Psychological Distress and Social Adjustment of a Working Adult Population with Single-Sided Deafness.

: Hearing loss is a highly prevalent condition in the world population that determines emotional, social, and economic costs. In recent years, it has been definitely recognized that the lack of physiological binaural hearing causes alterations in the localization of sounds and reduced speech recognition in noise and reverberation. This study aims to explore the psycho-social profile of adult workers affected by single-sided deafness (SSD), without other major medical conditions and otological symptoms, through comparison to subjects with normal hearing.

Communication Skills in Toddlers Exposed to Maternal SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy.

Studies about the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnant women and children born to positive women are controversial with regard to possible inner ear-related damage but most of them do not detect the involvement of this virus in auditory function. However, only a few studies on long-term effects on language development are currently available because of the recent onset of the pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on perceptual and expressive abilities and the emerging development of communication in young children.

Congenital deafness and vestibular disorders: a systematic literature review.

Introduction: Congenital deafness is a pathological entity that represents an economical and social burden, affecting up to 0.2% of newborns in Europe. Sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) is caused by a variety of factors, including congenital abnormalities, perinatal infectious diseases and genetic syndromes.

Unilateral Hearing Loss and Auditory Asymmetry in Mitochondrial Disease: A Scoping Review.

: Mitochondrial transfer RNA mutations are one of the most important causes of hereditary hearing loss in humans. In most cases, its presentation is bilateral and symmetrical; however, there are numerous cases of single-sided presentation or asymmetrical onset described in the literature that may represent a diagnostic challenge. The aim of this review is to present the evidence of auditory asymmetry in mitochondrial diseases, highlighting the possible presence of cases with atypical presentation.

Cochlear Implantation in Children with Additional Disabilities: A Systematic Review.

This study examines the last 10 years of medical literature on the benefits of cochlear implantation in children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) with additional disabilities. The most recent literature concerning cochlear implants (CIs) in DHH children with additional disabilities was systematically explored through PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science from January 2012 to July 2023. Our two-stage search strategy selected a total of 61 articles concerning CI implantation in children with several forms of additional disabilities: autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, motor disorders, developmental delay, genetic syndromes, and intellectual disability.

Influence of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Booster among Cancer Patients on Active Treatment Previously Immunized with Inactivated versus mRNA Vaccines: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Cancer patients on chemotherapy have a lower immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Therefore, through a prospective cohort study of patients with solid tumors receiving chemotherapy, we aimed to determine the immunogenicity of an mRNA vaccine booster (BNT162b2) among patients previously immunized with an inactivated (CoronaVac) or homologous (BNT162b2) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (NAb) seropositivity at 8-12 weeks post-booster.

The Audiological Follow-Up of Children with Symptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: An Experience in Two Italian Centers.

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is the leading cause of non-hereditary sensorineural hearing loss in children. While about 10% of children reportedly display symptoms at birth, 85-90% of cCMV infection cases are asymptomatic. However, 10-15% of these asymptomatic infants may later develop hearing, visual, or neurodevelopmental impairments.

The Effect of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in the Treatment of Chronic Subjective Tinnitus through the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Scores.

Background And Objectives: Tinnitus affects millions of adults. Many therapies, including complementary and alternative medicine and tinnitus retraining therapies, have been trialed, but an effective option, particularly for chronic subjective tinnitus (CTS), is still lacking.

Materials And Methods: This study investigated the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg.

Italian validation of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly - Screening version (HHIE-S-It).

Objective: Validate the Italian version of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly - Screening version (HHIE-S-It).

Methods: After translation, psychometric properties and attributes were analysed by administering the HHIE-S-It to 167 elderly outpatients together with the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI).

Results: The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.

Auditory Screening in Newborns after Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection: An Overview.

Background And Aim: Several viruses have previously been reported to be responsible for congenital hearing loss; therefore, since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 infection pandemic, various reports have investigated a possible link. The aim of this review is to assess the possible link between maternal COVID-19 infection and congenital hearing loss.

Methods: This systematic review was performed using PRISMA criteria, searching Medline and Embase databases from March 2020 to February 2023.

Italian validation of the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life Scale (PANQOL-It).

Objective: translate and validate the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life Scale into Italian language (PANQOL-It).

Methods: the instrument was translated and psychometric properties were subsequently assessed by administering the PANQOL-It to 124 outpatients together with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS21) and the Understanding and Communicating domain of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II-D1). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct and criterion-related validity were assessed.

The Role of Primary Mitochondrial Disorders in Hearing Impairment: An Overview.

. Defects of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) involved in the function of the mitochondrial electron transport chain can result in primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs). Various features can influence the phenotypes of different PMDs, with relevant consequences on clinical presentation, including the presence of hearing impairment.

Vertigo in the Elderly: A Systematic Literature Review.

Dizziness and vertigo are among the most prevalent complaints in the elderly and have a major negative influence on (i) the perception of the quality of life; and (ii) the risk of falling. Due to population aging, particularly in wealthy nations, vertigo represents a growing issue and a serious public health concern. In order to approach the patient correctly and to offer the best treatment options, it is mandatory to identify vertigo's underlying causes.

Psychological Profile and Social Behaviors of Patients with Hyperacusis.

Increased noise sensitivity refers to the abnormal subjective response to external sounds, with a prevalence of between 8% and 15.2% in the adult population as suggested by epidemiological studies. The basic neural mechanism of hyperacusis still remains obscure, so therapies for this often-devastating symptom remain elusive.

Management of Juvenile Otosclerosis: A Systematic Review.

Background. Otosclerosis can occur during childhood, resulting in the early onset of conductive hearing loss. The approach to a child with otosclerosis can present some difficulties in terms of diagnosis and treatment, and the literature on juvenile otosclerosis (JO) is still relatively limited.

Monitoring of Communication Precursors in Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) Newborns by Video Analysis Method: Preliminary Results.

Background: The survival of extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW) has increased worldwide. Even in the absence of major disabilities, ELBW infants show difficulty in simple language functions. It is relevant to assess early abilities, which are the base of early linguistic skills, in order to implement customized intervention programs in ELBW infants.

The Effect of the Use of Hearing Aids in Elders: Perspectives.

Older adults with hearing loss have difficulties during conversation with others because an elevated auditory threshold reduces speech intelligibility, especially in noisy environments. Listening and comprehension often become exhausting tasks for hearing-impaired elders, resulting in social isolation and depression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the advantages of hearing aid use in relation to relief from listening-related fatigue, which is still controversial.

Vertigo and Dizziness in Children: An Update.

Background: Vertigo and dizziness are relatively infrequent in paediatric patients, but specific data on the prevalence of these disorders are limited and influenced by various factors, including the age of the examined population. These conditions often have a significant impact on patients' and parents' quality of life. The aim of this paper is to investigate the prevalence of different aetiologies of vertigo in the paediatric population through a systematic review.

Genetic and Non Genetic Hearing Loss and Associated Disabilities: An Epidemiological Survey in Emilia-Romagna Region.

Hearing loss is one of the most common congenital sensory disorders. It can be associated with several comorbidities, in particular developmental disabilities (DD). In Emilia-Romagna (ER), a region in Northern Italy, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide the diagnostic framework and treatment for these conditions.

Unexpected hearing improvement after treatment with valganciclovir in a child with congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

A 32-week preterm-born male with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection was treated with valganciclovir. He was also affected by congenital severe bilateral hearing loss and, unexpectedly, a normalization of the hearing threshold was reached at one year of age. The improvement of hearing level in relationship with both the late development of the auditory system and the administration of antiviral therapy is discussed.