Effect of Music Training on Auditory Brainstem and Middle Latency Responses

Purpose: The auditory system has potentials to reorganize its structure and function in response to environmental changes such as training, experience, learning, injury, and disease. This is called neuroplasticity. A typical example of neuroplasticity is the music training, which demands cognitive and neural challenges resulting in enhanced auditory perception. This study investigated the effect of music training on auditory evoked responses, particularly auditory brainstem and middle latency responses. Methods: Forty college students consisting of twenty students with music training (musicians) and twenty students without music training (non-musicians) participated in the study. All participants have normal ranges in terms of pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and tympanometry. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) and auditory middle latency response (AMLR) from both ears were tested. Absolute latencies and amplitudes of waves in ABR and AMLR were obtained and analyzed.Results: The absolute latencies of wave I and V significantly differed between musicians and non-musicians. They were shorter for musicians than for non-musicians. Significant differences were found in the interpeak latencies of wave III-V and I-V between musicians and non-musicians. They were also shorter in musicians than for non-musicians. In addition, there were only significant differences in the latency of Na in AMLR between musicians and non-musicians. It was shorter for a musician than for non-musician.Conclusion: ABR was more sensitive to the efficacy of the music training.

Effects of Secondhand Smoke Exposure on Hearing and Auditory Evoked Potentials, ABR and AMLR in Young Adults

Population health is impacted by environmental secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Although the negative health effects of SHS exposure include respiratory problems in children (nonsmokers) as seen in cigarette smokers, other health impacts such as sensory function are not assumed to be the same for both passive nonsmokers and smokers. However, hearing loss was recently reported in adolescents and aging adults with SHS exposure, suggesting that SHS might impact auditory function similarly to cigarette smoking. Specific effects of SHS exposure on the central auditory system have not been fully described.To measure auditory function via pure-tone audiometry and evoked potentials in young nonsmoking adults aged 18–23 yr who reported exposure to environmental SHS.Participants were selected for the SHS-exposed (SHS-E) group first, followed by age and gender matched individuals for the SHS-unexposed (SHS-U) group. Self-reported nonsmoker status was confirmed by biochemical analysis of urine for cotinine level.Potential participants (N = 208) completed a questionnaire about health, smoking history, SHS exposure, and hearing ability. Individuals with any neurological conditions, alcohol/drug dependencies, excessive noise exposure, using certain medications, or current smokers were excluded. Twenty-two nonsmokers in excellent health consented to participate. Participants in the SHS-E group reported SHS exposure in home, work, or social settings for an extensive time period. Participants in the SHS-U group did not live with smokers and reported no SHS exposure, medication use, tinnitus, or any chemical exposures. Statistical analysis was conducted on data from 20 participants, 10 per group with a mean age of 20 yr.Participants underwent auditory procedures in one session in an IAC sound-treated room, including otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone threshold evaluation, auditory brainstem response per ear, and a three-channel auditory middle latency response in the right ear. The primary study outcomes were hearing thresholds measured (dB HL) at five frequencies, and evoked potential wave latencies (I, III, V, Na, Pa, Nb, Pb) and amplitudes (V–I, Na–Pa, Pa–Nb, Nb–Pb). It was hypothesized that SHS-exposed individuals would have poorer hearing sensitivity (threshold >25 dB HL) and abnormal central auditory function (longer latencies; smaller amplitudes) based on evoked potentials. Statistical analyses focused on identification of group differences in hearing and central auditory function.All participants had normal hearing sensitivity (thresholds ≤25 dB HL) with no significant group differences. The V/I amplitude ratio in the right ear was significantly decreased in SHS-exposed individuals (p < 0.05). Auditory brainstem response latencies were not significantly different between participant groups or ears. Wave Pb latency was significantly increased in SHS-exposed individuals (p < 0.01). Auditory middle latency response relative amplitudes were significantly different from each other at every electrode site (Cz, Fz, C4) but not between groups. Overall, the Na–Pa complex was highest in amplitude at all three electrode sites.This preliminary study indicated toxic effects of SHS exposure by evoked potentials with decreased V/I amplitude ratio and longer (delayed) Pb latency in young adults. Further studies should corroborate these findings to facilitate clinical recommendations.

Uso do potencial evocado auditivo de média latência em populações infantis: uma revisão integrativa

RESUMO Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar na literatura a utilidade do Potencial evocado auditivo de média latência na população infantil para o estudo do sistema auditivo em seus processos normais e desviantes. A revisão integrativa da literatura científica consistiu na busca de estudos utilizando as bases de dados: PubMed, Scopus e Scielo. Como descritores para a pesquisa foram utilizados os termos: "auditory middle latency response" "auditory middle latency potential" , "children", "child", "childhood", "maturation' e "development". Os estudos eram artigos completos, cujos participantes foram crianças, submetidas ao exame de Potencial evocado auditivo de média latência. A análise dos estudos individualmente verificou aspectos relacionados ao objetivo da pesquisa, a metodologia utilizada e a conclusão de cada estudo. Foram selecionados e lidos na íntegra um total de 11 estudos da base bibliográfica PubMed, oito estudos da Scopus e dois estudos da Scielo. Do total de 21 artigos, seis deles foram realizados com crianças saudáveis, quatro examinaram os componentes desse potencial em crianças com distúrbio de linguagem ou distúrbio específico de linguagem, quatro estudos avaliaram crianças usuárias de implante coclear, e sete crianças com outras alterações. Esta revisão integrativa mostrou a importância da investigação dos potenciais evocados auditivos de média latência em crianças. Tal avaliação vem permitindo um diagnóstico mais precoce e preciso de pacientes com alterações de linguagem, fala ou de aprendizado e de distúrbios do processamento auditivo além do monitoramento de evolução terapêutica.

Individual Differences in Behavioral and Electrophysiological Measures of Binaural Processing Across the Adult Life Span

PurposeThe purpose of the present study was to examine individual differences in binaural processing across the adult life span.MethodSixty listeners (aged 23–80 years) with symmetrical hearing were tested. Binaural behavioral processing was measured by the Words-in-Noise Test, the 500-Hz masking level difference, and the Dichotic Digit Test. Electrophysiologic responses were assessed by the auditory middle latency response binaural interaction component.ResultsNo correlations among binaural measures were found. Age accounted for the greatest amount of variability in speech-in-noise performance. Age was significantly correlated with the Words-in-Noise Test binaural advantage and dichotic ear advantage. Partial correlations, however, revealed that this was an effect of hearing status rather than age per se. Inspection of individual results revealed that 20% of listeners demonstrated reduced binaural performance for at least 2 of the binaural measures.ConclusionsThe lack of significant correlations among variables suggests that each is an important measurement of binaural abilities. For some listeners, binaural processing was abnormal, reflecting a binaural processing deficit not identified by monaural audiologic tests. The inclusion of a binaural test battery in the audiologic evaluation is supported given that these listeners may benefit from alternative forms of audiologic rehabilitation.