An evaluation of auditory perception in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 58 Sayı: 2, 46 - 49, 29.08.2025

Fatma Atalay , Tuba Uyanık , Nihal Efe Atila

https://doi.org/10.20492/aeahtd.1644557

Öz

Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of vitamin B12 deficiency on auditory perception using the Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap (AIADH).
Material and Method: Fifty-one adult patients diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency (<200 pg/mL) and followed-up at the internal diseases clinic, and 51 age- and sex-compatible healthy controls with no vitamin B12 deficiency (>200 pg/mL) were included in this prospective, case-control study. All the patients’ thyroid function tests and iron, ferritin, and folic acid values were within normal ranges. All underwent full ear, nose, and throat examinations and audiometry and tympanometry measurements. The AIADH was applied to all the participants, and the results were compared between the groups.
Results: Vitamin B12 deficiency and control groups both consisted of 34 women and 17 men, and no significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of age or gender (p=0.781 and p=1.00, respectively). AIADH scores were significantly higher in the vitamin B12 deficiency group than in the control group (p< 0.001). The AIADH scores of women with vitamin B12 deficiency were significantly higher than those of the women in the control group (p< 0.001). AIADH scores were also significantly higher in the men with vitamin B12 deficiency than in the men from the control group (p< 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in AIADH scores between men and women with vitamin B12 deficiency (p=0.33). No significant gender difference in AIADH scores was also determined in the control group (p=0.71).
Conclusion: AIADH scores was significantly higher in individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency than in those with normal vitamin B12 levels. This supports that vitamin B12 deficiency has a deleterious effect on auditory perception in individuals without hearing loss, irrespective of gender.

Anahtar Kelimeler

vitamin B12 , auditory perception , cochlear synaptopathy

Etik Beyan

Approval for the study was obtained from Kastamonu University clinical research ethical committee, Türkiye, prior to commencement (decision No. 2024-KAEK-64, dated 26.09.2024). All procedures involving human participants were carried out in conformity with institutional ethical standards (the Kastamonu University ethical committee) and the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. Also, written informed consent forms were obtained from the all patients.

Destekleyen Kurum

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.

Teşekkür

We want to thank to Mr. Carl Austin Nino Rossini for his precious contribution in language approval and Sezai Sacid Anbar for his precious contribution in statistical analysis.

B12 vitamini eksikliği olan hastalarda işitme algısının değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Amaç: Çalışmamızın amacı, Amsterdam İşitsel Engellilik ve Engellilik Envanteri (AIADH) kullanarak B12 vitamini eksikliğinin işitme algısı üzerindeki etkisini araştırmaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu prospektif vaka kontrol çalışmasına, İç Hastalıkları Polikliniğinde B12 vitamini eksikliği (Vit B12 <200pg/mL) tanısıyla takip edilen 51 erişkin hasta ile yaş ve cinsiyet uyumlu, B12 vitamini eksikliği olmayan (Vit B12 >200pg/mL) 51 kişilik sağlıklı kontrol grubu dahil edildi. Hastaların tamamının tiroid fonksiyon testleri, demir, ferritin ve folik asit değerleri normal aralıktaydı. Çalışmaya dahil edilen tüm katılımcılara tam kulak burun boğaz muayenesi ile odyometri ve timpanometri ölçümleri yapıldı. Daha sonra tüm katılımcılara AIADH uygulandı ve sonuçlar gruplar arasında karşılaştırıldı.
Bulgular: B12 vitamini eksikliği ve kontrol grubu 34’er kadın ve 17’şer erkek hastadan oluşmakta olup, gruplar arasında yaş ve cinsiyet açısından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık bulunmamıştır (sırasıyla p=0.781, p=1.00). AIADH skorları B12 vitamini eksikliği olan grupta kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı olarak artmıştır (p< 0.001). B12 vitamini eksikliği olan kadınların AIADH skorlarının, kontrol grubundaki kadınların AIADH skorlarına göre anlamlı olarak arttığı görülmüştür (p< 0.001). B12 vitamini eksikliği olan erkeklerin AIADH skorlarının, kontrol grubundaki erkeklerin AIADH skorlarına göre anlamlı derece arttığı görülmüştür (p< 0.001). B12 vitamini eksikliği olan kadın ve erkeklerin AIADH skorları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık izlenememiştir (p=0.33). Kontrol grubunda da AIADH skorlarında cinsiyet açısından anlamlı bir farklılık izlenmemiştir (p=0,71).
Sonuç: AIADH puanları, B12 vitamini eksikliği olan bireylerde B12 vitamini seviyeleri normal olanlara göre önemli ölçüde daha yüksekti. Bu da B12 vitamini eksikliğinin işitme kaybı olmayan bireylerde cinsiyetten bağımsız olarak işitme algısı üzerinde olumsuz bir etkisi olduğu görüşünü desteklemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

B12 vitamini , işitme algısı , koklear sinaptopati.

Kaynakça

• 1- Mathew AR, Di Matteo G, La Rosa P, Barbati SA, Mannina L, Moreno S, et al. Vitamin B12 Deficiency and the Nervous System: Beyond Metabolic Decompensation-Comparing Biological Models and Gaining New Insights into Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(1):590. doi: 10.3390/ijms25010590.
• 2- Serin HM, Arslan EA. Neurological symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency: analysis of pediatric patients. Acta Clin Croat. 2019;58(2):295-302. doi: 10.20471/acc.2019.58.02.13.
• 3- Oxenham AJ. How We Hear: The Perception and Neural Coding of Sound. Annu Rev Psychol. 2018;69:27-50. doi: 10.1146/annurev- psych-122216-011635.
• 4- Yaşar M, Öner F, Atalay F, Anbar SS. Cochlear Synaptopathy Evaluation With Electrocochleography in Patients With Hearing Difficulty in Noise Despite Normal Hearing Levels. Clin Otolaryngol. 2025;50(1):75-81. doi: 10.1111/coa.14235.
• 5- Akyay A, Soylu E, Ünsal S, Demirol H, Bahçeci S. Hearing status in vitamin B12-deficient children. J Paediatr Child Health. 2021;57(7):1060-1066. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15392.
• 6- Kramer SE, Kapteyn TS, Festen JM, Tobi H. Factors in subjective hearing disability. Audiology. 1995;34(6):311-20. doi: 10.3109/00206099509071921.
• 7- Mujdeci B, Inal O, Turkyilmaz MD, Kose K. Turkish translation, reliability and validity of the amsterdam inventory for auditory disability and handicap. J Indian Speech Language Hearing Assoc. 2016;30:40-6.
• 8- Borges KCS, Resende LM, Couto EAB. Hearing function, perception of disability (handicap) and cognition in the elderly: a relation to be elucidated. Codas. 2021;33(5):e20200150. doi: 10.1590/2317- 1782/20202020150.
• 9- Hind SE, Haines-Bazrafshan R, Benton CL, Brassington W, Towle B, Moore DR. Prevalence of clinical referrals having hearing thresholds within normal limits. Int J Audiol. 2011;50(10):708-16. http:// dx.doi.org/ 10.3109/14992027.2011.582049.
• 10- Bruckmann M, Pinheiro MMC. Effects of hearing and cognitive impairment in sentence recognition. Codas. 2016;28(4):338-44. doi: 10.1590/2317-1782/20162015146.
• 11- Johnson JCS, Marshall CR, Weil RS, Bamiou DE, Hardy CJD, Warren JD. Hearing and dementia: from ears to brain. Brain. 2021;144(2):391-401. doi: 10.1093/brain/awaa429.
• 12- Delhez A, Lefebvre P, Péqueux C, Malgrange B, Delacroix L. Auditory function and dysfunction: estrogen makes a difference. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2020;77(4):619-35. doi: 10.1007/s00018-019- 03295-y.
• 13- Lunardelo PP, Meneghelli LC, Zanchetta S. Self-reported hearing difficulties and speech-in-noise test performance - what can we find behind a “normal” audiogram? Codas. 2023;35(6):e20220111. doi: 10.1590/2317-1782/20232022111p.
• 14- Vasilkov V, Caswell-Midwinter B, Zhao Y, de Gruttola V, Jung DH, Liberman MC, et al. Evidence of cochlear neural degeneration in normal-hearing subjects with tinnitus. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):19870. 49 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-46741-5.
• 15- Karli R, Gül A, Uğur B. Effect of vitamin B12 deficiency on otoacoustic emissions. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2013;33(4):243-7.
• 16- Berner B, Odum L, Parving A. Age-related hearing impairment and B vitamin status. Acta Otolaryngol. 2000;120(5):633-637. doi: 10.1080/000164800750000469.
• 17- Rodrigues J, Anand S, Gunjawate DR, Kumar K, Ravi R. Exploring the Intricate Connection Between Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Hearing Loss: A Systematic Literature Review. Ear Nose Throat J. 2025:1455613241298070. doi: 10.1177/01455613241298070.