Personality system and sudden deafness: a comparative psychological study.

The psychic structure of 30 patients suffering from sudden deafness and of 35 patients suffering from otosclerosis was tested by the FPI. Additionally the intelligence was tested by the MWT-B. It could be shown that deafness on one ear does not cause any significant change of personality. Patients with sudden deafness and additional organic diseases did not show any psychic changes or these changes are due to a basic disease. Patients suffering from idiopathic sudden deafness can be differentiated into two groups: the first group consists of patients with no psychic disease; these patients show a good recovering tendency from sudden deafness. The second group consists of patients with a slightly neurotic personality which is in full accordance with those of psychosomatic patients. In these case the organic therapy did not lead to recovery.