Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How middle ear fluid affects hearing tests in Cavalier King Charles
By Harcourt-Brown, Thomas R et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2011·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of middle ear effusion on the brain-stem auditory evoked response of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 23 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels was tested for hearing issues, and it was found that those with fluid in their middle ear had a significant hearing loss of 10-33 decibels compared to those without fluid. Owners might not have noticed any hearing problems, as all dogs were thought to have normal hearing. The study showed that the presence of middle ear effusion can lead to conductive hearing loss, which means sounds may not be heard as clearly. Treatment options for middle ear effusion can include medications or surgery, depending on the severity and underlying cause.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel hearing loss · dog middle ear infection treatment · why is my dog not responding to sounds
Abstract
Brain-stem auditory evoked responses (BAER) were assessed in 23 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with and without middle ear effusion at sound intensities ranging from 10 to 100 dB nHL. Significant differences were found between the median BAER threshold for ears where effusions were present (60 dB nHL), compared to those without (30 dB nHL) (P=0.001). The slopes of latency-intensity functions from both groups did not differ, but the y-axis intercept when the x value was zero was greater in dogs with effusions (P=0.009), consistent with conductive hearing loss. Analysis of latency-intensity functions suggested the degree of hearing loss due to middle ear effusion was 21 dB (95% confidence between 10 and 33 dB). Waves I-V inter-wave latency at 90 dB nHL was not significantly different between the two groups. These findings demonstrate that middle ear effusion is associated with a conductive hearing loss of 10-33 dB in affected dogs despite the fact that all animals studied were considered to have normal hearing by their owners.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21194995/