Degrees of Auditory Dys-Synchrony

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Yes, the symptoms, and certainly the severity of the disease process, can vary widely in cases of auditory neuropathy. The degree of hearing loss by pure tone thresholds can vary from normal to profound and the ABR abnormality can vary from very poor waveform morphology with some identifiable peaks to completely absent waveforms. The degree that the speech perception and speech production are affected varies as well. It is also possible to have a normal auditory system (and speech development) and have auditory neuropathy signs develop later. In this case, the speech production might be maintained through a variety of mechanisms.

Yvonne Sininger is Professor in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery at University of California in Los Angeles. She received her Masters degree in Audiology from Indiana University and her PhD from University of California. Her research has long focused on human infant hearing and pediatric audiologic disorders. Previous projects, funded by the National Institute of Health included a study to define auditory sensitivity in healthy newborns using ABR and collaboration on a multi-center study on the efficacy of ABR and OAEs for newborn hearing screening. Dr. Sininger's interest in ABR and its use in measurement of hearing function along with my continual affiliation with clinical audiology led to an interest in children with Auditory Neuropathy. She has recently completed a project with Dr. Arnold Starr funded by Deafness Institute of the NIH on Auditory Neuropathy to characterize that disorder. That project and a related symposium led to our book entitled Auditory Neuropathy: A New Perspective on Hearing Disorders. Her current research project evaluates factors that influence the auditory outcomes of infants and children with hearing loss who receive amplification. This is a five year, multi-center project to study the effects of age at appropriate fitting of amplification as well as degree of hearing loss on the development of speech perception and speech production.