Does Tinnitus Increase In Intensity?

 

Many people with tinnitus wonder, “Does tinnitus increase in intensity over time?” There is no surefire way to determine whether the volume of your tinnitus will increase in the future. However, in most people, tinnitus volume does increase as time passes. If a medical condition is the cause of your tinnitus, then your physician and audiologist may be able to provide you with detailed information about how your tinnitus will change over time.

When Does Tinnitus Increase in Intensity?
In most people, tinnitus increases in volume as the months and years go by. You may experience life changes such as increased stress, hypertension or heart disease that cause your tinnitus to worsen. If you are a smoker, continuing to smoke may also cause your tinnitus to increase in intensity over time. Temporary medical issues such as a migraine headache can also lead to temporary or permanent increases in tinnitus volume. You might also notice that the pitch of your tinnitus changes. A higher pitch of tinnitus may make it sound louder than it did previously.

Variable Symptoms of Tinnitus
In some people, tinnitus volume varies. General changes in your health may affect the loudness of tinnitus, as can your level of rest and relaxation. When you are healthy, getting enough sleep and have a low level of stress in your life, you may find that your tinnitus volume decreases. If you can maintain good health and work with your medical team, you may be able to maintain the lower volume of tinnitus. Adjusting your tinnitus masker may also help with the management of tinnitus symptoms that change.

Protecting Your Hearing
There is no guarantee of how your tinnitus will change over time. However, the answer to the question of, “Does tinnitus increase in intensity over time?” is a resounding “Yes” for most people. The best action that you can take to prevent your tinnitus from worsening is to protect your hearing. Protect your hearing by avoiding loud noises whenever possible. When loud noise cannot be avoided, use hearing protection. If you are a carpenter, you may want to invest in the highest grade of noise elimination headphones available. If you plan to visit a music concert, you may wish to wear headphones or physician-approved ear plugs. Avoiding smoking and only taking medications as prescribed by your physician can also help to protect your hearing and minimize your risk of worsening tinnitus.

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Analysis of Temporal Change in Voice Quality After Thyroidectomy: Single-institution Prospective Study

Publication date: Available online 25 May 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Doh Young Lee, Ki Jeong Lee, Soo Min Hwang, Kyoung Ho Oh, Jae-Gu Cho, Seung-Kuk Baek, Soon-Young Kwon, Jeong-Soo Woo, Kwang-Yoon Jung
ObjectivesThis study analyzed the temporal changes of voice quality after thyroidectomy and assessed the predictive perioperative parameters of postthyroidectomy voice disorder (PTVD).Study designThis is a prospective cohort study.MethodsFrom March 2011 to July 2014, 559 patients who underwent thyroidectomy with or without central neck dissection were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent prospective voice evaluation using the subjective and objective comprehensive battery of assessments, preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months.ResultsFundamental frequency (F0) was not significantly decreased during the postoperative follow-up. Maximal vocal pitch (MVP) and maximal intensity were not recovered, even at 1 year postoperatively, whereas the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain scale reached preoperative value at postoperative 3–6 months and voice handicap index at 1 year. Postoperative 1-month MVP was the best predictor for PTVD, and the cut-off value was 80% of preoperative value. Wide surgical extent and high preoperative F0 were the parameters that significantly correlated with PTVD (P = 0.021 and P < 0.001, respectively), and large tumor, higher preoperative MVP, and lower postoperative 1-month F0 were significantly associated with permanent PTVD (P = 0.028, P < 0.001, and P = 0.003, respectively).ConclusionsDifferent recovery patterns of voice parameters should be considered in preoperative counseling. Intensive voice therapy may be needed for patients with the ability to produce higher pitch than normal preoperatively and wide surgical extent.



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Spectrum and Frequency of the GJB2 Gene Pathogenic Variants in a Large Cohort of Patients with Hearing Impairment Living in a Subarctic Region of Russia (the Sakha Republic)

by Nikolay A. Barashkov, Vera G. Pshennikova, Olga L. Posukh, Fedor M. Teryutin, Aisen V. Solovyev, Leonid A. Klarov, Georgii P. Romanov, Nyurgun N. Gotovtsev, Andrey A. Kozhevnikov, Elena V. Kirillina, Oksana G. Sidorova, Lena M. Vasilyevа, Elvira E. Fedotova, Igor V. Morozov, Alexander A. Bondar, Natalya A. Solovyevа, Sardana K. Kononova, Adyum M. Rafailov, Nikolay N. Sazonov, Anatoliy N. Alekseev, Mikhail I. Tomsky, Lilya U. Dzhemileva, Elza K. Khusnutdinova, Sardana A. Fedorova

Pathogenic variants in the GJB2 gene, encoding connexin 26, are known to be a major cause of hearing impairment (HI). More than 300 allelic variants have been identified in the GJB2 gene. Spectrum and allelic frequencies of the GJB2 gene vary significantly among different ethnic groups worldwide. Until now, the spectrum and frequency of the pathogenic variants in exon 1, exon 2 and the flanking intronic regions of the GJB2 gene have not been described thoroughly in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), which is located in a subarctic region in Russia. The complete sequencing of the non-coding and coding regions of the GJB2 gene was performed in 393 patients with HI (Yakuts—296, Russians—51, mixed and other ethnicities—46) and in 187 normal hearing individuals of Yakut (n = 107) and Russian (n = 80) populations. In the total sample (n = 580), we revealed 12 allelic variants of the GJB2 gene, 8 of which were recessive pathogenic variants. Ten genotypes with biallelic recessive pathogenic variants in the GJB2 gene (in a homozygous or a compound heterozygous state) were found in 192 out of 393 patients (48.85%). We found that the most frequent GJB2 pathogenic variant in the Yakut patients was c.-23+1G>A (51.82%) and that the second most frequent was c.109G>A (2.37%), followed by c.35delG (1.64%). Pathogenic variants с.35delG (22.34%), c.-23+1G>A (5.31%), and c.313_326del14 (2.12%) were found to be the most frequent among the Russian patients. The carrier frequencies of the c.-23+1G>A and с.109G>A pathogenic variants in the Yakut control group were 10.20% and 2.80%, respectively. The carrier frequencies of с.35delG and c.101T>C were identical (2.5%) in the Russian control group. We found that the contribution of the GJB2 gene pathogenic variants in HI in the population of the Sakha Republic (48.85%) was the highest among all of the previously studied regions of Asia. We suggest that extensive accumulation of the c.-23+1G>A pathogenic variant in the indigenous Yakut population (92.20% of all mutant chromosomes in patients) and an extremely high (10.20%) carrier frequency in the control group may indicate a possible selective advantage for the c.-23+1G>A carriers living in subarctic climate.

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May 25 Is National Wine Day!

Celebrated each year, it has a sister holiday in February, National Drink Wine Day. I guess today you're just supposed to pour a glass and admire it. If you DO elect to consume, the resveratrol (a polyphenolic compound found in grape skin) in red wine has been shown to be of potential benefit in prevention of ischemic, noise, and age-related hearing loss, though the mechanism of protection remains unclear.

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Parents of Deaf Children, Stuck in the Middle of an Argument

Thoughtful piece on the dilemma faced by parents of “deaf” children. One thing that many audiologists might take issue with is the statement that “hearing aid use in children, which requires years of visits with doctors, audiologists, and speech therapists, remains controversial.”  Studies show that early diagnosis, ongoing intervention with hearing aids, and aural (re)habilitation is beneficial for children with adequate residual hearing.

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Indexing head movement during speech production using optical markers

Optical marker tracking integrated with electromagnetic articulometry was used to assess the movement extent of various points on (a) forehead skin and (b) points on a head-mounted apparatus, relative to a fixed point just above the upper incisors, and to compare the accuracy of the two different approaches to indexing head position during speech production. Both methods can provide a satisfactory index of head position. If skin-affixed markers are used, a minimum of 4 is recommended. Locations for optimal marker placement are identified.

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The role of spectral detail in the binaural transfer function on perceived externalization in a reverberant environment

Individual binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs) were recorded at a distance of 1.5 m for azimuth angles of 0° and 50° in a reverberant room. Spectral details were reduced in either the direct or the reverberant part of the BRIRs by averaging the magnitude responses with band-pass filters. For various filter bandwidths, the modified BRIRs were convolved with broadband noise and listeners judged the perceived position of the noise when virtualized over headphones. Only reductions in spectral details of the direct part obtained with filter bandwidths broader than one equivalent rectangular bandwidth affected externalization. Reductions in spectral details of the reverberant part had only little influence on externalization. In both conditions, externalization was not as pronounced at 0° as at 50°. To characterize the auditory processes that may be involved in the perception of externalization, a quantitative model is proposed. The model includes an echo-suppression mechanism, a filterbank describing the frequency selectivity in the cochlea and a binaural stage that measures the deviations of the interaural level differences between the considered input and the unmodified input. These deviations, integrated across frequency, are then mapped to a value that corresponds to the perceived externalization.

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On the sampling criterion for structural radiation in fluid

When experimentally investigating the sound radiating from vibrating structures the surface is discretised into elemental areas also referred to as patches in which the surface vibrations are considered uniform. In many cases the structural Nyquist criterion imposes very small patch sizes which turn the experimental analysis into an overwhelmingly elaborate and error-prone task. The possibility to use a coarse sampling scheme for the surface velocity can greatly enhance the practical feasibility of such experimental investigations. Here the special case of a simply supported baffled plate excited by a broadband point force is considered. It is shown that accurate approximations of the radiated power may be obtained well beyond the frequency limit imposed by the structural Nyquist sampling criterion, provided the complex-valued vibration field is averaged over each patch. This is due to the fact that the structural wave components with wavenumbers greater than the acoustic wavenumber tend to be averaged out, owing to the mutual canceling of areas which vibrate out-of-phase within each patch, leaving only those components that contribute significantly to the radiated sound. It turns out, however, that this canceling process is not complete and that an error is introduced by the spatial aliasing. An analytical expression is derived allowing one to quantify this error and to optimise the patch size given a desired accuracy level and frequency range for the assessment of the radiated power. The proposed sampling criterion not only allows one to significantly reduce the measurement efforts when the radiation of vibro-acoustic systems are experimentally investigated but can also be applied to reduce the size of numerical models for weakly coupled structural-acoustic systems.

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Eliciting the most prominent perceived differences between microphones

The attributes contributing to the differences perceived between microphones (when auditioning recordings made with those microphones) are not clear from previous research. Consideration of technical specifications and expert opinions indicated that recording five programme items with eight studio and two microelectromechanical system microphones could allow determination of the attributes related to the most prominent inter-microphone differences. Pairwise listening comparisons between the resulting 50 recordings, followed by multi-dimensional scaling analysis, revealed up to 5 salient dimensions per programme item; 17 corresponding pairs of recordings were selected exemplifying the differences across those dimensions. Direct elicitation and panel discussions on the 17 pairs identified a hierarchy of 40 perceptual attributes. An attribute contribution experiment on the 31 lowest-level attributes in the hierarchy allowed them to be ordered by degree of contribution and showed brightness, harshness, and clarity to always contribute highly to perceived inter-microphone differences. This work enables the future development of objective models to predict these important attributes.

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Indexing head movement during speech production using optical markers

Optical marker tracking integrated with electromagnetic articulometry was used to assess the movement extent of various points on (a) forehead skin and (b) points on a head-mounted apparatus, relative to a fixed point just above the upper incisors, and to compare the accuracy of the two different approaches to indexing head position during speech production. Both methods can provide a satisfactory index of head position. If skin-affixed markers are used, a minimum of 4 is recommended. Locations for optimal marker placement are identified.

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study

10.1080/14992027.2016.1182651<br/>Ning-Chia Chang

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study

10.1080/14992027.2016.1182651<br/>Ning-Chia Chang

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study

10.1080/14992027.2016.1182651<br/>Ning-Chia Chang

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study

10.1080/14992027.2016.1182651<br/>Ning-Chia Chang

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study

10.1080/14992027.2016.1182651<br/>Ning-Chia Chang

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 24;:1-8

Authors: Chang NC, Dai CY, Lin WY, Chien CY, Hsieh MH, Ho KY

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and severity of hearing impairment (HI), the self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a hearing aid (HA) in the elderly population in southern Taiwan.
DESIGN: This community-based study was performed in a metropolitan hospital. A questionnaire about the perception of HI and the willingness to use a HA was used. The severity of HI in speech-frequency pure-tone average (PTA) was evaluated. The associations between sex, age, severity of HI, self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a HA were analysed.
STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 599 volunteers were recruited from the health management center; 324 (54.1%) males and 275 (45.9%) females, who were 65 years of age or older.
RESULTS: The prevalence of HI >25 dBHL in the elderly was 78%. The predicted levels for elderly persons to perceive HI and hearing difficulties were 34.38 dBHL and 54.38 dBHL, respectively. Males and younger participants were more willing to use HA. The primary reasons for refusing HA use were discomfort (25.1%) and a self-perception that the HA was unnecessary (19.7%).
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HI was high among the elderly population in southern Taiwan. Age and sex were the determinants of HA use.

PMID: 27218891 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 23;:1-11

Authors: Plant K, van Hoesel R, McDermott H, Dawson P, Cowan R

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine post-implantation benefit and time taken to acclimate to the cochlear implant for adult candidates with more hearing in the contralateral non-implanted ear than has been previously considered within local candidacy guidelines.
DESIGN: Prospective, within-subject experimental design.
STUDY SAMPLE: Forty postlingual hearing-impaired adult subjects with a contralateral ear word score in quiet ranging from 27% to 100% (median 67%).
RESULTS: Post-implantation improvement of 2.4 dB and 4.0 dB was observed on a sentence in coincident babble test at presentation levels of 65 and 55 dB SPL respectively, and a 2.1 dB benefit in spatial release from masking (SRM) advantage observed when the noise location favoured the implanted side. Significant post-operative group mean change of between 2.1 and 3.0 was observed on the sub-scales of the speech, spatial, and qualities (SSQ) questionnaire. Degree of post-implantation speech reception threshold (SRT) benefit on the coincident babble test and on perception of soft speech and sounds in the environment was greater for subjects with less contralateral hearing. The degree of contralateral acoustic hearing did not affect time taken to acclimate to the device.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study support cochlear implantation for candidates with substantial acoustic hearing in the contralateral ear, and provide guidance regarding post-implantation expectations.

PMID: 27216386 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 24;:1-8

Authors: Chang NC, Dai CY, Lin WY, Chien CY, Hsieh MH, Ho KY

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and severity of hearing impairment (HI), the self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a hearing aid (HA) in the elderly population in southern Taiwan.
DESIGN: This community-based study was performed in a metropolitan hospital. A questionnaire about the perception of HI and the willingness to use a HA was used. The severity of HI in speech-frequency pure-tone average (PTA) was evaluated. The associations between sex, age, severity of HI, self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a HA were analysed.
STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 599 volunteers were recruited from the health management center; 324 (54.1%) males and 275 (45.9%) females, who were 65 years of age or older.
RESULTS: The prevalence of HI >25 dBHL in the elderly was 78%. The predicted levels for elderly persons to perceive HI and hearing difficulties were 34.38 dBHL and 54.38 dBHL, respectively. Males and younger participants were more willing to use HA. The primary reasons for refusing HA use were discomfort (25.1%) and a self-perception that the HA was unnecessary (19.7%).
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HI was high among the elderly population in southern Taiwan. Age and sex were the determinants of HA use.

PMID: 27218891 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 23;:1-11

Authors: Plant K, van Hoesel R, McDermott H, Dawson P, Cowan R

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine post-implantation benefit and time taken to acclimate to the cochlear implant for adult candidates with more hearing in the contralateral non-implanted ear than has been previously considered within local candidacy guidelines.
DESIGN: Prospective, within-subject experimental design.
STUDY SAMPLE: Forty postlingual hearing-impaired adult subjects with a contralateral ear word score in quiet ranging from 27% to 100% (median 67%).
RESULTS: Post-implantation improvement of 2.4 dB and 4.0 dB was observed on a sentence in coincident babble test at presentation levels of 65 and 55 dB SPL respectively, and a 2.1 dB benefit in spatial release from masking (SRM) advantage observed when the noise location favoured the implanted side. Significant post-operative group mean change of between 2.1 and 3.0 was observed on the sub-scales of the speech, spatial, and qualities (SSQ) questionnaire. Degree of post-implantation speech reception threshold (SRT) benefit on the coincident babble test and on perception of soft speech and sounds in the environment was greater for subjects with less contralateral hearing. The degree of contralateral acoustic hearing did not affect time taken to acclimate to the device.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study support cochlear implantation for candidates with substantial acoustic hearing in the contralateral ear, and provide guidance regarding post-implantation expectations.

PMID: 27216386 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 24;:1-8

Authors: Chang NC, Dai CY, Lin WY, Chien CY, Hsieh MH, Ho KY

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and severity of hearing impairment (HI), the self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a hearing aid (HA) in the elderly population in southern Taiwan.
DESIGN: This community-based study was performed in a metropolitan hospital. A questionnaire about the perception of HI and the willingness to use a HA was used. The severity of HI in speech-frequency pure-tone average (PTA) was evaluated. The associations between sex, age, severity of HI, self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a HA were analysed.
STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 599 volunteers were recruited from the health management center; 324 (54.1%) males and 275 (45.9%) females, who were 65 years of age or older.
RESULTS: The prevalence of HI >25 dBHL in the elderly was 78%. The predicted levels for elderly persons to perceive HI and hearing difficulties were 34.38 dBHL and 54.38 dBHL, respectively. Males and younger participants were more willing to use HA. The primary reasons for refusing HA use were discomfort (25.1%) and a self-perception that the HA was unnecessary (19.7%).
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HI was high among the elderly population in southern Taiwan. Age and sex were the determinants of HA use.

PMID: 27218891 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 23;:1-11

Authors: Plant K, van Hoesel R, McDermott H, Dawson P, Cowan R

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine post-implantation benefit and time taken to acclimate to the cochlear implant for adult candidates with more hearing in the contralateral non-implanted ear than has been previously considered within local candidacy guidelines.
DESIGN: Prospective, within-subject experimental design.
STUDY SAMPLE: Forty postlingual hearing-impaired adult subjects with a contralateral ear word score in quiet ranging from 27% to 100% (median 67%).
RESULTS: Post-implantation improvement of 2.4 dB and 4.0 dB was observed on a sentence in coincident babble test at presentation levels of 65 and 55 dB SPL respectively, and a 2.1 dB benefit in spatial release from masking (SRM) advantage observed when the noise location favoured the implanted side. Significant post-operative group mean change of between 2.1 and 3.0 was observed on the sub-scales of the speech, spatial, and qualities (SSQ) questionnaire. Degree of post-implantation speech reception threshold (SRT) benefit on the coincident babble test and on perception of soft speech and sounds in the environment was greater for subjects with less contralateral hearing. The degree of contralateral acoustic hearing did not affect time taken to acclimate to the device.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study support cochlear implantation for candidates with substantial acoustic hearing in the contralateral ear, and provide guidance regarding post-implantation expectations.

PMID: 27216386 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Perception of hearing impairment and the willingness to use hearing aids in an elderly population in southern Taiwan: A community-based study.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 24;:1-8

Authors: Chang NC, Dai CY, Lin WY, Chien CY, Hsieh MH, Ho KY

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and severity of hearing impairment (HI), the self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a hearing aid (HA) in the elderly population in southern Taiwan.
DESIGN: This community-based study was performed in a metropolitan hospital. A questionnaire about the perception of HI and the willingness to use a HA was used. The severity of HI in speech-frequency pure-tone average (PTA) was evaluated. The associations between sex, age, severity of HI, self-perception of HI, and the willingness to use a HA were analysed.
STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 599 volunteers were recruited from the health management center; 324 (54.1%) males and 275 (45.9%) females, who were 65 years of age or older.
RESULTS: The prevalence of HI >25 dBHL in the elderly was 78%. The predicted levels for elderly persons to perceive HI and hearing difficulties were 34.38 dBHL and 54.38 dBHL, respectively. Males and younger participants were more willing to use HA. The primary reasons for refusing HA use were discomfort (25.1%) and a self-perception that the HA was unnecessary (19.7%).
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HI was high among the elderly population in southern Taiwan. Age and sex were the determinants of HA use.

PMID: 27218891 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Influence of contralateral acoustic hearing on adult bimodal outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Int J Audiol. 2016 May 23;:1-11

Authors: Plant K, van Hoesel R, McDermott H, Dawson P, Cowan R

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine post-implantation benefit and time taken to acclimate to the cochlear implant for adult candidates with more hearing in the contralateral non-implanted ear than has been previously considered within local candidacy guidelines.
DESIGN: Prospective, within-subject experimental design.
STUDY SAMPLE: Forty postlingual hearing-impaired adult subjects with a contralateral ear word score in quiet ranging from 27% to 100% (median 67%).
RESULTS: Post-implantation improvement of 2.4 dB and 4.0 dB was observed on a sentence in coincident babble test at presentation levels of 65 and 55 dB SPL respectively, and a 2.1 dB benefit in spatial release from masking (SRM) advantage observed when the noise location favoured the implanted side. Significant post-operative group mean change of between 2.1 and 3.0 was observed on the sub-scales of the speech, spatial, and qualities (SSQ) questionnaire. Degree of post-implantation speech reception threshold (SRT) benefit on the coincident babble test and on perception of soft speech and sounds in the environment was greater for subjects with less contralateral hearing. The degree of contralateral acoustic hearing did not affect time taken to acclimate to the device.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study support cochlear implantation for candidates with substantial acoustic hearing in the contralateral ear, and provide guidance regarding post-implantation expectations.

PMID: 27216386 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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RFX transcription factors are essential for hearing in mice.

Related Articles

RFX transcription factors are essential for hearing in mice.

Nat Commun. 2015;6:8549

Authors: Elkon R, Milon B, Morrison L, Shah M, Vijayakumar S, Racherla M, Leitch CC, Silipino L, Hadi S, Weiss-Gayet M, Barras E, Schmid CD, Ait-Lounis A, Barnes A, Song Y, Eisenman DJ, Eliyahu E, Frolenkov GI, Strome SE, Durand B, Zaghloul NA, Jones SM, Reith W, Hertzano R

Abstract
Sensorineural hearing loss is a common and currently irreversible disorder, because mammalian hair cells (HCs) do not regenerate and current stem cell and gene delivery protocols result only in immature HC-like cells. Importantly, although the transcriptional regulators of embryonic HC development have been described, little is known about the postnatal regulators of maturating HCs. Here we apply a cell type-specific functional genomic analysis to the transcriptomes of auditory and vestibular sensory epithelia from early postnatal mice. We identify RFX transcription factors as essential and evolutionarily conserved regulators of the HC-specific transcriptomes, and detect Rfx1,2,3,5 and 7 in the developing HCs. To understand the role of RFX in hearing, we generate Rfx1/3 conditional knockout mice. We show that these mice are deaf secondary to rapid loss of initially well-formed outer HCs. These data identify an essential role for RFX in hearing and survival of the terminally differentiating outer HCs.

PMID: 26469318 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Challenges and solutions for gene identification in the presence of familial locus heterogeneity.

Related Articles

Challenges and solutions for gene identification in the presence of familial locus heterogeneity.

Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1207-15

Authors: Rehman AU, Santos-Cortez RL, Drummond MC, Shahzad M, Lee K, Morell RJ, Ansar M, Jan A, Wang X, Aziz A, Riazuddin S, Smith JD, Wang GT, Ahmed ZM, Gul K, Shearer AE, Smith RJ, Shendure J, Bamshad MJ, Nickerson DA, University of Washington Center for Mendelian Genomics, Hinnant J, Khan SN, Fisher RA, Ahmad W, Friderici KH, Riazuddin S, Friedman TB, Wilch ES, Leal SM

Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of exomes and genomes has accelerated the identification of genes involved in Mendelian phenotypes. However, many NGS studies fall short of identifying causal variants, with estimates for success rates as low as 25% for uncovering the pathological variant underlying disease etiology. An important reason for such failures is familial locus heterogeneity, where within a single pedigree causal variants in two or more genes underlie Mendelian trait etiology. As examples of intra- and inter-sibship familial locus heterogeneity, we present 10 consanguineous Pakistani families segregating hearing impairment due to homozygous variants in two different hearing impairment genes and a European-American pedigree in which hearing impairment is caused by four variants in three different genes. We have identified 41 additional pedigrees with syndromic and nonsyndromic hearing impairment for which a single previously reported hearing impairment gene has been identified but only segregates with the phenotype in a subset of affected pedigree members. We estimate that locus heterogeneity occurs in 15.3% (95% confidence interval: 11.9%, 19.9%) of the families in our collection. We demonstrate novel approaches to apply linkage analysis and homozygosity mapping (for autosomal recessive consanguineous pedigrees), which can be used to detect locus heterogeneity using either NGS or SNP array data. Results from linkage analysis and homozygosity mapping can also be used to group sibships or individuals most likely to be segregating the same causal variants and thereby increase the success rate of gene identification.

PMID: 25491636 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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The effect of proprioceptive knee bracing on knee stability during three different sport related movement tasks in healthy subjects and the implications to the management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2016
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): I. Hanzlíková, J. Richards, M. Tomsa, A. Chohan, K. May, D. Smékal, J. Selfe
IntroductionProprioceptive knee braces have been shown to improve knee mechanics, however much of the work to date has focused on tasks such as slow step down tasks rather than more dynamic sporting tasks.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore if such improvements in stability may be seen during faster sports specific tasks as well as slower tasks.MethodTwelve subjects performed a slow step down, single leg drop jump and pivot turn jump with and without a silicone web brace. 3D kinematics of the knee were collected using a ten camera Qualisys motion analysis system. Reflective markers were placed on the foot, shank, thigh and pelvis using the Calibrated Anatomical Systems Technique. A two way ANOVA with repeated measures was performed with post-hoc pairwise comparison to explore the differences between the two conditions and three tasks.ResultsSignificant differences were seen in the knee joint angles and angular velocities in the sagittal, coronal and transverse planes between the tasks. The brace showed a reduction in knee valgum and internal rotation across all tasks, with the most notable effect during the single leg drop jump and pivot turn jump. The transverse plane also showed a significant reduction in the external rotation knee angular velocity when wearing the brace.DiscussionThe brace influenced the knee joint kinematics in coronal and transverse planes which confirms that such braces can have a significant effect on knee control during dynamic tasks. Further studies are required exploring the efficacy of proprioceptive braces in athletic patient cohort.



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The effects of visual feedback during a rhythmic weight-shifting task in patients with Parkinson's disease

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2016
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Maarten R.C. van den Heuvel, Andreas Daffertshofer, Peter J. Beek, Gert Kwakkel, Erwin E.H. van Wegen
Augmented visual feedback (VF) may offer benefits similar to those of rhythmic external cues in alleviating some mobility-related difficulties in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, due to an impaired ability to reweigh sensory information under changing circumstances, subjects with PD may be rather vulnerable to incongruity of visual information. In the present study, we investigated whether VF is indeed effective in improving motor functioning in a weight-shifting task during upright stance, and whether subjects with PD are affected more by incongruent VF than healthy controls. Participants performed sideways swaying motions based on tracking of real-time and delayed VF–the first providing congruent, and hence more accurate, visual information than the latter. We analyzed center-of-pressure signals patterns for 28 individuals with PD and 16 healthy, age- and gender-matched controls by estimating task accuracy, movement pattern variability, and normalized movement amplitude. For conditions without feedback and with real-time feedback, subjects with PD performed lateral swaying motions with greater error (F(1,42)=12.065, p=.001) and with more variable movement patterns than healthy controls (F(1, 24)=113.086, p<.001). Error change scores revealed that patients with PD were nevertheless still able to use VF to improve tracking performance (t(24)=-2.366, p=.026). However, whereas controls were able to adapt to a certain amount of visual incongruity, patients with PD were not. Instead, movement amplitude was significantly reduced in this group (F(1.448, 60.820)=17.639, p<.001). By reducing movement amplitude, subjects with PD appear to resort to a ‘conservative’ strategy to minimize performance breakdown.



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The effect of proprioceptive knee bracing on knee stability during three different sport related movement tasks in healthy subjects and the implications to the management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2016
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): I. Hanzlíková, J. Richards, M. Tomsa, A. Chohan, K. May, D. Smékal, J. Selfe
IntroductionProprioceptive knee braces have been shown to improve knee mechanics, however much of the work to date has focused on tasks such as slow step down tasks rather than more dynamic sporting tasks.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore if such improvements in stability may be seen during faster sports specific tasks as well as slower tasks.MethodTwelve subjects performed a slow step down, single leg drop jump and pivot turn jump with and without a silicone web brace. 3D kinematics of the knee were collected using a ten camera Qualisys motion analysis system. Reflective markers were placed on the foot, shank, thigh and pelvis using the Calibrated Anatomical Systems Technique. A two way ANOVA with repeated measures was performed with post-hoc pairwise comparison to explore the differences between the two conditions and three tasks.ResultsSignificant differences were seen in the knee joint angles and angular velocities in the sagittal, coronal and transverse planes between the tasks. The brace showed a reduction in knee valgum and internal rotation across all tasks, with the most notable effect during the single leg drop jump and pivot turn jump. The transverse plane also showed a significant reduction in the external rotation knee angular velocity when wearing the brace.DiscussionThe brace influenced the knee joint kinematics in coronal and transverse planes which confirms that such braces can have a significant effect on knee control during dynamic tasks. Further studies are required exploring the efficacy of proprioceptive braces in athletic patient cohort.



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The effects of visual feedback during a rhythmic weight-shifting task in patients with Parkinson's disease

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2016
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Maarten R.C. van den Heuvel, Andreas Daffertshofer, Peter J. Beek, Gert Kwakkel, Erwin E.H. van Wegen
Augmented visual feedback (VF) may offer benefits similar to those of rhythmic external cues in alleviating some mobility-related difficulties in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, due to an impaired ability to reweigh sensory information under changing circumstances, subjects with PD may be rather vulnerable to incongruity of visual information. In the present study, we investigated whether VF is indeed effective in improving motor functioning in a weight-shifting task during upright stance, and whether subjects with PD are affected more by incongruent VF than healthy controls. Participants performed sideways swaying motions based on tracking of real-time and delayed VF–the first providing congruent, and hence more accurate, visual information than the latter. We analyzed center-of-pressure signals patterns for 28 individuals with PD and 16 healthy, age- and gender-matched controls by estimating task accuracy, movement pattern variability, and normalized movement amplitude. For conditions without feedback and with real-time feedback, subjects with PD performed lateral swaying motions with greater error (F(1,42)=12.065, p=.001) and with more variable movement patterns than healthy controls (F(1, 24)=113.086, p<.001). Error change scores revealed that patients with PD were nevertheless still able to use VF to improve tracking performance (t(24)=-2.366, p=.026). However, whereas controls were able to adapt to a certain amount of visual incongruity, patients with PD were not. Instead, movement amplitude was significantly reduced in this group (F(1.448, 60.820)=17.639, p<.001). By reducing movement amplitude, subjects with PD appear to resort to a ‘conservative’ strategy to minimize performance breakdown.



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The effect of proprioceptive knee bracing on knee stability during three different sport related movement tasks in healthy subjects and the implications to the management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2016
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): I. Hanzlíková, J. Richards, M. Tomsa, A. Chohan, K. May, D. Smékal, J. Selfe
IntroductionProprioceptive knee braces have been shown to improve knee mechanics, however much of the work to date has focused on tasks such as slow step down tasks rather than more dynamic sporting tasks.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore if such improvements in stability may be seen during faster sports specific tasks as well as slower tasks.MethodTwelve subjects performed a slow step down, single leg drop jump and pivot turn jump with and without a silicone web brace. 3D kinematics of the knee were collected using a ten camera Qualisys motion analysis system. Reflective markers were placed on the foot, shank, thigh and pelvis using the Calibrated Anatomical Systems Technique. A two way ANOVA with repeated measures was performed with post-hoc pairwise comparison to explore the differences between the two conditions and three tasks.ResultsSignificant differences were seen in the knee joint angles and angular velocities in the sagittal, coronal and transverse planes between the tasks. The brace showed a reduction in knee valgum and internal rotation across all tasks, with the most notable effect during the single leg drop jump and pivot turn jump. The transverse plane also showed a significant reduction in the external rotation knee angular velocity when wearing the brace.DiscussionThe brace influenced the knee joint kinematics in coronal and transverse planes which confirms that such braces can have a significant effect on knee control during dynamic tasks. Further studies are required exploring the efficacy of proprioceptive braces in athletic patient cohort.



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The effects of visual feedback during a rhythmic weight-shifting task in patients with Parkinson's disease

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2016
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Maarten R.C. van den Heuvel, Andreas Daffertshofer, Peter J. Beek, Gert Kwakkel, Erwin E.H. van Wegen
Augmented visual feedback (VF) may offer benefits similar to those of rhythmic external cues in alleviating some mobility-related difficulties in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, due to an impaired ability to reweigh sensory information under changing circumstances, subjects with PD may be rather vulnerable to incongruity of visual information. In the present study, we investigated whether VF is indeed effective in improving motor functioning in a weight-shifting task during upright stance, and whether subjects with PD are affected more by incongruent VF than healthy controls. Participants performed sideways swaying motions based on tracking of real-time and delayed VF–the first providing congruent, and hence more accurate, visual information than the latter. We analyzed center-of-pressure signals patterns for 28 individuals with PD and 16 healthy, age- and gender-matched controls by estimating task accuracy, movement pattern variability, and normalized movement amplitude. For conditions without feedback and with real-time feedback, subjects with PD performed lateral swaying motions with greater error (F(1,42)=12.065, p=.001) and with more variable movement patterns than healthy controls (F(1, 24)=113.086, p<.001). Error change scores revealed that patients with PD were nevertheless still able to use VF to improve tracking performance (t(24)=-2.366, p=.026). However, whereas controls were able to adapt to a certain amount of visual incongruity, patients with PD were not. Instead, movement amplitude was significantly reduced in this group (F(1.448, 60.820)=17.639, p<.001). By reducing movement amplitude, subjects with PD appear to resort to a ‘conservative’ strategy to minimize performance breakdown.



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