Helia Rahimian

Ms. Helia Rahimian


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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16 March 2025 in Diagnostics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SSSunil Shenoy
Sunil Shenoy
KBKhushi Bhatt
Khushi Bhatt
YYYalda Yazdani
Yalda Yazdani
HRHelia Rahimian
Helia Rahimian
HAMID REZA MD DJALILIANHAMID REZA MD DJALILIAN
HAMID REZA MD DJALILIAN
Mehdi AbouzariMehdi Abouzari
Mehdi Abouzari
Background/Objectives: A sizeable population of patients with normal pure-tone audiograms endorse a consistent difficulty of following conversations in noisy environments. Termed hidden hearing loss (HHL), this condition evades traditional diagnostic methods for hearing loss and thus is significantly under-diagnosed and untreated. This review sought to identify emerging methods of diagnosing HHL via measurement of its histopathologic correlate: cochlear synaptopathy, the loss of synapses in the auditory nerve pathway. Methods: A thorough literature search of multiple databases was conducted to identify studies with objective, electrophysiological measures of synaptopathy. The PRISMA protocol was employed to establish criteria for the selection of relevant literature. Results: A total of 21 studies were selected with diagnostic methods, including the auditory brainstem response (ABR), electrocochleography (EcochG), middle ear muscle reflex (MEMR), and frequency-following response (FFR). Measures that may indicate the presence of synaptopathy include a reduced wave I amplitude of ABR, reduced SP amplitude of EcochG, and abnormal MEMR, among other measurements. Behavioral measures were often performed alongside electrophysiological measures, the most common of which was the speech-in-noise assessment. Conclusions: ABR was the most common diagnostic method for assessing HHL. Though ABR, EcochG, and MEMR may be sensitive to measuring synaptopathy, more literature comparing these methods is necessary. A two-pronged approach combining behavioral and electrophysiological measures may prove useful as a criterion for diagnosing and estimating the extent of pathology in affected patients.