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Hearing loss in early infancy affects maturation of the auditory pathway

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2002

Daniel Tibussek ,
Hartmut Meister ,
Martin Walger ,
Astrid Foerst  and
Hasso von Wedel
Daniel Tibussek
Affiliation:
Leverkusen Children's Hospital, Teaching Hospital, Germany.
Hartmut Meister
Affiliation:
ENT Department, University of Cologne, Germany.
Martin Walger
Affiliation:
ENT Department, University of Cologne, Germany.
Astrid Foerst
Affiliation:
ENT Department, University of Cologne, Germany.
Hasso von Wedel
Affiliation:
ENT Department, University of Cologne, Germany.
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Abstract

The influence of early cochlear hearing loss on maturation of the auditory pathway was studied by measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABR). In a retrospective study, 85 children with normal hearing (46 males, 39 females; age range 2 months to 14 years) and 165 children with binaural cochlear hearing impairment (89 males, 76 females; age range 1 month to 16 years) were examined. A significant positive correlation (p<0.001) between the degree of hearing loss and interpeak latencies I–V (IPLI–V) of the ABR was observed. No significant correlation (p=0.85) was found between hearing loss and interpeak latencies I–III (IPLI–III). These findings can be interpreted as indicating a marked delay in maturation of higher brainstem structures due to reduced auditory input during infancy. The correlation differs notably from results of comparable studies of adults published in recent literature. This leads to the assumption that the developing human brain is particularly sensitive to auditory deprivation. Thus, our results indicate the importance of a normal acoustic environment during sensitive periods in early childhood to ensure normal hearing and speech development.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , February 2002 , pp. 123 - 129
Copyright
© 2002 Mac Keith Press

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