute to sudden hearing loss in MS.
- Abnormalities in brain stem-evoked responses correlated with auditory pathway dysfunction.
Implications:
- Eighth nerve root-entry zone involvement is a potential mechanism for sudden hearing loss in multiple sclerosis.
- Brain stem-evoked response audiometry is a valuable tool for evaluating high-frequency auditory system function in MS.
- Early diagnosis and understanding of auditory pathway lesions in MS are crucial for patient management.