Publisher's Synopsis
The main objective of this study was to describe auditory function within the closed head injured (CHI) population of South Africa. 30 participants were recruited from two private rehabilitation facilities in Gauteng, they completed a detailed case history questionnaire, underwent basic audiological tests including otoscopy and immittance testing, pure tone and speech testing, as well as advanced audiological tests which included OAEs and ABRs. Basic audiometry revealed normal hearing in all 30 participants. The results of the OAEs were normal in 25/30 participants. The neurological ABR revealed abnormalities on 14 participants' neurological ABR recordings. All audiological ABR recordings were normal and correlated well with the basic auditory tests. It was revealed that a hearing loss may be overlooked when using basic hearing tests only; more advanced hearing tests must also be considered when analysing the auditory system in the CHI population. In addition a hearing impairment following a CHI is mainly temporary, however discrepancies in advanced testing indicate that people with a CHI may be more at risk for developing a hearing loss, than those with no CHI.
