central deafness

n. Loss or impairment of hearing caused by pathology in the central nervous system. Central deafness can result from different types of retrocochlear lesions. It is generally accepted that central deafness is extremely rare. Both Heschl’s gyri (primary auditory cortex) are involved in the majority of the cases, but central deafness has also been reported in cases of bilateral damage at the level of the inferior colliculi of the midbrain, the internal capsule, and the insula. When the damage is cortical, the term cortical deafness is used. Pure word deafness (inability to understand spoken language associated with normal written language understanding) may be regarded as a subtype of central deafness.

- AA

►See also CONDUCTIVE DEAFNESS and WORD DEAFNESS