Auditory neuropathy in deaf school students

Objective: To investigate incidents and clinical features of auditory neuropathy in Nanjing deaf school students.

Methods: Three hundred and fifty-eight deaf students in the school accepted the first examination including otoscopic examination, tympanometry and transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) screening. Detailed audiological and vestibular evaluations including pure-tone audiometry, immittance audiometry and acoustic reflex measures, transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), auditory brain stem response (ABR), electronystagmography (ENG) and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) were given to whom had positive TEOAE screening.

Results: Three hundred and twenty-three students entered the program of screening for auditory neuropathy. One student had positive TEOAE in single ear while the other two had positive TEOAE in both ears. In the screening stage,there were strong evidences in these three students with auditory neuropathy in the detailed audiological procedures.

Conclusions: Auditory neuropathy, which can also be found in deaf schools, is not as rare as we thought before. Early identification and intervention may help those children to avoid entering the deaf school and to return to normal society.