Assessment of balance disorders and auditory processing in children with and without episodes of fluctuating conductive hearing loss, recurrent, in the first years of life

• Grant number: 10/09853-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2010
• End date: August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Sthella Zanchetta
• Grantee: Sthella Zanchetta
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Otitis media is a common condition in childhood. Among the consequences is that this framework leads to conductive hearing loss, which is called a floating since with proper treatment occurs with remission of infection and the hearing thresholds returned to normal. The concern is when these pictures of infections become recurrent and often chronic episodes uninterrupted, because beyond the primary concern with the health condition of children, we should also consider that in these cases the child is receiving an inconsistent sound stimulation of the nervous system central auditory, hindering the perception of speech sounds by the child. The aim of this study is to determine whether children with recurrent episodes of conductive hearing loss and proven floating exhibit change skills that make up the auditory processing of static and dynamic balance. Will be studied 60 schoolchildren aged 6-12 years, divided into two groups, an experimental group of 30 children of both sexes with documented history of conductive hearing loss and the control group of 30 children matched in age and sex with group experimental, but no history of such involvement. Children must perform basic audiological evaluation, in order to show acuity within normal limits and subsequently undertake the following tests of auditory abilities, verbal monotic low redundancy, dichotic verbal and temporal resolution. Will be held also evidence of static and dynamic balance. (AU)