Effect of otitis media with effusion on brainstem timing in children

Objective: Otitis media with effusion (OME) in early childhood may cause a central auditory processing disorder. The aim of
the present study was to investigate the effect of prolonged OME in children on central auditory function using speech-
ABR. Study design: Fifty-five children (31 males, 24 females) with bilateral OME were included in the present study. Their
ages ranged from five to 11 years. According to the duration of the OME, the study group was divided into two groups:
Group I (25 subjects with OME of long duration) and Group II (30 subjects with recent-onset OME). Responses to click
evoked auditory brainstem response (click-ABR) and speech evoked auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR) were
collected from the study groups I and II. Results: A Student’s t-test revealed non-significant differences between groups I and
II regarding different click-ABR parameters; absolute and interpeak latencies (I–III, III–V, and I–V). There were significant
temporally delayed speech-ABR responses for the onset and offset of the stimulus (waves V, A and O), and reduction in VA
slope in Group I compared to Group II. Conclusion: The findings suggest that OME of long duration in children is
associated with deficient neural timing in response to the onset and offset of transient speech stimuli, resulting in a subtle
impairment of speech encoding at the brainstem.