title: Association of obstructive sleep apnea and auditory dysfunctions in older subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determine the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and auditory dysfunction in older subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital volunteer helpers undergoing questionnaire, morphometry measurement, auditory examinations, and polysomnography between 2008 and 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 224 subjects older than 50 years were randomly sampled for above evaluation and testing. The effects of OSA on the peripheral auditory function, represented by averaged pure-tone threshold of low frequencies (PTA-low) and high frequencies (PTA-high), and central auditory function, shown by pitch pattern sequence (PPS scores), were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ± SD age was 61.2 ± 6.7 years. OSA was confirmed in 6 of 98 women (6.1%) and 28 of 126 men (22.2%). After adjusting for age, gender, and other variables, OSA did not show a significant positive association with PTA-low or PTA-high for all subjects. Conversely, there was a significant negative association between OSA and PPS scores for all subjects, even after adjusting for age, gender, and other variables. When OSA and central obesity together were taken into account in the multivariate linear regression analysis, OSA still showed significant association with PPS score for all subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OSA is independently associated with poorer central auditory function in older subjects.
authors.affiliation: Buddhist Dalin Tzu-Chi General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Juen-Haur
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jin-Cherng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chuan-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Tien-Chen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires