Speaker: Jackie Jackson, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Date: November 5th, 12-1pm
Room: LeFrak Hall Room 0135
Title: "Auditory Processing Disorders in the Traumatic Brain Injured and Blast-Exposed Patient"
Abstract:
When establishing a soldier's fitness for duty or deployment, a pure tone audiogram (basic hearing evaluation) must be completed. If certain requirements regarding pure tone thresholds are not met, the soldier could be deemed unfit for enlistment or accession, continued military service, or deployment. What is not considered, however, is a soldier's ability to hear and process sounds and speech in complex listening environments, to include the battlefield. This type of complex processing can be negatively affected even in the presence of normal peripheral hearing. Auditory Processing Disorder can be developmental in nature or can be caused by other factors including head injury and blast exposures. In our unique patient population at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), we see many soldiers who have suffered Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), whether they be combat-related, sports-related, or related to some other injury. We also have a large subset of individuals who have been exposed to explosive blasts, both with and without a diagnosis of TBI. This presentation will discuss considerations for evaluating and treating auditory processing in this population. We will also briefly discuss current research protocols at WRNMMC as well as potential areas of need for future research. The hope is that eventually we may be able to develop auditory processing standards to determine a soldier's eligibility for working in combat environments. This may lead to implementation recommendations for athletes or those working in law enforcement or other complex listening environments as well.
