Auditory cortical processing in cochlear-implanted children with different language outcomes

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Behavioral evaluation of language development is an important index for the usefulness of cochlear implantation. However, it could not apply to infants...     

Contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions in a clinical sample of children with auditory processing disorder

Objective: The suppression of evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) may serve as a clinical tool to evaluate the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex, which is thought to aid speech discrimination (particularly in noise) by selectively inhibiting cochlear amplification. The present study aimed to determine if contralateral transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) suppression was present in a clinical sample of children with listening difficulties with and without auditory processing disorder (APD).

Design: A three-group, repeated measure design was used.

Study sample: Forty three children aged 8–14?years underwent an auditory processing assessment and were divided into three groups: children with reported listening difficulties with APD, children with reported listening difficulties without APD, and children with normal hearing. APD was defined as per British Society of Audiology.

Results: TEOAE suppression was present in all three participant groups. No significant group, age or ear effects were observed for TEOAE suppression in dB or as a normalised index.

Conclusion: Contralateral TEOAE suppression method could not be used as a clinical tool to identify APD in this study’s participating children and did not support the hypothesised link between reduced MOC function and general listening difficulties in background noise in children with or without APD.     

Expression of RANK‐ligand in prostate cancer cell lines

The molecular mediators of bone remodelling, receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kappaB ligand (RANKL), receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kappaB (RANK) and osteoprotegerine (OPG), are believed to be involved in the cellular mechanisms by which tumours metastasize to bone. RANKL is a potent stimulator of osteoclastic bone resorption and is expressed in a variety of tumour cells. We have investigated if the membrane bound form of RANKL is expressed in prostate cancer cell lines, and whether this expression might be regulated by the presence of human osteoblasts. Three prostate cancer cell lines were co‐cultured with human osteoblast‐like cells (hOB) and RANKL expression on cell surface was measured by FACS. We found basal expression of RANKL on the cell surface, and in co‐culture with hOBs the number of cells expressing RANKL was increased between 2.5 and 4 times. These data suggest a signalling mechanism between bone cells and prostate cancer cells that might increase bone resorption and thereby promote bone metastases.     

Intra-arterial nimodipine for severe cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage – neurological and radiological outcome

ObjectivesCerebral vasospasm is a known complication to aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, which can lead to severe morbidity. Intra-arterial vasodilation therapy is widely used as a last resort treatment in patients with symptomatic refractory cerebral vasospasm but there is limited data about the outcome. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the neurological and radiological outcome in patients treated with intra-arterial nimodipine in relation to cerebral infarction, procedure-related complications and clinical outcome.MethodsPatients with refractory cerebral vasospasm treated with intra-arterial nimodipine during 2009–2020 at Sahlgrenska University Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Neurological outcome (modified Rankin Scale) at 30 days and 6 months, development of cerebral infarction after intra-arterial nimodipine treatment and procedure-related complications were studied.ResultsForty-eight patients were treated with intra-arterial nimodipine. A good outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0–2) was seen in 25% (n = 12) of the patients after 30 days and in 47% (n = 22) of the patients after six months. Infarction related to the vasospastic vessel after treatment with intra-arterial nimodipine was seen in 60% (n = 29) of the patients. A total of 124 procedures with intra-arterial nimodipine were performed where complications were seen in 10 (21%) patients in 10 (8%) procedures. Four (8%) patients died within 30 days.ConclusionsA majority of patients developed an ischaemic cerebral infarction in spite of intra-arterial nimodipine treatment. However, a good clinical recovery was seen in almost half of the patients after 6 months. Minor complications occurred in one out of five patients.