Correlation between auditory brainstem response and hearing prognosis in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the latency and amplitude of auditory brainstem response (ABR) and hearing prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).


METHODS
Patients with ISSNHL were classified into four different recovery groups. All patients' clinical and demographic features were analyzed. Two-channel ABRs were collected in response to click stimuli at 90dB nHL. ABR amplitudes for wave I and ABR latency for waves I, III, and V were analyzed.


RESULTS
One hundred and two patients (54 men and 48 women) were included in the study. Hearing recovery was observed in 72 cases (70.6%). Waves I, III, and V latencies were significantly prolonged in the affected ears compared with the unaffected ears. A smaller wave I amplitude was found in the affected ear compared with the unaffected ear in the three recovery groups. There was a significant association between wave I latency and hearing outcome (p=0.009) with a prolonged trend from complete to slight hearing recovery group.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant correlation between wave I latency and hearing outcome in patients with ISSNHL. The finding may provide diagnostic information and serve as a potential prognostic indicator in patients with ISSNHL.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hung-Che
HC
Lin
School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yu-Ching
YC
Chou
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chih-Hung
CH
Wang
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Li-Wen
LW
Hung
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Cheng-Ping
CP
Shih
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Bor-Hwang
BH
Kang
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wen-Ying
WY
Yeh
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: acolufreia@yahoo.com.tw.
Hsin-Chien
HC
Chen
D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003911:Dextrans / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010952:Plasma Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function
D003911:Dextrans; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D010952:Plasma Substitutes; D001623:Betamethasone
Auditory brainstem response; Hearing outcome; Idiopathic; Sudden sensorineural hearing loss