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No description available.

No description available.

Similarities between the peripheral auditory and vestibular systems suggest that children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may demonstrate vestibular and balance impairments. This hypothesis was studied in 40 children with severe to profound SNHL and unilateral cochlear implants (CI). Vestibular function was assessed with caloric, rotational, and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing; balance was assessed with standardized static and dynamic tests. Horizontal semicircular canal function was abnormal in 53% (17/32) with caloric, and 39% (14/36) with rotational stimulation. Saccular function was absent bilaterally in 5/26 (19%) and unilaterally in 5/26 (19%) with VEMP. Balance abilities were significantly poorer (μ=12.9±5(SD)) than normal hearing controls (μ=17±5(SD); p=0.0006) and correlated best with horizontal canal function from rotational stimulation (p=0.004;R2=0.24). SNHL from meningitis was associated with worse balance function than other etiologies. Vestibular and balance dysfunction occurred in >1/3 of children with SNHL and CI, and is highly dependent on etiology.

Similarities between the peripheral auditory and vestibular systems suggest that children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may demonstrate vestibular and balance impairments. This hypothesis was studied in 40 children with severe to profound SNHL and unilateral cochlear implants (CI). Vestibular function was assessed with caloric, rotational, and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing; balance was assessed with standardized static and dynamic tests. Horizontal semicircular canal function was abnormal in 53% (17/32) with caloric, and 39% (14/36) with rotational stimulation. Saccular function was absent bilaterally in 5/26 (19%) and unilaterally in 5/26 (19%) with VEMP. Balance abilities were significantly poorer (μ=12.9±5(SD)) than normal hearing controls (μ=17±5(SD); p=0.0006) and correlated best with horizontal canal function from rotational stimulation (p=0.004;R2=0.24). SNHL from meningitis was associated with worse balance function than other etiologies. Vestibular and balance dysfunction occurred in >1/3 of children with SNHL and CI, and is highly dependent on etiology.

Sclerosteosis is a rare genetic bone dysplasia disorder characterised by generalised craniotubular bone modelling. Alongside many clinical appearances marked in sclerosteosis, the auditory system is considerably compromised on several levels during the disease progression. Extensive otolaryngological research on the history of sclerosteosis, the clinical presentation of sclerosteosis, radiographic studies and the gene causing the condition had been documented. No studies had been found describing the audiological profiles, auditory functioning and abnormalities for subjects with sclerosteosis. Thus the object of this study aimed to describe the auditory profile of subjects with sclerosteosis. A cross-sectional descriptive research design and quantitative research approach was followed to investigate the auditory characteristics of subjects with sclerosteosis. Subjects were selected from a database of patients with confirmed diagnoses of sclerosteosis. Ten subjects responded and provided written informed consent. Test procedures included otoscopy, tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, diagnostic pure-tone airand bone-conduction audiometry, speech audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and computed tomographic (CT) scans. The subjects were assessed with a comprehensive audiological test-battery within a single test session lasting approximately two hours. A CT scan was conducted on a separate occasion shortly after the audiological data were obtained. Normal type A tympanograms were obtained in 50% (n=10/20) of ears. All subjects presented with mixed hearing losses varying from moderate (5%; n=1), severe (55%; n=11) and profound (40%; n=8) degrees across ears. Hearing loss configurations ranged from rising (15%), sloping (35%) and air-conduction thresholds peaking at 2000 Hz (50%). Air bone gaps (ABG) were larger in older subjects, although not statistically significant (p>.05). The CT scans indicated anatomical abnormalities of the external auditory canal, tympanic membrane, middle ear space, ossicles, oval window, round window and the internal auditory canal. The progressive abnormal bone formation in sclerosteosis involved the middle ear, the round and oval windows of the cochlea and internal auditory canal. The progressive abnormal bony overgrowth, which is the hallmark of sclerosteosis, led to functional impairment at various levels in the auditory system. The current findings provided a comprehensive auditory profile for sclerosteosis. Results might be utilised alongside future research findings to direct criteria and audiological indications for surgical and audiological intervention. / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

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The purpose of the study was to determine whether hearing aids with binaural processing improve performance during a localization and a hearing in noise task. The study included 16 participants, ages 29 – 67, with bilateral, essentially symmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss who had no prior hearing aid experience. Participants were fit with Oticon Epoq XW hearing aids bilaterally and completed the localization and the hearing in noise task with three listening conditions: (1) without hearing aids (NO), (2) with hearing aids that were not linked (BIL), and (3) with hearing aids that were linked (BIN). For the localization task, 1.5 second pink noise bursts at 75 dB SPL were used as the stimulus. A 180° 11-speaker array was set up to the right or left side of the participants. A twelfth speaker on the contralateral side of the array introduced constant background pink noise at 65 dB SPL. Results revealed that participants performed the best with the NO condition, followed by BIL, then BIN. There was a significant difference between NO and BIL and NO and BIN. For the hearing in noise (HIN) task, sentences from the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) were used as target stimuli. Continuous discourse by one male and two female talkers were used as maskers. There were four masker conditions for this task: (1) signal at 0°, masker at 90° (S0-N90), (2) signal at 0°, masker at 180° (S0-N180), (3) signal at 0°, masker at 270° (S0-N270), and (4) signal at 0°, maskers at 90°, 180°, and 270° (S0-N90, 180, 270). Results revealed that there was no significant difference between listening conditions when all masker conditions were considered. When the one-masker conditions were included, there was a significant difference between the NO and BIL and the NO and BIN conditions with the best performance for BIL, followed by BIN, then NO. Results also revealed a significant difference between masker conditions with the best performance for S0-N270, next best for S0-N90, followed by S0-N180, then S0-N90, 180, 270. / text

Doctor Educationis / Ototoxic induced hearing loss is a common adverse event related to aminoglycosides used in Multi Drug Resistant -Tuberculosis treatment. Exposure to ototoxic drugs damages the structures of the inner ear. Symptomatic hearing loss presents as tinnitus, decreased hearing, a blocked sensation, difficulty understanding speech, and perception of fluctuating hearing, dizziness and hyperacusis/recruitment. The World Health Organization (1995) indicated that most cases of ototoxic hearing loss globally could be attributed to treatment with aminoglycosides. The aim of the study was to determine the proportion of DR-TB patients initiated on treatment at three decentralized sites during a defined period (1st October to 31st December 2015) who developed ototoxic induced hearing loss and the corresponding risk factors, whilst receiving audiological monitoring with an extended high frequency audiometer (KUDUwave). A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Cumulatively across the three decentralized sites, 69 patient records were reviewed that met the inclusion criteria of the study. The mean age of the patients was 36.1, with a standard deviation (SD) of 10.7 years; more than half (37) were female. Ototoxicity , a threshold shift, placing patients at risk of developing a hearing loss was detected in 56.5% (n=39)of patients and not detected in 30.4%(n=21).The remaining 13,1% (n=9)is missing data. As a result, the regimen was adjusted in 36.2% of patients. . From the 53 patients who were tested for hearing loss post completion of the injectable phase of treatment, 22.6% (n=12) had normal hearing, 17.0 % (n=9) had unilateral hearing loss, and 60.4% (n=32) had bilateral hearing loss. Therefore, a total of 41 patients had a degree of hearing loss: over 30% (n=22)had mild to moderate hearing loss, and only about 15% (n=11)had severe to profound hearing loss. Analysis of risk factors showed that having ototoxicity detected and not adjusting regimen significantly increases the risk of patients developing a hearing loss. The key findings of the study have shown that a significant proportion of DR-TB patients receiving an aminoglycoside based regimen are at risk of developing ototoxic induced hearing loss, despite receiving audiological monitoring with an extended high frequency audiometer that allows for early detection of ototoxicity (threshold shift).