Central auditory dysfunction associated with exposure to a mixture of solvents.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of the present research was to investigate central auditory functioning in normal-hearing, solvent-exposed subjects compared to normal-hearing subjects without solvent exposure, with a comprehensive test battery of behavioural central auditory functioning procedures.

STUDY SAMPLE:

Forty-six normal-hearing, solvent-exposed subjects and 46 normal-hearing, control subjects were selected to participate in the study.

DESIGN:

All subjects must present with normal hearing thresholds and absence of history of variables related to the onset of auditory dysfunction. Subjects were evaluated with a test battery comprising pure-tone audiometry (PTA), dichotic digits (DD), pitch pattern sequence (PPS), filtered speech (FS), random gap detection (RGD), masking level difference (MLD), and hearing-in-noise (HINT) tests.

RESULTS:

Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to compare the mean values of the dependent variables (results for DD, PPS, FS, RGD, MLD, and HINT) between solvent-exposed and control subjects. Age and average hearing thresholds (500-8000 Hz) were included in the analyses as covariates. Significant differences for DD, PPS, FS, and RGD results were found between groups.

CONCLUSION:

This study provides further evidence of the central auditory dysfunction associated with solvent exposure.

• Authors: Adrian Fuente, Bradley McPherson, Louise Hickson
• Journal: International journal of audiology (Int J Audiol) Vol. 50 Issue 12 Pg. 857-65 (Dec 2011) ISSN: 1708-8186 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 21936752 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Solvents

Topics

• Adult
• Audiometry, Pure-Tone
• Auditory Diseases, Central (chemically induced)
• Auditory Threshold
• Case-Control Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Solvents (adverse effects)