Clinical Analysis of Olfactory Disorders / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The sense of smell is indispensable for men to appreciate food flavors and avoid potential dangers, such as spoiled foods, smoke, and gases. Despite these important roles, there have been only a few studies investigating the cause and nature of olfactory disorders. In this study, we investigated clinical aspects of olfactory disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The demographic, medical, and chemosensory data of 497 patients who visited clinics complaining of smell loss were retrospectively analyzed with medical charts and a questionnaire. The statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and chi-square test to compare several variables of data. RESULTS: Nasal and paranasal sinus disease, upper respiratory tract infection, idiopathic, and head trauma were the major causes of smell loss. The onset of smell loss, the distribution of gender and age, the incidence and severity of olfactory loss with gustatory dysfunction differed among causal groups. The association of olfactory score with allergies in nasal diseases was not noted in this study. In addition, the presence of intranasal polyp affected the severity of olfactory dysfunction, but we could not see this effect in patients who had the history of sinonasal surgery. CONCLUSION: We recommend that physicians have to consider many clinical aspects including the cause and nature of olfactory loss to treat patients with chemosensory dysfunction effectively.

Characteristics of waveforms of facial electroneurography (ENoG) according to different electrode placement in normal persons / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electroneurography (ENoG) is regarded as a useful test for evaluating the degree of facial nerve degeneration and predicting the prognosis of the patients with facial nerve palsy. The test results could be changed by many factors, such as electrode position, skin resistance and stimulus magnitude, etc. In this study, the waveforms of ENoG in normal persons were evaluated according to different electrode placement in the nasal alae and in the nasolabial fold, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty volunteers with normal facial function were included in this study. ENoG was recorded with the recording electrode placed in two different locations, one in the nasolabial fold and the other in the nasal alae, in each person. The recording waves were compared according to their amplitude, sharpness and types of waveform. Interside variability was compared. RESULTS: The amplitude was not significantly different at two locations, but the sharpness was significantly increased when recorded at the nasal alae. Biphasic waveform was more common when recorded at the nasal alae than at the nasolabial fold. This meant that the masseter artifacts were present more commonly at the nasolabial fold. The average of interside variability was 22.77% (17.62) at the nasolabial fold and 23.71% (15.35) at the nasal alae (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Different electrode placement resulted in different waveforms. By placing the recording electrode at the nasal alae, more biphasic and sharpened waveforms were recorded and less masseter artifacts were observed.

Effect of Neurotrophins and Depolarization on Survival of Spiral Ganglion Neurons in Dissociation Cell Culture / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several neurotrophic factors have been shown to play an essential trophic role in the development, maintenance and regulation of neuronal function. Specific neurotrophins are currently used in clinical trials for the treatment of some neurodegenerative diseases. The purposes of this experiment were twofold. Firstly, we aimed to determine the trophic effects of BDNF, NT-3, and 25 mM K+ on auditory neurons in dissociated cultures of early postnatal spiral ganglia. Secondly, we tried to collect pure neural cells after dissociating the spiral ganglions using the immunomagnetic sorting method with one of neuronal surface antigens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dissociated spiral ganglion cell cultures were pre-pared from cochleae of Sprague Dawley rats of 5-6 days old, and maintained in a neurobasal medium with modified N2 supplements. BDNF (50 ng/ml), NT-3 (50 ng/ml), and 25 mM K+ were added to the cultures, respectively. These cells were grown during the time course (24hr, 48hr, 72hr, 98hr) and stained with NF-200 to identify survival of spiral ganglion neurons. Immunomagnetic cell sorting for separation of spiral ganglion neurons in dissociated cells was carried out using the MiniMACS Separating System. Magnetically separated cells were analysed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Survival of the auditory neurons in the dissociated cells was significantly increased by addition of BDNF, NT-3, and 25K. The effect of 25 mM K+ on neuronal survival showed the highest in the experimental conditions. BDNF dramatically increased the neurite length compared with those under other conditions. After immunomagnetic sorting in dissociated cultures, spiral ganglion neurons were shown to contain 50% of the fluorescently labeled positive cells. CONCLUSIONS: Neurotrophins (BDNF, NT-3) and depolarization by 25 mM K+ were essential trophic factors for postnatal auditory neurons and BDNF stimulated neuritogenesis in cultured spiral ganglion neurons. The immunomagnetic cell sorting method is not appropriate for collecting pure neural cells from the dissociated cells of spiral ganglia (50% purity).

The Usefulness of CC-SIT(Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test) in Korea / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many clinical and experimental methods have been developed to evaluate human olfactory function, but there is not a standard test which can be used clinically in Korea. CC-SIT (Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test) is a smell identification test that consists of 12 items well known in most non-English-speaking cultures. So, authors evaluated the usefulness of CC-SIT in assessing olfactory function in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred ninety patients who visited clinics complaining of smell loss were categorized to 3 groups (mild hyposmia, moderate hyposmia, severe hyposmia) by questionnaire and 41 healthy subjects were chosen for the normal control group. CC-SIT and a smell threshold test was performed to both patients and controls. The statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and the Pearson correlation method. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the CC-SIT scores among 3 groups and the severity of hyposmia was correlated with the CC-SIT score. Also, the CC-SIT scores were correlated significantly with the smell threshold. In addition, the difference of familiarity among 12 items was observed. CONCLUSION: CC-SIT is a convenient, practical smell function test which can tell olfactory tunction loss and can he used clinically in Korea.