Murine malaria is associated with significant hearing impairment.
BACKGROUND
Plasmodium falciparum malaria has been suspected to cause hearing loss. Developmental, cognitive and language disorders have been observed in children, surviving cerebral malaria. This prospective study aims to evaluate whether malaria influences hearing in mice.


METHODS
Twenty mice were included in a standardized murine cerebral malaria model. Auditory evoked brainstem responses were assessed before infection and at the peak of the illness.


RESULTS
A significant hearing impairment could be demonstrated in mice with malaria, especially the cerebral form. The control group did not show any alterations. No therapy was used.


CONCLUSIONS
This suggests that malaria itself leads to a hearing impairment in mice.
Schmutzhard
Joachim
J
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck Austria. Joachim.Schmutzhard@i-med.ac.at
Kositz
Christian H
CH
Lackner
Peter
P
Dietmann
Anelia
A
Fischer
Marlene
M
Glueckert
Rudolf
R
Reindl
Markus
M
Stephan
Kurt
K
Riechelmann
Herbert
H
Schrott-Fischer
Annelies
A
Schmutzhard
Erich
E
D000818:Animals; D001299:Audiometry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000302:isolation & purification