Auditory function in sickle cell anemia.

Auditory function was assessed in nine black subjects with sickle cell anemia and compared with a control population. No differences were found for measures of hearing acuity and undistorted speech discrimination. However, some suggestion of reduced neural function was observed in terms of acoustic reflex measures and time-compressed speech discrimination. One subject with sickle cell anemia displayed a distinctive auditory profile that we treat separately.