Functional hearing loss and developmental imbalances

Functional hearing loss (FHL) is a disorder in which there are abnormal values on a hearing test, despite the absence of organic abnormalities in the peripheral and central auditory pathways. Here, we examined the developmental characteristics of FHL and the importance of intervention by analyzing the clinical characteristics of children with this disorder.

We retrospectively examined 16 patients assessed under a diagnosis of FHL. After interventions such as psychological counseling by our pediatrics and psychiatry departments, we compared the clinical profiles of patients in which hearing was "improved/normalized" and "unimproved".

Fourteen patients visited a pediatrician and two chose not to do so. A discrepancy between the maximum and minimum values of the four index scores was observed in all patients in which WISC-IV (the fourth version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) was performed (n = 12). The discrepancy between the verbal comprehension index (VCI) and perceptual reasoning index (PRI) was significantly greater in "unimproved" patients than in "improved/normalized" patients. Hearing improved, or was normalized, after intervention in six of 16 patients.

Developmental imbalances were suspected in all 12 children who visited a pediatrician and completed the WISC-IV. Cooperation with pediatricians, psychiatrists, and other health professionals is desirable in supporting patients diagnosed with FHL.