Hearing Impairment in Stroke Patients- Findings from a Pilot Study Conducted in India
Auditory processing difficulties and hearing loss have been reported among stroke survivors, but is largely neglected. Post-stroke hearing impairment may affect communication between stroke survivors and healthcare professionals, thereby restricting rehabilitation and long-term patient outcome. In t...
Saved in:
Published in | Indian journal of otolaryngology, and head, and neck surgery Vol. 74; no. Suppl 1; pp. 651 - 657 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
New Delhi
Springer India
01.08.2022
Springer Nature B.V |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | Auditory processing difficulties and hearing loss have been reported among stroke survivors, but is largely neglected. Post-stroke hearing impairment may affect communication between stroke survivors and healthcare professionals, thereby restricting rehabilitation and long-term patient outcome. In this prospective pilot study, we sought to determine the prevalence and pattern of hearing loss in stroke patients when compared to age and sex matched controls. 50 consecutive patients with first-ever stroke, both hemorrhagic and ischemic, and a comparison cohort of 50 age and sex matched controls were assessed. Pure Tone Audiogram was performed in all patients within 15 days of stroke onset and mean hearing loss was determined. Mean audiometric threshold was significantly higher in both ears in stroke patients (mean 44.0 ± 12.1 dB) when compared to the control subjects (36.1 ± 11.4 dB;
p
= 0.001). After adjusting for Diabetes mellitus and hypertension, sensorineural hearing loss was more common and severe in stroke compared to controls (
p
< 0.005). Most of the strokes were ischemic and involved middle cerebral artery territory. A modest correlation between hearing threshold and stroke severity in both ears was seen (mean B 0.775, R
2
0.54, CI 0.122–1.427,
p
= 0.020). Our pilot study shows significant hearing impairment in patients with stroke, compared to age and sex matched controls with similar prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, interestingly seen in a predominantly anterior circulation stroke population. Undetected hearing loss may impact post stroke functional recovery. Hence, current rehabilitation guidelines should include auditory screening in all patients of stroke for detection of hearing loss. |
---|---|
Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 2231-3796 0973-7707 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s12070-021-02474-3 |