B-ENT

Auditory neuropathy/dyssynchrony revisited

1.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium

2.

Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, University Leuven, Belgium

B-ENT 2014; 10: 105-112
Read: 991 Downloads: 661 Published: 05 February 2020

Auditory neuropathy/dyssynchrony revisited. Auditory neuropathy/dyssynchrony (AN/AD) is a relatively, recently described diagnostic term. It describes a disorder characterised by detectable otoacoustic emissions and/or cochlear microphonics, combined with abnormal or absent auditory brainstem responses and deficient speech understanding. Consequently, the patient’s cognitive responses are inconsistent with a behavioural tone audiogram. This review describes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of AN/AD. We have focused on the diagnostic pathway, because diagnosis is sometimes difficult, and recent research has provided important insights into the aetiopathology of the disease. The diagnostic tools for AN/AD currently used in our department will be demonstrated in a clinical case. It is very important to recognise AN/AD and provide patient counselling and support as early as possible, due to the potentially major influence of this disorder on a patient’s social life and language acquisition.

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EISSN 2684-4907