Toward Optimizing Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials: Normalization Reduces the Need for Strong Neck Muscle Contraction

Background: The cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) represents an inhibitory reflex of the saccule measured in the ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) in response to acoustic or vibrational stimulation. Since the cVEMP is a modulation of SCM electromyographic (EMG) activity, cVEMP amplitude is proportional to muscle EMG amplitude. We sought to evaluate muscle contraction influences on cVEMP peak-to-peak amplitudes (VEMPpp), normalized cVEMP amplitudes (VEMPn), and inhibition depth (VEMPid). Methods: cVEMPs at 500 Hz were measured in 25 healthy subjects for 3 SCM EMG contraction ranges: 45-65, 65-105, and 105-500 μV root mean square (r.m.s.). For each range, we measured cVEMP sound level functions (93-123 dB peSPL) and sound off, meaning that muscle contraction was measured without acoustic stimulation. The effect of muscle contraction amplitude on VEMPpp, VEMPn, and VEMPid and the ability to distinguish cVEMP presence/absence were evaluated. Results: VEMPpp amplitudes were significantly greater at higher muscle contractions. In contrast, VEMPn and VEMPid showed no significant effect of muscle contraction. Cohen's d indicated that for all 3 cVEMP metrics contraction amplitude variations produced little change in the ability to distinguish cVEMP presence/absence. VEMPid more clearly indicated saccular output because when no acoustic stimulus was presented the saccular inhibition estimated by VEMPid was zero, unlike those by VEMPpp and VEMPn. Conclusion: Muscle contraction amplitude strongly affects VEMPpp amplitude, but contractions 45-300 μV r.m.s. produce stable VEMPn and VEMPid values. Clinically, there may be no need for subjects to exert high contraction effort. This is especially beneficial in patients for whom maintaining high SCM contraction amplitudes is challenging.
Audiol Neurotol 2017;22:282-291

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The Benefits of Singing and Strolling

We’ve heard of whistling while you work, but what about singing while you walk? Preliminary findings from a recent study (Harrison et al, 2017) suggest that those with mild to moderate Parkinson’s  disease may see improvement (i.e., less variability) in their gait if they sing a little tune while they stroll along. While previous research has demonstrated the benefit of “external rhythmic auditory stimuli” has on gait in those with Parkinson’s, this is the first to use a self-mediated approach.

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Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Int J Audiol. 2018 Jan 09;:1-10

Authors: Neher T, Wagener KC, Fischer RL

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Research findings concerning the relation between benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are inconsistent. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory and the relation with reading span.
DESIGN: Using a computer simulation of bilaterally fitted HAs, four settings were tested: (1) unprocessed, (2) directional microphones, (3) single-channel noise reduction, and (4) binaural coherence-based noise reduction. Settings 2-4 were matched in terms of the speech-weighted signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement. Auditory working memory was assessed at +6 dB SNR using listening span and N-back paradigms.
STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty experienced HA users aged 55-80 years with large differences in reading span.
RESULTS: For the listening span measurements, there was an influence of HA setting on sentence-final word recognition and recall, with the directional microphones leading to ∼6% better performance than the single-channel noise reduction. For the N-back measurements, there was substantial test-retest variability and no influence of HA setting. No interactions with reading span were found.
CONCLUSION: HA noise suppression may affect the recognition and recall of speech at positive SNRs, irrespective of individual reading span. Future work should improve the reliability of the auditory working memory measurements.

PMID: 29316819 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Int J Audiol. 2018 Jan 09;:1-10

Authors: Neher T, Wagener KC, Fischer RL

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Research findings concerning the relation between benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are inconsistent. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory and the relation with reading span.
DESIGN: Using a computer simulation of bilaterally fitted HAs, four settings were tested: (1) unprocessed, (2) directional microphones, (3) single-channel noise reduction, and (4) binaural coherence-based noise reduction. Settings 2-4 were matched in terms of the speech-weighted signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement. Auditory working memory was assessed at +6 dB SNR using listening span and N-back paradigms.
STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty experienced HA users aged 55-80 years with large differences in reading span.
RESULTS: For the listening span measurements, there was an influence of HA setting on sentence-final word recognition and recall, with the directional microphones leading to ∼6% better performance than the single-channel noise reduction. For the N-back measurements, there was substantial test-retest variability and no influence of HA setting. No interactions with reading span were found.
CONCLUSION: HA noise suppression may affect the recognition and recall of speech at positive SNRs, irrespective of individual reading span. Future work should improve the reliability of the auditory working memory measurements.

PMID: 29316819 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Int J Audiol. 2018 Jan 09;:1-10

Authors: Neher T, Wagener KC, Fischer RL

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Research findings concerning the relation between benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are inconsistent. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory and the relation with reading span.
DESIGN: Using a computer simulation of bilaterally fitted HAs, four settings were tested: (1) unprocessed, (2) directional microphones, (3) single-channel noise reduction, and (4) binaural coherence-based noise reduction. Settings 2-4 were matched in terms of the speech-weighted signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement. Auditory working memory was assessed at +6 dB SNR using listening span and N-back paradigms.
STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty experienced HA users aged 55-80 years with large differences in reading span.
RESULTS: For the listening span measurements, there was an influence of HA setting on sentence-final word recognition and recall, with the directional microphones leading to ∼6% better performance than the single-channel noise reduction. For the N-back measurements, there was substantial test-retest variability and no influence of HA setting. No interactions with reading span were found.
CONCLUSION: HA noise suppression may affect the recognition and recall of speech at positive SNRs, irrespective of individual reading span. Future work should improve the reliability of the auditory working memory measurements.

PMID: 29316819 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function.

Int J Audiol. 2018 Jan 09;:1-10

Authors: Neher T, Wagener KC, Fischer RL

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Research findings concerning the relation between benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are inconsistent. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory and the relation with reading span.
DESIGN: Using a computer simulation of bilaterally fitted HAs, four settings were tested: (1) unprocessed, (2) directional microphones, (3) single-channel noise reduction, and (4) binaural coherence-based noise reduction. Settings 2-4 were matched in terms of the speech-weighted signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement. Auditory working memory was assessed at +6 dB SNR using listening span and N-back paradigms.
STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty experienced HA users aged 55-80 years with large differences in reading span.
RESULTS: For the listening span measurements, there was an influence of HA setting on sentence-final word recognition and recall, with the directional microphones leading to ∼6% better performance than the single-channel noise reduction. For the N-back measurements, there was substantial test-retest variability and no influence of HA setting. No interactions with reading span were found.
CONCLUSION: HA noise suppression may affect the recognition and recall of speech at positive SNRs, irrespective of individual reading span. Future work should improve the reliability of the auditory working memory measurements.

PMID: 29316819 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Association between community noise and adiposity in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Association between community noise and adiposity in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Noise Health. 2017 Nov-Dec;19(91):270-277

Authors: Dzhambov AM, Gatseva PD, Tokmakova MP, Zdravkov NG, Vladeva SV, Gencheva DG, Ivanova NG, Karastanev KI, Vasileva EV, Donchev AT

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to explore the effect of community noise on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A representative sample of 132 patients from three tertiary hospitals in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria was collected. Anthropometric measurements were linked to global noise annoyance (GNA) based on different residential noise annoyances, day-evening-night (Lden), and nighttime (Lnight) road traffic noise exposure. Noise map Lden and Lnight were determined at the living room and bedroom façades, respectively, and further corrected to indoor exposure based on the window-opening frequency and soundproofing insulation.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Results showed that BMI and WC increased (non-significantly) per 5 dB. The effect of indoor noise was stronger in comparison with that of outdoor noise. For indoor Lden, the effect was more pronounced in men, those with diabetes, family history of diabetes, high noise sensitivity, using solid fuel/gas for domestic heating/cooking, and living on the first floor. As regards indoor Lnight, its effect was more pronounced in those with low socioeconomic status, hearing loss, and using solid fuel/gas for domestic heating/cooking. GNA was associated with lower BMI and WC.
CONCLUSION: Road traffic noise was associated with an increase in adiposity in some potentially vulnerable patients with CVD.

PMID: 29319011 [PubMed - in process]

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Genetic Linkage Analysis of DFNB4, DFNB28, DFNB93 Loci in Autosomal Recessive Non-syndromic Hearing Loss: Evidence for Digenic Inheritance in GJB2 and GJB3 Mutations.

Genetic Linkage Analysis of DFNB4, DFNB28, DFNB93 Loci in Autosomal Recessive Non-syndromic Hearing Loss: Evidence for Digenic Inheritance in GJB2 and GJB3 Mutations.

Iran J Public Health. 2018 Jan;47(1):95-102

Authors: Naseri M, Akbarzadehlaleh M, Masoudi M, Ahangari N, Poursadegh Zonouzi AA, Poursadegh Zonouzi A, Shams L, Nejatizadeh A

Abstract
Background: Autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) a most frequent hereditary type of hearing impairment, exhibit tremendous genetic heterogeneity. We aimed to determine the contribution of three common DFNB loci (DFNB4, DFNB28, and DFNB93), and mutation analysis of Gap Junction Beta-2 gene (GJB2) and GJB3 genes in ARNSHL subjects in southern Iran.
Methods: Thirty-six large ARNSHL pedigrees (167 individuals) with at least two affected subjects (72 patients) were included in this descriptive study from Hormozgan Province of Iran, during 2014 - 2015. The variation of GJB2 and GJB3 genes were screened using direct sequencing method. The negative samples for GJB2 and GJB3 genes mutations were analyzed for the linkage to DFNB4, DFNB28, and DFNB93 loci by genotyping the corresponding short tandem repeat (STR) markers using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) methods.
Results: DNA sequencing of GJB2 were identified heterozygous mutation (964 C/T) in 13.88% of the studied families. Three missense mutations (788G/A, 284C/T and 973G/C) were also detected in coding region of the GJB3 gene. The 284C/T mutation in the GJB3 occurs in compound heterozygosity along with the 964T/C mutation in the GJB2 in one family. Finally, we found no evidence of linkage to either of DFNB4, DFNB93 and DFNB28 loci.
Conclusion: Highlighting the hypothesis that a genetic interaction between GJB2 and GJB3 genes could be lead to ARNSHL, however, no evidence of linkage to the DFNB loci was found. 284C/T variant in GJB3 gene might be pathogenic when accompanied by variant in GJB2 in a digenic pattern. However, further large-scale familial and functional studies are required to challenge this hypothesis.

PMID: 29318123 [PubMed - in process]

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