Preliminary audiological evaluation of the SoundBite bone conduction devices in adults with single-sided deafness / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: The auditory deficits of single-sided deafness (SSD) can be treated with a novel intra-oral device, SoundBite, which delivers sound by applying vibratory signal to the teeth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and benefit of the bone conduction device for Chinese adults with SSD. Methods: Eighteen patients aged 19-66 yrs with acquired, permanent sensorineural SSD and no current treatment by any other devices for SSD, were recruited in a prospective controlled, nonrandomized, unblinded study. They were requested the continually daily wear of the new device over a 30-day free trial period. The intra-oral hearing device was placed around two maxillary teeth and was similar to a small partial denture or retainer. The audiological tests included pure tone air conduction thresholds, monosyllable word recognition score (WRS) in quiet and sentence reception thresholds in noise (via CMNmatrix test). The benefit was determined with the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) and the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) questionnaire. Results: The monosyllable WRS and the 50% threshold of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR50) were significantly better in all aided conditions. The head shadow effect, assessed by the SNR50 via CMNmatrix test improved an average of 2.6 dB after 30 days' wearing compared with unaided condition (P<0.001). The APHAB scores improved (P<0.05) for all subjects for the Global and Ease of Communication, Reverberation, Background Noise subscales. The SSQ scores improved (P<0.05) for all subjects for Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing subscales. Conclusion: The SoundBite is a good alternative to the well-established implantable bone conduction devices in patients with SSD. An improvement in listening ability in noise and quiet as well as a decrease of the head shadow effect is validated as the expected.

Transcriptome sequencing and metabolome analysis reveal the mechanism of Shuanghua Baihe Tablet in the treatment of oral mucositis / 中国天然药物

Oral mucositis (OM) caused by cancer therapy is the most common adverse reaction in the radiotherapy of head and neck tumors. In severe cases, it can lead to the interruption of treatment, which affects the control of the disease and the quality of life. Shuanghua Baihe Tablet (SBT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, which is administerd to treat OM in China. It has been clinically effective for more than 30 years, but the underlying mechanism is not completely understood. With the development of multiple omics, it is possible to explore the mechanism of Chinese herbal compound prescriptions. Based on transcriptomics and metabolomics, we explored the underlying mechanism of SBT in the treatment of OM. An OM model of rats was established by 5-FU induction, and SBT was orally administered at dosages of 0.75 and 3 g·kg