Characterization of unilateral hearing loss

• Grant number: 11/15869-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2011
• End date: October 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia Mondelli
• Grantee: Flávia Bianca de Souza Lopes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Unilateral hearing loss may be responsible for academic difficulties, abnormal speech, language and social and emotional difficulties. It is characterized by decreased hearing in one ear affecting mainly the abilities of spatial sound source and difficulty understanding speech in the presence of ambient noise. There is no consensus among the factors that may cause unilateral hearing loss, and wide range of possibilities for the occurrence of this type of sensory deprivation. Concerning the degree of unilateral hering loss and the same start time, there is no established correlation, since this information has some degree of subjectivity because the onset of unilateral hearing loss is, in many cases, diagnosed accidentally, that is, if not accompanied by an episode that refers to its cause, may go unnoticed for some time. Considering the difficulties in obtaining accurate data related to unilateral hearing loss, this study aims to characterize the unilateral hearing loss as to etiology, gender, ear predominance, age of detection of loss and main complaint for this deprivation. The work will be carried in the Speech Therapy Clinic of the Department of Speech, FOB / USP Bauru and the Division of Health Hearing - HRAC / USP, after the approval of the Ethics in Human Research in both services of high complexity. We will analyze medical records of all subjects diagnosed with unilateral hearing loss, duly enrolled at two centers in which research will be developed. Will be raised identification data such as age, gender, family history, type and degree of hearing loss onset and etiology of hearing loss. For processing of the results will be used statistical tests relevant to the purpose proposed in the study.(AU)