Internet-based vestibular rehabilitation versus standard care after acute onset vertigo: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Dizziness and vertigo affect around 15% of adults annually and represent common reasons for contacting health services, accounting for around 3% of all emergency department visits worldwide. Vertigo is also associated with excessive use of diagnostic imaging and emergency care and decreased productivity, primarily because of work absenteeism. Vestibular rehabilitation is an evidence-based treatment for chronic dizziness and supervised group exercise therapy has recently been shown to be effective after vestibular neuritis, a common cause of acute onset vertigo.

Detection of rotavirus- and norovirus-specific IgG memory B cells in tonsils.

Because rotavirus (RV) and norovirus (NoV) are transmitted through the fecal-oral route, tonsils due to their location within the oropharynx may sample or become infected with these viruses. We investigated if RV and NoV RNA/antigen, or virus-specific memory/plasma B cells can be detected in the tonsils. While neither RV/NoV antigen, nor genomic RNA was detected, 90% (27/30) of tonsils tested had RV- and NoV-specific IgG memory B cells.

Working Memory, Sleep, and Hearing Problems in Patients with Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Fitted with Hearing Aids.

Background: Tinnitus is a common condition and there is a need to evaluate effects of tinnitus management in relation to moderating factors such as degree of hearing loss. As it is possible that tinnitus influences concentration, and thus is likely to disturb cognitive processing, the role of cognitive functioning also needs to be investigated.

Purpose: To compare a group of patients with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus to a control group with only sensorineural hearing loss (and no tinnitus).

Potential Involvement of Type I Interferon Signaling in Immunotherapy in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis.

Specific immunotherapy (SIT) reverses the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in most patients. Recent studies report type I interferons shifting the balance between type I T helper cell (Th1) and type II T helper cells (Th2) towards Th2 dominance by inhibiting the differentiation of naive T cells into Th1 cells. As SIT is thought to cause a shift towards Th1 dominance, we hypothesized that SIT would alter interferon type I signaling.

Vestibular Function After Cochlear Implantation: A Comparison of Three Types of Electrodes.

Objective: To investigate the vestibular function after cochlear implantation with different types of electrode arrays.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic tertiary referral center.

Motivational Interviewing as an Adjunct to Hearing Rehabilitation for Patients with Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

Purpose: To test the effects of a brief motivational interviewing (MI) program as an adjunct to hearing aid rehabilitation for patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss.

Research Design: This was a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Study Sample: The sample consisted of 50 patients aged between 40 and 82 yr with both tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss and a pure-tone average (0.

Phenomenographic study of basic science understanding-senior medical students' conceptions of fatigue.

Introduction: Helping students learn to apply their newly learned basic science knowledge to clinical situations is a long-standing challenge for medical educators. This study aims to describe how medical students' knowledge of the basic sciences is construed toward the end of their medical curriculum, focusing on how senior medical students explain the physiology of a given scenario. Methods A group of final-year medical students from two universities was investigated.

Quality of life in patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss.

Unlabelled: The severity of tinnitus often correlates to psychological and general health factors and the risk of depression and insomnia may be higher in patients with tinnitus.

Methods: Three questionnaires about physical and psychological health were mailed to 714 Swedish patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss. A total of 555 (78%) patients replied and 426 patients (77%) submitted their answers to the questionnaires.

Postural function in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus before and after shunt surgery: a controlled study using computerized dynamic posturography (EquiTest).

Introduction: Postural dysfunction is one of the major features of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). With computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) balance can be assessed objectively. The primary aim of this study was to describe the postural function in iNPH patients pre- and post-operatively in comparison with healthy individuals (HI) using CDP.

Impaired postural balance in turner syndrome.

An impaired body balance has been found in Turner syndrome (TS) in clinical tests like Rombergs's test and walking on a balance beam. The aim of the study was to assess postural balance in TS subjects with specific balance testing using dynamic posturography and relate to body composition. Nineteen TS subjects (20-57 years) were included.

A cohort study of patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss in a Swedish population.

Objective: We aimed to describe a large cohort of patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in Sweden, and also to explore the possibility of finding potential possible differences between various diagnoses within SNHL. It is also of great interest to see how a multidisciplinary team was used in the different subgroups and the frequency of hearing aids use in patients with tinnitus.

Methods: Medical records of all patients who had received the diagnosis SNHL in Östergötland County, Sweden between 2004 and 2007 were reviewed.

Medical education in Sweden.

Undergraduate medical education in Sweden has moved from nationally regulated, subject-based courses to programmes integrated either around organ systems or physiological and patho-physiological processes, or organised around basic medical science in conjunction with clinical specialities, with individual profiles at the seven medical schools. The national regulations are restricted to overall academic and professional outcomes. The 5½ year long university undergraduate curriculum is followed by a mandatory 18 months internship, delivered by the County Councils.

Recovery after acute unilateral vestibular loss and predictors for remaining symptoms.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to follow recovery during the first 6 months after acute unilateral vestibular loss (AUVL) and to determine predictors for self-rated remaining symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Forty-two subjects were included less than 10 days after AUVL. Static and dynamic clinical balance tests, visual analogue scales, University of California Los Angeles Dizziness Questionnaire, Dizziness Beliefs Scale, European Quality of Life questionnaire, Dizziness Handicap Inventory, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were performed at inclusion and at 7 follow-ups over 6 months.

Performance and autonomic responses during motion sickness.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate how motion sickness, triggered by an optokinetic drum, affects short-term memory performance and to explore autonomic responses to perceived motion sickness.

Background: Previous research has found that motion sickness decreases performance, but it is not known how short-term memory in particular is affected.

Method: Thirty-eight healthy participants performed a listening span test while seated in a rotating optokinetic drum.

Could sound be used as a strategy for reducing symptoms of perceived motion sickness?

Background: Working while exposed to motions, physically and psychologically affects a person. Traditionally, motion sickness symptom reduction has implied use of medication, which can lead to detrimental effects on performance. Non-pharmaceutical strategies, in turn, often require cognitive and perceptual attention.

A case report of plasmapheresis treatment in a patient with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and high anti-yo antibody titers.

A patient with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration due to anti-Purkinje cell antibodies (anti-Yo) arising from ovarian carcinoma with metastases was treated with three plasmapheresis (PP) series (a total of 22 PP treatments) over one year and was monitored by repeated otoneurological testing, balance tests and clinical investigations. Blood samples for antibody titers were checked on several occasions. Initially there was a weak clinical response and significantly improved test results regarding the caloric response, as well as a possible effect on visual suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex after caloric ear irrigation.

Hoarseness and misdirected swallowing in patients with hiatal hernia.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether misdirected swallowing is an extra-laryngeal cause of hoarseness and investigate whether the prevalence of misdirected swallowing and hoarseness in patients with hiatal hernias differ from those with and without pathological gastroesophageal reflux (GER). One hundred and ninety eight patients with hiatal hernias diagnosed via esophageal manometry and pH-reflux test and 262 subjects in the general population who did not have a hiatal hernia at endoscopy, filled in a questionnaire about symptoms on hoarseness, misdirected swallowing, and heartburn. Hoarseness (35%), misdirected swallowing to the larynx (MSL; 35%), misdirected swallowing to the nose (MSN; 22%) and heartburn (85%) were significantly more common in patients with hiatal hernia than in controls (13, 5, 1, and 6%, respectively, P<0.

Long-term improvement of quality of life as a result of tonsillotomy (with radiofrequency technique) and tonsillectomy in youths.

Objective: This is a 1 year follow-up to compare the effects of partial tonsil resection using the radiofrequency technique (RF) tonsillotomy (TT) with total tonsillectomy (TE) (blunt dissection). Obstructive symptoms, tendency for infections, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) were studied and compared with the HRQL data from a normal population.

Method: The study group consisted of 74 patients (16-25 yr old) randomized to TT (n = 31) or TE (n = 43) with obstructive throat problems with or without recurrent tonsillitis.

Dose effect of sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthetics on cortical blood flow during controlled hypotension in the pig.

Background: The ability of the brain to preserve adequate cerebral blood flow (CBF) during alterations in systemic perfusion pressure is of fundamental importance. At increasing concentrations, isoflurane and sevoflurane have been known to alter CBF, which may be disadvantageous for patients with increased intracranial pressure. The aim was to examine the effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane at increasing minimum alveolar concentrations (MAC) on CBF, during controlled hypotension.

Influence of asymmetry of vestibular caloric response and age on balance and perceived symptoms after acute unilateral vestibular loss.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of asymmetry of vestibular caloric response and age on balance and perceived symptoms after acute unilateral vestibular loss.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Ear, nose and throat departments in three hospitals.

Long-term follow-up after acute unilateral vestibular loss and comparison between subjects with and without remaining symptoms.

Conclusions: About half of the subjects in this study reported remaining symptoms 3-6 years after acute unilateral vestibular loss. Differences could be seen between subjects with and without remaining symptoms regarding health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression.

Objective: To evaluate the presence of self-rated remaining symptoms 3-6 years after acute unilateral vestibular loss, and to compare subjects with and without such symptoms.

P6 acupressure increases tolerance to nauseogenic motion stimulation in women at high risk for PONV.

Purpose: In a previous study we noticed that P6 acupressure decreased postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) more markedly after discharge. As motion sickness susceptibility is increased by, for example, opioids we hypothesized that P6 acu-pressure decreased PONV by decreasing motion sickness susceptibility. We studied time to nausea by a laboratory motion challenge in a group of volunteers, during P6 and placebo acupressure.