Does migraine affect central auditory processing abilities?

OBJECTIVE: Migraine is a neurological disease associated with an altered cortical excitability level. Several studies have investigated the relationship between migraine and central auditory processing (CAP), with deficits in CAP being common among migraine patients. However, studies on the factors affecting these CAP changes observed in migraine patients are still few and controversial. This study aims to investigate CAP changes in migraine patients with Duration Pattern Test (DPT) and Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), which have not been used in previous studies. METHODS: Sixty subjects were divided into two groups and one migraine subgroup: control group, twenty normal healthy subjects, fourty subjects diagnosed with migraine. They were evaluated using the CAP test including DPT and FPT. To identify the variables and possible effects of the variables, a questionnaire describing the characteristics of migraine features was administered to participants with migraine. RESULTS: No significant difference was found the between the control and study group in CAP tests scores. No significant correlation was found between migraine characteristics and CAP tests scores. Males had significantly higher FPT scores in both ears than females (p<0.05). Significant statistical negative correlation was found between age and FPT scores for both ears and left DPT scores (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Although migraine patients generally showed lower CAP ability than the control group, no significant difference was observed between them. This was also valid for subgroups of migraine. However, as age increased in the migraine group, a significant decrease in CAP performance was observed. It was observed that male migraine patients had better CAP ability, especially FPT scores. Migraine may affect performance in CAP depending on gender and age factors.

fNIRS-based evaluation of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection central auditory processing.

OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus disease-2019 due to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with neurological and neuropsychiatric illnesses as well as auditory system problems. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the central auditory system by assessing the hemodynamic activation changes using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). METHODS: Three participants who had SARS-CoV-2 infection (study group) and four participants who had no SARS-CoV-2 infection (control group) were included in the study. During the auditory oddball task in which two different frequencies of tonal stimulation were presented at 80 dB HL, the participants were asked to pay attention to the rare tonal stimulation and mentally count these target stimuli throughout the task. During this task, oxygenated hemodynamic response functions were evaluated with fNIRS. RESULTS: Significantly increased oxygenated hemodynamic responses were observed in both groups during the task (p < .05), which was significantly higher in the study group (p < .05). Significantly more HbO activation was observed in the vmPFC, superior temporal gyrus, and medial temporal gyrus in the study group compared to controls (p < .05). Significantly higher hemodynamic activation was observed in the right hemisphere in both groups, which was significantly higher in the study group (p < .05). CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 infections may impact on central auditory processing or auditory attention due to changes in oxyhemoglobin levels in the frontal and temporal brain regions. It seems that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an additional load on neural activity, and difficulties in focusing in auditory attention, following speech and hearing in noise as well as increased effort to perceive auditory cues.

Can Auditory and Vestibular Findings Differentiate Vestibular Migraine and Meniere's Disease?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Besides evaluating the auditory and vestibular systems of patients with vestibular migraine (VM) and Meniere's disease (MD), this study aimed to examine the clinical overlaps between these two conditions by detailed evaluation of the patient's symptoms. Subjects and. METHODS: The ears of the patients with VM and MD were evaluated and patients' vestibular and auditory complaints were questioned particularly. Pure tone audiometry, vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses, and caloric test results were evaluated for objective measurements. RESULTS: The VM group had better air-conduction and boneconduction threshold and speech reception threshold and speech discrimination score test values (p<0.05). Regarding the interaural N1-P1 asymmetry ratio, the cervical VEMP between the groups had significant differences (p=0.019). The MD group had more unilateral tinnitus and ear fullness complaints and canal paresis results (p<0.01). The VM group had more motion sickness complaints (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: If only ears with hearing loss are evaluated; there was no significant difference between VM and MD, but regardless of hearing level or only the patients with normal hearing were evaluated, the VM group had better hearing levels. It should be considered that patients with VM may have VM-independent hearing loss, and patient complaints should be sufficiently detailed to make an accurate distinction from MD.

Effect of General Anesthesia on Auditory Brainstem Response Testing.

Objective: The auditory brainstem response (ABR) test is usually applied during natural sleep, but it can also be conducted under anesthesia. This retrospective study aimed to compare the ABR findings of a general anesthesia group and a control group that underwent ABR test during natural sleep. Methods: The anesthesia group consisted of 42 (mean age 44.5±20.3 months) children, and the control group included 58 children (36.1±16.1 months). The results of the click ABR test of the two groups were compared in terms of amplitude, latency, interpeak latencies, and hearing thresholds. Results: The amplitudes of waves III and V were significantly decreased in the general anesthesia group compared with that in the control group. The ABR latencies of waves I and V and the interpeak latencies for I-V and III-V were prolonged in the anesthesia group compared with that in the control group. Moreover, the click threshold obtained in the anesthesia group was significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusions: Clinicians and audiologists should advise families to know the effects of general anesthesia on ABR and be cautious in interpreting the results obtained in ABR test performed under anesthesia.

Assessment of balance after recovery from Covid-19 disease.

OBJECTIVE: To answer the question whether balance related systems have been affected in adults who recovered from Covid-19 disease. This is the first case-control study to assess balance objectively and quantitatively in Covid-19 disease. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients who recovered from Covid-19 disease and 30 healthy controls were compared using Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP), Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials(VEMP) and Video Head Impulse Test (v-HIT). RESULTS: On CDP, the composite and visual general scores of the patients were significantly lower than controls (p<0.01). The v-HIT gains of the patients significantly decreased in the vertical semicircular canals compared to controls (p<0.01).There was a significant difference between the patients and controls regarding the absence of o-VEMPs (p<0.01) while the amplitudes and latencies were similar between the groups (p>0.05). Decreased P1/N1 amplitudes and elongated N1 latencies were found on c-VEMP testing (p<0.05). Anosmia, taste disorder and gender were not associated with subjective and objective test results (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The Covid-19 disease can cause dizziness rather that incapacitating vertigo. Dizziness can be seen in almost one-fifth of the adult covid19 out-patients, which may be due to involvement of vestibular and visual systems,ortheir central connections. The squeals created in the balance related systems may be irreversible as they have persisted after the recovery of the patients. It is also plausible to anticipate more severe condition in the older patients who were treated in the intensive care units. In the long term follow up of the survivors, the need for balance rehabilitation programs should be remembered in order to minimize risks of falling down.

Unusual foreign body in the larynx: a bee.

Foreign body lodgement in the larynx is a rare situation. Our review of the literature revealed no living foreign body in larynx except for laryngeal leeches and anisakiasis. In this article, we report a patient with unusual laryngeal foreign body lodgement: a bee which presented with sudden odynophagia and stinging sensation in throat. The bee was detected on the laryngeal mucosa in indirect laryngoscopic examination and removed immediately under general anesthesia in apneic period. In this case report, we describe the importance of detailed anamnesis and laryngeal examination even if the patient has no severe symptoms.