Author/Editor		Vatovec, Jagoda; Veličković-Perat, Milivoj; Šmid, Lojze; Gros, Anton
Title		Otoacoustic emissions and auditory assessment in infants at risk for early brain damage
Type		članek
Source		Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol
Vol. and No.		Letnik 58
Publication year		2001
Volume		str. 139-45
Language		eng
Abstract		The importance of early hearing screening has long been recognized, as the prognosis for the hearing impaired child is improved when the diagnosis is made as early as possible, and the intervention is begun immediately. For clinical screening of hearing impairment, the recording of otoacoustic emissions was recomended. As some risk factors for early brain damage are at the same time also risk factors for dysfunction of auditory system, we presumed that infants at risk for brain damage have hearing impairment more frequently than the rest of the population of the same age. We were interested in the role of otoacoustic emission testing during the assessment of auditory function in these infants. There were 110 infants at risk for brain damage included in the study. After thorough otorhinolaryngological examination, auditory function was estimated by recording of otoacoustic emissions, tympanometry, pure tone audiometry and, when necessary, auditory brainstem responses. Otoacoustic emissions were recorded by MadsenElectronics Celesta 503 in an acoustically treated sound room. We registered spontaneous as well as transient and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. The neurologist formed two groups with different degrees of neurological risk. The collected results of auditory function were compared with the degree of neurological risk. For the statistical analysis, the procedure x2 and Fischer test were used. Spontaneous otoacoustic emission was detected in 38.2% of examinees. Evoked otoacoustic emissions were registered in 87.3% of infants. The testing had to be repeated in 32.7% of infants. We observed evoked otoacoustic emissions to be present also in a child with sensorineural hearing impairment and no auditory brainstem responses. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters).
Descriptors		CEREBRAL PALSY AUDITORY PERCEPTUAL DISORDERS OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS, SPONTANEOUS INFANT ACOUSTIC IMPEDANCE TESTS AUDIOMETRY, PURE-TONE EVOKED POTENTIALS, AUDITORY, BRAIN STEM