title: Brainstem auditory evoked potentials and electrocochleographic findings in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the status of cochlea, auditory pathway and hearing threshold by recording brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) and electrocochleography in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Clinical Physiology at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from May 2002 to November 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) based on clinical features and pure tone audiometry were studied. Brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) and electrocochleography (ECOG) was performed in them according to standard protocols for assessment of auditory pathway and hearing threshold.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 23 patients (14 males and 9 females) left ear was affected in 9 (39.1%) patients, right ear in 13 (56.5%) and both in 1 (4.3%). Absolute latency of wave I and wave V were significantly prolonged in affected ear compared to unaffected ears (p=0.0031), while interpeak I-V latency was significantly higher in affected ears versus unaffected ears (p=0.0544). Six patients (26.1%) had type II Diabetes mellitus, five cases (21.7%) had hypertension and 5 cases (21.7%) had dyslipidemia. ECOG revealed absence of summation potential (SP) and action potential (AP) response even at 95 dB in 17 out of 23 cases (73.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with ISSNHL had significant abnormalities in BAEP and ECOG recordings showing predominantly cochlear involvement. Thus, these tests provide useful diagnostic information in patients with ISSNHL in addition to pure tone audiometry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. shahidhabib44@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Syed Shahid
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: Syed Aftab
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.forename: Abdul Majeed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al Drees
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response / Q000379:methods*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies