title: N-acetylcysteine as a single therapy for sudden deafness.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Like NAC ameliorates hearing loss from acoustic trauma in the inner ear, NAC may also rescue hearing loss from sudden deafness confined to the inner ear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study assesses the effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) as a single therapy for sudden deafness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five sudden deafness patients with neither systemic disorders nor central signs in electronystagmography were treated with NAC alone and assigned to Group A. For comparison, another 35 sudden deafness patients treated by corticosteroids and plasma expander were assigned to Group B. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, laterality, and pre-treatment mean hearing level. All patients underwent an inner ear test battery comprising audiometry, and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP), cervical VEMP (cVEMP), and caloric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groups A and B did not significantly differ in the pre-treatment mean hearing level, and percentages of abnormal oVEMP, cVEMP, and caloric tests, indicating that the involvement severity of sudden deafness between the two groups was similar. However, Group A (43 ± 27 dB) showed significantly greater mean hearing gain than Group B (21 ± 28 dB), and Group A (91%) revealed better improved rate of hearing than Group B (57%).
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Catholic Cardinal Tien Hospital, Fu-Jen Catholic University , New Taipei , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: b Department of Otolaryngology , National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D003911:Dextrans / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010952:Plasma Substitutes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D003911:Dextrans; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010952:Plasma Substitutes; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: Antioxidant; N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC); cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential; ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential; sudden deafness