Monthly Archives: June 2010
Genetic Influence on Literacy Constructs in Kindergarten and First Grade: Evidence from a Diverse Twin Sample
Historically, twin research on reading has been conducted on older children and the generalizability of results across racial/ethnic/socioeconomic groups is unclear. To address these gaps, early literacy skills were examined among 1,401 twin pairs in kindergarten and 1,285 twin pairs in first grade (ages 5–7). A multi-group analysis was conducted separately for subsamples defined by neighborhood income while controlling for race/ethnicity within each grade. Substantial additive genetic and shared environmental effects were found for early literacy skills measured in kindergarten. In first grade, variance in early reading was associated with large additive genetic effects for middle and high neighborhood income twins, but shared environmental influence was substantial for low neighborhood income twins. Results suggest that the etiological architecture of some early literacy skills may differ across economic contexts.
from Behavior Genetics
Intravital staining with methylene blue in tympanoplasty
Objective of the study is to investigate usefulness of the methylene blue staining for the operation of tympanoplasty in surgical training process with randomized, controlled trial. Two hospitals were involved: Department of Otolaryngology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, and Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center. Tympanoplasty with graft placement was performed by young surgeons on 30 patients (30 ears) with anterior perforations using intraoperative staining of tympanoplasty grafts with methylene blue (Group 1). The same number of patients/ears was operated by the young surgeons without intraoperative staining (Group 2). 76 patients operated without staining by experienced surgeons served as a control group. Results showed tympanic membrane healing (graft take) in 30 (100%) cases in Group 1 and in 26 (86.66%) cases in Group 2. The pure-tone audiogram testing revealed significant improvement of hearing in all successful cases (p < 0.05). No side immediate or postponed effects were detected. We conclude that intravital staining with methylene blue in tympanoplasty simplifies the operation and could assist in better visualization and proper placement of the graft. This technique could be most useful in a training process for resident surgeons.
Patient benefit from treatment with botulinum neurotoxin A for functional indications in otorhinolaryngology
The objective of the study was to evaluate patient benefit and health-related quality of life after use of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) A for various otorhinolaryngological, functional (non-cosmetic) indications. The design consisted of a survey study of a patient cohort (n = 40) treated with BoNT A for functional indications. Patients were asked to answer the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI), a retrospective questionnaire well validated for measuring the effect of otorhinolaryngological interventions on the health-related quality of life. GBI scores can range from −100 (maximal adverse effect), through 0 (no effect), to 100 (maximal positive effect). A total of 29 patients (72.5%) returned a valid questionnaire. Mean total GBI scores for the particular indications were 1.2 (sialorrhea, n = 7), 22.6 (gustatory sweating, n = 8), 20.6 (palatal tremor, n = 5), 15.0 (postlaryngectomy voice disorders due to pharyngoesophageal spasm, n = 5), 38.9 (adductor spasmodic dysphonia, n = 2) and 27.8 (oromandibular dystonia, n = 2), showing a mean overall positive effect of BoNT A treatment on the health-related quality of life, respectively. A varying percentage of patients reported an increase in their health-related quality of life, indicated by positive total GBI scores: sialorrhea 28.6%, gustatory sweating 87.5%, palatal tremor 60%, postlaryngectomy voice disorders 60%, spasmodic dysphonia 100% and oromandibular dystonia 100%. Use of BoNT A can be considered an effective therapeutic option for all the indications investigated. However, the possibility of raising patients’ health-related quality of life with this kind of therapy varies significantly for different indications. Further studies are needed to analyze the patients who will benefit most from a treatment with BoNT A.
Low prevalence of GJB2 mutations in non-syndromic hearing loss in Western India
Cx30 mutations do not contribute to the autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) in the Indian population. Homozygous Cx26 mutations account only for about 1/5th (18.8%) of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing implying the need to explore other contributory loci.
from the Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
Endoscopic transcanal middle ear surgery
The advantages and limitations of the microscope have defined postauricular access as the surgical intervention of choice for the treatment of diseases of the middle ear. The wide-angle view provided by the endoscope enables transcanal access to the tympanic cavity, and its otherwise difficult-to-reach extensions: The attic, sinus tympani, facial recess, and hypotympanum. These areas are the primary sites of disease and surgical failure to cure. The endoscope also allows an all encompassing view of the three main elements in tympanoplasty surgery: The ear canal, tympanic membrane, and the tympanic ring. This report is a summary of the author’s two 17 years of experience with the use of transcanal operative endoscopy as the primary approach to the management of middle ear disease.
from the Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
The selection and strategy in otoendoscopic myringoplasty with autogenous adipose tissue
Otoendoscopic myringoplasty with adipose tissue is a simple and minimally invasive technique for tympanic membrane perforations. With optimal choice at indication and correct treatment to complication, the technique will give the advantages of slighter trauma, simpler procedure, lower cost and reduced complication rate.
from the Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
Visual analog scale in hearing loss
This study suggest that there may be a role for VAS in mild and moderate hearing loss. This may be more applicable in rural setting as a screening procedure when audiometry is not available and can enhance clinical hearing assessment especially in mild-to-moderate conductive hearing loss.
from the Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
Myeloperoxydase activity in the pathogenesis of cholesteatoma
In this study, we investigated the relationship between MPO level and bone destruction and found a significant level of correlation among the fore said. A new era may be opened in the treatment of cholesteatoma when preoperative MPO levels are determined and adequate information is obtained related with bone erosion.
from the Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
Effect of Contralateral Noise on the Click-evoked Human Auditory Middle Latency Response
This study investigates the effects of contralateral masking noise on the click-evoked Pa waveform of the human auditory middle latency response (AMLR). Normative values for latencies and amplitudes of the Pa waveform for adults along with confidence intervals are also provided.
from The Hearing Review
Etiology and one-year follow-up results of hearing loss identified by screening of newborn hearing in Japan
Considering that 26 percent of infants with bilateral moderate to severe hearing loss showed improvement in one year, habilitation protocols, especially very early cochlear implantation within one year of birth, should be reconsidered.
Pre-Stored Phrases Make It Easier To Be Part Of A Conversation
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now developed a system where pre-stored phrases are used in addition to writing, with a view to making communication faster and more easy-going for people with serious speech disorders.
In her doctoral thesis on general linguistics at the University of Gothenburg, speech and language therapist Bitte Rydeman has studied how these communication aids can be made more user-friendly.
from the International Journal of Audiology
Direct Recordings of Pitch Responses from Human Auditory Cortex
Pitch is a fundamental percept with a complex relationship to the associated sound structure [1]. Pitch perception requires brain representation of both the structure of the stimulus and the pitch that is perceived. We describe direct recordings of local field potentials from human auditory cortex made while subjects perceived the transition between noise and a noise with a regular repetitive structure in the time domain at the millisecond level called regular-interval noise (RIN) [2]. RIN is perceived to have a pitch when the rate is above the lower limit of pitch [3], at approximately 30 Hz. Sustained time-locked responses are observed to be related to the temporal regularity of the stimulus, commonly emphasized as a relevant stimulus feature in models of pitch perception (e.g., [1]). Sustained oscillatory responses are also demonstrated in the high gamma range (80120 Hz). The regularity responses occur irrespective of whether the response is associated with pitch perception. In contrast, the oscillatory responses only occur for pitch. Both responses occur in primary auditory cortex and adjacent nonprimary areas. The research suggests that two types of pitch-related activity occur in humans in early auditory cortex: time-locked neural correlates of stimulus regularity and an oscillatory response related to the pitch percept.
The ten-year incidence of tinnitus among older adults
As part of a population-based study in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, we estimated the 10-year cumulative incidence of tinnitus and its risk factors. Participants (n = 2922, aged 48–92 years) not reporting tinnitus at baseline (1993–1995) were followed for up to ten years. In addition to audiometric testing and anthropometric measures, data on tinnitus, health, and other history were obtained via questionnaire. Potential risk factors were assessed with discrete-time proportional hazards models. The 10-year cumulative incidence of tinnitus was 12.7%. The risk of developing tinnitus was significantly associated with: history of arthritis (hazard ratio (HR = 1.37), history of head injury (HR = 1.76), history of ever smoking (HR = 1.40), and among women, hearing loss (HR = 2.59). Alcohol consumption (HR = 0.63 for ≥ 141 grams/week vs. <15 grams/week), age (among women, HR = 0.90 for each five-year increase in age), and among men, obesity (HR = 0.55), were associated with decreased risk. The risk of developing tinnitus was high for older adults, and associated with modifiable health and behavioral factors.
from CurrentBiology
