Dumanch, Kelsey

PurposeA summary of literature surrounding cortical hearing impairment (cortical deafness, auditory agnosia, and pure word deafness) was studied to identify causes and prognoses of the disorders, in addition to assessment methods and rehabilitation strategies for the multidisciplinary care team setting.MethodA comprehensive review of the literature surrounding cortical hearing impairment with a focus on clinical evaluation and management of patients with these conditions was performed.ResultsAn extensive literature search resulted in 109 relevant articles discussing cases of cortical hearing impairment.ConclusionsCortical deafness continues to be the rarest of the cortical hearing impairment spectrum of disorders, with reports of auditory agnosia and pure word deafness appearing more commonly. In order to assess and manage patients with these conditions, audiologists must utilize a comprehensive set of clinical tools. This information must be combined with results of thorough multidisciplinary evaluations in order to better characterize diagnoses and outcomes for these patients. Continued reporting of case studies and summaries of the literature is encouraged, with a specific call for more consistent assessment and reporting formats.

Objectives To provide an introduction to the role of audiological evaluations with special reference to patients with skull base disease. Design Review article with case-based overview of the current state of the practice of diagnostic audiology through highlighting the multifaceted clinical toolbox and the value of mechanism-based audiological evaluations that contribute to otologic differential diagnosis. Setting Current state of the practice of diagnostic audiology. Main Outcome Measures Understanding of audiological evaluation results in clinical practice and value of contributions to interdisciplinary teams to identify and quantify dysfunction along the auditory pathway and its subsequent effects. Results Accurate auditory information is best captured with a test battery that consists of various assessment crosschecks and mechanism-driven assessments. Conclusion Audiologists utilize a comprehensive clinical toolbox to gather information for assessment, diagnosis, and management of numerous pathologies. This information, in conjunction with thorough medical review, provides mechanism-specific contributions to the otologic and lateral skull base differential diagnosis.