Analysis of gender based differences in auditory evoked potentials among healthy elderly population.
BACKGROUND
Influence of gender on auditory evoked potentials is contentious. Although there are quite a few studies documenting the gender as an influencing factor on auditory evoked potentials in younger subjects, but there is a lack of similar studies among elderly population. The present study was conducted to find out the pattern of gender based differences in auditory evoked potentials among healthy elderly subjects.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on age matched, healthy males (n = 35) and females (n = 34), aged 50-70 years. The measures included latencies of waves I-V and interpeak latencies (IPL) I-III, III-V and I-V separately for both ears. Data was analyzed statistically using Students unpaired t-test, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software v13.0.


RESULTS
The values of all the latencies and IPL for both the ears were non-significantly higher (P > 0.05) in males as compared to females. These results may be attributed to the differences in head circumference between both the genders and to the changed hormonal milieu of sex hormones after menopause.


CONCLUSIONS
Statistical insignificance of latencies among male and female elderly subjects excludes gender as an influencing factor on auditory evoked potentials in this age group.
Department of Physiology, Gian Sagar Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Sharat
S
Gupta
Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Shallu
S
Mittal
Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Pooja
P
Baweja
Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Avnish
A
Kumar
Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Kamal Dev
KD
Singh
Department of Internal Medicine, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Raghuvansh
R
Sharma
Auditory evoked potentials; elderly subjects; gender differences; interpeak latency