Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 18 - a2477
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1388832

Association between Auditory Processing and Heart Period

Viviane Borim Góes 1, Ana Claudia Figueiredo Frizzo 1, Renata Sperancin Marcomini 1, Simone Fiuza Regaçone 1, Vitor Engrácia Valenti 1
  • 1Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)

Introduction: The relationship between cardiovascular system and auditory processing system is based on the incidence of hypertension in some patients with auditory disorders. The central nervous system regulates the cardiovascular system through the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems that can be analyzed with heart-rate variability (HRV) while central auditory processing can be investigated with cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP).

Objective: In this study, we evaluated the association between HRV indices and CAEP components.

Methods: The study was performed in 15 women between 18 and 25 years old. We evaluated HRV in the time and frequency domain and the CAEP components. The subjects remained at rest for 10 minutes for HRV recording. After the rest period, the volunteers performed the auditory frequency and duration tests in each ear.

Results: In protocol duration (right ear), we observed that there was a strong and significant correlation between standard deviation of NN (SDNN) index with the latency of N2. In the protocol of frequency (right and left ear), and the protocol duration (left ear), we observed that there was a strong, moderate, and weak correlation of SDNN with components of the CAEP, but all nonsignificant (p > 0.05). Regarding RMSSD and pNN50 indices show that there were strong, moderate, and weak components with CAEP correlations, but also all without significance (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: There is association between N2 component and the parasympathetic and sympathetic modulation of heart during the test.

Keywords: hearing, cardiovascular system, autonomic nervous system.