Hearing symptoms and analysis of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in individuals suffering from temporomandibular joint dysfunction

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Laboratório de Pesquisas Fonoaudiológicas of Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná (UTP). The objective was to check auditory complaints and analyze the record of Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TOAEs) in patients suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD) with hearing thresholds within the normal range. Case load: 57 individuals with normal tonal thresholds and Type A tympanogram, subdivided into two groups: group 1 (G1) - 31 individuals with no hearing complaint or TMJD diagnosis; group 2 (G2) - 26 individuals with TMJD diagnosis. Procedures: initial interview, TOAE acoustic emittance measurements. The complaints reported by the G2 were: tinnitus (81%), earache (81%), ear fullness (65%), dizziness (31%), hypoacusia (42%) and autophonia (27%). Only 11.5% of the G2 had no hearing complaints. The analysis of the TOAE records showed no difference between the two groups. Despite the hypoacusia and tinnitus complaints in the G2, the TOAE results were no worse than the G1 and, consequently, there was no confirmation of the alteration in the cochlear amplification mechanism cause by TMJD. Considering the high incidence of hearing complaints in individuals suffering from TMJD, in the presence of such complaints the audiologist must consider the hypothesis of TMJ dysfunctions and refer the patient accordingly, despite the absence of hearing loss.