Comparison of different mobile telephones in Combi40+ users.

CONCLUSION: Telephone usage is a difficult challenge for cochlear implanted patients. A significant number of cochlear implanted patients are able to carry on a land-line or mobile telephone conversation. The telephone model may be a critical factor for telephone performance. OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were to evaluate speech discrimination through land-line and mobile telephones in Combi40+ users, and to compare different mobile telephone models to find out which could be more advisable for them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen Combi40+ implantees were tested with CID sentences and bisyllabic words presented through land-line and mobile telephones, in both quiet and noisy environments. RESULTS: Mean scores for telephonic speech discrimination were over 85% for CID sentences and 28-59% for bisyllabic words. The Siemens M55 was superior to the other mobile telephones tested.

[Speech discrimination through telephone in patients implanted with a Combi 40+]. / Discriminación verbal a través del teléfono en pacientes implantados con un Combi 40+.

OBJECTIVE: To assess speech discrimination through line and mobile telephone in cochlear implanted patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighteen patients implanted with a Combi 40+ went through different speech discrimination tests with a line telephone and three mobile telephones, in quiet and noisy environment. RESULTS: Mean scores for telephonic speech discrimination were 84-92% using CID sentences, 27-58% using bisyllabic words in quiet environment and 15-41% using bisyllabic words in noisy environment. Among the mobile telephones tested, the Siemens M55 reached the best scores. CONCLUSIONS: Telephonic speech discrimination is achieved by a significant number of cochlear implanted patients. Certain mobile telephone models appear to be more advisable for these patients.

[Quality of life in cochlear implanted patients]. / Calidad de vida en pacientes con implante coclear.

Several articles show the audiologic benefits of cochlear implants, although it is still necessary to prove their impact on quality of life. In this study, 36 Med-El processor users were included. The Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) was used to measure changes in quality of life, and another questionnaire was used to evaluate the communication abilities. Eighty-six percent of the patients answered our questionnaire. The quality of life improved significantly according to the specific questionnaire. The average total benefit obtained with the GBI was +41, and the average scores related to general, social and physics benefits were +57, +16, and +3, respectively. No significant difference was found between quality of life and other parameters like insertion depth of the array, etiology or duration of the deafness.

[Electro-oculographic features of persons with vitamin E deficiency]. / Manifestaciones electrooculográficas en sujetos con déficit de vitamina E.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin E (VE) deficiency is a very rare condition which may be due to an isolated deficit or be in the context of a malabsorption disorder. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the findings from an electrooculographic (EOG) point of view of patients with VE deficiency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We made a retrospective evaluation of all persons with a neurological diagnosis of VE seen in the otoneurological department of our hospital. In all patients an EOG recording was made of the saccadic jerks, and the spontaneous, provoked, positional and opticokinetic (NOC) mystagmus, visual suppression of the vestibulo ocular reflex (VOR) and follow up. RESULTS: We found four cases, with an average age of 9.2 years (range 6 14 years). All the patients but one were male (75%). The EOG findings were related to cerebellar dysfunction (saccadic following) and central nervous system alterations of no value for localization (ataxic following and visual suppression of the VOR). In two patients no anomalies were seen on the EOG recording. CONCLUSIONS: In persons with VE deficiency EOG alterations are not often seen. However, it may be useful to make the recording when it is thought necessary to detect subclinical cerebellar disorders.

[Result of middle fossa vestibular neurectomy in Meniere's disease]. / Resultados de la neurotomía por fosa media en la enfermedad de Ménière.

The results and complications of 224 middle fossa vestibular neurectomies (MFVN) performed between 1968 and 1994 are reported. Relief of vertigo, hearing and tinnitus (both pre- and postoperative), facial paralysis, wound infection, suture dehiscence, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, meningitis, subdural hematoma, average hospitalization time, and death were evaluated. The procedure was effective against vertigo in Ménière's disease in 100% of the cases with unilateral involvement. The excellent results with regard to relief of vertigo and the acceptable incidence of complications make MFVN one of the most adequate surgical treatments for Ménière's disease.

[Vestibular and oculomotor changes in subjects treated with cisplatin]. / Alteraciones vestibulares y del sistema oculomotor en sujetos tratados con cisplatino.

Cisplatin is an agent used in the treatment of distinct oncologic diseases. We present the electrooculographic (EOG) findings of 6 patients which were seen at our Department under the diagnosis of chronic toxicity for cisplatin and associated vestibular alterations. Mean of age was 45 years. Three subjects were female (50%). The most frequent pathologic finding was ataxic pursuit tracking (100%). Additionally, spontaneous nystagmus, alterations in positional test, and vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression were also found. These results are discussed and the main literature concerning this matter is reviewed.

Vestibular and hearing manifestations of phenytoin toxicity: a retrospective series.

We undertook a study to identify the vestibular and hearing abnormalities associated with phenytoin toxicity. Since October 1977, 23 patients with phenytoin toxicity have been referred to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology by the Department of Neurology for electrooculographic (EOG) evaluation. (There have been no cases of serious phenytoin toxicity seen in our department since August 1989.) In addition to EOG, all patients had undergone otoscopic, audiometric, and neurologic examinations. We found that the most common pathologic findings detected by EOG were abnormalities in pursuit tracking. The most common signs found on clinical exploration were cerebellar dysfunction and facial palsy. EOG findings in patients with phenytoin toxicity are compatible with cerebellar disease.

Idiopathic facial paralysis: a randomized, prospective, and controlled study using single-dose prednisone versus acyclovir three times daily.

In a prospective, controlled, and randomized study, we compared the outcome of 101 Bell's palsy patients treated with acyclovir (54 patients) or prednisone (47 patients). The acyclovir dosage was 2400 mg (800 mg three times a day) for 10 days, and prednisone was given as a single daily dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight for 10 days and tapered to 0 over the next 6 days. Minimum follow-up was 3 months in all patients. Patients in the prednisone group had better clinical recovery than those treated with acyclovir. Less degree of neural degeneration was observed in the prednisone group compared with acyclovir patients. The incidence of sequelae was the same in both groups. According to these results, in a 10-day treatment cycle acyclovir given 800 mg three times is not as useful as prednisone given 1 mg/kg of body weight once a day in patients with idiopathic facial nerve paralysis.

Parálisis de Bell: estudio prospectivo de tratamiento con aciclovir en pacientes con hipertensión arterial / Bell paralysis: prospective study of treatment with aciclovir in patients with arterial hypertension

Entre mayo de 1994 y agosto de 1995 evaluamos prospectivamente 18 pacientes consecutivos con parálisis de Bell e hipertension arterial concomitante. Todos ellos fueron tratados con una pauta de aciclovir oral. El seguimiento minimo en todos los casosfue de 3 meses. Se obtuvo una buena recuperación de la función facial en el 83.3 por ciento y 94.4 por ciento de los sujetos, objetivados por los tests de House-Brackmann y el Facial Paralysis Recovery Profile respectivamente. El porcentaje de secuelas (contractura y/o sincinesias) fue de un 27.7 por ciento. A la vista de los resultados obtenidos, el aciclovir puede constituir una altemativa terapeutica util en los sujetos con parálisis de Bell e hipertension arterial