Role of the Medial Olivocochlear system among children with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients show, as one of the main symptoms, an attentional impairment. Selective attention in the hearing process is the ability to understand speech in a noisy environment, which can be evaluated by several methods. One of the main approaches is the functioning of the Medial Olivocochlear Efferent System, which can be accessed by Transient-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TOAE). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at evaluating the suppression effect of contralateral noise on TOAE in ADHD (study group) and normal subjects (control group). Study Design: Case-control study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study with 20 children distributed in two, age- and gender-matched groups. Results: No differences were found in TOAE responses between the two groups, with and without noise. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there were no functional differences in the Medial Olivocochlear Efferent System in the two groups analyzed.