Monitoring Of Auditory Function Research Articles

Monitoring of Auditory Function in Newborns of Women Infected by SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy

Gestational SARS-CoV-2 infection can impact maternal and neonatal health. The virus has also been reported to cause newborn sensorineural hearing loss, but its consequences for the auditory system are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on newborn' hearing function during the first year of life. An observational study was conducted from 1 November 2020 to 30 November 2021 at University Modena Hospital. All newborns whose mother had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy were enrolled and underwent audiological evaluation at birth and at 1 year of age. A total of 119 neonates were born from mothers infected by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. At birth, five newborns (4.2%) presented an increased threshold of ABR (Auditory Brainstem Evoked Response), but the results were confirmed only in 1.6% of cases, when repeated 1 month later, while the ABR thresholds in all other children returned to normal limits. At the 1-year follow-up, no cases of moderate or severe hearing loss were observed, while concomitant disorders of the middle ear were frequently observed. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of the trimester in which it was contracted, appears not to induce moderate or severe hearing loss in infants. It is important to clarify the possible effect of the virus on late-onset hearing loss and future research is needed.

Evaluation of Correlation between Diabetic Retinopathy and Hearing Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness that occurs secondary to diabetesmellitus. Besides having serious effects on the retina, diabetes has also been found to affect the hearing sense.The aim of our study was to identify any correlation of hearing impairment with diabetic retinopathy in patientssuffering from Type 2 diabetes mellitus.Study Design: A Retrospective study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the outpatient Otorhinolaryngology andOphthalmology clinics of Mohsin Family Health Clinic, Federal B Area of Karachi, Pakistan, from July 2016 toJune 2019.Materials and Methods: Retrospective data analysis was performed using non-probability purposive sampling.The demographic data, diabetic retinopathy and Hearing status were collected and analyzed using SPSS 20.0 inpatients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus.Results: The mean age of patients was 60.65±7.35 and the duration of diabetes was 6.76±3.52. Diabeticretinopathy was evident in 235 patients (52.2%), and hearing impairment was found in 108(24%) patients. Age(p=0.024), duration of diabetes (p=<0.001), and diabetic retinopathy (p=<0.001) were significantly correlatedwith hearing impairment in type 2 DM patients.Conclusion: Hearing impairment is correlated with diabeticretinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetesmellitus. Monitoring of auditory function is advised in patients with retinopathy and vice versa, as timelymanagement of the condition can prevent further disability.
 How to cite this: Farooq MZ, Inamullah S, Mashhood S. Evaluation of Correlation between Diabetic Retinopathy and Hearing Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Life and Science. 2022; 3(4): 183-187 . doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.236

Preservation of Hearing in Operations on Acoustic Tumors

The monitoring of auditory function by recording brain stem auditory evoked potentials in patients undergoing removal of acoustic tumors is hampered by the small amplitude of the brain stem auditory evoked potentials. Because several thousands of responses must be added, it takes several minutes to obtain an interpretable record. Recordings done directly from the exposed eighth nerve have much higher amplitudes, and, therefore, interpretable responses can be obtained after only a few responses have been added. However, it is difficult to place the recording electrode in an optimal position and the electrode may interfere with the removal of the tumor. In this report, we show that evoked potentials from the cochlear nucleus, which can be recorded by placing an electrode in the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle, have a large amplitude, and that the electrode placed in this way does not interfere with the removal of the tumor. This way of monitoring, therefore, yields interpretable responses within 15 to 20 seconds, or less, and makes it possible to detect injuries to the entire intracranial portion of the eighth nerve, just as brain stem auditory evoked potentials do, but 20 to 50 times faster.