Screening for auditory neuropathy in a school for hearing impaired children

Objective: Hearing loss in children may be due to a wide variety of patholo gies. Recently, use of otoacoustic emission technology has led to identific ation of auditory neuropathy as a distinct hearing disorder. Children with auditory neuropathy require audiological and educational management that ma y differ from that required by other hearing impaired students. For this re ason, screening for auditory neuropathy may be appropriate for children att ending schools for the hearing impaired. The study investigated the utility of using otoacoustic emission measures for school screening of hearing imp aired children. Methods: In this study, 81 children aged 6-12 years who att ended one school for the deaf were screened for indications of auditory neu ropathy. Children found to have consistent otoacoustic emissions were given a full diagnostic audiological test battery, Results: Two children had tra nsient otoacoustic emission results indicating normal outer hair cell funct ion in one or both ears. A follow-up diagnostic assessment for the two posi tive cases was strongly suggestive of auditory neuropathy. Conclusions: The re is a need for routine auditory neuropathy screening at schools for heari ng impaired children. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights res erved.