Auditory Function in Diabetes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of Hearing Disability in Participants with Diabetes Mellitus
IRAS ID
144345
Contact name
Kai Uus
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Research summary
In developed countries, diabetic retinopathy is recognised as the leading cause of blindness in the working-age population and is responsible for 12% of new cases of blindness each year (CDC, 1996). Diabetic retinopathy affects approximately 7% of all diabetic patients (Ding et al 2012) and up to 80% of patients with a long-term condition (Kertes & Johnston 2007).
Dual sensory impairment has been shown to have a negative synergistic effect on the individual’s communication abilities (Dickinson & Taylor 2011) and therefore hearing assessment in patients with diabetic retinopathy has been recommended (e.g. Di Berardino & Cesarani 2012).
The findings by Sukimoto et al (2013) suggest that though the presence of diabetic retinopathy is likely to be associated with some lesions along the auditory pathway, it does not appear to be associated with clinically manifest hearing loss as measured by routine diagnostic tests such as pure tone audiometry. To the authors’ knowledge, the association between diabetic retinopathy and subclinical auditory dysfunction affecting speech perception and spatial hearing has never been explored. If large-scale screening for auditory dysfunction is to be considered in this patient population, it is imperative to select a test that is sensitive to patients’ real-life hearing difficulties.The study will investigate auditory function in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The participants will be assessed using standard clinical tests such as pure tone audiometry (PTA) and Oto-Acoustic Emissions (OAEs) and will also explore the extent of the subtle subclinical auditory dysfunction using speech in noise, spatial hearing test and self-report questionnaire (SSQ12).
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/0328
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion