Auditory brainstem response in premenopausal women taking oral contraceptives.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effects of the new monophasic oral contraceptives on the audiological system in premenopausal women.


METHODS
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) was measured in 94 women during the follicular, periovular and luteal phases of one menstrual cycle in which ovulation was confirmed using sonography and serum progesterone concentration. The latencies for waves I, III and V were determined, and the inter-peak intervals were calculated for waves I-III, I-V and III-V. All 94 women began taking oral contraceptives: 23 women used 20 microg ethinyl estradiol (EE) plus 150 microg desogestrel, 24 women used 30 microg EE plus 75 microg gestodene, and 47 women used 15 microg EE plus 60 microg gestodene. During the third month of contraceptive intake, each subject was again tested for ABR, as above.


RESULTS
The wave latencies and inter-peak intervals showed shorter values during the periovular phase with respect to the luteal phase (P < 0.05), the follicular phase for wave I and for inter-peak interval I-V (P < 0.05) of the menstrual cycle. All of the ABR results in pill users were statistically different from those of the periovular phase (P < 0.05), though similar to those of both the luteal and follicular phases (P = NS).


CONCLUSIONS
ABR seems to depend on the variations of ovarian steroids during the menstrual cycle and during oral contraceptive intake.
Caruso
Salvatore
S
Department of Microbiological Science and Gynecological Science, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Italy. scaruso@mbox.unict.it
Maiolino
Luigi
L
Rugolo
Salvatore
S
Intelisano
Giorgia
G
Farina
Marco
M
Cocuzza
Salvatore
S
Serra
Agostino
A
D000328:Adult; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017135:Desogestrel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045166:Estradiol Congeners / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017697:Premenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects
D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic; D045166:Estradiol Congeners; D009652:Norpregnenes; C033273:Gestodene; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D017135:Desogestrel