Effects of medications on physiological measures of auditory function

Physiologic measures that range from evaluation of the status of the middle ear to myogenic potentials linked to vestibular stimulation are important supplements to behavioral measures of hearing. All of these measures are influenced by medications that may be used to treat symptoms or otherwise help to manage patients who present with multiple handicaps. Some of the interactions occur because of the medication's direct influence on the auditory system, whereas others stem from general depressant effects on the central nervous system. In general, responses obtained from the periphery tend to be vulnerable to cochleotoxic or vestibulotoxic agents that may influence the response before they produce a measurable hearing loss. In contrast, endogenous responses are influenced markedly by level of sedation or sleep state. The clinician employing physiologic measures must be aware of the patient's medication history to interpret properly the outcomes of physiological tests.