A preliminary study of the effects of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIS) on central auditory processing

This study compared auditory behavioral and physiological measures among three subject groups: (1) Normal control subjects, (2) subjects who were on a prescribed SSRI for depression, and (3) subjects who were prescribed an SSRI for depression, but were not medicated at the time of testing. Test measures included: Standard audiological tests (audiometry and tympanometry), electrophysiological procedures for analysis of auditory-evoked brainstem and late responses, and standardized behavioral speech tests (SCAN-A, SSI, and the low predictability sentence list of the R-SPIN). Analysis of results indicated a statistically significant increase of group mean amplitude of the ABR peak V, from 15dBnSL to 55dBnSL, in the non-medicated group compared to controls. Also, the non-medicated group scored significantly less favorably than controls on the most challenging listening condition (−20 MCR) of the SSI, in the left ear. Although other test measures indicated consistent differences between these two groups, they were not, however, significant.