Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess peripheral and central auditory functions in patients with Parkinson Disease (PD). BACKGROUND: Previous studies reported that PD patients have worse hearing than age-matched control subjects; they also exhibited abnormalities in auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), auditory spatial perception, and other measures of central auditory processing. Because auditory disorders can negatively impact the quality of life, communication and cognition for PD patients, it is important to identify and address these deficits. DESIGN/METHODS: The following procedures were conducted on a group of 30 Parkinson patients and a group of age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects: 1. Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults, a questionnaire that assesses emotional and social consequences of auditory dysfunction; 2. Audiometric evaluation; 3. Behavioral tests of central auditory processing; 4. Electrophysiology: ABRs to click stimuli; Long-latency auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) in response to tonal and speech stimuli. RESULTS: Parkinson patients (mean age 66 years) and control subjects (mean age 66 years) exhibited similar results on tests of hearing sensitivity; behavioral assessments of central auditory processing; and ABR evaluations. Both groups exhibited significant hearing loss and central auditory processing deficits, which are typical for the subjects' age. Long-latency AEPs (P300 and N200 response components) revealed significantly greater latencies for the PD group, which might be an indicator of neural processing deficits for these patients. Although a vast majority of PD patients reported that they have difficulty hearing and understanding verbal communication, only six of them used hearing aids. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians and researchers should be aware that many PD patients experience hearing loss and other deficits involving auditory processing. These deficits should be indentified and remediated as much as possible in order to improve communication and quality of life for patients. Future studies should include patients with more severe PD to determine if their auditory dysfunction worsens with disease progression. Study Supported by: Grant #C8016P from RR&D Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Disclosure: Dr. Folmer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vachhani has nothing to disclose.
Tuesday, April 29 2014, 3:00 pm-6:30 pm
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