Stapedial Reflex: A Possible Novel Biomarker of Early Bulbar Involvement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients.

Background And Aim: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular progressive disorder, characterized by limb and bulbar muscle wasting and weakness. 30% of patients present a bulbar onset, while 70% a spinal outbreak, although most of them develop bulbar impairment later on. Due to the lack of an early biomarker of bulbar involvement, we chose to evaluate the role of stapedial reflex (SR) in order to predict preclinical bulbar impairment in ALS.

A new bone conduction hearing aid to predict hearing outcome with an active implanted device.

Purpose: We compared our historical medium-term data obtained with an active semi-implanted bone conduction device and the hearing results of a new passive bone conduction hearing device to determine its predictive value for the hearing results with the semi-implanted device.

Methods: The study sample was 15 patients with an active bone conduction implant (mean follow-up 26 months). Pure tone audiometry was performed with headphones, sound field speech audiometry was conducted unaided, and free-field speech audiometry was carried out with both the active bone conduction system and the passive device switched off.

Comparison of VEMPs, VHIT and caloric test outcomes after vestibular neurectomy in Menière's disease.

Objective: Selective unilateral vestibular neurectomy (VN) is considered a reliable surgical treatment in case of recurrent vertigo in Menière's disease (MD) because of hearing preservation and a minimally invasive posterior fossa retrosigmoid approach. The present study aimed to assess the quality of life and the long-term vestibular function in patients submitted to yearly follow-up after VN because of intractable MD.

Methods: Retrospective series of 15 MD patients undergoing retrosigmoid VN for recurrent vertigo.

Acoustic reflex patterns in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The aim of the study is to investigate acoustic reflex testing in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. Amplitude, latency, and rise time of stapedial reflex were recorded for 500 and 1000 Hz contralateral stimulus. Statistical analysis was performed by the Wilcoxon test and the level of significance was set at 5 %.

Prevention and management of hearing loss in syndromic craniosynostosis: A case series.

Objective: To assess the audiological profile in a cohort of children affected by syndromic craniosynostosis.

Methods: Eleven children with Apert syndrome (n=4), Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (n=3), Muenke syndrome (n=2), Crouzon syndrome (n=1) and Pfeiffer syndrome type 1 (n=1) were submitted to a complete audiologic evaluation including otoscopy, pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing, ABR, otoacustic emissions, temporal bone High Resolution CT (HRCT) scan. The main outcome measures were prevalence, type and severity of hearing loss, prevalence of chronic otitis media, correlation with the time of first surgical correction.

Monaural or binaural sound deprivation in postlingual hearing loss: Cochlear implant in the worse ear.

Objectives/hypothesis: To determine whether speech recognition scores (SRS) differ between adults with long-term auditory deprivation in the implanted ear and adults who received cochlear implant (CI) in the nonsound-deprived ear, either for hearing aid-assisted or due to rapidly deteriorating hearing loss.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Speech recognition scores at evaluations (3 and 14 months postimplantation) conducted with CI alone at 60-dB sound pressure level intensity were compared in 15 patients (4 with bilateral severe hearing loss; 11 with asymmetric hearing loss, 7 of which had contralateral hearing aid), all with long-term auditory deprivation (mean duration 16.

Cochlear Nerve Stimulation in the Internal Auditory Canal in Ossified Cochlea: A Case Study.

Objective: To present the first reported case of intraneural direct cochlear nerve stimulation in a human being.

Study Design: This is a case report.

Results: A 23-year-old patient with bilateral progressive hearing loss associated with bilateral complete semicircular canal aplasia and ossified cochleas underwent cochlear implantation.

The role of the efferent auditory system in developmental dyslexia.

Objective: To assess the role of the efferent auditory system by inhibition of contralateral otoacoustic emission in dyslexic children with auditory processing disorders.

Methods: The study sample was 34 children: 17 with dyslexia and 17 age-matched controls. Sensitive speech tests (low-pass filtered, time-compressed, distorted and dichotic) were performed to assess coexisting auditory processing disorder.

Oval and round window vibroplasty: a comparison of hearing results, risks and failures.

The aim of this study was to compare oval and round window vibroplasty. Eighteen (18) patients implanted with Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) were enrolled. Two groups were formed depending on FMT placement: on round window in ten cases (RW group) and on oval window in eight (OW group).

Tone burst stimulus for auditory brainstem responses: prediction of hearing threshold at 1kHz.

Objective: To assess differences in hearing threshold estimation of four different ABR tone-bursts at 1kHz.

Methods: Twenty-one (21) ears from 11 subjects were tested with pure-tone audiometry (PTA): 5 ears (24%) were normal hearing, 5 (24%) affected by mild hearing loss, 7 (33%) showed moderate hearing loss and 4 (19%) severe hearing loss. After PTA each subject underwent tone-burst ABR test at 1kHz using a linear gated (L_ABR) or Blackman windowed (B_ABR) stimuli with (nn_ABR) and without ipsilateral notched noise.

Relationship between pure tone audiometry and tone burst auditory brainstem response at low frequencies gated with Blackman window.

To assess the reliability of Blackman windowed tone burst auditory brainstem response (ABR) as a predictor of hearing threshold at low frequencies. Fifty-six subjects were divided in to three groups (normal hearing, conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss) after pure tone audiometry (PTA) testing. Then they underwent tone burst ABR using Blackman windowed stimuli at 0.

Monitored anesthesia care with target-controlled infusion in vibroplasty.

Objectives: Correct positioning of a floating mass transducer during middle ear implant surgery is often problematic. With the use of monitored anesthesia care (MAC), however, deep sedation is maintained during surgery, followed by conscious sedation in which the patient can respond to test questions that investigate correct device position and function. The main aim of this study was to determine whether intraoperative audiometric assessment was feasible with MAC with target-controlled infusion in vibroplasty.

Noise-induced hearing loss evolution: influence of age and exposure to noise.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the influence of age and exposure to noise in determining the evolution of hearing loss after noise-induced hearing loss has been already established and to define the further evolution of presbycusis. This is a cross-sectional study based on the evaluation of pure-tone audiometry threshold on 568 subjects affected by noise-induced hearing loss and exposed to noise for at least 10 years; noise exposure at testing was 85-90 dB Leqd(A). The further evolution of hearing loss was found to be more related to age than to noise exposure and was significantly less than expected for presbycusis.

Equine versus bovine pericardium in transmeatal underlay myringoplasty.

Objectives: Many different grafting materials have been proposed in myringoplasty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results obtained in transmeatal underlay myringoplasty using bovine and equine pericardium. The results were compared with those obtained by using autologous temporalis fascia.

Condition of the anterior part of the middle ear cleft in acquired cholesteatoma.

Conclusion: The high rate of flogistic suffering of the controlateral ear seems to suggest a correlation between tubal dysfunction and acquired cholesteatoma but the low rate of pathological reports regarding the anterior mesotympanic region exclude a eustachian tube dysfunction (EDT) at the time of surgery. These observations support the hypothesis that ETD is not a factor that may influence the evolution of the cholesteatoma.

Objectives: To evaluate the role of eustachian tube function in the middle ear secondary acquired cholesteatoma.

Tympanic reperforation in myringoplasty: evaluation of prognostic factors.

Objectives: The most frequent failure in myringoplasty is reperforation. This complication appears at a rate of 7% to 27%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of the principal prognostic factors to the risk of reperforation.

Auditory steady-state responses and clinical applications.

The auditory steady-state responses to single continuous tones modulated in amplitude have been proposed as an alternative to objective frequency-specific audiometry. The aim of this study was to compare thresholds obtained by pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and by auditory steady-state responses in normal hearing or affected by hearing loss in adults and in order to evaluate the applicability of this objective test in no collaborative hearing-impaired subjects. Eleven people, 6 normal hearing and 5 with hearing loss, underwent PTA and multiple frequency auditory steady-state responses; simultaneous carrier tones (0.

Delayed vertigo after stapes surgery.

Objectives: Stapes surgery restores partial or total hearing in almost 95% of cases, and in case of failure, revision surgery may often resolve the problem. Delayed vertigo is commonly related to perilymphatic fistula. The aim of this study is to report experience gained in revision stapes surgery in cases of delayed vertigo.

The prognostic value of the otoacoustic emission test in low frequency sudden hearing loss.

Low frequency sudden hearing loss (LFSHL) is a frequent finding in the otological practice. Several prognostic indicators have been suggested concerning the prediction of the outcome of sudden hearing loss, but so far there are no proven factors to establish the prognosis. The aim of this study was to assess whether OAEs could be considered as a reliable prognostic test in LFSHL.