Auditory Perceptual Disorders, Estrogens, Hearing, Progesterone, Psychoacoustics
Conditions
Keywords
Hearing Loss, Central, Presbycusis, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural, Hearing Loss, Cochlear, Hearing Loss, Bilateral, Sex Steroid Hormones, Estradiol
Brief summary
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on hearing in post-menopausal women.
Detailed description
Background: Female hormone influences on the development and aging of the auditory system are not completely understood. The present study retrospectively analyzed and compared hearing abilities among post-menopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), treated with estrogen and progesterone (E+P); estrogen alone (E), and a third (control - NHRT) group, matched for age, who did not receive any HRT. Methods: 126 subjects, (60-86 yr), N=32, E+P; N=31, E; N= 63, NHRT; matched for age and health status participated. All had relatively healthy medical histories, absence of significant noise exposure, middle ear problems, major surgeries or current/heavy smoking. Hearing tests included pure tone audiometry (PTA), tympanometry, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), transient otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and hearing-in-noise-test (HINT). The latter is a test for speech perception in background noise: the major complaint of hearing-impaired persons. .
Interventions
DRUGHormone Replacement Therapy - HRT
Sponsors
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
University of Rochester
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
OTHER
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
60 Years to 86 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy middle ears
Exclusion criteria
* ototoxic medications * serious medical health problems * neurological conditions * Meniere's disease or labyrinthitis * those who failed cognitive screening tests (Mini-Mental Test) * current/heavy smokers * conductive hearing loss * history of noise damage and/or audiograms signifying noise damage * poor speech discrimination scores (80% or less)
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed