Prospective controlled evaluation of auditory function in neonates given netilmicin or amikacin.

Longitudinal assessment of intensive care nursery infants given aminoglycoside antibiotics revealed no significant difference in the incidence of hearing impairment when compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Bilateral sensorineural impairment was confirmed in three (2%) infants, one each given netilmicin and amikacin and one untreated control infant. There was a high incidence of transient auditory abnormalities in this intensive care infant population.

Abnormal parasympathetic vagal function in patients with spasmodic dysphonia.

Gastric vagal function was assessed in 15 patients with spasmodic dysphonia by measuring gastric acid output in response to sham feeding. Patients secreted significantly less acid than controls (p less than 0.001).

Auditory brainstem response with high stimulus rates in normal and patient populations.

Normative data were collected on 48 subjects to determine the effects of increasing stimulus rates on the auditory brainstem response. These subjects were then compared to 221 patients referred for otoneurologic evaluation. The 90 patients with impaired auditory sensitivity demonstrated significantly less wave V latency shift than either the 131 patients with normal auditory sensitivity or the normal subjects.

Brainstem conduction abnormalities in spasmodic dysphonia.

Twelve spasmodic dysphonia patients were evaluated by three different auditory brainstem response parameters; 75% were abnormal. Three of the 12 had prolonged wave I-V interpeak latency. Seven had pathologic wave V latency shifts at a high stimulus rate.

Language delay in infants associated with middle ear disease and mild, fluctuating hearing impairment.

We report on a study of the relationship between early persistent middle ear disease and early language learning for 35 infants. Three independent measurements were used to evaluate hearing sensitivity and the status of the middle ear. Language development was assessed using two standardized measurements for both comprehension and expression.