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Functional hearing deficits in children with Type 1 diabetes
Author(s) -
Rance G.,
Chisari D.,
Edvall N.,
Cameron F.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/dme.13086
Subject(s) - audiology , medicine , hearing loss , binaural recording , auditory brainstem response , abnormality , confidence interval , diabetes mellitus , speech perception , auditory perception , cohort , perception , psychology , neuroscience , psychiatry , endocrinology
Aim Hearing loss (as reflected by abnormal sound detection) is a frequently reported consequence of Type 1 diabetes mellitus. We sought to evaluate sound detection, auditory neural function and binaural processing ability in a group of school‐aged participants with Type 1 diabetes and to assess their functional hearing and general communication ability. Methods A range of electroacoustic, electrophysiological and behavioural test techniques were used to evaluate both cochlear and auditory neural function in 19 affected children. A cohort of matched controls was also assessed. Results Although all of the participants with Type 1 diabetes enjoyed normal sound detection, 9 of the 19 (47%) showed evidence of auditory pathway abnormality with evoked potential latencies and/or amplitudes beyond age‐related norms. Auditory brainstem response interpeak latencies (wave I–V) were longer than in matched controls [ 95% confidence interval (95% CI ); 0.10, 0.28 ms: P < 0.001] and wave V amplitudes were reduced (95% CI ; –0.21, 0.00 μV: P = 0.02). Binaural speech perception in noise was also impaired (95% CI ; 0.82, 3.17 dB : P = 0.002) and perceptual ability was correlated with degree of neural disruption in the auditory brainstem ( r = 0.662, P = 0.003). Conclusions Hearing deficits severe enough to restrict communication and threaten academic progress were common on our group of school‐aged children with Type 1 diabetes. Evaluation of both cochlear and auditory neural function may form an important part of the standard management regime for children with diabetes.