Association between adult-onset hearing loss and dementia biomarkers: A systematic review.

Background And Objective: People with adult-onset hearing loss (AoHL) are at increased dementia risk. In this study, we explore potential aetiological mechanisms by synthesising the evidence on the association between AoHL and neuropathological, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood and imaging biomarkers of dementia.

Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases from inception to 30 April 2024 for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, including quantitative data on the association between AoHL and dementia biomarkers.

Comprehension of acoustically degraded emotional prosody in Alzheimer's disease and primary progressive aphasia.

Previous research suggests that emotional prosody perception is impaired in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). However, no previous research has investigated emotional prosody perception in these diseases under non-ideal listening conditions. We recruited 18 patients with AD, and 31 with PPA (nine logopenic (lvPPA); 11 nonfluent/agrammatic (nfvPPA) and 11 semantic (svPPA)), together with 24 healthy age-matched individuals.

New Fresnel lens loupe for nystagmus observation suitable for use by medical staff in emergency departments.

Background: Reduction of spontaneous nystagmus by fixation, a characteristic feature of peripheral nystagmus, is important for differentiating between peripheral and central vestibular disorders. In the emergency room, Frenzel goggles are recommended to observe spontaneous nystagmus for the differential diagnosis of acute vestibular syndrome. We developed a portable loupe with a Fresnel lens to observe nystagmus.

British version of the Iowa test of consonant perception.

The Iowa Test of Consonant Perception is a single-word closed-set speech-in-noise test with well-balanced phonetic features. The current study aimed to establish a U.K.

Frequency analyses of postural sway demonstrate the use of sounds for balance given vestibular loss.

Purpose: To investigate how adults with unilateral vestibular hypofunction and healthy controls incorporate visual and auditory cues for postural control in an abstract visual environment.

Methods: Participants stood on foam wearing the HTC Vive, observing an immersive 3-wall display of 'stars' that were either static or dynamic (moving front to back at 32 mm, 0.2 Hz) with no sound, static white noise, or moving white noise played via headphones.

Virtual reality games for spatial hearing training in children and young people with bilateral cochlear implants: the "Both Ears (BEARS)" approach.

Spatial hearing relies on the encoding of perceptual sound location cues in space. It is critical for communicating in background noise, and understanding where sounds are coming from (sound localization). Although there are some monoaural spatial hearing cues (i.

The effectiveness of putative wearable repellent technologies to protect against mosquito biting and Aedes-borne diseases, and their economic impact.

Viruses transmitted by mosquitoes threaten the health of millions of people worldwide. There is an urgent need for new tools for personal protection to ensure that vulnerable individuals are protected from infectious bites when outdoors. Here, we test the efficacy of wash-in and spray-on repellents against Aedes aegypti.

Auditory processing deficits in subacute stroke.

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of disability worldwide. Stroke results in focal neurological deficit and often leads to auditory problems due to its impact on the auditory pathway. Altered connections in the auditory pathway, caused by stroke, can result in hearing difficulties ranging from impaired sound detection to altered auditory perception.

The Relationship of Pitch Discrimination with Segregation of Tonal and Speech Streams for Cochlear Implant Users.

Cochlear implant (CI) users often complain about music appreciation and speech recognition in background noise, which depend on segregating sound sources into perceptual streams. The present study examined relationships between frequency and fundamental frequency (F0) discrimination with stream segregation of tonal and speech streams for CI users and peers with no known hearing loss. Frequency and F0 discrimination were measured for 1,000 Hz pure tones and 110 Hz complex tones, respectively.

Cochlear Implantation With Sporadic Inner Ear Schwannomas: Outcomes in 106 Patients From an International Multi-Institutional Study.

Objective: To evaluate cochlear implant speech perception among patients with sporadic inner ear schwannoma who underwent ipsilateral implantation.

Study Design: Retrospective multi-institutional cohort study.

Setting: Eleven tertiary academic medical centers across Germany, Denmark, and the United States.

Dual task iTUG to investigate increased fall risk among older adults with bilateral hearing loss.

Objectives: To investigate fall risk among older adults with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (BHL) by comparing single task (ST) and dual task (DT) performance on the instrumented "Timed Up & Go" test (iTUG). The TUG is a well-validated clinical tool for fall risk; addition of wireless sensors increases the test's sensitivity and allows for subcomponent analysis.

Methods: Adults with audiometrically confirmed normal hearing or BHL were prospectively recruited and screened for visual, musculoskeletal, neurologic, or vestibular pathology and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) < 10.

Sustained EEG responses to rapidly unfolding stochastic sounds reflect Bayesian inferred reliability tracking.

How does the brain track and process rapidly changing sensory information? Current computational accounts suggest that our sensations and decisions arise from the intricate interplay between bottom-up sensory signals and constantly changing expectations regarding the statistics of the surrounding world. A significant focus of recent research is determining which statistical properties are tracked by the brain as it monitors the rapid progression of sensory information. Here, by combining EEG (three experiments N ≥ 22 each) and computational modelling, we examined how the brain processes rapid and stochastic sound sequences that simulate key aspects of dynamic sensory environments.

Association Between the Development of Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Blood NAD Levels.

Background: Hearing loss prevalence increases with age, affecting over 25% of the global population aged 60 years or older. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the development of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and the blood levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD).

Methods: A single-center, observational study was conducted at Kawagoe Otology Institute in Japan.

Allergy and autoinflammation drive persistent systemic inflammatory response in Meniere Disease: A longitudinal study.

Background: Meniere disease (MD), an inner ear disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors, potentially leads to chronic inflammation. This study evaluates whether inflammation in MD patients is driven by allergy or autoinflammation.

Methods: 2-year longitudinal study.

Programmed cell death: molecular mechanisms, biological functions, diseases, and therapeutic targets.

Programmed cell death represents a precisely regulated and active cellular demise, governed by a complex network of specific genes and proteins. The identification of multiple forms of programmed cell death has significantly advanced the understanding of its intricate mechanisms, as demonstrated in recent studies. A thorough grasp of these processes is essential across various biological disciplines and in the study of diseases.

Large language models surpass human experts in predicting neuroscience results.

Scientific discoveries often hinge on synthesizing decades of research, a task that potentially outstrips human information processing capacities. Large language models (LLMs) offer a solution. LLMs trained on the vast scientific literature could potentially integrate noisy yet interrelated findings to forecast novel results better than human experts.

Beyond the cochlea: exploring the multifaceted nature of hearing loss in primary mitochondrial diseases.

Primary mitochondrial diseases, with diverse systemic manifestations, often present with auditory impairments due to mitochondrial dysfunction. This study provides an in-depth exploration of auditory deficits in primary mitochondrial diseases, highlighting the impact of various pathogenic variants on both cochlea and neural/central auditory functions. An observational study involving 72 adults with primary mitochondrial diseases was conducted.

The role of cochlea extracellular matrix in age-related hearing loss.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a common disease among the elderly. Although its pathogenesis remains unclear by now, it is widely accepted that ARHL is associated with the degenerative alterations within each component of the cochlea. Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in cochlear structure and function, providing not only structural support but also participating in vital physiological processes including the development, differentiation, survival of auditory sensory cells, and sound perception.

The 2-week wait pathway for suspected head and neck cancers in patients with throat and voice symptoms: referral patterns, common clinical practice and diagnostic efficacy of NICE guidelines.

Introduction: The 2-week wait (2ww) referral pathway has been introduced into UK clinical practice to increase the early detection of cancer and improve survivals. The efficiency of this system for head and neck (H&N) cancers has been questioned over the years because of evidence of low pick-up rates. H&N cancers present with a wide variety of non-specific symptoms, particularly throat and voice symptoms.

Improved intracochlear biopolymeric drug delivery system: an study.

Background: The delivery of drugs into the inner ear is a challenging field of study due to the complex cochlear anatomy and physiology. The creation of an intracochlear device that allows for short- and long-term intracochlear delivery of the drugs with a minimal invasive technology is needed to prevent or treat conditions that can potentially prevent the development of permanent hearing loss.

Aim: This study intends to test the efficacy of DXM-infused PLGA microneedles created in our laboratory in an animal model of acute ototoxic injury.

Safety Outcomes of Balloon Dilation Eustachian Tuboplasty in Pediatric Patients: A Follow-Up Study.

Objectives: Balloon dilation eustachian tuboplasty (BDET) has gained popularity as a treatment modality for chronic eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) in both adults and children. Although its safety and efficacy in the adult population have been well described, very few large-sample studies assessing its safety profile have been performed in the pediatric population. This study serves as a follow-up to a previously published analysis assessing the safety of BDET in the pediatric population.

Inherited Spinocerebellar Ataxia Segregates with Intra-Familial Genetic Heterogeneity in a Consanguineous Pakistani Family: A Report of a Potential Novel Candidate Gene.

Hereditary spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a group of genetic neurodegenerative disorders caused by a variety of gene variants. At least 44 types of SCAs have been identified to date, and more than 35 genes and hundreds of variants have been reported that are associated with SCAs. We have investigated a Pakistani consanguineous six-generation family with SCA by using whole-exome sequencing analysis.