Auditory Processing Abilities of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Abstract

Since Parkinson's Disease (PD) primarily affects older people, a majority of PD patients have age-related hearing loss (HL) that will worsen over time. The goal of this study was to assess peripheral and central auditory functions in a population of PD patients and compare the results with a group of age-matched control subjects. Study participants included 35 adults with PD (mean age = 66.9 ± 11.2 years) and a group of 35 healthy control subjects (mean age = 65.4 ± 12.3 years). Assessments included questionnaires, neuropsychological tests, audiometric testing, and a battery of central auditory processing tests. Both study groups exhibited patterns of sensorineural hearing loss (slightly worse in the PD group) which were typical for their age and would contribute to difficulties in communication for many participants. Compared to the control group, PD patients reported greater difficulty in hearing words people are speaking. Although 27 PD patients (77%) were good candidates for amplification, only 7 (26%) of these hearing aid candidates used the devices. Because it is important for PD patients to optimize communication with their family members, caregivers, friends, and clinicians, it is vital to identify and remediate auditory dysfunction in this population as early as possible.

Efeito da levodopa na mecânica coclear e no sistema auditivo eferente de indivíduos com doença de Parkinson

“…Thus, from these findings, individuals with PD would be expected to present higher frequency of complaints and auditory alterations as a consequence of dopaminergic deficit. However, previous clinical studies have revealed controversial findings regarding the perception of hearing difficulties and the audiometric profile in the disease (11,12) .…”

Prosodic Improvement in Persons with Parkinson Disease Receiving SPEAK OUT!® Voice Therapy

“…These speech deficits hinder their ability to verbally communicate and interfere with activities of daily living. Persons with PD may report difficulty being understood on the phone, at a drive-through restaurant, or at a social event where there is background noise [7][8][9]. Some people have essentially resigned themselves to the fact that their loved ones must speak for them or order for them.…”

“…Living with PD and its associated speech impairment, in particular, has psychosocial and emotional impact. Patients often report a tendency to withdraw from friends and family, feeling isolated and depressed [7][8][9].…”

Stimulation of the subparafascicular thalamic nucleus modulates dopamine release in the inferior colliculus of rats

“…To date, there is no direct evidence that the auditory deficits presented by PD patients are associated with dopaminergic neuron loss. However, there is evidence demonstrating that these auditory deficits are not merely age‐related hearing loss, but are rather components of dysfunctional cognitive and sensory processing (Folmer, Vachhani, Theodoroff, Ellinger, & Riggins, ; Lai, Liao, Lin, Lin, & Sung, ; Yylmaz et al, ). As such, PD‐related auditory deficits also involve attentional, motivational and motoric components likely associated to parallel cortico‐thalamic‐striatal‐cerebellar loops modulated by dopamine (Clark, Adams, Dykstra, Moodie, & Jog, ; Gräber, Hertrich, Daum, Spieker, & Ackermann, ; Schröder, Nikolova, & Dengler, ; Shalash et al, ; Vitale et al, ).…”