Evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control study
Abstract Background Many viral infections can cause hearing loss due to affection of cochlear hair cells or neurogenic pathway. Although, the damage secondary to viral infections is mainly cochlear affection; auditory brainstem can be affected as well. It was predicted that SARS-COV-2 infection can...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2024-03-01
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Series: | The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-024-00580-x |
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author | Adel Abdel-Maksoud Nassar Rasha Hamdy El-Kabarity Nourhan Nour El-Din Hassan Abeer Mohamed El-Gendy |
author_facet | Adel Abdel-Maksoud Nassar Rasha Hamdy El-Kabarity Nourhan Nour El-Din Hassan Abeer Mohamed El-Gendy |
author_sort | Adel Abdel-Maksoud Nassar |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract Background Many viral infections can cause hearing loss due to affection of cochlear hair cells or neurogenic pathway. Although, the damage secondary to viral infections is mainly cochlear affection; auditory brainstem can be affected as well. It was predicted that SARS-COV-2 infection can similarly affect the auditory system. This study aimed to detect affection in auditory system and if present investigate the possible site of lesion (up to the level of the brain stem) in relation to COVID-19 infection. Methods This is a case control study, where the study group constituted of thirty adults, diagnosed with COVID-19 at least 2 weeks prior to testing and up to 6 months, without previous auditory complaints pre-COVID-19 or other risk factors that could affect the auditory pathway. Fifteen adult participants that were age and gender matched to the study group with no previous history of covid-19 infection constituted the control group. Audiological evaluations done to all participants were pure-tone and speech audiometry, tympanometry, transient-evoked otoacoustic emission with and without contralateral suppression and auditory brainstem response measurements. Results The study group showed significantly worse pure tone thresholds at high frequencies 4 and 8 kHz (p < 0.01), significantly worse transient-evoked otoacoustic emission signal to noise ratio at 2800 Hz and 4000 Hz (p < 0.05) and significantly lower total suppression index (p<0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between both groups in auditory brainstem response wave latencies (p > 0.05). Conclusion COVID-19 had subtle effect on cochlear basal turn, and it is shown that the auditory efferent system may also be affected, while the auditory nerve and afferent brainstem pathways seems to be spared. Moreover, the absence of the symptoms of auditory dysfunction postcovid-19 does not guarantee normal auditory functions. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:22:33Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-0e037a1a093847d6bbc517effa07abae |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2090-8539 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:22:33Z |
publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
publisher | SpringerOpen |
record_format | Article |
series | The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology |
spelling | doaj.art-0e037a1a093847d6bbc517effa07abae2024-03-05T17:30:08ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology2090-85392024-03-014011810.1186/s43163-024-00580-xEvaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control studyAdel Abdel-Maksoud Nassar0Rasha Hamdy El-Kabarity1Nourhan Nour El-Din Hassan2Abeer Mohamed El-Gendy3Audiology Unit, ENT Department, Ain Shams UniversityAudiology Unit, ENT Department, Ain Shams UniversityAudiology Unit, ENT Department, Ain Shams UniversityAudiology Unit, ENT Department, Ain Shams UniversityAbstract Background Many viral infections can cause hearing loss due to affection of cochlear hair cells or neurogenic pathway. Although, the damage secondary to viral infections is mainly cochlear affection; auditory brainstem can be affected as well. It was predicted that SARS-COV-2 infection can similarly affect the auditory system. This study aimed to detect affection in auditory system and if present investigate the possible site of lesion (up to the level of the brain stem) in relation to COVID-19 infection. Methods This is a case control study, where the study group constituted of thirty adults, diagnosed with COVID-19 at least 2 weeks prior to testing and up to 6 months, without previous auditory complaints pre-COVID-19 or other risk factors that could affect the auditory pathway. Fifteen adult participants that were age and gender matched to the study group with no previous history of covid-19 infection constituted the control group. Audiological evaluations done to all participants were pure-tone and speech audiometry, tympanometry, transient-evoked otoacoustic emission with and without contralateral suppression and auditory brainstem response measurements. Results The study group showed significantly worse pure tone thresholds at high frequencies 4 and 8 kHz (p < 0.01), significantly worse transient-evoked otoacoustic emission signal to noise ratio at 2800 Hz and 4000 Hz (p < 0.05) and significantly lower total suppression index (p<0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between both groups in auditory brainstem response wave latencies (p > 0.05). Conclusion COVID-19 had subtle effect on cochlear basal turn, and it is shown that the auditory efferent system may also be affected, while the auditory nerve and afferent brainstem pathways seems to be spared. Moreover, the absence of the symptoms of auditory dysfunction postcovid-19 does not guarantee normal auditory functions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-024-00580-xCOVID-19AudiometryOAEABR |
spellingShingle | Adel Abdel-Maksoud Nassar Rasha Hamdy El-Kabarity Nourhan Nour El-Din Hassan Abeer Mohamed El-Gendy Evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control study The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology COVID-19 Audiometry OAE ABR |
title | Evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control study |
title_full | Evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control study |
title_fullStr | Evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control study |
title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control study |
title_short | Evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in COVID-19 patients; a case control study |
title_sort | evaluation of cochlear and auditory brainstem functions in covid 19 patients a case control study |
topic | COVID-19 Audiometry OAE ABR |
url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-024-00580-x |
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