The Effect of Overweight and Obesity on Contralateral Suppression in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis*

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of overweight and obesity on the auditory efferent system in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: A total of 49 patients with MS, aged between 18 and 50 years, were included in the study. Participants were divided into 2 groups according to their body mass index (BMI). Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and contralateral suppression (CS) measurements were obtained to evaluate efferent auditory function. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 21.0 (IBM SPSS Corp.; Armonk, NY, USA).

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values of DPOAE or in CS values between overweight/obese and non-obese MS patients.

Conclusion: Long-term studies with larger participant groups are required to better understand the effects of MS and obesity on the auditory system. Future studies should include patient groups with a BMI of 30 or higher.

Cite this article as: Küçüköner A, Helvacı EM, Küçüköner Ö, Terzi M. The effect of overweight and obesity on contralateral suppression in patients with multiple sclerosis. Balkan ORL-HNS. 2026, 3, 0108, 10.5152/bohns.2026.25108.