ANALYSIS OF DISTORTION PRODUCT OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS INTENSITIES 65/55 dB SPL IN INFANTS EXPOSED TO SECONDHAND SMOKE

• Grant number: 23/14602-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Caroline Nunes Rocha-Muniz
• Grantee: Luiza Lopes Xavier
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo (FCMSCSP). Fundação Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Tobacco is considered a major public health problem. Worldwide, more than 1.2 million deaths are caused by non-smokers exposed to passive smoking. Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers who live with smokers in different environments, breathing in 15 the same toxic substances that the smoker inhales. Children and babies are particularly susceptible to second-hand smoke. Tobacco smoke causes alterations that can affect the blood supply to the cochlea, causing damage to the hair cells of the organ of Corti, leading to hearing problems. Thus, studies show that secondary smoking is considered a risk factor for the development of sensorineural hearing loss, with widely varying outcomes. Therefore, since the components present in cigarettes affect cochlear physiology, it is necessary to evaluate it using tests such as otoacoustic emissions, which act as a mechanical feedback system used to monitor cochlear function, with greater sensitivity to detect damage to outer hair cells. With fast, objective, non-invasive and reliable results, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) provide the most accurate information on cochlear function due to their frequency specificity. In addition, there is a need for studies that evaluate distortion product otoacoustic emissions in infants exposed to passive smoking and analyze the effects of this exposure on otoacoustic emissions at this age, as there is a lack of research on this topic for the age group presented in this project. The aim of this study is to investigate possible cochlear alterations in infants aged 6 to 8 months exposed to passive smoking, using distortion product otoacoustic emissions and comparing the results of the control group with those of the study group. For all these reasons, the hypothesis of this study is that infants aged 6 to 8 months exposed to passive smoking will have reduced cochlear function and that the results found will be altered in the proposed intensity.