ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate the auditory system functions of the medial olivocochlear efferents in children with and without fluency disorders.

Twenty-four children aged 6-10 years with fluency disorder (age mean±SD=8.1±1.2) and 15 typically developing control subjects (age mean±SD=8.2±2.5) participated in this study. After obtaining approval of the local ethical committee and informed consents, all participants underwent otoscopic examination, audiological evaluation, Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions and Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions with contralateral suppression. All the participants had normal hearing and middle ear function.

When compared rates of TEOAE suppression effect in children with and without fluency disorders, a statistically significant difference was found in children with fluency disorder, especially in the left ear at 2 kHz frequency (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between right and left ears in terms of mean values (p>0.05).

Our study suggests that, although there is a difference between the groups in terms of percentage of cases in which suppression is detected at 2 kHz, it is necessary to support the findings with new investigations covering more cases in order to reach a judgment on the functioning of the MOC efferent system in children with fluency disorder.

Keywords: Stuttering, efferent pathways, hearing, otoacoustic emissions, spontaneous