Hearing Thresholds In Group Research Articles

Mild and moderate COVID-19 disease does not affect hearing function permanently: a cross-sectional study ınvolving young and middle-aged healthcare givers.

PurposeTo assess the hearing function of patients with mild and moderate COVID-19.MethodsThe hospital staffs recovered from COVID-19 were included. The candidates who had an ear disease or progressive hearing loss prior to COVID-19, or having been hospitalised because of severe and critical COVID-19 were excluded. The age, sex, symptoms during COVID-19, and medications received for the disease were noted. The hearing thresholds (HT) of the participants who had an audiogram before having COVID-19 disease were recorded. A pure tone audiometry was conducted to all. The participants were classified into two groups; Group 1: participants who had an audiogram previously, Group 2: participants who didn’t have an audiogram previously. The changes of the HTs of the participants in Group 1 were analyzed. The HTs of the participants in Group 2 were documented without any comparison. The HTs of all participants were also analyzed by classifying them into subgroups according to their symptoms during, and medications received for COVID-19.ResultsFifty-four males and 47 females (18–59 years) were included. The participants’ HTs in Group 1 (n = 31) did not change significantly at any of the frequencies after having COVID-19 (p > 0.05). The pure tone averages of the participants in Group 2 (n = 70) were below 25 dB and none of the participants reported worsening of their hearing permanently. The differences between the HTs of none of the subgroups were statistically significant (p > 0.05, p > 0.05).ConclusionsMild and moderate COVID-19 and its treatments did not affect the hearing function permanently.

Association of Conductive Hearing Loss with the Structural Changes in the Organ of Corti

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of conductive hearing loss (CHL) with the structural changes in the organ of Corti. Methods: Twenty ears of 10 healthy adult Wistar albino rats were included in the study. The right ears (n = 10) of the animals served as controls (group 1), and no surgical intervention was performed in these ears. A tympanic membrane perforation without annulus removal was performed under operative microscope on the left ears (n = 5) in 5 of 10 animals (group 2). A tympanic membrane perforation with annulus removal was performed under operative microscope on the left ears (n = 5) of the remaining 5 animals (group 3). Auditory brainstem response testing was performed in the animals before the interventions. After 3 months, the animals were sacrificed, their temporal bones were removed, and inner ears were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The organ of Corti was evaluated from the cochlear base to apex in the modiolar axis, and the parameters were scored semiquantitatively. Results: In group 1, the pre- and post-intervention hearing thresholds were similar (p > 0.05). In group 2, a hearing decrease of at least 5 dB was encountered in all test frequencies (p > 0.05). In group 3, at the frequency range of 2–32 kHz, there was a significant hearing loss after 3 months (p < 0.01). After 3 months, the hearing thresholds in group 2 and 3 were higher than group 1 (p < 0.01). The hearing threshold in group 3 was higher than group 2 (p < 0.01). On SEM evaluation, the general cell morphology and stereocilia of the outer hair cells were preserved in all segments of the cochlea in group 1 with a mean SEM score of 0.2. There was segmental degeneration in the general cell morphology and outer hair cells in group 2 with a mean SEM score of 2.2. There was widespread degeneration in the general cell morphology and outer hair cells in group 3 with a mean SEM score of 3.2. The SEM scores of group 2 and 3 were significantly higher than group 1 (p < 0.05). The SEM scores of group 3 were significantly higher than group 2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CHL may be associated with an inner ear damage. The severity of damage appears to be associated with severity and duration of CHL. Early correction of CHL is advocated in order to reverse or prevent progression of the inner ear damage, which will enhance the success rates of hearing restoration surgeries. Subjective differences and compliance of the hearing aid users may be due to the impact of CHL on inner ear structures.

Comparative study between over underlay with classical underlay techniques of tympanoplasty

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; The objective of the study was to compare the over underlay tympanoplasty technique with classical underlay tympanoplasty in terms of hearing impairment, graft acceptance and complications.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; 60 patients of chronic otitis media, mucosal, inactive, aged between 16-60 years who presented to ENT OPD with small, medium, large and subtotal perforations having mild to moderate conductive hearing loss were included in the study. After taking informed consent, patients were randomly divided into 2 groups containing 30 patients each. In group A, graft was placed medial to the handle of malleus and medial to the annulus (underlay technique), while in group B, graft was placed lateral to the handle of malleus and medial to the annulus (over underlay technique). Both groups were reviewed after 6 months. Pre-operative and post-operative air bone gap were compared. Surgery was considered successful based on post-operative graft uptake, hearing improvement and maintenance of middle ear space. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; In group A, re-perforation was seen in 8 cases (26.7%) whereas only 3 cases (10%) in group B had re-perforation. Medialization was noted among 4 patients in group A (13.3%), and was absent in group B. Lateralization was absent in both the groups. Post-operative hearing threshold in group A was 6.2±4.56 dB and in group B was 11.45±7.38 dB.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; Over underlay tympanoplasty is a safer technique as compared to classical underlay, showing lower rates of re-perforation or medialization and a significant improvement in hearing. Hence over-underlay is an effective method, having higher success rates.&lt;/p&gt;

Association Between Hearing Impairment and Albuminuria With or Without Diabetes Mellitus.

Objectives Few studies have evaluated the accurate association between hearing loss (HL) and albuminuria in patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of our study was to identify the clinical effects of albuminuria on HL with or without DM.Methods This study included 9,762 patients from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2011 and 2013. Participants were divided into 4 groups based on DM and urine albumin/creatinine ratio levels: group 1 included participants with neither DM nor albuminuria, group 2 included participants without DM and with albuminuria, group 3 included patients with DM and without albuminuria, and group 4 included patients with both DM and albuminuria. The low- or mid-frequency and high-frequency, and average hearing threshold values were obtained.Results There were 7,508, 545, 1,325, and 384 participants in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the 3 hearing thresholds in group 1 were the lowest and those in group 4 were the highest among the 4 groups. No significant differences were observed in those thresholds between groups 2 and 3. Group 4 was associated with HL compared with the other groups, but moderate to severe HL was not associated with DM or albuminuria.Conclusion The presence of albuminuria was associated with a modest effect on hearing thresholds regardless of presence of DM.

Neuroprotective Effects of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) on Hearing in Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is still one of the most common causes of acquired profound sensorineural deafness in children despite antibiotic treatment. We investigated the neuroprotective effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor on hearing function in experimental bacterial meningitis. We implanted stainless steel tubes into both cerebral ventricles of Sprague-Dawley rats aged 21 days. Bacterial meningitis was induced by inoculating a strain of serotype III Streptococcus pneumoniae into the cisterna magna. Six micrograms per day of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (groups 1 and 3) or albumin (groups 2 and 4) was injected into the cerebral ventricles 24 hours after or before infection, respectively, for a duration of 7 days. Additionally, all rats received antibiotic subcutaneous treatment starting 24 hours after infection for 7 days. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials were recorded 24 hours before and 24 hours after infection and after 7 days of treatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor or placebo and antibiotics, respectively, to determine hearing threshold. Our results showed that the hearing thresholds of animals in each group increased significantly 24 hours after infection compared with the results recorded 24 hours before infection (P < .01). After 7 days of treatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor, brainstem auditory evoked potential responses recurred in 16 ears when stimulated at 75 dB hearing level in groups 1 and 3. Their hearing thresholds significantly decreased compared with the control group 2 (P < .05) and group 4 (P < .01). However, 13 of 14 ears absent brainstem auditory evoked potential responses could still not be identified at 75 dB hearing level in control groups 2 and 4. The improvement of the hearing thresholds in group 3 (treated before infection) was greater than that of group 1 (treated after infection) (P < .05), but there was no significant difference found between the control groups before and after infection (P > .05). Our study supports the hypothesis that the administration of exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor can be effective in preventing or treating hearing loss following bacterial meningitis.