ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to verify the functioning of the outer hair cells and the medial efferent olivocochlear system, and the integrity of the auditory pathways in the brainstem up to the auditory cortex, in aphasic individuals.
Methods:
the sample comprised 20 individuals - 10 without aphasia and 10 with it, aged from 21 to 58 years. The procedures used were the research of the otoacoustic emissions by a transient stimulus with and without noise, and the cognitive potential (tone-burst and speech stimuli). The findings were analyzed based on descriptive statistics.
Results:
the suppression effect was more present in individuals without aphasia when compared with the aphasic ones. In the cognitive potential, the mean latency values of P3 was within normality standards, with a higher latency in the individuals presented with aphasia for the tone-burst stimulus in both ears. A statistically significant difference of the P3-N2 amplitude was observed for the tone-burst stimulus, comparing the ears in both groups, and for speech stimulus only to the left ear in both groups.
Conclusions:
aphasic individuals did not present significant differences regarding suppression of the otoacoustic emissions. As for the cognitive potential, the aphasic individuals presented higher latency values when compared to those with no aphasia.
Keywords:
Aphasia; Hearing; Auditory Evoked Potentials; Auditory Hair Cells