Stahl, A. N., Racca, J. M., Kerley, C. I., Anderson, A., Landman, B., Hood, L. J., Gifford, R. H., & Rex, T. S. (2024). Comprehensive behavioral and physiologic assessment of peripheral and central auditory function in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury. Hearing Research, 441. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.HEARES.2023.108928
The study investigates auditory issues in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a group often reporting hearing problems despite normal hearing tests. Researchers used a comprehensive battery of tests assessing both peripheral and central auditory system functions, including pure-tone detection, word and sentence understanding, and various auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), alongside MRI scans. Findings revealed that mTBI patients showed notable changes in several auditory tests, such as reduced otoacoustic emissions, altered middle-ear reflex thresholds, and variations in AEPs indicating auditory processing difficulties. Particularly, those with combined hearing difficulty and noise sensitivity displayed more significant auditory processing deficits and structural brain changes in regions linked to auditory processing, such as the transverse temporal gyrus and planum polare. These results underscore the complexity of auditory issues in mTBI and the need for tailored diagnostic and treatment approaches that account for the nuanced effects of brain injuries on hearing.
