Symptoms of auditory processing disorders (APD) in children with tinnitus

Abstract

IntroductionChildren rarely self-report having tinnitus and so there is limited understanding of the problems they face and how tinnitus affects their daily lives. In situations where peripheral hearing is normal and the patient reports difficulty understanding speech, one may consider the co-occurrence of other causes, such as central auditory processing disorders (CAPD). The aim of the study was to assess the presence of CAPD symptoms in children with tinnitus.Material and methodsThe study group consisted of 10,582 children 13 years old. The study material included questions about tinnitus experience, screening pure tone audiometry, and the results of the Scale of Auditory Behaviors (SAB), in its Polish adaptation, which was used to assess whether they may have CAPD.ResultsIn children with tinnitus, symptoms that may indicate CAPD were observed. In 2849 children, an SAB total score of less than 46 was obtained, an indication for an extended diagnosis. Among these same children 33.7% experienced tinnitus. The more frequently a child experienced tinnitus, the lower the mean overall SAB score.ConclusionsChildren reporting tinnitus should receive additional diagnostic tests for CAPD. The diagnosis should be multispecialty and, in addition to hearing tests, include an in-depth interview, psychological and pedagogical evaluation, and psychoacoustic tests.