"Flammer syndrome: a response to the unknown aspects of acute inner ear troubles?." Hearing, Balance and Communication, 17(2), pp. 132–133

Object: Selective auditory attention and speech perception in the presence of noise are necessary skills to correctly process speech. Persian version of monaural selective auditory attention test [P-mSAAT] that simultaneously assesses selective auditory attention and speech in noise perception performance was used in the present study.Design: The P-mSAAT was performed on 89 normal children aged 6 to 9 and 24 children with learning disability sampled from different schools in Tehran in two competitive and non-competitive ways.Results: The average of test scores had a significant difference in a competitive way between normal and children with learning disability (P < 0/001). Furthermore, the test scores improved as a function of age in the both groups.Conclusion: Findings of the current study demonstrated that children presented with learning disability had difficulty in speech perception in the presence of competitive noise accompanied by reduced selective auditory attention ability. It is also suggested that P-mSAAT can be used as a screening test in diagnosing Learning disability in children aged 6 to 9 due to its high sensitivity.

Objective: The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of number of talkers (2-talker, 4-talker, 8-talker, 10-talker and 12-talker) in native (Kannada) and non-native (English) speech babble on acceptable noise level (ANL) in individuals with normal hearing; and to compare ANL obtained in the presence of Kannada speech babble with that of English speech babble across different number of talker babbles.Study sample: Thirty participants between in the age range of 18-24 years with normal hearing sensitivity participated in the study. ANL was obtained in the presence of different number of talkers in English and Kannada languages.Results: The results revealed that Kannada talker babble had lower ANL for 8-talker babble whereas in English, 2-talker babble had the lowest ANL. The results also showed that ANL was lower when Kannada babble was used when compared to English babble. The reason for this result could be due to familiarity with the languages and the similarity between the two languages of interest.

Objective: Monitor the impact of Video Head Impulse Testing (vHIT) conducted during initial ENT consultations on diagnosis rates and requirement for onward referral for further laboratory-based vestibular testing.Design: Prospective service evaluation audit.Setting: ENT outpatients department of a tertiary balance service within a University Teaching Hospital.Main outcome measures: The capability of vHIT to identify vestibular pathology was recorded in 100 consecutive dizzy patients prospectively enrolled into the study. Diagnosis rates at first appointment, as well as the need to onward refer for further vestibular testing, were noted.Results: Of the 100 new patients seen with dizziness, 85% were diagnosed and managed by the end of the first appointment. VHIT was conducted in 83% of cases and provided clinically useful information that aided diagnosis in over 90% of these cases.Conclusions: vHIT is a safe, quick and noninvasive way of obtaining clinically useful information relating to the function of all three semicircular canal pairs within an ENT outpatient clinic. It does not replace advanced vestibular testing but acts as a useful adjunct that can be used to reach a diagnosis more quickly and thereby provide a more efficient patient centred model of care.

Background: Speech perception abilities showed great variability among different cochlear implants (CIs) recipients. Assessment of such perceptual abilities through behavioural speech perception tests is very limited, especially in young recipients. Hence, objective auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) can be very important in the assessment of such a young age group.Objectives: To study the ability to use different types of speech evoked AEPs clinically for the assessment of auditory pathway at different levels in children fitted with CIs.Methods: Two groups of children fitted with CIs participated in this study. They were divided into two groups according to their language improvement quotient (LIQ): Group I: included 20 children with LIQ >0.7 and Group II: included 20 children with LIQ <0.7. Children were evaluated through an auditory skills assessment, aided sound field, aided speech evoked AEPs.Results: Children of group I showed better aided-AEPs results in response to speech stimuli compared with group II with the significant positive effect of early age of implantation on the results.Conclusions: Objective aided-AEPs recording in response to complex sounds (such as speech) can be used efficiently for evaluation of speech perception at different levels along the auditory pathway in children fitted with CIs. In addition, they constitute a promising tool for following up and designing the appropriate rehabilitation programs.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a multidisciplinary group information as a part of a Stepped Care tinnitus management model. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered before and after the group information to evaluate the effects.Method: In total, 627 patients participated in half-day tinnitus information meetings from 2004 to 2011 in our clinic. We retrieved 426 patients for analysis with complete scores on the THI, HADS, and a questionnaire covering background information. These three questionnaires were used before the information meeting, and the THI and HADS at a 1-month follow-up.Results: Significant decreases were found in scores on the THI (p < .001) and the HADS-A (p < .05), pre- and post-information session. However, no significant changes were observed on the HADS-D.Conclusion: An information meeting as a part of multidisciplinary Stepped Care model can be an effective initial approach to manage tinnitus, and serve as a filter for patients who need additional treatment.

Purpose: Acoustic change complex (ACC) reflects brain’s capacity to discriminate the acoustic features present in the signal, hence serves as an index of discrimination capacity. ACC for intensity changes and gaps-in-noise have consistently shown that the ACC threshold is consistent with behavioral intensity discrimination and gap detection thresholds. While, the ACC threshold for frequency change is found to be highly variable. The present study was carried out to investigate the agreement between behavioral frequency discrimination threshold and the ACC threshold for frequency change.Methods: Ten young adults with normal hearing in both ears participated in the study. The ACC was elicited using frequency changing tones, with a frequency change of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 Hz.Results: The present study showed that a greater frequency change is required to elicit the ACC compared to behavioral discrimination threshold. In most of the participants, a frequency change greater than 50 Hz was required to elicit the ACC. Magnitude of frequency change had effect on latency and amplitude of peaks of the ACC, amplitude was higher and latency was shorter for greater frequency change.Conclusion: ACC threshold for frequency change does not resemble behavioral discrimination threshold and is variable across participants.

Purpose: About 7% of children between 6 and 17 years of age suffer from non-organic hearing loss (NOHL), yet little is known about how audiologists diagnose and manage this population. Audiologist appraisal of various approaches of evaluating children with NOHL was surveyed in order to determine which approaches are used most frequently and are perceived as most effective.Method: A web-based survey was distributed to audiologists working in pediatric centers and by word of mouth. Of 72 respondents, 61 submitted a complete survey. Analysis of the responses was performed to determine what term audiologists use when describing this population, which approaches are perceived as most effective and used most frequently, and what is the perceived role of the audiologist in managing this population.Results: As a whole, results were heterogeneous. The most used term to describe this presentation was ‘functional’ by 38% of respondents. The most effective approaches were restricted range, conditioned play, and reinstruction. The least effective approaches were behavioral observation, ear pointing, and counting beeps. Respondents primarily described the role of the audiologist as one of referral source back to the medical home or specialist.Conclusion: Overall responses to the survey were heterogeneous. This area may benefit from a practice statement that provides guidance on evaluating this population as well as further research on actual effectiveness of the test approaches (versus perceived).

The present study attempted to determine health-related quality of life in individuals with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). COMOT-15 and COMQ-12 questionnaires were administered to 100 individuals with CSOM of South India. The study also attempted to determine the possible predictors (demographic and audiological results) of HRQOL based on demographic details (gender, onset and nature of hearing loss) and pure-tone average. The results of study showed that individuals with CSOM in South India exhibit poor health-related quality of life. The ear-related symptoms and emotional difficulties because of CSOM affect their HRQOL. The study also showed that scores were poorer in individuals with higher degree of loss and longer onset of CSOM. It was also found that gender and nature of hearing loss were poor predictors of HRQOL measures. Thus, it is essential to determine HRQOL measures to understand the problems from the patient’s perspective and provide appropriate management.