Do face masks affect the way we hear?

<b><br>Aim:</b> The aim of the study was to assess if wearing a face mask, hung from the ears, had an effect on the understanding of speech and the perception of surrounding sounds.</br> <b><br>Materials and Methods:</b> Assessment of auditory perception using verbal noise audiometry in two clinical conditions; without a face mask and with a face mask. To assess the auditory perception ability, two parameters were measured; word recognition score (WRS) and sound intensity at maximal WRS.</br> <b><br>Results:</b> Without wearing facial masks, the maximum values of WRS for the study group ranged from 75% to 100% with 52% of respondents achieved WRS 100%. While wearing face masks, the highest calculated WRS for the study group ranged from 80% to 100%, with 32% of individuals achieved WRS of 100%.</br> <b><br>Conclusion:</b> The wearing of face masks do not change the speech recognition scores. This may indicate a stronger role of psycho-sociological aspects of hearing difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic.</br>.

The role of vitamin D in subjective tinnitus-A case-control study.

Regarding the high prevalence of vitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency in the population and its possible association with ear diseases, we aimed to investigate the 25(OH)Dserum level in patients with subjective, nonpulsating tinnitus and its effect on tinnitus severity. The study included 201 tinnitus patients and 99 controls. Patient clinical information, including tinnitus characteristics and severity according to Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), loudness assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), audiometry, and the blood level of vitamin D, was recorded. The level of 25(OH)D in tinnitus patients was significantly decreased compared with the controls (19.86 ± 7.53 and 27.43 ± 8.85 ng/ml, respectively; P value < 0.0001). More patients in the tinnitus group were deficient in vitamin D, compared with the controls (50.7% vs. 22.2% respectively, p < 0.0001). Tinnitus patients with a lower serum level of 25(OH)D (≤15 ng/dl) were significantly younger, had a higher degree of tinnitus severity measured with THI and VAS scales, had higher triglyceride and TSH levels, and a lower HDL level compared with individuals who had higher 25(OH)D level (>15 ng/dl). There was a strong correlation between the 25(OH)D level and THI. Our findings suggest that a large proportion of tinnitus patients suffers from vitamin D deficiency and that the vitamin D level correlates with tinnitus impact. We recommend a vitamin D assessment for all tinnitus patients.

The Regulation of Collagen Processing by miRNAs in Disease and Possible Implications for Bone Turnover.

This article describes several recent examples of miRNA governing the regulation of the gene expression involved in bone matrix construction. We present the impact of miRNA on the subsequent steps in the formation of collagen type I. Collagen type I is a main factor of mechanical bone stiffness because it constitutes 90-95% of the organic components of the bone. Therefore, the precise epigenetic regulation of collagen formation may have a significant influence on bone structure. We also describe miRNA involvement in the expression of genes, the protein products of which participate in collagen maturation in various tissues and cancer cells. We show how non-collagenous proteins in the extracellular matrix are epigenetically regulated by miRNA in bone and other tissues. We also delineate collagen mineralisation in bones by factors that depend on miRNA molecules. This review reveals the tissue variability of miRNA regulation at different levels of collagen maturation and mineralisation. The functionality of collagen mRNA regulation by miRNA, as proven in other tissues, has not yet been shown in osteoblasts. Several collagen-regulating miRNAs are co-expressed with collagen in bone. We suggest that collagen mRNA regulation by miRNA could also be potentially important in bone metabolism.

Grey matter activation by caloric stimulation in patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular hypofunction.

PURPOSE: A combination of the caloric test with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a promising method for a comprehensive diagnostics of pathologies of the vestibular system. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential pattern of grey matter local activation in fMRI using cold and hot caloric stimulation in patients presenting unilateral peripheral vestibular injury. METHODS: Forty right-handed participants aged 27 to 56 with the diagnosis of right-sided peripheral vestibular hypofunction were included. Stimulation was performed separately for the right and the left ear with cold (C, 14-15 °C) stimulus and hot (H, 48-49 °C) stimulus. Grey matter activation was assessed in BOLD technique using a 3T scanner. RESULTS: We observed activity within the parieto-insular vestibular cortex (PIVC), thalamus, insula and retroinsular area, hippocampus, and cerebellum, as well as oculomotor centers located in the precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and intraparietal sulcus. Cold stimulus resulted in more areas of activation in response to the right ear activation rather than to the left ear. The ipsilateral activity was noted for insular cortex and intraparietal sulcus. The differences between hot and cold stimuli were noted for the right ear. CONCLUSIONS: In this preliminary study, the combination of the caloric test and fMRI allowed to present specific pattern of grey matter activation in patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular injury. Further studies are necessary to develop patterns or cortical maps differentiating various balance disorders and to analyze the dynamics of cortical plasticity after the injury.

Assessment of the State of the Natural Antioxidant Barrier of a Body in Patients Complaining about the Presence of Tinnitus.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is defined as a phantom auditory perception, i.e., sound experience despite the lack of acoustic stimuli in the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the state of the natural antioxidant barrier of a body in patients complaining about the presence of tinnitus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included a total of 51 patients aged from 20 to 62 years with diagnosed idiopathic tinnitus and 19 healthy subjects as a control group. All patients underwent the audiometric tone test, speech audiometry, distortion otoacoustic emission product testing, study of evoked auditory potentials of short latency, and biochemical analysis of venous blood concerning values of activity or concentration of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, S-transferase, glutathione reductase superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, and ceruloplasmin as the selected parameters of oxidative stress. RESULTS: Disorders of the auditory pathway were not only limited to the cochlea but also covered its further episodes. Mean values of activity or concentration of the selected parameters of oxidative stress in the study and control groups showed reduced effectiveness of the body's natural antioxidant barrier. DISCUSSION: Patients complaining about the presence of tinnitus showed reduced effectiveness of the body's natural antioxidant barrier compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The main indication to undertake further research on the functioning of the antioxidant barrier in people suffering from ailments in the form of tinnitus is to determine a suitable therapy aimed at improving the quality of life of these patients, which might be the administration of antioxidant medications.

An Analysis of the Association between Epilepsy-Related Genes and Vertigo in the Polish Population.

Considering the possibility of a common genetic background of vertigo and epilepsy, we genotyped an affected group of individuals with vertigo and an unaffected group, by studying 26 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 14 genes which were previously reported to be of particular importance for epilepsy. Significant differences were found between the patients and the control group (χ2 = 38.3, df = 3, p = 1.6 × 10-7) for the frequencies of haplotypes consist ing of 2 SNPs located in chromosome 11 (rs1939012 and rs1783901 within genes MMP8 and SCN3B, respectively). The haplotype rs1939012:C-rs1783901:A, consisting of the minor-frequency alleles was found to be associated with a higher risk of vertigo (OR = 5.0143, 95% CI = 1.6991-14.7980, p = 0.0035). In contrast, the haplotype rs1939012:T-rs1783901:A showed a significant association with a decreased risk of the disease (OR = 0.0597, 95% CI = 0.0136-0.2620, p = 0.0002). Our results suggest that the SNPs rs1939012 and rs1783901 may play a potential role of gene regulation and/or epistasis in a complex etiology of vertigo.

Prevalence of Impaired Hearing and Vision in Patients with Vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a common dermatosis occurring with a frequency of about 0.2-4.0% in world population. The main skin symptom of disease are white patches appearing as a result of destruction or dysfunction of pigment cells (melanocytes). Melanocytes are localized not only in epidermis and bulge region of hair follicle, but also in inner ear and eyeball structures, and therefore vitiligo may coexists with auditory and visual disorders. The most frequent auditory and visual disturbances occurring in vitiligo patients are discussed in this article.

[The importance of Halmagyi-Curthoys test in standard otoneurological diagnosis of patients with vestibular disorders]. / Znaczenie testu Halmagyi i Curthoysa w standardowej diagnostyce otoneurologicznej chorych z zaburzeniami przedsionkowymi.

THE AIM: This given work is dedicated to examine the correlation of results of the ambulant screening vHIT test conducted by applying ICS Impulse device, with results of standard appliance otoneurological videonystagmography (VNG) testing. Comparison of given results will provide assessment of vHIT test effectiveness for otoneurological diagnosis of patients suffering giddiness or any other equilibrium system disorder. REFERENCE AND METHOD: Diagnosis was reached with 20 patients suffering vestibular disorders with no specific ailment location. From overall VNG test there was a caloric testing extracted, containing assessment of canal paresis and directional preponderance. Numerical values of these parameters were compared to vHIT test result - the indicator of "gain" eye-ball movement imaging head move, to be specific. RESULTS: Conducted examinations did not reveal any significant correlation between VNG and vHIT parameters however it is need to be emphasized here, that most of the considered cases were not affected but any defect of vestibular canal receptor. Nevertheless, unsettled values of "gain" indicator may signify that vHIT regardless of ailments location is defected. CONCLUSION: vHIT test with its quantitative analysis may in the future become indicator of auricular disorders.