Audiologic assessment in this patient population continues to reveal significant auditory findings. Complete audiologic assessment among this group of patients includes puretone and speech measurement of threshold and suprathreshold function, middle ear analysis, acoustic reflex threshold and decay measures, as well as electrophysiologic investigation of auditory evoked potentials. These parameters are studied in six-month intervals in some subjects and at annual intervals in other subjects. As of 1 May 1985, 101 patients have been seen for initial audiologic assessment with 30 having been reassessed once, 12 twice and 7, three times. Results of special auditory tests were presented in November, 1984, at the annual American Speech & Hearing Association meeting. Because the Alzheimer studies are continuing, we anticipate considerably more auditory systems data to be analyzed within this and the coming fiscal year. However, it is already known that most Alzheimer patients have some peripheral auditory deficit which needs to be considered in medical and home management. We also know that dichotic function is deficient in Alzheimer patients. We are beginning late cortical (P-300, event-related) auditory evoked response studies on this population. Data from this investigation will be gathered over the next year.
