AbstractIntroduction: Hearing loss is a social problem affecting worldwide resulting in significant health issues, communication difficulties, social withdrawal, isolation, dependence, frustration, and is strongly associated with, cognitive decline, depression and decreased quality of life [1]. Age related hearing loss (Presbycusis) [2] starts from 5th decade of life.The proposed mechanisms are lesions in the inner ear and cochlear nerve, and the loss of hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) [3]. In adults, the auditory function has asymmetries in right and left side resulting in right ear advantage over the left. Asymmetry at the cochlear level is called as peripheral right ear advantage and those involvingprocessing complex in brain is called central right ear advantage. In adults the cochlea of right ear is sensitive and it’s affected more than left.
Aim: Toevaluate theloss of auditory asymmetry and loss of right ear advantage in presbyacusis.
Methods: 100 subjects aged more than 55 years (divided in to 55-60, 61-65, and >65) are taken in this study. All are subjected to a pure tone audiometric assessment followed by evaluation of their right ear advantage over their left.
Results: The auditory thresholds of right and left ear in aged individuals showed significant loss of right ear advantage in age groups of 61-65 and>65.
Conclusion: Elderly subjects of age group greater than 60 have severity in left earsensorineural hearing loss in all frequencies. The study showed that there is a significant loss of right ear advantage in subjects greater than 60 years.
Keywords: Presbyacusis; Sensorineural Hearing Loss; Right Ear Advantage.