Abstract

Objectives To analyze the central auditory nervous system function through behavioral and electrophysiological tests in children with a history of otitis media and subsequent bilateral tubes placement surgery. Methods The participants were divided into two groups between eight and 14 years old: control group (CG) consisted of 40 children with no history of otitis media; experimental group (EG) consisted of 50 children with documented history of otitis media and undertook a surgery for bilateral tubes placement. All children completed audiological evaluation (audiometry, speech audiometry, and immittance audiometry), behavioral evaluation (tests: dichotic digits, synthetic sentence identification with ipsilateral competing message, gaps-in-noise, frequency pattern), and electrophysiological evaluation (Auditory Brainstem Response, ABR, Frequency Following Response, FFR (verbal), and Long Latency Auditory Evoked Potential, LLAEP). Results The EG group showed significantly poorer performance (p<0.001) than the CG for all auditory abilities studied. The results revealed significant latency delays and reduced amplitude (p<0.05) of waves III and V for ABR; significant latency delay was seen of potentials P2, N2, and P300 for LLAEP; significant latency delays and reduced amplitude (p<0.05) were observed for FFR in children with a history of otitis media. Conclusion The results demonstrate negative effect of otitis media in the auditory abilities and electrophysiological measures in children with a history of otitis media.

Highlights

  • Secretory otitis media (SOM) is a clinical entity characterized by the presence of effusion in the middle ear, without perforation in the eardrum and acute infectious process for a period of three months

  • The participants were divided into two groups: (i) the control group (CG) consisted of 40 children (17 boys and 23 girls, mean age of 10.7 years) with no history of otitis media and (ii) the experimental group (EG) consisted of 50 children (28 boys and 22 girls, mean age of 11.2 years) with a documented history of bilateral SOM in their first six years of life and with bilateral tympanostomy tube insertion

  • Analyzing the distribution between the control and experimental groups, considering the male and female gender (p value = 0.19) and the age group (p value = 0.455), it was verified that the sample is homogeneous

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Summary

Introduction

Secretory otitis media (SOM) is a clinical entity characterized by the presence of effusion in the middle ear, without perforation in the eardrum and acute infectious process for a period of three months. It is common in children between three and nine years old. The diagnosis is done by otoscopy and confirmed by audiological evaluation. It is possible to visualize by otoscopy and, frequently, a retracted eardrum with decreased mobility, opaque appearance, and abnormal color. The diagnosis is a mild to moderate conductive hearing loss, usually bilateral, with a type B tympanometric curve. The hearing loss is fluctuating, temporary, and asymmetric [1]

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