Influence of cochlear dead regions on self-perception hearing abilities in adults with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Introduction: Cochlear dead regions are areas of the basilar membrane where the hair cells and/or auditory nerve fibers are not functional, which can alter the temporal analysis of an acoustic signal. The functional effects that could generate still are not entirely clear, and set through the use of self-perception questionnaires, provide useful information for audiological management of patients. Aim: To investigate the relationship between the presence of cochlear dead regions and the self-reported of listening difficulties of adults with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Material and Method: Twenty adults with symmetric bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, aged 51 to 75 years were tested, without previous story of use of hearing aids. Cochlear dead regions were tested using the TEN test at 1, 2, 3 and 4 kHz. The question- naire of twelve questions, IROS12, was applied to the participants. Results: Cochlear dead regions were present in 10 participants. No significant diffe- rences were observed between groups, however lower IROS12 scores were observed in those who had present of dead regions. Conclusion: The perception of hearing difficulties in individuals with bilateral sen- sorineural hearing loss with cochlear dead regions did not differ significantly from those individuals without cochlear dead regions.