title: Otological diagnoses and probable age-related auditory neuropathy in "younger" and "older" elderly persons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Audiological data from a population based epidemiological investigation were studied on elderly persons. Specific diagnoses of otological and audiological disorders, which can result in hearing loss, were searched for.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective register study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three age cohorts, 474 70- and 75-year olds ("younger"), and 252 85-year olds ("older"), were studied. Clinical pure tone and speech audiometry was used. Data from medical files were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conductive hearing loss was diagnosed in 6.1% of the "younger" elderly persons, and in 10.3% of the "older" ones. Specific diagnoses (chronic otitis media and otosclerosis) were established in about half of the cases. Sensorineural hearing loss, other than age-related hearing loss and noise induced hearing loss, was diagnosed in 3.4 % and 5.2% respectively. Severely impaired speech recognition, possibly reflecting age-related auditory neuropathy, was found in 0.4% in the "younger" group, and in 10% in the "older" group. Bilateral functional deafness was present in 3.2% of the 85-year-old persons, but was not present in the 70-75-year group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of probable age-related auditory neuropathy increases considerably from 70-75 to 85 years. There are marked differences between "younger" and "older" elderly persons regarding hearing loss that severely affects oral communication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hearing and Balance, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. ulf.rosenhall@karolinska.se
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rosenhall
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hederstierna
authors.forename: Esma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Idrizbegovic
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003142:Communication; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D046089:Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception