PP315 - Pilot Assessment of Hearing and Auditory Processing of Patients with Long COVID

Abstract:
Recent literature suggests auditory processing disorders (APD) may be prevalent in long COVID patients (Alexander et al., 2023). Our study aims to characterize auditory processing deficits in these individuals. We will present results from 10 long COVID patients using the Buffalo model, focusing on self-reported hearing deficits and APD assessment. Preliminary results from five participants reveal varying hearing handicap levels and significant auditory processing challenges, including speech-in-noise comprehension difficulties and decoding problems. The study will comprehensively analyze central auditory processes affected by long COVID, addressing DiSogra's (2022) recommendation to evaluate potential auditory processing impairments in long COVID patients.

Summary:
Purpose
Frequently, those who were diagnosed with COVID, experience long-term cognitive-communication deficits that are described as "brain fog". Audio-vestibular symptoms of hearing loss, tinnitus, earaches, dizziness, auditory processing, and cognitive deficits have been reported as a sequela of COVID-19 in at least some patients with COVID-19 (Almufarrij et al., 2020; Assaf et al., 2020; Tan et al., 2022; Boboshko et al., 2022). Limited case-studies in patients with long COVID show presence of symptoms such as dizziness, and auditory processing disorders (Alexander et al., 2023; Cirulli et al., 2020). A single-case-study on a patient with long COVID found that symptoms such as difficulty understanding speech in challenging listening environments, difficulties processing speech improved significantly following treatment for auditory processing disorders (Alexander et al., 2023). DiSogra (2022) recommended that all patients with “brain fog” should be evaluated and auditory processing disorders should be ruled out (Alexander et al., 2023). There is no research in auditory processing deficits after Covid. Our long term objective is to determine whether evidence-based auditory processing treatment can benefit those with Long Covid. In the current poster, we aim to characterize self-report hearing/ processing deficits and auditory processing assessed through behavioral tests. We will present results from pilot testing of patients with the buffalo model for central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) testing.

Method
10 participants with self-reported long COVID and “brain fog” completed the Hearing Handicap Inventory (HHIE/A) and the Buffalo Model Questionnaire- Revised (BMQR) to evaluate hearing and auditory processing issues. Questionnaires were distributed via email, with some responses collected by phone. The buffalo model testing, which included speech in quiet, speech in noise, staggered spondaic word test, and phonemic synthesis test, was administered remotely to all participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive analysis.

Results and conclusion
Preliminary results from five participants show that auditory processing deficits are present in all the participants. The results show deficits in speech in noise, dichotic testing and phonemic synthesis, to varying degrees in each patient. The poster results will include descriptive data on questionnaires and the buffalo model tests (quantitative and qualitative) from the pilot group. Though preliminary results show that individuals with long COVID do show effects on central auditory processes, the causality cannot be ascertained due to absence of this data pre-COVID. However, our next step will be to assess the efficacy of treatment in these individuals.