Hearing Screening and Balance Assessment in Eldery with a History of Traumatic Brain Injury

• Grant number: 21/12413-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2022
• End date: December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Daniela Gil
• Grantee: Marina Braga Gomes
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be defined as any injury caused by external forces that results in an anatomical lesion or that functionally compromises cranial or encephalic structures (MAGALHÃES et al., 2017). This type of injury causes cognitive, physical and behavioral changes that can affect the Quality of Life (QoL) of victims and family members (PASSOS et al., 2015).In the elderly, the main cause is falls, followed by automobile accidents, which can be explained by the increase in life expectancy associated with increased mobility of the elderly (ALMEIDA et al., 2016). The external, middle and internal ears, as well as the auditory nerve, can be compromised by head trauma. In addition, dizziness and imbalance are common sequelae in post-TBI patients, especially when cerebellar injury is present (MUSIEK and CHERMAK, 2008; HOFFER and VIIRRE, 2012). Objective: to perform hearing screening and assessment of static and dynamic balance in elderly individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury. Methods: patients will be selected under follow-up at the neurotrauma/neurosurgery outpatient clinic of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Individuals will be submitted to clinical history, meatoscopy, DHI questionnaire, hearing screening at frequencies of 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz and evaluation of static and dynamic balance. Keywords: traumatic brain injury; hearing; balance.