突发性聋患者耳蜗死区分布及预后分析

目的：采用阈值均衡噪声检测法研究耳蜗死区在突发性聋患者中的分布情况,探讨耳蜗死区与突发性聋预后的关系。方法采用阈值均衡噪声检测法检测138例（149耳）突发性聋患者,综合治疗2周后,再次行听力检测,分析耳蜗死区和突发性聋预后的相关性。结果138例（149耳）突发性聋患者中39例患者（45耳）单或双耳存在一个或多个频率的耳蜗死区,耳蜗死区检出率为30.20%（45/149）;耳蜗死区在突发性聋患者主要分布在2000～4000 Hz的高频区域;检测有听力下降的频率993个,其中有耳蜗死区的频率103个,治疗后有效率29.13％（30/103）;经检测无耳蜗死区的频率890个,治疗后有效率54.38％（484/890）。两组有效率进行比较,差异具有统计学意义（χ2=23.58,P<0.05）。结论耳蜗死区与突发性聋预后密切相关。     

Health-related quality of life in adults with hearing impairment before and after hearing-aid rehabilitation in Finland

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with hearing impairment in Finland before and after hearing rehabilitation. Design: The study was prospective with hearing-aid rehabilitation as the intervention. The data was collected, using the 15D instrument, before and six months after hearing-aid rehabilitation. The data was analysed using t-tests and multiple linear regression methods. Study sample: The study sample included 949 adults with hearing impairment, and the control group included a sample of age- and gender-standardized general population. Results: The study population had significantly poorer HRQoL on most dimensions of the 15D when compared to the control group both before and after hearing-aid rehabilitation. Hearing-aid rehabilitation resulted in improved mean scores on the dimensions of hearing and in the overall 15D score that were statistically significant, although the mean improvement in the overall score was marginal. Self-reported hearing ability can better predict the change in HRQoL, as a result of a hearing aid, when compared with measured hearing sensitivity. Conclusions: The study supports the hypothesis that on average, use of a unilateral hearing aid results in improved subjective hearing and marginal improvement in HRQoL in adults with hearing impairment.     

新生大鼠耳蜗K(o)lliker器支持细胞ATP释放的机制

目的 观察体外培养的新生大鼠耳蜗K(o)lliker器支持细胞是否存在并释放ATP,初步探讨其释放机制.方法 选取出生后ld的Sprague-Dawley大鼠,分离耳蜗膜迷路,采用机械分离与酶消化相结合的方法获得单离的K(o)lliker器支持细胞.观察膜迷路和K(o)lliker器支持细胞的喹丫因染色情况.采用生物发光法,通过影响K(o)lliker器支持细胞ATP代谢、改变细胞内外Ca2浓度、抑制细胞内磷脂酶信号通路及添加缝隙连接半通道阻断剂,观察K(o)lliker器支持细胞释放ATP浓度的变化.结果 用喹丫因染色体外培养的K(o)lliker器支持细胞,发现胞质中存在大量绿色星点状染色.采用生物发光法检测的ATP标准曲线呈明显的对数线性关系.随着巴佛洛霉素A1浓度增加,K(o)lliker 器支持细胞培养液中ATP浓度逐渐降低,而随着己二酸二癸酯浓度的增加,培养液中ATP浓度逐渐升高;在一定浓度范围内,随着细胞外Ca2浓度增加,K(o)lliker器支持细胞ATP的释放减少,而随着细胞内游离Ca2浓度增加,K(o)lliker器支持细胞释放ATP量增加;培养液中加入甘珀酸钠或乌热酸抑制半通道后可以显著的降低ATP释放.此外,抑制细胞内磷脂酶信号通路也可以减少ATP的释放.结论 体外培养的新生大鼠耳蜗K(o)lliker器支持细胞存在并释放ATP,细胞内、外液中Ca2+浓度的变化可能通过调节半通道的开放而影响其ATP的释放.     

Preliminary evidence of an interaction between the FOXP2 gene and childhood emotional abuse predicting likelihood of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia

ObjectiveThe FOXP2 gene is involved in the development of speech and language. As some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of FOXP2 have been found to be associated with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) at trend levels, this study set out to undertake the first examination into whether interactions between candidate FOXP2 SNPs and environmental factors (specifically, child abuse) predict the likelihood of AVHs.MethodData on parental child abuse and FOXP2 SNPs previously linked to AVHs (rs1456031, rs2396753, rs2253478) were obtained from the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank for people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, both with (n = 211) and without (n = 122) a lifetime history of AVHs.ResultsGenotypic frequencies did not differ between the two groups; however, logistic regression found that childhood parental emotional abuse (CPEA) interacted with rs1456031 to predict lifetime experience of AVH. CPEA was only associated with significantly higher levels of AVHs in people with CC genotypes (odds ratio = 4.25), yet in the absence of CPEA, people with TT genotypes had significantly higher levels of AVHs than people with CC genotypes (odds ratio = 4.90). This interaction was specific to auditory verbal hallucinations, and did not predict the likelihood of non-verbal auditory hallucinations.ConclusionsOur findings offer tentative evidence that FOXP2 may be a susceptibility gene for AVHs, influencing the probability people experience AVHs in the presence and absence of CPEA. However, these findings are in need of replication in a larger study that addresses the methodological limitations of the present investigation.     

Disability as a risk factor? Development of psychopathology in children with disabilities

Empirical research has established that children with disabilities are more likely to develop psychopathology than children without disabilities. But too little is known about the association between disability and psychopathology. The aim of this article is to discuss developmental psychopathological models that conceptualise the connection between childhood disability and psychopathology. Empirical studies of psychopathology among children with a congenital hearing impairment and children with cerebral palsy will be reviewed, representing in-depth examples of association between disability and psychopathology. Both a congenital hearing impairment and cerebral palsy were found to be dominating risk factors for all types of psychopathology, but no relationship was identified between degree of disability and risk of psychopathology. The higher risk cannot be explained by biological impairments alone. To explain the contradictory findings, developmental models of disability and psychopathology are applied. Within a multi-factorial developmental psychopathological perspective and a dialectical model of disability (Vygotsky, 1993), it is suggested that disability can be understood as an incongruence between the individual development of the child and demands and expectations in the specific relations and institutions in which the child participates. This incongruence creates and strengthens negative factors for the child with disability and results in a higher risk of psychopathology.     

Expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and CD74 in the inner ear and middle ear in lipopolysaccharide-induced otitis media

Conclusion: Significant expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and its receptor (CD74) was observed in both the middle ear and inner ear in experimental otitis media in mice. Modulation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and its signaling pathway might be useful in the management of inner ear inflammation due to otitis media.

Objectives: Inner ear dysfunction secondary to otitis media has been reported. However, the specific mechanisms involved are not clearly understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and CD74 in the middle ear and inner ear in lipopolysaccharide-induced otitis media.

Method: BALB/c mice received a transtympanic injection of either lipopolysaccharide or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The mice were sacrificed 24?h after injection, and temporal bones were processed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, histologic examination, and immunohistochemistry.

Results: PCR examination revealed that the lipopolysaccharide-injected mice showed a significant up-regulation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in both the middle ear and inner ear as compared with the PBS-injected control mice. The immunohistochemical study showed positive reactions for macrophage migration inhibitory factor and CD74 in infiltrating inflammatory cells, middle ear mucosa, and inner ear in the lipopolysaccharide-injected mice.     

Cochlear implant assessment and candidacy for children with partial hearing

Children who have partial hearing (PH) in the low frequencies and profound sensorineural hearing loss in the high frequencies can present a challenge to cochlear implant (CI) teams in terms of referral, assessment, and candidacy. Neither clinical criteria nor optimal timing for implantation has been explored in the literature. Data from both the Hearing Implant Centres of Birmingham Children's Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital indicate that it is clinically appropriate to implant children with PH; they perform better with CIs than with hearing aids, even if their hearing is not fully preserved. We have also found that children need early access to high frequency sound in order to reach their full potential.     

A hearing self-reported survey in people over 80 years of age in China by hearing handicap inventory for the elderly–complete version vs screening version

Conclusion: HHIE-S can be a useful tool in investigating hearing loss among people over 80 years old, with the same validity as HHIE. Objective: To investigate the effect of hearing loss on the quality-of-life in people over 80 years of age in China, and to compare the results of the Chinese mandarin version Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) and its screening version (HHIE-S). Methods: Eighty-four people over 80 years participated in the study. Both HHIE and HHIE-S were completed, and the hearing handicap degrees were rated according to HHIE scores and HHIE-S scores, respectively. Results obtained by HHIE and HHIE-S were compared. Multi-factor analysis of variance was used to analyze the impact of eight factors on hearing handicap in the oldest old people over 80 years of age, including age, noise exposure, ear surgery, infection, ototoxic drugs use, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and tumors. Results: Both HHIE and HHIE-S revealed 48 subjects (57.1%) with no self-perceived hearing problem, and 36 subjects (42.9%) with hearing handicap. No statistical difference was found between results of the functional hearing handicap rating by HHIE and HHIE-S (Chi-square?=?1.532, p?=?0.465). The HHIE and HHIE-S were in agreement with each other (kappa?=?0.772, p?p?>?0.05), except noise exposure on S-score of HHIE-S (p?=?0.032), and the R-squares of these factors were less than 5%.