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Background
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with motor and nonmotor manifestations. Although auditory dysfunction has been proposed as a nonmotor feature, the extent of peripheral auditory involvement remains unclear. This study aims to explore peripheral auditory and lower brainstem function in patients with PD compared with age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls.
Patients and methods
This pilot cross-sectional study included 25 patients with PD and 25 matched controls. Disease severity was assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. All participants underwent pure-tone audiometry (250–8000 Hz), speech discrimination score, tympanometry, contralateral acoustic reflex evaluation, and transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions using standardized protocols in a calibrated, sound-treated environment.
Results
In this study, PD patients and controls were well-matched for age and sex. Pure-tone thresholds and speech discrimination scores were comparable across all frequencies. Tympanometric findings predominantly showed bilateral type A curves, contralateral acoustic reflexes were preserved, and transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions responses did not differ significantly between groups (all P>0.05). Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale scores indicated moderate overall disease severity with predominant motor impairment.
Conclusion
As a pilot study, the present findings suggest that peripheral auditory structures and lower brainstem function appear preserved in early-to-moderate PD. Larger, longitudinal studies incorporating central auditory processing assessment are warranted to identify subtle central deficits and track progression over time.