Otological complications are considered early symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2; however, it is unknown how long these symptoms last and whether the virus leaves any hearing disorders post-recovery.

This prospective cohort study comprised 31 mild or moderate confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 patients and 26 age-matched control peers (21–50 years old). Patients were questioned about their otological symptoms, and their hearing status was assessed during one month post-diagnosis.

Patients showed a significantly higher rate of otological symptoms (hearing loss, ear fullness, ear pain, dizziness or vertigo, communication difficulties, and hyperacusis) versus the control group (p ≤ 0.022). The symptoms resolved early, between 2 and 8 days after their appearance. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in pure tone and extended high-frequency audiometry, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, or auditory brainstem response following recovery.

The findings indicate that, in mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 cases, otological symptoms resolve within a week, and the virus has no lasting impact on the auditory system.

This study aimed to evaluate different auditory regions with audiological tests, based on the presumption that there may be damage to the structures in the hearing system after coronavirus disease 2019.

Twenty individuals with no history of coronavirus disease 2019 and 27 individuals diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 were compared. Pure tone, speech and extended high-frequency audiometry, acoustic immitansmetry, transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions testing, and auditory brainstem response testing were conducted.

The pure tone audiometry and extended high-frequency mean threshold values were higher in the coronavirus disease 2019 group. The transient evoked otoacoustic emissions signal-to-noise ratios were bilaterally lower at 4 kHz in individuals with a coronavirus disease 2019 history. In the auditory brainstem response test, only the interpeak latencies of waves III–V were significantly different between groups.

Coronavirus disease 2019 may cause damage to the hearing system. Patients should be followed up in the long term with advanced audiological evaluation methods in order to determine the extent and level of damage.

To investigate whether oxytocin can prevent ototoxicity related to acoustic trauma.

Twenty-eight rats were divided into four groups: noise (group 1), control (group 2), noise plus oxytocin (group 3), and oxytocin (group 4). Intratympanic oxytocin was administered on days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 in groups 3 and 4. Groups 1 and 3 were exposed to acoustic trauma. Distortion product otoacoustic emission and auditory brainstem response testing were performed in all groups.

In group 1, auditory brainstem response thresholds increased significantly after acoustic trauma. In group 3, auditory brainstem response thresholds increased significantly on day 1 after acoustic trauma, but there were no significant differences between thresholds at baseline and on the 7th and 21st days. In group 1, significant differences were observed between distortion product otoacoustic emission signal-to-noise ratios measured before and on days 1, 7 and 21 after acoustic trauma. In group 3, no significant differences were observed between the distortion product otoacoustic emission signal-to-noise ratios measured before and on days 7 and 21 after acoustic trauma.

Oxytocin had a therapeutic effect on rats exposed to acoustic trauma in this experiment.

This study aimed to compare the diagnostic reliabilities of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions, automated auditory brainstem responses and brainstem auditory evoked responses for detecting hearing loss, and to use the information regarding hearing level of automated auditory brainstem responses for planning rehabilitation.

A total of 144 high-risk infants (288 ears) completed the 3 hearing tests. The sensitivity and specificity of otoacoustic emissions and automated auditory brainstem responses were compared using the chi-square test.

Automated auditory brainstem response was the most reliable test of hearing levels, with a sensitivity of 91.7 per cent and specificity of 92.1 per cent; the sensitivity of otoacoustic emissions was 78.7 per cent and the specificity was 88.8 per cent.

Automated auditory brainstem responses have acceptably high sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, the hearing level from automated auditory brainstem responses can help the screeners explain to the parents the importance of further diagnosis and rehabilitation.

This study aimed to determine the characteristics of hearing loss in patients with Behçet's disease.

Twenty-six consecutive patients with Behçet's disease and a control group consisting of 25 age-matched healthy subjects were prospectively included in this study. Pure tone and speech audiometry, tympanometry, distortion product otoacoustic emission testing, and auditory brainstem-evoked response assessment were performed in the patients and controls.

The pure tone audiograms and the results of distortion product otoacoustic emission testing showed statistically significant hearing loss in the Behçet's disease patients (p < 0.05). Auditory brainstem-evoked response results were not significantly different between the patients and controls (p > 0.05).

The findings of the present study demonstrated that audiological involvement is more frequent in patients with Behçet's disease than in healthy controls. Therefore, all patients with Behçet's disease should be regularly monitored by an otolaryngologist and be given information about the possibility of inner-ear involvement.

To determine the effect of experimentally induced hypoxia, in the first 10 days of life, on physiological hearing in a Sprague–Dawley rat model.

A prospective, controlled animal study was carried out using 22 male rat pups. The rats in the hypoxic group (n = 12) were reared in hypoxia for the first 10 days of life, and subsequently reared in normoxia, while those in the control group (n = 10) were reared in normoxia for the duration of the experiment. Hearing was assessed using auditory brainstem response testing at approximately 72 days of age.

The hypoxia group had higher auditory brainstem response thresholds for all frequencies tested (more pronounced at 16 kHz), compared with controls. Wave I–V inter-peak latencies were more prolonged in the hypoxic rats, while both groups had similar wave I latencies.

Chronic postnatal hypoxia induced permanent hearing loss in this Sprague–Dawley rat model. Prolonged wave I–V inter-peak latencies suggested functional abnormality in the central auditory pathway.

To investigate the correlation between cochlear processing and brainstem processing.

Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses were recorded in 40 ears of normal-hearing individuals aged 18 to 23 years. Correlation analyses compared transient evoked otoacoustic emission parameters with speech-evoked auditory brainstem response parameters.

There was a significant correlation between speech-evoked auditory brainstem response wave V latency and transient evoked otoacoustic emission global emission strength; there were no other significant correlations between the two tests.

Tests for transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses provide unique and functionally independent information about the integrity and sensitivity of the auditory system. Therefore, combining both tests will provide a more sensitive clinical battery with which to identify the location of different disorders (e.g. language-based learning impairments and hearing impairments).

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of lengthening the transition duration of selected speech segments upon the perception of those segments in individuals with auditory dys-synchrony.

Thirty individuals with auditory dys-synchrony participated in the study, along with 30 age-matched normal hearing listeners. Eight consonant–vowel syllables were used as auditory stimuli. Two experiments were conducted. Experiment one measured the ‘just noticeable difference’ time: the smallest prolongation of the speech sound transition duration which was noticeable by the subject. In experiment two, speech sounds were modified by lengthening the transition duration by multiples of the just noticeable difference time, and subjects' speech identification scores for the modified speech sounds were assessed.

Subjects with auditory dys-synchrony demonstrated poor processing of temporal auditory information. Lengthening of speech sound transition duration improved these subjects' perception of both the placement and voicing features of the speech syllables used.

These results suggest that innovative speech processing strategies which enhance temporal cues may benefit individuals with auditory dys-synchrony.