Central Auditory Processing Tests as Diagnostic Tools for the Early Identification of Elderly Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a disorder that usually occurs in the elderly, leading to dementia in some progressive cases. The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of central auditory processing tests as early diagnostic tools for identifying the elderly with MCI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on 20 elderly patients with MCI and 20 healthy matched peers. The speech perception ability in a quiet environment and in the presence of background noise and also temporal resolution were assessed by using Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) and Gap in Noise (GIN) tests, respectively. RESULTS: The results indicated that the ability to understand speech in a quiet environment did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, SPIN at the three signal-tonoise ratios and the temporal resolution scores were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with MCI appear to have poorer speech comprehension in noise and a lower temporal resolution than those of the same age, but without cognitive defects. Considering the utility of these tests in identifying cognitive problems, we propose that since the GIN test seems to be less influenced by intervening factors, this test can therefore, be a useful tool for the early screening of elderly people with cognitive problems.

High Frequency Tympanometry (1,000 Hz) for Neonates with Normal and Abnormal Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This paper aimed at evaluating the characteristics of high-frequency (1,000 Hz) acoustic admittance (ya) for the neonates with transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) as either pass or refer group. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Using a 1,000 Hz probe tone, 297neonates (152 male, 145 female aged 0–104 days old) were evaluated. Tympanometric parameters admittance value at +200 dapa, middle ear admittance, and tympanometric peak pressure were calculated for each tympanogram. RESULTS: The mean of ya was 0.9678 mmho in the TEOAE for the pass group and 0.7229 mmho in the refer group. The mean of acoustic admittance at +200 (y200) was 2.0657 in the TEOAE for the pass group and 1.7191 for the refer group. The mean of Tpp was 23/8591 in the TEOAE for the pass group and 59/7619 for the refer group. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in the distribution of different types of tympanograms, the mean of ya, tympanic peak pressure, and y200 between the TEOAEs for the pass and the refer groups.

75-year old man complaining of flank pain and obstructive urinary symptoms: a case report

Benign renal cystic adenoma with out malignant features is a very rare entity. A 75 year old male with obstructive Lower tract symptoms and vague flank pain was admitted and planned for nephrectomy of non functional kidney-due to long term nephrolithiasis-intra operative finding was a cystic hydronephrotic kidney filled by thick mucous secretions which turned out to be a cyst adenoma of kidney with no malignant features

Is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary in patients undergoing ureterolithotripsy?

Transurethral Ureterolithotripsy [TUL] is a frequently used procedure in urology departments. Many urologists perform TUL without antibiotic prophylaxis; however the use of chemoprophylaxis before TUL remains a controversial issue in urology. Thisstudy was carried out to assess the safety of omitting antibiotic prophylaxis prior to TUL. In a prospective randomized clinical trial from January 2005 to December 2007, 114 patients with ureteral stones were enrolled; Fifty seven had preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis administered before TUL and fifty seven patients underwent TUL without antibiotic prophylaxis. The rate of postoperative infectious complications [fever, positive blood culture, significant bactriuria], the length of hospital stay and overall stone free rate were compared between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups in the operation time, length of hospital stay, postoperative bacteriuria, positive urine culture, postoperative fever and overall success rate of TUL. It appears that the incidence of infectious complications does not increase in patients undergoing TUL without antibiotic prophylaxis if they have negative pre-operative urine culture and antiseptic technique have been performed thorough the procedure

Auditory brainstem responses in autisnc children in comparison with normal children

One of the most important problems of children who suffer from autism is abnormality in receiving and integrating sensory inputs, especially hearing input. It has been shown that brainstem has a key role in receiving, encoding and integrating hearing input. Auditory brainstem response [ABR] is a tool by which we can evaluate this function. The purpose of this study was to assess and to compare autistic and normal children brainstem hearing function. This case-control study was conducted on thirty [58 ears] autistic and thirty [57 ears] normal 6-12 years old children. The children with autism were divided into slight and severe subgroups according to Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised questionnaire. Clickevoked ABR was recorded and compared between groups. There was significant difference between two groups V and III wave latencies and I-III and I-V interpeak latencies [p < 0.05]. In fact, comparison of the results of autism subgroups with normal children indicated that the latencies of the severe subgroup significantly prolonged. Increasing latencies of ABR waves in severe subgroup maybe due to abnormality in low level of brainstem. Brainstem abnormality may result in exacerbating the symptom of autism. It is therefore suggested that ABR is included in diagnostic test batteries for these patients