Hearing loss of Down syndrome adults.
Audiological hearing-test data were obtained for 51 Down syndrome adults. Depending upon hearing-loss criteria, from 51 to 74 percent of the subjects had some degree of hearing impairment. Correlation coefficients between these hearing-acuity measurements and receptive hearing vocabulary scores suggest a moderate relationship. These data indicate that Down syndrome adults are prone to a wide variety of hearing difficulties that may reflect a variety of ear pathologies. These data and other studies have shown that both Down syndrome adults and children need frequent hearing screening and, when indicated, otological and/or audiological management. When otological treatment will be of long duration, aural rehabilitation, including prescription amplification, may be indicated as an adjunctive therapeutic procedure.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001844:Bone Conduction; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000209:etiology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged