EFFECT OF CHRONIC ALCOHOL INTAKE ON AUDITORY SYSTEM WITH CHANGES IN AUDITORY BRAINSTEM EVOKED RESPONSES

Abstract

Objective: Alcohol affects the auditory threshold, processing of tones and frequency change at different levels of auditory processing system.¹ ABR is the sensitive tool for identifying the various changes in auditory processing unit.

Material and Methods: A total of 52 subjects were divided in group 1 with 26 non-alcoholics males and Group 2 (in lower case) with 26 alcoholic males. Chronic alcoholics who were taking alcohol for more than 8 years (300ml/day) without the history of any neurological and audiological problem and none of them were taking any medication that was oto-toxic were included in our study. Brainstem auditory evoked potential was performed on these subjects and results were analyzed statistically.

Results: There was a significant increase in latency of wave V in alcoholics (5.678 ± 0.2271 ms) as compare to non-alcoholics (5.874 ± 0.2969 ms). (p = 0.0102) The mean value of inter peak latency for I-V in group -1 (non-alcoholics) was 3.88 ± 0.26 ms and in group 2 (alcoholics) was 4.19 ± 0.42 ms which showed a statistically significant increase in group 2. (p =0.0020). There was also a statistically significant increase in inter peak latency for III-V in group 2 (2.495 ± 0.389 ms) as compared to group 1 (2.228 ± 0.35 ms). (p= 0.0119) but there was no significant result noted for changes in other waveform pattern and inter peak latency I-III.