Article

Auditory system functions, from peripheral sensitivity to central processing
capacities, are all at risk from a blast event. Accurate encoding of auditory
patterns in time, frequency, and space are required for a clear understanding of speech and accurate localization of sound sources in environments with background
noise, multiple sound sources, and/or reverberation. Further work is needed to refine the battery of clinical tests sensitive to the sorts of central auditory
dysfunction observed in individuals with blast exposure. Treatment options
include low-gain hearing aids, remote-microphone technology, and
auditory-training regimens, but clinical evidence does not yet exist for recommending one or more of these options. As this population ages, the natural
aging process and other potential brain injuries (such as stroke and blunt trauma) may combine with blast-related brain changes to produce a population for
which the current clinical diagnostic and treatment tools may prove inadequate.
It is important to maintain an updated understanding of the scope of the issues
present in this population and to continue to identify those solutions that can provide measurable improvements in the lives of Veterans who have been exposed to
high-intensity blasts during the course of their military service.

Langue : ANGLAIS