A Comparative Study of Hearing Handicap Inventory and Pure-Tone Audiometry Scores in Unilateral Hearing Impaired Patients.

Objective: To investigate the consistency between the hearing handicap inventory (HHI) and pure-tone audiometry (PTA) scores in assessing hearing status to provide valuable insights for clinical application. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical data and the HHI reporting status of 6540 patients admitted between April 2020 and July 2022 for self-reported unilateral hearing loss who met the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. The kappa coefficient was used to evaluate the consistency of HHI and PTA in assessing the hearing status of the participants. Results: The PTA results showed that among the 6540 participants, 3895 exhibited normal hearing, 1434 showed mild hearing loss, 809 presented with moderate hearing loss, and 402 showed severe hearing loss. The mean hearing thresholds from 0.5 to 4 kHz in healthy ears ranged from 3.65 to 18.45 dB HL, with a mean of 10.83 ± 5.29 dB HL; in ears affected by hearing loss, this ranged from 35 to 125 dB HL, with a mean of 69.63 ± 28.45 dB HL. The HHI scores showed that 4820 people had normal hearing, 1245 had mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and 475 had severe hearing loss. The kappa coefficients of normal, mild-to-moderate, and severe hearing loss were 0.312, 0.223, and 0.716, respectively (P = .001). The consistency between the 2 groups was particularly significant in the assessment of severe hearing loss. Using the PTA results as a benchmark, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the HHI were found to be 73.08%, 87.83%, 95.60%, and 70.98%, respectively. Conclusion: The HHI and PTA results were consistent in the assessment of hearing status, particularly in the assessment of severe hearing loss, and the level of consistency between the 2 methods was high. The combined use of these tools can facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the auditory status of patients with hearing loss.

Clinical value of vestibular-evoked myogenic potential tests in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the clinical value of two kinds of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). METHODS: A total of 82 patients were divided into two groups: vertigo group and non-vertigo group. All patients underwent examinations for pure tone hearing thresholds, middle ear analysis, the videonystagmography, caloric tests, and vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials elicited from the sternocleidomastoid and extraocular muscle. In addition, 30 healthy subjects were selected as the control group. RESULTS: For the 30 healthy subjects, the average latency of p13 and n23 of the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) were 13.13 ± 2.89 ms and 23.51 ± 3.25 ms, respectively, and the bilateral amplitude asymmetry rate ranged within 0.05-0.31. The average latency of n10 of the ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) was 10.13 ± 0.48 ms. The average amplitude of the n10-p15-wave was 5.58 ± 0.65 µV. Among the 35 vertigo patients with SSNHL, 27 patients had normal cVEMP and oVEMP examination results, five patients had abnormal oVEMP examination results, and five patients had abnormal cVEMP examination results. The latency and amplifier of oVEMPs and cVEMPs were within the normal range in 47 SSNHL patients without vertigo. The chi-square value was 5.647, the P-value was equal to 0.017, and the difference was statistically significant at a confidence interval of 95%. CONCLUSIONS: OVEMPs and cVEMPs can be used evaluate the vestibular nerve function of SSNHL patients with vertigo.

Optimization of solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze aromatic compounds in fresh tomatoes.

In this study, conditions for solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to extract and analyze volatile compounds from fresh tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Fendi) were optimized. Four main experimental parameters were optimized, including internal standard, fiber material coating, extraction temperature, and salt concentration. The optimal extraction conditions were 85 µm Carboxen/Polydimethylsiloxane fiber, 60°C extraction temperature, 1-heptanol as an internal standard, and without adding sodium chloride in the tomato sample. Analysis of tomato fruit samples using these optimized conditions allowed us to identify 37 volatile compounds that could be grouped into seven categories: aldehydes (11), hydrocarbons (7), alcohols (7), ketones (5), oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds (3), esters (3), sulfur-and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds (1). PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In this study, we optimized a method to extract tomato flavor compounds. In recent years, many consumers complained that tomatoes have poor flavor. A method to extract flavor compounds will assist in characterizing the compounds that contribute to tomato flavor and could be used in the development of tomatoes that have enhanced flavor.

Multivariate Analysis of Fruit Antioxidant Activities of Blackberry Treated with 1-Methylcyclopropene or Vacuum Precooling.

Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and vacuum precooling on quality and antioxidant properties of blackberries (Rubus spp.) were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS), and path analysis. Results showed that the activities of antioxidant enzymes were enhanced by both 1-MCP treatment and vacuum precooling. PCA could discriminate 1-MCP treated fruit and the vacuum precooled fruit and showed that the radical-scavenging activities in vacuum precooled fruit were higher than those in 1-MCP treated fruit. The scores of PCA showed that H2O2 content was the most important variables of blackberry fruit. PLSR results showed that peroxidase (POD) activity negatively correlated with H2O2 content. The results of path coefficient analysis indicated that glutathione (GSH) also had an indirect effect on H2O2 content.

[Intratympanic methylprednisolone hemisuccinate injection in treating the refractory noise induced deafness].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy of Methylprednisolone hemisuccinate intratympanic injection for refractory noise induced deafness. METHODS: One hundred and twenty cases (215 ears) of noise induced deafness were treated with either hormone group (107 ears) or with non hormone group (108 ears). Following prior interventions, 145 ears went on to receive intratympanic Methylprednisolone hemisuccinate injection twice a week. RESULTS: After Intratympanic therapy, the total effective rate was 46.2%. 32 of 71 ears (45.1%) demonstrated hearing improvement in hormone group and 35 of 74 ears (47.3%) in non hormone group. The difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.788). CONCLUSION: Intratympanic therapy appears to provide additional treatment benefits for patients with refractory noise induced deafness who have been treated with prior interventions. The outcome is not affected by pretreatment with hormone.

[The model of aged-hearing monitoring under the hospital information system].

OBJECTIVE: To study the oldly people's hearing screening and dynamic monitoring mode, and to discuss the new diseases and health management mode in current information network era. METHODS: To establish the network connection between the hospital and the communities in the internet through the function expansion of the Hospital Information Systems and to realize "dual systems, double platforms" integrated management modes and establish the audiology workstation. The routine physical examination, pure tone hearing threshold tests and middle ear analysis were performed on four hundred and twenty elderly people from the fourteen communities every three months, and the changes of hearing and related symptoms were observed. RESULTS: Resources sharing was established between the hospital and these fourteen communities. Health records were established for all the aged people, the hearing screening lasted only half a day each time. Fourteen hearing loss cases were found during one year. A statistically significant difference (P < 0.01) were found, the ratio of hearing loss with diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases were much higher than people without concomitant. CONCLUSION: The advantage of disease management mode under the Hospital Information System is convenient, the work efficiency and qualities are improved, which is worthy of popularizing.

[Application of ocular-vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with Meniere's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability and the value of clinical application of ocular-vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in the patients with Meniere's disease. METHOD: Thirty healthy people (control group) and Twenty-seven patients with lateral Meniere's disease (therapy group) were underwent clinical audiological audiometer test and the ocular-vestibular evoked myogenic potential test. RESULT: In the control group, the average potential of n10 wave was (10.13 +/- 0.48)ms, and the average potential of p15 wave was (15.23 +/- 0.46)ms. The average amplitude of n10-peak to p15-peak were (6.58 +/- 2.65) microV. According to the control group, eight patients had abnormal waveform, and nineteen with normal in the therapy group. CONCLUSION: The oVEMPs test is a modest stimulus to the subject which is brief, safe and objective. It represented the function of the utricle and the superior vestibular nerve, the procedure is easily repeatable and acceptable, and worthily applied in patients with Meniere's disease.