Sustained depression of brainstem auditory electrophysiology during the first months in term infants after perinatal asphyxia

Does perinatal asphyxia induce apoptosis in the inner ear?

“…Other temporal bones with a gestational age ranging from 20th till 40th week of gestation did not show any immunoreactivity for cleaved caspase 3 in the inner hair cells, outer hair cells or the stria vascularis, whereas two temporal bones showed immunopositive spiral ganglion cells. The positive reaction for cleaved caspase 3 in the mentioned structures indicates an involvement of the caspase dependent apoptotic pathway (Cheng et al, 2003;Jiang et al, 2008;Koyama et al, 2005;Mazumder et al, 2008;Sano et al, 2005). In the control group no specific immunoreaction was found.…”

“…The inner ear has been found to be the major origin described by clinical as well as histopathological reports (Jiang et al, 2008;Koyama et al, 2005;Sano et al, 2005). Some ototoxic conditions have been shown to induce apoptosis in the organ of Corti and in turn lead to hearing loss (Lefebvre et al, 2002).…”

“…Jiang et al demonstrated in their clinical trial, that perinatal asphyxia leads to an impairment of the brainstem auditory evoked responses. The study showed a significant reduction of the waves I, III and V (Jiang et al, 2008). The reduction of the first wave provides further evidence that asphyxia leads to a pathologic alteration of the inner ear structures (Jiang et al, 2008).…”

“…A positive testing for Bcl 2 proteins is a sign of pro-survival, arguing that the cell is healthy and useful. Degenerating cells expressing anti-apoptotic markers suggest a different pathophysiological impairment of cell death (Jiang et al, 2008;Koyama et al, 2005).…”

Audiological findings in a group of neurologically compromised children: A retrospective study

“…[21] In severe perinatal asphyxia, amplitudes of all waves -particularly wave V -were reduced in the first month of life. [22] In a study in children with hydrocephalus, 88% of the cohort displayed a wide range of abnormalities on ABR. [23] Similarly, children with CP presented with prolonged latencies on ABR testing.…”