Central auditory function in multiple sclerosis patients

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate central auditory functions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Subjects and Methods: Twenty Egyptian MS patients involved in the study and 20 healthy controls who were matched to MS group in age, gender, and literacy. They ranged in age from 30 to 50 years with a mean age 37.6 ± 5 in the study group versus 37.3 ± 4.2 in the control group. In this study, four screening tests were conducted for the assessment of central auditory processing: Gaps In Noise test (GIN), Arabic dichotic digits test (DDT), Pitch Pattern Sequence test (PPS), and last Arabic Speech In Noise test (SPIN). Results: The study showed elevated GIN test approximate threshold and depressed total score in MS patients compared to the control group, with no significant difference between both right and left ears. There was statistical significant depressed scores in study groups at PPS, speech intelligibility in noise, and DDTs. Conclusion The findings of the current study add more evidence to the involvement of central auditory processing abilities in patients with MS. The assessment of central auditory function is highly recommended for all MS patients as a routine examination and can be used for monitoring the effectiveness of medication and related therapies for these patients.