title: Clinical features of functional hearing loss with inattention problem in Japanese children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Functional hearing loss is a condition in which hearing is lost without actual pathology. In children, inattention during pure tone audiometry may be due in part to functional hearing loss. This study examined the issue of inattention as a psychological trait by analyzing the clinical features of functional hearing loss children in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the ADHD-Rating Scale IV, 97 functional hearing loss children were screened for inattention (27 boys, 70 girls; mean age 9 years 5 months, range 5-17 years). Those with high levels of inattention (Inattention group) were compared with others (Attention group) for clinical features statistically. Furthermore observed psychological clinical features were described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  36.1% were categorized in the Inattention group, which had more boys, lower in age, and had more physical, developmental, and environmental problems than the Attention group. Two groups had very different psychological feature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children's functional hearing loss, there exists a group with psychological trait of inattention. Three younger children 5-6 years old with attention problems showed no psychological problems, their FHL was considered to be caused by generalized maturation and development. Nearly all of the rest children showed psychological problems, supporting the notion that FHL in children is psychogenic in nature. Because clinical features in Inattention group children were different from the Attention group significantly, it was concluded that distinguishing the Inattention group as a subtype of functional hearing loss in children would be effective for both diagnosis and treatment. Larger scale studies with many angles needed for the inattention problem in FHL children.
authors: Department of Education, Shiga University, Japan. amichiko@edu.shiga-u.ac.jp
authors: Michiko
authors: M
authors: Ashitani
authors: Chiho
authors: C
authors: Ueno
authors: Tadashi
authors: T
authors: Doi
authors: Toshihiko
authors: T
authors: Kinoshita
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Tomoda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006315:Hearing Loss, Functional / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution