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Khakzand S, Maarefvand M, Ruzbahani M, Tajdini A. Assessment of Peripheral and Central Auditory Processing after Treatment for Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 28:e415-e423. [PMID: 38974630 PMCID: PMC11226256 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1776728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction When cases of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) are treated successfully, most clinicians assume the normality and symmetry of the auditory processing. This assumption is based on the recovery of the detection ability on the part of the patients, but the auditory processing involves much more than detection alone. Since certain studies have suggested a possible involvement of the central auditory system during the acute phase of sudden hearing loss, the present study hypothesized that auditory processing would be asymmetric in people who have experienced sudden hearing loss. Objective To assess the physiologic and electrophysiological conditions of the cochlea and central auditory system, as well as behavioral discrimination, of three primary aspects of sound (intensity, frequency, and time) in subjects with normal ears and ears treated successfully for SSNHL. Methods The study included 19 SSNHL patients whose normal and treated ears were assessed for otoacoustic emissions, speech auditory brainstem response, intensity and pitch discrimination, and temporal resolution in a within-subject design. Results The otoacoustic emissions were poorer in the treated ears compared to the normal ears. Ear- and sex-dependent differences were observed regarding otoacoustic emissions and pitch discrimination. Conclusion The asymmetrical processing observed in the present study was not consistent with the hearing threshold values, which might suggest that the central auditory system would be affected regardless of the status of the peripheral hearing. Further experiments with larger samples, different recovery scenarios after treatment, and other assessments are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheila Khakzand
- Audiology Department, School of Rehabilitation, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Maarefvand
- Audiology Department, School of Rehabilitation, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Ruzbahani
- Audiology Department, School of Rehabilitation, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ardavan Tajdini
- Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Amir-Alam Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Engler S, Gaudrain E, de Kleine E, van Dijk P. Relationship between irregularities in spontaneous otoacoustic emissions suppression and psychophysical tuning curves. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:1055. [PMID: 35232113 DOI: 10.1121/10.0009278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The suppression of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) allows the objective evaluation of cochlear frequency selectivity by determining the suppression tuning curve (STC). Interestingly, some STCs have additional sidelobes at the high frequency flank, which are thought to result from interaction between the probe tone and the cochlear standing wave corresponding to the SOAE being suppressed. Sidelobes are often in regions of other neighboring SOAEs but can also occur in the absence of any other SOAE. The aim of this study was to compare STCs and psychoacoustic tuning curves (PTCs). Therefore, STCs and PTCs were measured in: (1) subjects in which the STC had a sidelobe, and (2) subjects without STC sidelobes. Additionally, PTCs were measured in subjects without SOAEs. Across participant groups, the quality factor Q10dB of the PTCs was similar, independently from whether SOAEs were present or absent. Thus, the presence of an SOAE does not provide enhanced frequency selectivity at the emission frequency. Moreover, both PTC and STC show irregularities, but these are not related in a straightforward way. This suggests that different mechanisms cause these irregularities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Engler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen 9713 GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Etienne Gaudrain
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen 9713 GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Emile de Kleine
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen 9713 GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Pim van Dijk
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen 9713 GZ, The Netherlands
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Jennings SG. The role of the medial olivocochlear reflex in psychophysical masking and intensity resolution in humans: a review. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:2279-2308. [PMID: 33909513 PMCID: PMC8285664 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00672.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This review addresses the putative role of the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex in psychophysical masking and intensity resolution in humans. A framework for interpreting psychophysical results in terms of the expected influence of the MOC reflex is introduced. This framework is used to review the effects of a precursor or contralateral acoustic stimulation on 1) simultaneous masking of brief tones, 2) behavioral estimates of cochlear gain and frequency resolution in forward masking, 3) the buildup and decay of forward masking, and 4) measures of intensity resolution. Support, or lack thereof, for a role of the MOC reflex in psychophysical perception is discussed in terms of studies on estimates of MOC strength from otoacoustic emissions and the effects of resection of the olivocochlear bundle in patients with vestibular neurectomy. Novel, innovative approaches are needed to resolve the dissatisfying conclusion that current results are unable to definitively confirm or refute the role of the MOC reflex in masking and intensity resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skyler G Jennings
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Jamos AM, Hosier B, Davis S, Franklin TC. The Role of the Medial Olivocochlear Reflex in Acceptable Noise Level in Adults. J Am Acad Audiol 2021; 32:137-143. [PMID: 34062604 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The acceptable noise level (ANL) is a measurement used to quantify how much noise a person is willing to accept while listening to speech. ANL has been used to predict success with hearing aid use. However, physiological correlates of the ANL are poorly understood. One potential physiological correlate is the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR), which decreases the output of the cochlea and is thereby expected to increase noise tolerance. PURPOSE This study investigates the relationship between contralateral activation of the MOCR and tolerance of background noise. RESEARCH DESIGN This study recruited 22 young adult participants with normal hearing. ANL was measured using the Arizona Travelogue recording under headphones presented at the most comfortable level (MCL) with and without multitalker babble noise. The MOCR strength was evaluated in all participants by measuring the cochlear microphonic (CM) with and without 40 dB sound pressure level contralateral broadband noise (CBBN). DATA ANALYSIS The CM observed in response to a 500-Hz tone was measured with and without CBBN, and changes in response to fast Fourier transform amplitude at 500 Hz were used as an indicator of the MOCR effect. The ANL was calculated by subtracting the maximum acceptable background noise level from the MCL. Participants were divided into two groups based on their ANL: low-ANL (ANL < 7 dB) and moderate-ANL (ANL ≥ 7 dB). An independent samples t-test was used to compare CM enhancement between low-ANL and moderate-ANL groups. Additionally, Pearson's correlation was used to investigate the relationship between the ANL and the MOCR effect on the CM. RESULTS The results indicated that presentation of CBBN increased the CM amplitude, consistent with eliciting the MOCR. Participants in the low-ANL group had significantly larger CM enhancement than moderate-ANL participants. The results further revealed a significant correlation between the ANL and the MOCR effect on the CM. CONCLUSION This study suggests that a stronger MOCR, as assessed using CM enhancement, is associated with greater noise tolerance. This research provides a possible objective measure to predict background tolerance in patients and adds to our understanding about the MOCR function in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah M Jamos
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
| | - Blair Hosier
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
| | - Shelby Davis
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
| | - Thomas C Franklin
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
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McFadden D, Champlin CA, Pho MH, Pasanen EG, Maloney MM, Leshikar EM. Auditory evoked potentials: Differences by sex, race, and menstrual cycle and correlations with common psychoacoustical tasks. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251363. [PMID: 33979393 PMCID: PMC8115856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and auditory middle-latency responses (AMLRs) to a click stimulus were measured in about 100 subjects. Of interest were the sex differences in those auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), the correlations between the various AEP measures, and the correlations between the AEP measures and measures of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and behavioral performance also measured on the same subjects. Also of interest was how the menstrual cycle affected the various AEP measures. Most ABR measures and several AMLR measures exhibited sex differences, and many of the former were substantial. The sex differences tended to be larger for latency than for amplitude of the waves, and they tended to be larger for a weak click stimulus than for a strong click. The largest sex difference was for Wave-V latency (effect size ~1.2). When subjects were dichotomized into Non-Whites and Whites, the race differences in AEPs were small within sex. However, sex and race interacted so that the sex differences often were larger for the White subjects than for the Non-White subjects, particularly for the latency measures. Contrary to the literature, no AEP measures differed markedly across the menstrual cycle. Correlations between various AEP measures, and between AEP and OAE measures, were small and showed no consistent patterns across sex or race categories. Performance on seven common psychoacoustical tasks was only weakly correlated with individual AEP measures (just as was true for the OAEs also measured on these subjects). AMLR Wave Pa unexpectedly did not show the decrease in latency and increase in amplitude typically observed for AEPs when click level was varied from 40 to 70 dB nHL (normal Hearing Level). For the majority of the measures, the variability of the distribution of scores was greater for the males than for the females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis McFadden
- Department of Psychology, Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Craig A. Champlin
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michelle H. Pho
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Edward G. Pasanen
- Department of Psychology, Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mindy M. Maloney
- Department of Psychology, Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Erin M. Leshikar
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
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Twin study of neonatal transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions. Hear Res 2020; 398:108108. [PMID: 33212398 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Our knowledge of which physiological mechanisms shape transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) is incomplete, although thousands of TEOAEs are recorded each day as part of universal newborn hearing-screening (UNHS). TEOAE heritability may explain some of the large TEOAE variability observed in neonates, and give insights into the TEOAE generators and modulators, and why TEOAEs are generally larger in females and right ears. The aim was to estimate TEOAE heritability and describe ear and sex effects in a consecutive subset of all twins that passed UNHS at the same occasion at two hospitals during a six-year period (more than 30 000 neonates screened in total). TEOAEs were studied and TEOAE level correlations compared in twin sets of same-sex (SS, 302 individual twins, 151 twin pairs) and opposite-sex (OS, 152 individual twins, 76 twin pairs). A mathematical model was used to estimate and compare monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) intra-twin pair TEOAE level correlations, based on the data from the SS and OS twin sets. For both SS and OS twin pairs TEOAE levels were significantly higher in right ears and females, compared to left ears and males, as previously demonstrated in young adult twins and large groups of neonates. Neonatal females in OS twin pairs did not demonstrate masculinized TEOAEs, as has been demonstrated for OAEs in young adult females in OS twin pairs. The within-twin pair TEOAE level correlations were higher for SS twin pairs than for OS twin pairs, whereas the within-pair correlation coefficients could not be distinguished from zero when twins were randomly paired. These results reflect heredity as a key factor in TEOAE level variability. Additionally, the estimated MZ within-twin pair TEOAE level correlations were higher than those for DZ twin pairs. The heritability estimates reached up to 100% TEOAE heritability, which is numerically larger than previous estimates of about 75% in young adult twins.
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Nguyen TV, Jutras B, Monnier P, Muckle G, Velez M, Arbuckle TE, Saint-Amour D. Prenatal masculinization of the auditory system in infants: The MIREC-ID study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:33-41. [PMID: 30784903 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in inner-ear function are detectable in infants, notably through the measurement of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Prevailing theories posit that prenatal exposure to high levels of androgens in boys may weaken OAEs, and that this phenomenon may predominantly affect the right ear/left hemisphere (Geschwind-Galaburda (GG) hypothesis). Yet, actual tests of these models have been difficult to implement in humans. Here we examined the relationship between markers of fetal androgen exposure collected at birth (anogenital distances (AGD); penile length/width, areolar/scrotal/vulvar pigmentation) and at 6 months of age (2nd to 4th digit ratio (2D:4D)) with two types of OAEs, click-evoked OAEs (CEOAEs) and distortion-product OAEs (DPOAEs) (n = 49; 25 boys; 24 girls). We found that, in boys, scrotal pigmentation was inversely associated with the amplitude and reproducibility of CEOAEs in the right ear at 4 kHz, with trends also present in the same ear for mean CEOAE amplitude and CEOAE amplitude at 2 kHz. Penile length was inversely associated with the mean amplitude of DPOAEs in both the right and left ears, as well as with DPOAE amplitude in the right ear at 2 kHz and the reproducibility of CEOAEs in the left ear at 2.8 kHz. Finally, AGD-scrotum in boys was positively associated in boys with the amplitude of DPOAEs in the left ear at 2.8 kHz. Unexpectedly, there were no sex differences in the amplitude or reproducibility of OAEs, nor, in girls, any associations between androgenic markers and auditory function. Nonetheless, these findings, reported for the first time in a sample of human infants, support both the prenatal-androgen-exposure and GG models as explanations for the masculinization of auditory function in male infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre [RI-MUHC), Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Benoît Jutras
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada; School of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Patricia Monnier
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre [RI-MUHC), Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec CHU Research Centre, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Maria Velez
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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Beim JA, Oxenham AJ, Wojtczak M. Examining replicability of an otoacoustic measure of cochlear function during selective attention. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 144:2882. [PMID: 30522315 PMCID: PMC6246073 DOI: 10.1121/1.5079311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Attention to a target stimulus within a complex scene often results in enhanced cortical representations of the target relative to the background. It remains unclear where along the auditory pathways attentional effects can first be measured. Anatomy suggests that attentional modulation could occur through corticofugal connections extending as far as the cochlea itself. Earlier attempts to investigate the effects of attention on human cochlear processing have revealed small and inconsistent effects. In this study, stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions were recorded from a total of 30 human participants as they performed tasks that required sustained selective attention to auditory or visual stimuli. In the first sample of 15 participants, emission magnitudes were significantly weaker when participants attended to the visual stimuli than when they attended to the auditory stimuli, by an average of 5.4 dB. However, no such effect was found in the second sample of 15 participants. When the data were pooled across samples, the average attentional effect was significant, but small (2.48 dB), with 12 of 30 listeners showing a significant effect, based on bootstrap analysis of the individual data. The results highlight the need for considering sources of individual differences and using large sample sizes in future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Beim
- Department of Psychology, N218 Elliott Hall, 75 East River Parkway, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Andrew J Oxenham
- Department of Psychology, N218 Elliott Hall, 75 East River Parkway, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Magdalena Wojtczak
- Department of Psychology, N218 Elliott Hall, 75 East River Parkway, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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McFadden D, Pasanen EG, Maloney MM, Leshikar EM, Pho MH. Differences in common psychoacoustical tasks by sex, menstrual cycle, and race. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 143:2338. [PMID: 29716303 PMCID: PMC5915329 DOI: 10.1121/1.5030998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The psychoacoustical literature contains multiple reports about small differences in performance depending upon the sex and phase of the menstrual cycle of the subjects. In an attempt to verify these past reports, a large-scale study was implemented. After extensive training, the performance of about 75 listeners was measured on seven common psychoacoustical tasks. For most tasks, the signal was a 3.0-kHz tone. The initial data analyses failed to confirm some past outcomes. Additional analyses, incorporating the limited information available about the racial background of the listeners, did confirm some of the past reports, with the direction and magnitude of the differences often diverging for the White and Non-White listeners. Sex differences and race differences interacted for six of the seven tasks studied. These interactions suggest that racial background needs to be considered when making generalizations about human auditory performance, and when considering failures of reproducibility across studies. Menstrual differences were small, but generally larger for Whites than Non-Whites. Hormonal effects may be responsible for the sex and cycle differences that do exist, and differences in intra-cochlear melanocytes may account for the race differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis McFadden
- Department of Psychology and Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, 108 East Dean Keeton, A8000, Austin, Texas 78712-1043, USA
| | - Edward G Pasanen
- Department of Psychology and Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, 108 East Dean Keeton, A8000, Austin, Texas 78712-1043, USA
| | - Mindy M Maloney
- Department of Psychology and Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, 108 East Dean Keeton, A8000, Austin, Texas 78712-1043, USA
| | - Erin M Leshikar
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas, 2504-A Whitis Avenue, A1100, Austin, Texas 78712-0114, USA
| | - Michelle H Pho
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas, 2504-A Whitis Avenue, A1100, Austin, Texas 78712-0114, USA
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