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Thalamic Auditory Center Activity in Healthy Children and Patients with Acute Bacterial Meningitis

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Abstract

We provide our data on the VI peak of brainstem acoustic evoked potentials (BAEPs) in healthy children and patients in the acute phase of bacterial meningitis (BM). Our aim was to evaluate the functional activity of the thalamic auditory center in children with severe lesion of the central nervous system (acute bacterial inflammation of its meninges). The study involved 120 children: 88 healthy controls and 32 patients in the acute phase of BM, all were aged 3–5 years old (mean age 3.7 ± 1.2 years). BAEPs were registered according to the guidelines, but special attention was paid towards the existence, latency, and amplitude of its VI peak. Statistical analysis was performed using t-criteria (p < 0.05) as well as ROC-analysis for determination of the threshold value with optimal value of sensitivity and specificity. The VI peak was not present in 2 children out of 88 healthy controls (2.3%) and in 19 patients with BM (60%). Diffuse lengthening of the I–III and III–V intervals were registered, with III and V peaks amplitudes lowering in children with BM. Average latency of the VI peak in controls and BM group were 7.02 ± 0.27 and 7.82 ± 0.63 ms, accordingly (significant difference, р < 0.001); amplitudes were 0.223 ± 0.127 and 0.089 ± 0.057 µV (significant difference, р < 0.001). Also, with ROC-analysis, it was established that low amplitude of the VI peak (≤0.09 µV) is associated with a bad outcome of the disease with severe neurologic deficit (sensitivity 90% and specificity 60%). Thus, BAEPs VI peak in healthy children aged 3–5 years was registered in 98% of the cases. In the acute period of BM it was registered only in 40% of the cases. Latency and amplitude of this peak in the BM group is significantly different from the healthy controls of the same age. This may reflect the unspecific slowing of the conduction along the brainstem auditory pathways and functional inhibition of the brain structures, supposedly generating a VI peak, a medial geniculate body and probably some other thalamic nuclei. All these nuclei compose the thalamic auditory center. Also, according to ROC-analysis, it was established that a low amplitude of the VI peak (≤0.09 µV) is associated with a bad outcome of the disease with severe neurologic deficit (sensitivity 90% and specificity 60%).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, St. Petersburg, Russia

    V. B. Voitenkov, A. V. Klimkin & M. A. Bedova

  2. Academy of Postgraduate Education, Federal Scientific Research Center, Moscow, Russia

    V. B. Voitenkov & E. V. Ekusheva

  3. St. Petersburg Institute of Advanced Training of Doctors-Experts, St. Petersburg, Russia

    V. N. Komantsev

  4. Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russia

    E. V. Ekusheva

Authors
  1. V. B. Voitenkov
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  2. V. N. Komantsev
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  3. E. V. Ekusheva
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  4. A. V. Klimkin
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  5. M. A. Bedova
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Correspondence to V. B. Voitenkov.

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COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICAL STANDARDS

All studies were carried out in accordance with the principles of biomedical ethics formulated in the Declaration of Helsinki of 1964 and its subsequent updates, as well as the “Rules of Clinical Practice in the Russian Federation,” approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation of June 19, 2003, No. 266, and approved by the local ethical committee of the Children’s Scientific and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia (St. Petersburg).

INFORMED CONSENT

Each legal representative of the study participant provided a voluntary written informed consent signed by him after being explained the potential risks and benefits, as well as the nature of the upcoming study.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare the absence of obvious and potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.

CONTRIBUTIONS

V.B. Voitenkov—the concept of the article, the collection and analysis of the data obtained, the text of the manuscript, and checking the intellectual content of the article; V.N. Komantsev—the concept of the article, collection and analysis of the data obtained, the text of the manuscript, and checking the intellectual content of the article; E.V. Ekusheva—the concept of the article, analysis of the data obtained, the text of the manuscript, and checking the intellectual content of the article; A.V. Klimkin—the concept of the article, the collection and analysis of the data obtained, the text of the manuscript, and checking the intellectual content of the article; M.A. Bedova—collection and analysis of the obtained data, the text of the manuscript, and arranging the manuscript.

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Translated by A. Deryabina

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Voitenkov, V.B., Komantsev, V.N., Ekusheva, E.V. et al. Thalamic Auditory Center Activity in Healthy Children and Patients with Acute Bacterial Meningitis. Hum Physiol 48, 582–586 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119722600187

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