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Frequency- and time-dependent hearing improvement after glycerol administration in suspected Ménière's disease: a
Hongbing Yu1,2, Shufen Li1, Tong Wu1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Purpose:
To examine the frequency-specific and time-dependent pattern of hearing-threshold change after glycerol administration in ears with suspected Ménière's disease.
Methods:
This secondary analysis used a publicly available de-identified dataset comprising 356 ears with suspected Ménière's disease. Pure-tone thresholds were available at baseline and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 h after glycerol administration. Frequencies were grouped into low- (125, 250, and 500 Hz), mid- (1000, 1500, and 2000 Hz), and high-frequency (3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz) bands. Threshold improvement from baseline was summarized for each band and time point. A linear mixed-effects model was used to examine the effects of time, frequency band, and their interaction. Maximum improvement across frequency bands was compared using nonparametric repeated-measures tests.
Results:
Hearing improvement after glycerol showed a clear frequency- and time-dependent pattern. Improvement was greatest in the low-frequency band, intermediate in the mid-frequency band, and smallest in the high-frequency band. By 4 h, mean improvement reached 4.29 ± 6.65 dB in the low-frequency band, 3.73 ± 7.00 dB in the mid-frequency band, and 1.08 ± 3.84 dB in the high-frequency band. In the mixed-effects model, significant effects were found for time (χ² = 55.32, df = 4, P < 0.001), frequency band (χ² = 67.26, df = 2, P < 0.001), and the time-by-band interaction (χ² = 20.51, df = 8, P = 0.0086). The largest changes were observed at 3-4 h and were concentrated mainly between 500 and 1500 Hz.
Conclusion:
In suspected Ménière's disease, glycerol-related hearing improvement is concentrated mainly in the low- and mid-frequency ranges and becomes most apparent 3-4 h after administration. These findings support a more detailed descriptive interpretation of glycerol-test responses across frequency bands and time points rather than a new diagnostic rule.
