Auditory Function of Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Study

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Vivosonic

apnea

Eurasian J Med. 2020 Jun; 52(2): 176–179.

Published online 2020 Jun 4. doi: 10.5152/eurasianjmed.2019.18373

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7311141/

Objective

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a respiratory syndrome that manifests during sleep. For the auditory system to be able to function normally, the inner ear and cochlear nerve require healthy oxygen support. The purpose of this study was to assess the hearing function of patients with OSAS and to reveal the relationship between polysomnographic parameters and hearing test results.

Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions

All TEOAE tests were carried out by an experienced audiologist in a sound-proofed chamber with a Vivosonic Integrity Evoked Potentials System device (Vivosonic Inc., Toronto, Canada). A click stimulus was used. The signal/noise ratio (SNR) was calculated at four distinct frequencies (1 kHz, 2 kHz, 3 kHz, 4 kHz). The SNR values recorded in the study and control groups were measured for each frequency and subsequently subjected to a comparative analysis. The SNR represents the difference between the emission amplitude and the noise floor. In addition, signal amplitude values and test reproducibility values were recorded for each subject.

Results

We determined mild sensorineural hearing loss in patients with OSAS. When the different frequencies were evaluated separately, hearing threshold values in the patients with OSAS were significantly higher compared to the control group at 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz in both ears. TEOAE test reproducibility values in both ears were significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group.

Conclusion

The hearing system is affected to varying degrees in patients with OSAS. If hearing loss is detected in patients presenting at otolaryngology clinics due to snoring, then assessing these subjects in terms of risk of OSAS is important to reduce mortality and morbidity that may develop at later stages in association with OSAS.