Audiology and Neuro-Otology最新文献

Introduction: This study aimed to translate the Skarzynski Tinnitus Scale (STS) into Arabic, conduct a cross-cultural adaptation, and validate its psychometric properties.

Methods: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the STS was carried out in five main steps. 152 participants were divided into two groups: 79 (52%) cases complaining of tinnitus and 73 (48%) in the control group without tinnitus.

Results: No significant changes were required during the translation of the scale. Internal Consistency was measured by Cronbach α for each of the three subscales and the total score. The overall psychological distress subscale, Cronbach α was 0.815; for the Functional scale α was 0.787; for the Coping subscale α was 0.555; and for global STS, α was 0.921. The STS global score and the psychological distress subscale had extremely high consistency.

Conclusion: The translation and adaptation of the STS established linguistic and Arabic cultural equivalence with the original version. Furthermore, the adapted version demonstrated good internal consistency. The results suggest that the STS is suitable for use in a clinical setting.

Introduction: Performing two tasks simultaneously may present various challenges for the human cognitive system. This study investigates how concurrent cognitive tasks impact the performance of the Functional Head Impulse Test (fHIT) in healthy adults. It was hypothesized that adding a cognitive load during fHIT would reduce the test's scores due to shared attentional resources.

Method: Twenty-seven participants completed the Functional Head Impulse Test (fHIT) and verbal fluency tests simultaneously. The study was designed in three stages: (1) recording fHIT results without any cognitive task, (2) completing the categorical fluency test and fHIT concurrently, and (3) administering the phonemic fluency test and fHIT simultaneously, with results recorded.

Results: Significant differences were observed in fHIT performance with and without additional cognitive tasks. Categorical tasks (e.g., animal and furniture categories) and phonemic tasks (e.g., words starting with "K," "A," or "S") impacted fHIT results, with notable performance reductions.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that dual-task scenarios involving cognitive and vestibular demands adversely affect fHIT performance. The findings underscore the importance of attentional capacity in tasks requiring simultaneous cognitive and visual-oculomotor processing. These insights could guide future clinical applications in assessing and rehabilitating vestibular and cognitive deficits.

Introduction: Positive effects of hearing aids (HA) have been suggested. However, their impact on gait performance, which is closely associated with hearing loss and cognition, remains unclear. This pilot study assessed the effect of HA use on gait performance among patients with age-related hearing loss (ARHL).

Methods: This single-arm trial compared gait performance in ARHL patients before and after HA use. Participants diagnosed with ARHL and prescribed HA by an audiologist wore the HA gradually over one week. They subsequently underwent a baseline assessment prior to consistent HA use. After one year of HA use, the participants were re-evaluated with assessments of gait and cognitive performance, fear of falling, incidental falls, and well-being using the WHO-5.

Results: Of the 10 participants included, one withdrew during the follow-up period. Intention-to-treat analyses showed improvements in step time at both usual and maximum paces associated with HA use. Cognitive function, measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment and delayed verbal recall on the logical memory test, also improved significantly at follow-up. Furthermore, reduced fear of falling and increased WHO-5 scores were observed after one year of HA use. However, the rate of incidental falls did not decrease.

Conclusion: HA use may contribute to improved gait performance, reduced anxiety related to physical function, enhanced cognitive function, and overall well-being. Although these results should be interpreted with caution due to the non-randomized controlled trial design and small sample size, the findings suggest that improving hearing acuity among older adults may enhance their overall health status.

Introduction: We conducted a prospective study determining the relationship between severity of visual vertigo and extent of visual dependence by comparing the visual vertigo analogue scale (VVAS) with the dynamic subjective visual vertical (dSVV) test.

Methods: Seventy-six patients with chronic dizziness (without peripheral or central vestibular lesions) and 43 healthy controls completed VVAS and dSVV testing. The VVAS uses nine visual analogue scales to query visual vertigo across nine specific situations. The dSVV measures visual dependence under three conditions: static background, counterclockwise (CCW) rotating background, and clockwise (CW) rotating background (20 o/s). Finally, each patient completed a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) to evaluate the dizziness induced from the dSVV. VVAS, dSVV, and SSQ were compared between the patient and the control groups. Among the patient group, the correlation between VVAS and dynamic SVV were determined. Associations of outcomes measures and gender, age, and migraine were also assessed.

Results: Patients with dizziness had significantly greater VVAS (16.9 VS 1.6, p < 0.001) and SSQ (25.7 VS 6.5, p < 0.001) scores, yet less deviation of dSVV (CCW background: -9.2 VS -11.5, p = 0.05; CW background: 7.4 VS 10.1, p = 0.02) than controls. In the patient group, VVAS was not correlated with dynamic SVV for either CCW (r = 0.12, p = 0.30) or CW backgrounds (r = -0.01, p = 0.92). During CCW rotation the SVV deviation was greater in older-aged patients and slightly greater in female. During CW rotation the SVV deviation was less in the patients with migraine.

Conclusion: In chronic dizzy patients that have no measurable peripheral or central vestibular lesion, severity of visual vertigo is not correlated with visual dependence.

Introduction: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe patients' experiences of using and living with the Bone Conduction Implant (BCI).

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 BCI users and analyzed according to the phenomenographic approach.

Results: Four conceptual themes were formed during the analysis; (1) conceptions of the process receiving the BCI, (2) conceptions of handling the BCI on a daily basis, (3) conceptions of hearing with the BCI, and (4) Conceptions of health care issues related to the BCI. The participants statements include experiences of improved hearing and self-esteem by using the BCI. Noisy situations and not being able to hear in daily life situations causes frustrations. The participants described anxiety about consequences following an MRI examination. The audio processor is easy to handle but the fact that it is not waterproof raise concerns. Despite some frustration and concerns, participants state that the audio processor has become a part of them, and they cannot imagine being without it.

Conclusion: The ability to hear and communicate with other people have a great impact on the participants daily life quality, and their statements shows the importance hearing has on their lives and how they perceive themselves. The BCI seems to be a good hearing rehabilitation alternative for the participants, and they state that the audio processor is easy to use and handle.

Introduction The aim of this study is to measure the effectiveness of hearing aid fitting in improving understanding in quiet and in noise, and to investigate the factors that significantly influence these results. This study will be carried out through a retrospective analysis of the results obtained from patients fitted with hearing aids at hearing-aid centers between 2018 and 2021. This study explores and classifies the predictive factors of patient outcomes, looking at the impact of the choice of hearing aid technology (category level), the personalized adjustments made by the hearing care professional (amplification level, binaural loudness balancing) and the patient follow-up and daily use (data logging). Methods Hearing impaired people were fitted in hearing-aid centers from 2018 to 2021. This included 77,661 patients. In the first part of the study, the data are statistically analyzed, and various correlations are studied. Then, machine learning and feature explanatory algorithms are used for prediction, in particular, a neural network based on PyTorch and the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). For explanatory power, the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method was used to evaluate the individual contribution of each variable. Results Using predictive models (SHAP value and XGBoost), the effect of technology level on Speech Perception In Noise (SPIN) and Speech Perception In Quiet (SPIQ) scores is significant, and binaural loudness compensation is significant for improving test results by the same amount. Finally, linear relationships were found between the initial Speech Noise Ratio (SNR) and the adjusted SNR, as well as for the Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT). Finally, the effect of wearing hearing aids for more than 9 hours per day was analyzed and resulted in better recovery. This is a retrospective study. This bias is compensated by the large amount of data. Conclusion Big data analysis is a new method to evaluate predictive factors for hearing aid outcomes.

Background and aim: The primary concern among adults with regard to their hearing is the difficulty in comprehending speech, particularly in noisy environments. The constant need to listen attentively leads to heightened frustration, fatigue, and decreased concentration. According to research, high-frequency hearing loss could have negative implications on speech perception and make it even harder to communicate. In this study, the focus is on patients with DFNA9 as it is one of the most common forms of non-syndromic high-frequency hearing loss. These patients carry the p.Pro51Ser variant in the COCH gene, which leads to progressive decline of hearing and vestibular function. Despite various cross-sectional studies on the natural progression of hearing levels, speech perception in silence and noisy surroundings is largely unexplored in this group of patients.

Method: For the longitudinal analysis of speech perception, 101 heterozygous carriers of the p.Pro51Ser variant in the COCH gene were enrolled. In addition, a control group composed of individuals with normal hearing, who matched the patients with DFNA9 in the study in terms of age and sex, was recruited. All patients underwent pure-tone audiometry, speech perception in quiet (SPIQ), and speech perception in noise (SPIN).

Results: The SPIQ outcomes reveal a mean speech reception threshold (SRT) of 28.18 dB SPL for male carriers and 29.29 dB SPL for female carriers in the youngest age-group (18-29 years). With increasing age, a steep decrease was noticed, and no speech discrimination ability in quiet remained for carriers in their seventh decade. Differences between carriers and control participants seem evident in the third decade of life and become more pronounced in the decades that follow. The SPIN displayed a similar trend, varying from -5 dB SNR in the youngest age-group, to no speech-in-noise thresholds in patients above the age of 60 years. In contrast, the matched group exhibited a SRT range from -5.5 to -3.25 dB SNR for males, and from -6.23 to -4.58 dB SNR for females from the second/third to the seventh decade. This stands in contrast to the DFNA9 population, where male carriers reach values of -5.18 dB SNR and female carriers reach -3.12 dB SNR as early as in the fourth decade.

Conclusion: This study indicates poor performance on speech understanding in quiet and noise in DFNA9 patients in comparison with the group with normal hearing, even at a young age. Therefore, future research should not only investigate pure-tone audiometry, but also speech perception. Moreover, reimbursing hearing aids based on speech-in-noise testing could prove to be more advantageous than based on pure-tone audiometry.

Introduction: Neurotrophic factors are widely known for their protective effect on spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) and the protection of these neurons is of great importance to optimize Cochlear Implants, which directly stimulate SGN in deaf patients. Previous studies have identified Cometin - also known as Meteroin-like - to be neuroprotective and beneficial for metabolic disorders. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of recombinant human Cometin (hCometin) on SGN in regard to neuroprotection and neurite outgrowth and to evaluate its neurite guidance potential using a neurite outgrowth chamber.

Methods: Human Cometin was initially tested in two separate dosing experiments: 5, 10, and 15 µg/ml (medium dose group) and 10, 25, and 50 µg/ml (high dose group). The hCometin was added to dissociated neonatal murine SGN. The number, morphology, and neurite length of SGN treated with hCometin were compared to untreated (negative control, NC) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor treated (50 ng/ml) (positive control, PC) cells. Subsequently, to investigate a potential effect on neurite guidance, 10 µg/ml hCometin was delivered via osmotic pumps to neonatal murine spiral ganglion explants (SGE) cultured in a neurite outgrowth chamber to experimentally mimic the scala tympani and the Rosenthal's canal. The amount of pump-released hCometin was measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay and neurite growth was quantified and compared to a Cometin-free NC.

Results: All medium dose group concentrations of hCometin resulted in significant neuronal protection, whereas high dose group concentrations (25 and 50 µg/ml) were neurotoxic. The medium doses significantly increased the number of monopolar neurons compared to NC, and 10 and 15 µg/ml hCometin increased the number of neurons with a physiological bipolar morphology to an even greater extent than BDNF. For neurite length, 5 and 10 µg/ml hCometin had the greatest effect, which was comparable with the BDNF-PC. The osmotic-pump based delivery of 10 µg/ml hCometin to SGE had no or an adverse effect on the number, extent, or orientation of outgrowing neurites in the culture set up used.

Conclusion: A concentration of 10 µg/ml hCometin significantly protects dissociated SGN from degeneration and significantly increases the outgrowth of neurites, which is favourable in view of induced neurite outgrowth towards cochlear electrode arrays for future optimisation of the nerve-electrode-interface. The study failed to detect a guided neurite outgrowth by pump-based drug release, which may be due to the experimental set up, which could be improved in future studies.

Introduction: Despite improved hearing, children who receive cochlear implants (CIs) at a later age encounter difficulties in adapting to society, exposing them to psychological and social risks. This study contributes to the conceptualisation of preventive interventions in schools to address potential issues so that these children can play a more active role in society.

Methods: A total of 52 children (aged 3-12 years) who received CIs at 30 months of age were assessed using the Asahide-Shiki Social Adaptive skills test, which evaluates children's social skills on four domains: (A) language, (B) everyday life, (C) social life, (D) communication.

Results: Overall, the average score of children who receive CIs at a later age was lower than that of their hearing peers. Pre-school children obtained statistically lower scores in all skills. While this general lag in skill development was no longer observed in the lower grades of elementary school, the upper-grade school children presented lower scores than their hearing peers, although only those pertaining to everyday and social life skills were statistically significant. Accordingly, the average scores were distributed in an inverted V shape among age groups.

Conclusion: These results suggest that children who receive CIs at a later age develop their social skills later than their peers with normal hearing in preschool, catch up to their peers in the 1st to 3rd grades, and then lag in the 4th to 6th grades. Accordingly, acquiring age-appropriate social skills in the upper grades remains a challenge for children who obtained CIs at the age of approximately 3, suggesting the need for intervention programs for school-age children even when they do not show significant language acquisition delays.

Introduction: The Epley maneuver is the recommended treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the posterior semicircular canal (PC-BPPV). Traditionally, the angle of the patient's head in each position during the Epley maneuver is not monitored and subjectively estimated by physicians. As a result, deviations of head angles from the standard may affect the treatment result. This study aimed to compare the outcome of the Epley maneuver between the group of exact head angles and the group of subjectively estimated angles (traditional Epley maneuver).

Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Otolaryngology, Chiang Mai University Hospital. PC-BPPV patients were attached with the head angle measuring device and randomized into 2 groups: group I - the exact angle group, physicians performed the Epley maneuver with accurate head angle in each step; and group II - the estimated angle group, physicians performed the Epley maneuver by estimating the head angle (traditional Epley maneuver). The treatment outcomes were measured at 1 week in the aspects of negative Dix Hallpike results and severity of dizziness.

Results: Thirty-one PC-BPPV patients were recruited and randomized into group I (15 participants) and group II (16 participants). Both groups showed clinical improvement. Although significant deviations of head angles were observed in group II, there was no significant difference in outcomes between the two groups in terms of negative Dix Hallpike and severity of dizziness at the 1-week follow-up.

Conclusions: Although significant variations of head angles were observed during the traditional Epley maneuver by experienced physicians, these deviations were slight (less than 15°) and did not significantly affect the successful treatment outcome at 1 week, in terms of negative Dix Hallpike and severity of dizziness, when compared to the group with accurate head angle during the Epley maneuver.