Electrophysiologic and Behavioral Assessment of Hearing Status in Children with Spastic Diplegia

Background and Aim: High incidence of speech disorders in children with cerebral palsy could be related to a deficiency in processing of auditory stimuli. So it is vital to check out any peripheral or central disorders in auditory system using behavioral and electrophysiological auditory tests.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 15 children with spastic diplegia, mean age 5.77, SD 2.26 years, and 15 normal children, mean age 5.33, SD 1.80 years, were tested using pure tone audiometry, immittance and auditory brainstem responses. The results were compared between the two groups.Results: Hearing thresholds and middle ear status were in normal range in all participants; however, contralateral acoustic reflex thresholds were mostly elevated. Comparing absolute latency and interpeak latency intervals of auditory brainstem responses between the two groups, absolute latency interval of later waves, and in specific the V wave, was significantly longer in diplegic children (p=0.04) resulting in a longer III-V interpeak latency intervals (p=0.02).Conclusion: Neurological disorders in ponto-reticulo-spinal pathway, pontine reticular nuclei and upper pons which are adjacent to auditory nuclei of lateral leminiscus and inferior colliculus result in auditory dys-synchrony and increased latency intervals in latter waves of auditory brainstem responses. This could also attributed to functional disorders in wave-generating sites in these patients

Intratympanic Injection of Dexamethasone and Electrocochleographic Data in Cases of Definite One Sided Refractory Meniere’s Disease

Introduction: Meniere’s disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that presents itself with repeated episodes of vertigo (96.2%), tinnitus (91.1%), and sensorineural hearing loss (87.7 %). In this article we sought to assess the effects of intratympanic (IT) injections of dexamethasone on definite cases of MD using electrocochleography (ECOG). Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based case series in 36 patients, we measured audiometric values and ECOG in all patients before, 1 month and 6 months after 4-mg/mL IT injections of dexamethasone. Results: Four patients (11%) had improved hearing following the intervention. No difference in pure tone audiometry (PTA) was observed following IT injections (P=0.492), while speech discrimination score (SDS) was significantly improved (P=0.008). There was a significant improvement in vertigo 1 month after IT injections (