The brainstem auditory evoked potential abnormalities in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to investigate the abnormalities of brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
Twenty-one patients with severe COPD (16 men, five women; mean age: 64 +/- 6.5 years), in whom other causes of BAEP abnormalities had been excluded, were studied. Age-matched, non-smoking, healthy subjects acted as a control group. We performed pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas analysis and bilateral BAEP measurements in COPD patients and control groups.


RESULTS
Brainstem auditory evoked potentials were abnormal in 16 (76.1%) of the 21 COPD patients. Most prominent BAEP abnormalities were prolonged wave I peak latencies (42.8%), V wave peak latencies (38.1%), and III-V interpeak latencies (IPL) (38.1%). In five patients, a prolonged central transmission time (I-V IPL) was observed. No significant correlation was evident between the BAEP parameters and pH, PaO2, PaCO2, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC, haematocrit, duration of disease or cigarette consumption.


CONCLUSIONS
The functions of the eighth cranial nerve and brainstem were highly impaired in severe COPD. These pathological BAEP alterations in severe COPD might be due to the chronic hypoxic-hypercapnic status occurring in the brainstem.
Atiş
S
S
Department of Chest Disease, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Icel, Turkey. satis@mersin.edu.tr
Ozge
A
A
Sevim
S
S
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000503:physiopathology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011086:Polycythemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry