Temporal Sensitivity in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Insights Into Their Everyday Auditory Performance

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on low-frequency (LF) pitch and speech-in-noise perception linked to temporal sensitivity and everyday auditory performance. The relationships between these outcomes and potential confounders, such as diabetes duration, glycemic control, and neuropathy, were also examined.

The participants consisted of 18 young patients with T1DM. They were matched with 18 healthy controls based on age, gender, and audiometric thresholds (up to 20 kHz). Measurements included behavioral measures of temporal sensitivity using the low-pass-filtered Word Stress Pattern (WSP-LPF) test and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), as well as self-reported measure using the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale.

Patients with T1DM showed significantly poorer performance on both the WSP-LPF (p < .001), and HINT (p = .004) tests compared to healthy controls. Specifically, patients with T1DM showed impaired perception of lexical stress cued by LF pitch and required higher signal-to-noise ratios to effectively perceive speech in complex listening situations. Self-report measures indicated reduced hearing satisfaction in patients with T1DM (p = .001). Statistically significant correlations were found between WSP-LPF and diabetes duration (p = .021).

The present findings reveal that T1DM negatively affects the perception of lexical stress and speech-in-noise performance, reflecting disruptions in temporal sensitivity. These impairments are present even in patients with normal audiometric thresholds, and addressing these deficits may be crucial for improving auditory function and developing targeted interventions.