Abstract:
Hyperacusis is a debilitating auditory condition whose characterization is largely qualitative and is typically based on small participant cohorts. Here, we characterize the hearing and demographic profiles of adults who reported hyperacusis upon audiological evaluation at a large medical center. Audiometric data from 626 adults (age 18-80 years) with documented hyperacusis were retrospectively extracted from medical records and compared to an age- and sex-matched reference group of patients from the same clinic who did not report hyperacusis. Patients with hyperacusis had lower (i.e., better) high-frequency hearing thresholds (2000-8000 Hz), but significantly larger interaural threshold asymmetries (250-8000 Hz) relative to the reference group. The probability of reporting hyperacusis was highest for normal, asymmetric, and notched audiometric configurations. Many patients reported unilateral hyperacusis symptoms, a history of noise exposure, and co-morbid tinnitus. The high prevalence of both overt and subclinical hearing asymmetries in the hyperacusis population suggests a central compensatory mechanism that is dominated by input from an intact or minimally damaged ear, and which may lead to perceptual hypersensitivity by overshooting baseline neural activity levels.
摘要:
高音是一种使人衰弱的听觉状况,其表征在很大程度上是定性的,通常基于小型参与者队列。这里,我们描述了在大型医疗中心进行听力学评估后报告运动过度的成年人的听力和人口统计学特征.从病历中回顾性地提取了626名成年人(18-80岁)的听力测量数据,并将其与来自同一诊所的年龄和性别匹配的未报告过高症的患者进行了比较。运动过度患者的发病率较低(即,更好)高频听阈(2000-8000Hz),但相对于参考组,耳间阈值不对称性(250-8000Hz)明显更大。报告运动过度的概率在正常人群中最高,不对称,和缺口测听配置。许多患者报告了单侧高音症状,有噪声暴露史,和并发耳鸣。在高音人群中,明显和亚临床听力不对称的患病率很高,这表明中枢代偿机制由完整或受损程度最低的耳朵的输入所主导。并且可能通过超过基线神经活动水平而导致感知过敏。