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Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
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A Smartphone-Based Approach to Screening for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Cross-Sectional Validity Study
Heng-Yu Haley Lin1, Yuan-Chia Chu2,3,4, Ying-Hui Lai5
1Department of Medical Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth
|November 11, 2020
Summary
A smartphone app shows promise for diagnosing sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) when traditional audiometry isn't available. This tool accurately correlates with standard tests, offering a viable alternative for urgent hearing loss evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Digital Health
- Audiology
Background:
- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an otologic emergency requiring prompt intervention.
- Conventional pure-tone audiometry (PTA) is the diagnostic standard but often inaccessible in primary or urgent care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the correlation between hearing outcomes from a smartphone-based Ear Scale app and conventional PTA.
- To determine the diagnostic validity of the Ear Scale app for identifying SSNHL by comparing interaural hearing differences.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 88 participants with suspected SSNHL.
- Consecutive hearing assessments using conventional PTA and the Ear Scale app.
- SSNHL diagnosis defined by a PTA difference of ≥30 dB HL between ears; Ear Scale app results stratified into 20 hearing scales.
Main Results:
- A strong positive correlation (Pearson's r = .88) was found between the Ear Scale app and conventional PTA.
- The Ear Scale app demonstrated high sensitivity (95.5%) for detecting SSNHL using a 5-hearing scale difference (25 dB HL).
- Specificity for SSNHL detection with the Ear Scale app was 66.7%.
Conclusions:
- The smartphone-based Ear Scale app is a potentially valuable tool for evaluating SSNHL.
- This app can aid in SSNHL assessment in clinical environments lacking conventional pure-tone audiometry.
