Variations in Auditory Reaction time with Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Induced Hypertensive females compared to Healthy Normotensive Pregnant females in third trimester

Abstract

Objective: Auditory reaction time (ART) is time required for purposeful voluntary response to auditory stimuli. It includes the time required in central information conducting process hence can diagnose quantitative auditory function of the central auditory pathway and also the cognitive ability of subjects. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) was studied to cause impairments in auditory functions of the female during third trimester due to raised blood pressure. PIH is profound disorder prevalent in 2-3% population worldwide causing high mortality and morbidity. PIH also has been found to cause cognitive disabilities later in life. Present study was conducted to evaluate the responsiveness and cognitive disabilities developed because of raised blood pressure.Methods: Cases were 50 Pregnancy Induced Hypertensive and Controls were age matched 50 Normotensive Pregnant Females both in third trimester. ART was measured by computer based reaction time software in all the cases and controls. During the reaction time testing, auditory stimuli was given for three times and minimum reaction time was taken as the final reaction time for that sensory modality of that subject. The results were statistically analyzed and were recorded as Mean ± S.D and Student's paired t-test was applied to check the level of significance. Results: Study showed that ART in Pregnancy induced Hypertensive females was significantly raised when compare to Healthy Normotensive Pregnant females. Values of ART was found significantly increased in multiparous pregnancy induced hypertensive females when compare to primiparous pregnancy induced hypertensive females. Conclusion: Pregnancy induced Hypertension can be concluded to cause damage to all the body tissues including the central and peripheral nervous system. Mental processes are involved in identification of stimulus, response selection, and programming and this takes certain time which was more in females with PIH when compared to healthy normotensive Pregnant females. Widespread endothelial damage and dysfunction, systemic toxicity, coagulation defects, and an increased systemic inflammatory response, poses risk factors for hearing disorders during PIH.