Long-term effect of middle ear disease on temporal processing and P300 in two different populations of children.

Leticia Reis Borges,Caroline Donadon,Milaine Dominici Sanfins,Maria Francisca Colella-Santos,Dani Tomlin,Jorge Spratley

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0232839

Leticia Reis Borges, Caroline Donadon + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232839

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Abstract

The effects of otitis media on the function of the central auditory nervous system in different populations is unknown. Understanding how the history of otitis media affects children from different nations will guide health professionals worldwide on the importance of adequate auditory stimulus in childhood. For this reason, the aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term auditory effects of middle ear disease on temporal processing and P300 in two different populations of children: Australian and Brazilian. Temporal processing tests (Frequency Pattern Tests-FPT and Gaps in noise-GIN) and P300 were measured in 68 Brazilian and Australian children, aged between 8 to 14 years. The Brazilian otitis media group (BrOM) and Australian otitis media group (AusOM) consisted of 20 children each who had a documented history of otitis media. Control groups of 14 children (BrControl and AusControl) were also recruited from each country, all with no documented history of otitis media. The BrOM group showed significantly poorer performance (p<0.001) for FPT and the GIN compared to BrControl. The P300 response showed significantly longer mean latencies (p = 0.02) compared to BrControls. The AusOM group also showed significant delayed latency of P300 (p = 0.04) compared to the AusControl. The FPT showed significantly poorer performance (p = 0.04) compared to AusControls. The two otitis media groups showed no significant differences between each other on P300. Significant differences were seen however in temporal processing tests performance between the two cohorts for the otitis media groups. The BrOM group had significantly poorer responses (p<0.001) for FPT and GIN compared to the AusOM group. These findings support that although differences exist between BrOM and AusOM groups, otitis media can be demonstrated to affect the underlying mechanisms of the P300 measures and behavioral auditory responses in two different populations of children.

Highlights

Adequate sensory experience is essential for the developing central auditory nervous system
The Brazilian otitis media group (BrOM) group showed significantly poorer performance (p
The BrOM group had significantly poorer responses (p

Summary

Introduction

Adequate sensory experience is essential for the developing central auditory nervous system. Otitis Media with effusion (OME) is a common disease, which produces a persistent or fluctuant mild conductive hearing loss that is characterized by fluid in the middle ear with no symptoms of acute infection such as fever or otalgia [2]. Studies indicate elevated hearing level thresholds between 10 and 20 kHz in children with a history of recurrent otitis media (ROM). The high prevalence of the OM in early childhood decreases with age. A group of researchers in Boston showed that 70% of all children had had at least one episode of acute otitis media and one third had experienced three or more episodes by three years of age [9]. The highest incidence occurring between six and 24 months [10]

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