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OtoRhinoLaryngology by Sfakianakis G.Alexandros Sfakianakis G.Alexandros,Anapafseos 5 Agios Nikolaos 72100 Crete Greece,tel : 00302841026182,00306932607174
What is Tinnitus?
Those who have this condition often hear noise even if there is none nearby. It may sound similar to ringing, clicking or hissing. These sounds may make it harder to sleep or concentrate, which could lead to depression or anxiety. In some cases, the sounds are present in one ear although they are generally present in both ears. When no one else can hear the noises a person with tinnitus hears, it is referred to as subjective tinnitus. When the sounds can be heard with a doctor’s stethoscope, it is referred to as objective tinnitus.
What Would the Auris Medical AM101 Do to Help Patients?
The medication comes in the form of a gel that is administered through a series of injections over the course of three to five days. Once the gel has been injected, it then diffuses through different surfaces of the ear. The gel itself is made from biologically compatible material that will biodegrade in a timely manner. The drug then acts as a blocker of NMDA receptors that are thought to excite the auditory nerves and disrupt natural hearing.
What Would Happen if Auris Medical AM101 is Successful?
Early results indicate that patients experience a dramatic improvement in symptoms after 90 days of treatment. There was an average tinnitus loudness improvement of 48 percent while more than 60 patients indicated that they had improved symptoms. Those who underwent treatment for tinnitus after acute acoustic trauma also saw improvements in their ability to sleep compared to the control group. If the drug continues to show positive results, it may become the first drug approved by the FDA to treat acute inner ear tinnitus.
If approved for use on patients, it may be possible for those who suffer from ringing or consistent loud noises could find relief. Although it may not completely eliminate the symptoms, those who have the condition could find it easier to function during the day. By reducing or suppressing symptoms, it could be possible for individuals with tinnitus to live happier and more productive lives both today and in the future.
In this paper, ultrasound measurements of 1:1 scale three-dimensional(3D) printed trabecular bone phantoms are reported. The micro-structure of a trabecular horse bone sample was obtained via synchrotron x-ray microtomography, converted to a 3D binary data set, and successfully 3D-printed at scale 1:1. Ultrasound through-transmission experiments were also performed through a highly anisotropic version of this structure, obtained by elongating the digitized structure prior to 3D printing. As in real anisotropic trabecular bone, both the fast and slow waves were observed. This illustrates the potential of stereolithography and the relevance of such bone phantoms for the study of ultrasound propagation in bone.
This paper provides a review on the use of acoustics to measure stiffness of standing trees, stems, and logs. An outline is given of the properties of wood and how these are related to stiffness and acoustic velocity throughout the tree. Factors are described that influence the speed of sound in wood, including the different types of acoustic waves which propagate in tree stems and lumber. Acoustic tools and techniques that have been used to measure the stiffness of wood are reviewed. The reasons for a systematic difference between direct and acoustic measurements of stiffness for standing trees, and methods for correction, are discussed. Other techniques, which have been used in addition to acoustics to try to improve stiffness measurements, are also briefly described. Also reviewed are studies which have used acoustic tools to investigate factors that influence the stiffness of trees. These factors include different silvicultural practices, geographic and environmental conditions, and genetics.
Blind humans echolocate nearby targets by emitting palatal clicks and perceiving echoes that the auditory system is not able to resolve temporally. The mechanism for perceiving near-range echoes is not known. This paper models the direct mouth-to-ear signal (MES) and the echo to show that the echo enhances the high-frequency components in the composite MES/echo signal with features that allow echolocation. The mouth emission beam narrows with increasing frequency and exhibits frequency-dependent transmission notches in the backward direction toward the ears as predicted by the piston-in-sphere model. The ears positioned behind the mouth detect a MES that contains predominantly the low frequencies contained in the emission. Hence the high-frequency components in the emission that are perceived by the ears are enhanced by the echoes. A pulse/echo audible sonar verifies this model by echolocating targets from 5 cm range, where the MES and echo overlap significantly, to 55 cm. The model predicts that unambiguous ranging occurs over a limited range and that there is an optimal range that produces the highest range resolution.
In the biosonar systems of bats, emitted acoustic energy and receiver sensitivity are distributed over direction and frequency through beampattern functions that have diverse and often complicated geometries. This complexity could be used by the animals to determine the direction of incoming sounds based on spectral signatures. The present study has investigated how well bat biosonar beampatterns are suited for direction finding using a measure of the smallest estimator variance that is possible for a given direction [Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB)]. CRLB values were estimated for numerical beampattern estimates derived from 330 individual shape samples, 157 noseleaves (used for emission), and 173 outer ears (pinnae). At an assumed 60 dB signal-to-noise ratio, the average value of the CRLB was 3.9°, which is similar to previous behavioral findings. Distribution for the CRLBs in individual beampatterns had a positive skew indicating the existence of regions where a given beampattern does not support a high accuracy. The highest supported accuracies were for direction finding in elevation (with the exception of phyllostomid emission patterns). No large, obvious differences in the CRLB (greater 2° in the mean) were found between the investigated major taxonomic groups, suggesting that different bat species have access to similar direction-finding information.
In this paper, ultrasound measurements of 1:1 scale three-dimensional(3D) printed trabecular bone phantoms are reported. The micro-structure of a trabecular horse bone sample was obtained via synchrotron x-ray microtomography, converted to a 3D binary data set, and successfully 3D-printed at scale 1:1. Ultrasound through-transmission experiments were also performed through a highly anisotropic version of this structure, obtained by elongating the digitized structure prior to 3D printing. As in real anisotropic trabecular bone, both the fast and slow waves were observed. This illustrates the potential of stereolithography and the relevance of such bone phantoms for the study of ultrasound propagation in bone.
A thin line between Meniere's disease and spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome.
Med Glas (Zenica). 2016 Feb 1;13(1):31-5
Authors: Botica I, Vrca A, Špero M, Šubarić M, Carić T, Vrca Botica M, Kovačić J, Makaruha K, Roglić A
Abstract
Aim To point out the similarity of Meniere disease and spontaneous intracranial hypotension and difference of their treatment. Methods A case of a 54-year-old male patient with previously diagnosed Meniere's disease and newly diagnosed spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome is presented. Additional neuroradiological examination, Brain contrast-enhanced MRI and MR myelography were used for diagnosis. Results Due to deterioration of vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus in the right ear the patient was referred to the additional neuroradiological examination which confirmed the diagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome. Brain contrast-enhanced MRI showed increased pachymeningeal contrast enhancement, and MR myelography identified the location of CSF leak. The patient was successfully treated conservatively. Conclusion According to our knowledge this is the fifth case report of Meniere's disease and spontaneous intracranial hypotension coexistence. Both diseases have similar clinical presentation and initial treatment. We suggest procedures of additional examination when the treatment fails and initial diagnosis becomes questionable.
PMID: 26827704 [PubMed - in process]