Relationship Between Peripheral and Central Auditory Abilities and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Adolescent Girls.

Purpose: This study evaluated the peripheral hearing and central auditory processing abilities in Indian adolescent girls with iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

Method: The participants consisted of 75 adolescent girls with IDA, 50 adolescent girls without IDA, and 50 adolescent boys without IDA. Participants underwent a test battery to evaluate auditory processing and peripheral hearing assessment. In this study, central auditory processing abilities were assessed using Speech Perception in Noise test in Kannada (SPIN-K) and quick speech perception in noise tests in Kannada, dichotic consonant-vowel test, gap detection threshold (GDT), and auditory digit sequencing and auditory digit span tests.

Results: Results showed that the hearing thresholds at extremely low and high frequencies (250 and 8000 Hz), although within clinically normal limits, were poorer in girls with IDA than in the control groups. Also, girls with IDA performed poorly in SPIN-K of the right ear, GDT, and auditory backward digit span tests.

Conclusion: These subtle auditory deficiencies may be attributed to the compromised blood supply to the central auditory nervous system, as observed in the current study.