PURPOSE:
To characterize the findings obtained in the long latency auditory evoked potentials in malnourished children, as well as to compare them to the results obtained for children at the same age who present typical development.
METHODS:
Sixty-five children aged between 7 and 12 years old, of both genders, were evaluated. The control group consisted of 34 children with normal development and the study group consisted of 31 children diagnosed with malnutrition. All children underwent conventional pure tone audiometry, acoustic impedance measurement, dichotic digit test and long latency auditory evoked potentials.
RESULTS:
The study group presented a statistically significant difference for latencies of the components P1, N1 and P300. The latencies of these components were higher than those of the control group. Concerning the types of alterations found in the study group, increased latency for P1 and P300 and the absence of response in N1 were predominant. The control group showed a statistically significant difference in the amplitude of P300 when compared to the right and left ears.
CONCLUSION:
Malnourished children present with changes in the long latency auditory evoked potentials, suggesting a deficit in central auditory pathways and alterations in the processing of acoustic information.
Hearing; Malnutrition; Audiometry; Event-related potentials P300
