Conductive hearing loss does not affect spatial learning and memory in middle-aged guinea pigs.

Hearing loss (HL) in mid-life has been suggested as a risk factor for cognitive decline. It is unclear whether this relationship is due to deprivation of auditory input alone, degenerative processes, or a combination. Animal models are useful to investigate underlying neural mechanisms as human studies can be confounded by various factors.

[Immunological differences between patients with cirrhosis and liver carcinoma].

Fifteen patients with liver cirrhosis and 15 with primary liver cancer were studied. The results of cellular immunity in these two groups and a third control group of 15 healthy subjects were compared. A significant decrease in OKT3 and OKT4 lymphocytes and response to different mytogenic stimuli were found, particularly in the hepatocarcinoma group.