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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Main Authors: Adel Abdel-Maksoud Nassar, Rasha Hamdy El-Kabarity, Nourhan Nour El-Din Hassan, Abeer Mohamed El-Gendy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2024-03-01
Series:The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology
Subjects:
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.
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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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