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Auditory spatial deficits in brainstem disorders
Affiliations- Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland, Dębinki 7, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Neurology of Adults, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland, Poland
- II Department of Radiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Abstract
Brainstem disorders seem to negatively influence the central auditory system, causing spatial hearing deficits.
Material and methodsWe tested 11 patients with brainstem lesions due to ischemic stroke (IS), multiple sclerosis (MS), or cerebellopontine angle tumor (CPAT) together with 50 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. We used pure tone audiometry (PTAud), brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and the horizontal minimum audible angle test (HMAAT) for 8 azimuths with binaural stimulation.
ResultsThe chosen patients and the controls had normal or near normal hearing in PTAud. BAEPs interaural wave I–V latency difference was over 7 times longer in the patients group compared to the controls. Additionally, 9 of the 11 patients (81.1%) had abnormal HMAAT results. The biggest quantitative disturbances in HMAAT were present in the CPAT and the MS patients. The sound localization ability in HMAAT was significantly worse in the patients in 0° azimuth in comparison with the controls, and in 45° and 90° azimuth in patients with auditory pathway involvement compared with the ones without the involvement.
ConclusionsOur study confirms the strong relationship between various brainstem pathologies and sound localization disability and sheds some light on the complexity of the relationship.
Abstract
Brainstem disorders seem to negatively influence the central auditory system, causing spatial hearing deficits.
Material and methodsWe tested 11 patients with brainstem lesions due to ischemic stroke (IS), multiple sclerosis (MS), or cerebellopontine angle tumor (CPAT) together with 50 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. We used pure tone audiometry (PTAud), brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and the horizontal minimum audible angle test (HMAAT) for 8 azimuths with binaural stimulation.
ResultsThe chosen patients and the controls had normal or near normal hearing in PTAud. BAEPs interaural wave I–V latency difference was over 7 times longer in the patients group compared to the controls. Additionally, 9 of the 11 patients (81.1%) had abnormal HMAAT results. The biggest quantitative disturbances in HMAAT were present in the CPAT and the MS patients. The sound localization ability in HMAAT was significantly worse in the patients in 0° azimuth in comparison with the controls, and in 45° and 90° azimuth in patients with auditory pathway involvement compared with the ones without the involvement.
ConclusionsOur study confirms the strong relationship between various brainstem pathologies and sound localization disability and sheds some light on the complexity of the relationship.
Keywords
SPL, HL, HMAAT, BAEPs, PTA, PTAud, kHz, dB, ITD, IID, HRTFs, IS, CPAT, MS, FDA, DCN, VAS, TB, SOC, LL, IC
About this articleTitle
Auditory spatial deficits in brainstem disorders
Journal
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska
Issue
Pages
401-411
Page views
367
Article views/downloads
346
DOI
10.1016/j.pjnns.2015.10.001
Bibliographic record
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2015;49(6):401-411.
Keywords
SPL
HL
HMAAT
BAEPs
PTA
PTAud
kHz
dB
ITD
IID
HRTFs
IS
CPAT
MS
FDA
DCN
VAS
TB
SOC
LL
IC
Authors
Tomasz Przewoźny
Anna Gójska-Grymajło
Tomasz Szmuda
Karolina Markiet
