Lasting auditory attention impairment after persistent middle ear infections: a dichotic listening study.
Dichotic listening performance was studied in children who at an early age had undergone a myringotomy with insertion of ventilating tubes for persistent middle ear infections (otitis media with effusion; OME) and compared with age-equivalent children who had no history of otitis media or hearing problems. The OME group consisted of 19 children with a median age of 9 years; 15 of whom were right-handed, and 14 were boys. The comparison sample comprised 18 children with a median age was 9 years 4 months. Hand preference and sex were matched with the OME group. Both groups were tested with dichotic listening to consonant-vowel syllables and additional forced-attention tasks. The comparison sample showed a weak right-ear advantage, and age-adequate attentional modulations. The children in the OME group showed a strong right-ear advantage, but were not able to modulate the ear advantage during directed-attention tasks. Models for interpreting the result are discussed.
Asbjørnsen
A
A
Department of Psychosocial Sciences, University of Bergen, Norway. asbjornsen@psych.uib.no
Holmefjord
A
A
Reisaeter
S
S
Møller
P
P
Klausen
O
O
Prytz
B
B
Boliek
C
C
Obrzut
J E
JE
D001288:Attention; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D005064:Eustachian Tube; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*