Down-sloping high-frequency audiometric findings in ENT-MS-12 auditory screen-positive patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A pilot case series

Audio-vestibular symptoms, including hearing loss and tinnitus, are increasingly reported in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), yet their clinical significance and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Both central demyelination and peripheral involvement along the brain-cochlea axis have been proposed as potential contributors.This study aims to explore and describe pure-tone audiometry (PTA) findings in pwMS...

This pilot case series suggests down-sloping high-frequency hearing loss and tinnitus are identifiable audio-vestibular features in relapsing-remitting MS patients; no actionable change to audiology practice is warranted yet, but audiologists seeing MS patients should be aware of this emerging pattern and consider audiometric monitoring in screen-positive cases.

Establishing a characteristic audiometric profile in MS patients could support earlier identification of audio-vestibular involvement and encourage interdisciplinary referral pathways between neurology and audiology.

1. 01Pilot case series identified down-sloping high-frequency hearing loss in relapsing-remitting MS patients who screened positive on the ENT-MS-12 tool.
2. 02Tinnitus was also reported as a notable audio-vestibular symptom in this patient group.
3. 03The ENT-MS-12 is a disease-specific auditory screening tool designed for MS patients.
4. 04As a pilot case series, the study is preliminary and lacks a control group, limiting generalizability.
5. 05Findings support the concept of routine audiometric monitoring in patients with relapsing-remitting MS.

PMID

42314530

DOI

10.1016/j.msard.2026.107316.

Journal

Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

Publication type

case_report

Evidence level

4

Population

ENT-MS-12 auditory screen-positive patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Intervention

Audiometric evaluation using the ENT-MS-12 screening tool