Evaluation of auditory processing skills in patients with normal hearing and orthostatic hypotension

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a physical finding defined as a decrease of at least 20 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure or a decrease of at least 10 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure within three minutes of standing. It has been shown in the literature that OH affects the auditory system, vestibular system, and central system. It has been reported that the decrease in cerebral blood flow due to the decrease in blood pressure affects these systems. In our study, we aimed to determine whether there is a deterioration in auditory processing skills in individuals with orthostatic hypotension, depending on changes in blood pressure and blood flow. Our study evaluated auditory processing abilities in patients with orthostatic hypotension and normal hearing. The study group consisted of 18 participants aged 18-45 with orthostatic hypotension and normal hearing, and the control group consisted of 18 healthy participants. To assess auditory processing skills, the following tests were administered: Frequency Pattern, Duration Pattern, RGDT, SMRT, and HINT. According to the evaluation results, the study group's results were statistically significantly lower than the control group's results for all evaluation tests (p<0.05). In conclusion, a decrease in auditory processing skills was detected in patients with OH. Keywords: Orthostatic Hypotension, Hearing, Auditory Processing