Abstract
Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with normal pure tone threshold suffer from difficulties in their hearing especially speech perception in background noise, which is possibly because of incompetence of central auditory processing in this group. Three audiologic tests including gap in noise test (GIN), duration pattern sequence test (DPST) and word discrimination score (WDS) were used for comparing a number of aspects of central auditory processing between patients with MS and normal subjects. Approximate threshold and percent of correct answers in GIN test, percent of correct answers in DPST test and monosyllabic discrimination in WDS test were obtained through cross-sectional non-invasive study conducted on 26 subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who had mean age of 28.9 (SD 4.1) years, and 26 18–40-year-old ones with normal hearing and mean age of 27.7 (SD 5.2). Results of this study demonstrate increased approximate threshold and reduction of percent of correct answers obtained from GIN test in patients with multiple sclerosis (Pv = 0.0001). Furthermore in patients with MS, the average of correct answers in DPST was lower than normal subjects and finally performance of MS subjects in WDS test in quiet environment was correlated with GIN threshold (r = −/624, Pr = /003). Results of the present study showed that patients with MS had defect in aspects of central auditory processing consisting of temporal resolution, auditory pattern and the memory for auditory task and difficulty in discrimination of speech in noisy environment that are related to the involvement of central nervous system.
Highlights
Results of this study demonstrate increased approximate threshold and reduction of percent of correct answers obtained from gap in noise test (GIN) test in patients with multiple sclerosis (Pv = 0.0001)
Results of the present study showed that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) had defect in aspects of central auditory processing consisting of temporal resolution, auditory pattern and the memory for auditory task and difficulty in discrimination of speech in noisy environment that are related to the involvement of central nervous system
Results showed the variability of word discrimination score (WDS) in noisy environment of MS patients comparing with the quiet one, word discrimination enhancement in quiet environment was observed in this group
Summary
ParticipantsTwo groups were evaluated: 26 subjects with MS ranging in age from 18 to 40 years and 26 normal subjects who were matched to MS group in age, gender and literacy. A broad band noise with a 6 ms duration among which random number gaps are recorded, is applied. If there was no gap, the subject response was considered false positive and when the button was pressed in but there was no response, an error would be recorded. Each test list is composed of 0–3 silent intervals ranging from 2 to 20 ms embedded in 6-s segments of white noise. The location, number, and duration of the gaps-per-noise segment vary throughout the test for a total of 60 gaps that are presented in each of four lists. From clinical viewpoint, the test could be done via only two test lists instead of four, which reduces the administration time by half (approximately 16 min) [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
