Monitoring the Hearing Handicap and the Recognition Threshold of Sentences of a Patient with Unilateral Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder with Use of a Hearing Aid

Abstract

Introduction Treatment for auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is not yet well established, including the use of hearing aids (HAs). Not all patients diagnosed with ASND have access to HAs, and in some cases HAs are even contraindicated. Objective To monitor the hearing handicap and the recognition threshold of sentences in silence and in noise in a patient with ASND using an HA. Resumed Report A 47-year-old woman reported moderate sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear and high-frequency loss of 4 kHz in the left ear, with bilateral otoacoustic emissions. Auditory brainstem response suggested changes in the functioning of the auditory pathway (up to the inferior colliculus) on the right. An HA was indicated on the right. The patient was tested within a 3-month period before the HA fitting with respect to recognition threshold of sentences in quiet and in noise and for handicap determination. After HA use, she showed a 2.1-dB improvement in the recognition threshold of sentences in silence, a 6.0-dB improvement for recognition threshold of sentences in noise, and a rapid improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio from +3.66 to −2.4 dB when compared with the same tests before the fitting of the HA. Conclusion There was a reduction of the auditory handicap, although speech perception continued to be severely limited. There was a significant improvement of the recognition threshold of sentences in silence and in noise and of the signal-to-noise ratio after 3 months of HA use.

Evaluation of Hearing Handicap in Adults with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder

“…The early diagnosis and management of ANSD could lead to a reduction in handicap. Lima and Mantello [22] reported significant reduction in handicap score with appropriate hearing aid fitting. However, hearing aids are less beneficial in the majority of individuals with ANSD [1,4,27,[35][36][37] .…”

“…ANSDis a debilitating disorder affecting communication ability. The loss of communication skills leads to poor quality of life in adults with ANSD [21,22] . Prabhu [14] reported that individuals with ANSD experience depression and anxiety because of their communication problems.…”

Behavioural and Electrophysiological Correlates of Aided Performance in Individuals with Late Onset Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder: A Review

“…Lima, et al [ 19 ] monitored speech recognition threshold (SRT) of a client with late onset ANSD in quiet and noisy environments. The client had moderate hearing loss in the right ear and normal threshold in low frequencies with a slight high frequency sloping in the left ear.…”