Effects of primary arterial hypertension on cochlear function.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HT) is one of the most common chronic diseases. The existing literature on HT and hearing contains conflicting results, and no consensus has been reached yet. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate cochlear function in hypertensive and normotensive groups. METHODS: This study was conducted on 34 patients with primary HT and 17 healthy adults. The Cochlear function was assessed with conventional audiometry (0.125-8 kHz), ultra-high frequency audiometry (10-16 kHz), the transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) test, and the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) test. RESULTS: Hearing thresholds at 8, 10, 12.5, 14, and 16 kHz were significantly poorer in the HT group than in the control group (p < .05). There was no significant difference in the mean conventional thresholds between the groups. Compared to the control group, the patient group exhibited statistically significant lower amplitudes of TEOAE and DPOAE. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated significantly poorer high-frequency hearing and lower otoacoustic emission amplitudes for adults with HT. Impairment in hearing thresholds associated with HT begins at ultra-high frequencies in the cochlea. HT may be a potential risk factor for the development of hearing loss; therefore, individuals with HT should be screened for auditory function.

Successful Use of a Cochlear Implant in a Patient with Bony Cochlear Nerve Canal Atresia.

The anatomical cause of congenital sensorineural hearing loss can be atresia of the bony cochlear nerve canal (BCNC). It has been reported that the cochlear nerve (CN) can be either hypoplastic or aplastic when the BCNC width is <1.5 mm radioanatomically. It is difficult to estimate the auditory-verbal abilities after cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with a hypoplastic CN. In such cases, it is also challenging to decide on the best treatment modality: CI or auditory brainstem implantation. In this case report, we present a 4-year-old male patient with BCNC atresia and the successful use of a cochlear implant; we also discussed the importance of audiological evaluation. A detailed radiological evaluation must be performed in every case following electrophysiological studies prior to CI. To accurately diagnose the pathology and select the surgical side, both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans should be used as complementary imaging methods in all CI candidates.

Assessment of temporal processing functions in early period cochlear implantation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the temporal processing performance of children with cochlear implant (CI) according to the age of implantation and to determine their relation with auditory perception scores. METHODS: In this study, 30 cochlear implant users and ten normal hearing children at 9 and 10 years were included. Children with cochlear implants are divided into two groups according to the age of implantation: group I includes participants whose implantation age is between 13 and 35 months (20 children), group II includes participants whose implantation age is between 36 and 45 months (10 children). Individuals were evaluated with random gap detection test (RGDT), duration pattern test (DPT), frequency pattern test (FPT), the Mr. Potato Head task, word recognition, and sentence recognition test. RESULTS: A significant difference was found between the control and CI groups in temporal processing performance. The temporal processing ability of CI groups was significantly worse than those of normal hearing. Although there was no significant difference among the groups with cochlear implant in terms of temporal processing performance, children who started to use CI at an earlier age showed a tendency of better performance on temporal processing tasks. There was a significant relationship between Daily Sentence Test and FPT, and the Mr. Potato Head task and FPT rev (the score calculated by accepting the reverse patterns correctly). There was a significant relationship between duration of implant use and temporal ordering performance CONCLUSION: In this study, children with CI cannot perform as well as normal-hearing peers on temporal processing tasks, even if they had started to use their CIs at an early age. It is important to evaluate temporal processing in implanted individuals and to guide auditory training considering the evaluation results.

The Interaction Between Mild Cognitive Impairment with Vestibulo-ocular Reflex, Dynamic Visual Acuity and Postural Balance in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 30% of the elderly population is falling each year, resulting in a major health problem. Cognitive decline is an independent risk factor for fall. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a cognitive decline that is higher than expected in the subjects' age but does not affect the activities of daily living OBJECTIVE: In the study, vestibulo-ocular reflexes, dynamic visual acuities and postural balances of subjects with mild cognitive impairment were evaluated and compared with the healthy control group. METHODS: For this purpose, 10 subjects with mild cognitive impairment and 10 healthy subjects from the same age group were included in the study. After the hearing test was applied to the subjects, videonistagmography, dynamic visual acuity and computerized dynamic posturography measurements were performed. RESULTS: Computerized Dynamic Posturography VEST parameter, SOT (Sensory Organization Test) 2, SOT 3, SOT 6 and Composite Balance Scores were significantly lower in the MCI group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of videonistagmographic measurements. Dynamic Visual Acuity Perception Time Test scores of the subjects with mild cognitive impairment were significantly longer compared to the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: As a result of the study, it was concluded that subjects with mild cognitive impairment were more prone to fall compared to control group and that these subjects should be included in fall prevention rehabilitation programs.

Evaluation of Hearing and Balance Functions of Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia.

INTRODUCTION: Sickle cell anemia is a disease characterized by a wide vaso-occlusive incident from micro-vascular incident to muscularactivity. The cochlear function can also get affected by this vaso-occlusion. OBJECTIVE: It is aimed at determining what kind of effects sickle cell anemia has on hearing and balance system. METHODS: This study has been conducted on 46 patients with sickle cell anemia and 45 healthy individuals. For all participants, their pure tone hearing thresholds and videonystagmography (VNG) findings have been determined in 17 frequencies between 125-16.000 Hz. RESULTS: All hearing thresholds between 125 and 16,000 Hz, pure tone averages of patients with sickle cell anemia have been found statistically significant to be higher than the corresponding values in the control group(p < 0.05). The normal hearing rate of patients with sickle cell anemia has been determined to be 71.1% conductive hearing loss (CHL) to be 4.4%, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) to be 22.2%, and mixed type hearing loss to be 2.2% in right ear; the normal hearing rate has been determined to be 71.1%, CHL to be 2.2%, SNHL to be 22.2%, and mixed type hearing loss to be 4.4% in left ear. Statistically significant difference has not been found between head shake, spontaneous nystagmus, optokinetic, tracking test batteries, static and dynamic positional tests used in VNG, saccade accuracy and saccade peak velocity, which are saccadic test findings of 2 groups. However, saccadic latency, which is a saccadic test finding, has been determined to be longer in patients with sickle cell anemia in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSION: While sickle cell anemia causes hearing deficits, it does not have any effect on the central or peripheral vestibular system.