年龄因素对鼓室成形术效果的影响

目的 通过对40例（40耳）60岁以上患者和40例（40耳）60岁以下患者进行鼓室成形手术,对手术后听力效果进行分析。方法 手术前均进行了纯音测听检查,60岁以上年龄组气导听力阈值55dB,60岁以下年龄组气导听力阈值39dB。慢性化脓性中耳炎单纯性24例（24耳）,胆脂瘤型中耳炎29例（29耳）和中耳炎后遗症27例（27耳）。手术均在全麻下进行,采取了乳突根治加鼓室成形术26耳、鼓室探查术54耳。术中采取Ⅰ型鼓室成形23耳：改良Ⅱ型25耳和改良Ⅲ型32耳鼓室成形术。结果 60岁以上年龄组手术后平均气导听力46dB,手术成功率67％。60岁以下年龄组术后平均气导听力33dB,手术成功率70％。统计学t检验结果：两组仅在术后气导听力阈值的结果中,有随着年龄增长而增高的趋势。结论 手术成功率与病程长短及病变部位有关,高龄患者为了提高生活质量还应积极进行鼓室成形手术。     

Auditory brainstem response in the aged and elderly

Auditory brainstem response(ABR) was studied in 63 old healthy individuals (mean age = 66.42 +/- 9.88 years). They presented some degree of hearing loss (pure tone hearing threshold for 4 frequencies less than or equal to 30dB HL). Meanwhile 24 younger subjects (half for each sex, mean age = 17.61 +/- 2.63 years) with normal hearing were chosen as the control group. It was found that (a) the older group had greater mean values for both absolute peak latencies and inter-peak latencies than the younger group. The results indicate that age-related hearing loss is due to cochlear pathology but do not exclude the possibility of central auditory involvement. (b) the main parameters of ABR in both ears for each individual were quite symmetric. This fact implicates the diagnostic significance in differentiating presbycusis and space occupying lesion in the brainstem. (c) sex also affected the ABR in both age groups. Males were easier to be affected than females.     

Deglutition and respiratory patterns during sleep in the aged

Conclusion: Deglutition was extremely infrequent and displayed unique patterns during sleep in the aged.

Objectives: The deglutition and respiratory phase patterns during sleep in the healthy aged were investigated in this study.

Methods: Ten aged adults (average age =?71 years) were examined via time-matched digital recordings of polysomnography and surface electromyography of the muscles (thyrohyoid and suprahyoid muscles) related to swallowing.

Results: During sleep, swallowing was extremely infrequent and absent for long periods in the aged. The median number of swallows per hour during total sleep time was 0.6, and the median longest deglutition-free period was 134.8?minutes. Most deglutition occurred in association with spontaneous electroencephalographic arousal both in REM and non-REM sleep. Deglutition was related to the sleep stage. The deeper the sleep stage, the lower the mean deglutition frequency. There was no deglutition during deep sleep. Overall muscle tone is inhibited during REM sleep. However, deglutition also occurred in association with spontaneous EEG arousal. The deeper the sleep stage, the lower the mean arousal frequency, and the lower the mean ratio of arousal with deglutition to arousal. Approximately one-third of swallows occurred after inspiration and were followed by inspiration.     

Hair cell loss in the aged guinea pig cochlea

The various effects of ageing on the auditory system, collectively termed presbycusis, are being studied across a wide range of animal species, including humans. One contributing factor to presbycusis is thought to be losses of the sensory hair cells in the cochlea. In this study, hair cell counts were obtained from cochleas of pigmented guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) at ages ranging from 11 days to 4 years 7 months, using scanning electron microscopy to visualize the organ of Corti. Representative samples of the basal, middle and apical turn of the cochlea were photographed for analysis. Hair cell loss was observed, even in young animals. However, the loss was greater in the aged animals, but was not distributed evenly throughout the length of the cochlea. No significant loss of hair cells was seen in the basal (high frequency) or middle turn of the cochlea of the aged animals. In the apical (low frequency) turn, there was a significant loss of hair cells in all rows of outer hair cells (up to around 20%), and was most severe in the third row. There was no loss of apical inner hair cells in the aged animals.