Repository logo
 

Auditory dysfunction in type 2 Stickler Syndrome.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Stancel-Lewis, Jack  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7826-2022
Fincham, Gregory Scott  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0369-7195
Poulson, Arabella 

Abstract

PURPOSE: To present the extent and site of lesion of auditory dysfunction in a large cohort of individuals with type 2 Stickler Syndrome. Type 2 Stickler Syndrome results from a mutation in the gene coding for α-1 type XI pro-collagen, which has been identified in the human vitreous, cartilage and the cochlea of the mouse. The condition is characterised by classic ocular abnormalities, auditory dysfunction, osteoarthropathy and oro-facial dysplasia. METHODS: This is a population study which used a combination of audiometric, tympanometric, and self-report measures on a series of 65 individuals (mean age 29.2 years, range 3-70, female 63.1%) with genetically confirmed type 2 Stickler Syndrome. RESULTS: Hearing impairment was identified in at least one ear for 69% of individuals. Analysis against age-matched normative data showed that reduced hearing sensitivity was present across all test frequencies. Sensorineural hearing loss was most common (77% of ears), with conductive (3%), mixed (7%) and no hearing loss (13%), respectively. The proportion of hypermobile tympanic membranes (24%) was less than previously documented in type 1 Stickler Syndrome. When present, this appears to arise as a direct result of collagen abnormalities in the middle ear. Self-report measures of speech and spatial hearing in sound were comparable to a non-syndromic cohort with similar audiometric thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: Auditory impairment in type 2 Stickler Syndrome is predominantly associated with cochlear hearing loss of varying severities across affected individuals. The impact on hearing thresholds can be seen across the frequency range, suggesting a contribution of defective collagen throughout the cochlea. Self-report questionnaires showed that difficulties understanding speech, and spatial information in sound (such as that used for localisation), were worse than a young, normal-hearing population but comparable to a non-syndromic cohort with similar audiometric thresholds. Therefore, it is likely that hearing loss in type 2 Stickler Syndrome arises in the auditory periphery, without significant central processing deficits.

Description

Keywords

COL11A1, COL2A1, Conductive, Hearing loss, Retinal detachment, Sensorineural, Stickler Syndrome, Type 2, Animals, Arthritis, Collagen Type XI, Connective Tissue Diseases, Female, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural, Mice, Mutation, Retinal Detachment

Journal Title

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0937-4477
1434-4726

Volume Title

278

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC