Speech audiometry findings from HIV+ and HIV- adults in the MACS and WIHS longitudinal cohort studies.
Peter Torre, Howard J Hoffman, Gayle Springer and 4 others
PMID 27477593WHAT IT FOUND
Word recognition scores were similar in HIV+ and HIV- adults.
HIV+ adults needed slightly louder speech to repeat words, but only borderline; HIV disease markers were not linked to either result.
Key findings
01After multivariable adjustment, HIV+ adults were 45% more likely to have a higher speech recognition threshold than HIV- adults, but the result was borderline (OR=1.45, p=0.06).
02HIV status was not significantly associated with word recognition score categories.
03CD4+ T-cell counts, HIV viral load, and history of AIDS-defining illness were not significantly associated with speech recognition thresholds or word recognition score categories.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study compared HIV+ and HIV- adults at the time of audiologic testing, so it cannot show that HIV caused any hearing difference. The speech recognition threshold association was borderline (p=0.06), so it should not be treated as a firm difference. Word recognition testing was done in quiet and showed ceiling effects, so it may have been too easy to detect communication-related deficits. Only 396 of 515 screened participants completed audiologic testing, and the sample came from people already enrolled in HIV cohort studies. No participants had advanced HIV disease, so the results may not apply to people with more severe HIV. The HIV+ and HIV- groups differed in age, sex, and race; the analysis adjusted for these factors, but other differences may remain. Five participants had word recognition data for only one ear.
Declared interests
The supplied metadata shows NIH extramural research support. The article text provided does not include a conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that HIV causes speech audiometry deficits or that standard quiet word recognition testing detects communication problems in HIV+ adults. The threshold difference was only borderline (p=0.06), word recognition scores did not differ significantly, and the study was observational.