Increased risk of hearing loss associated with MT-RNR1 gene mutations: a real-world investigation among Han Taiwanese Population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have implicated inherited mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). However, the definitive association between mitochondrial 12S rRNA (MT-RNR1) variants and hearing loss in the population has not been well established, particularly in Asia. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the association between MT-RNR1 variants and the risk of SNHL in patients in Taiwan. METHODS: The cohort included 306,068 participants from Taiwan between January 2003 and December 2020. Participants were classified based on genetic variants, particularly mitochondrial mutations (rs267606618, rs267606619, rs267606617). MT-RNR1 variant cases were matched 1:10 with non-mutant patients by age, gender, and visit year, excluding those with pre-existing hearing loss. The primary endpoint was SNHL, identified using specific ICD-TM codes with a 90% positive predictive value. Medication exposure history was determined via self-report or electronic medical records in the hospital. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the association between MT-RNR1 variants and hearing loss, adjusting for various covariates. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests compared hearing loss incidence between groups. RESULTS: The mean age of the mtDNA variants group is 32.4 years, with a standard deviation of 19.2 years. The incidence density of hearing loss for the mutation group was 36.42 per 10,000 person-years (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 27.21-47.73), which was higher than the 23.77per 10,000 person-years (95% CI, 21.32-26.42) in the wild-type group (p = 0.0036). Additionally, diabetes mellitus was associated with an increased risk of developing SNHL in individuals with MT-RNR1 variants (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.76 [95% CI, 1.00-3.09], p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the increased risk of hearing loss in patients carrying MT-RNR1 variants, particularly those with diabetes mellitus. Future research that integrates genetic and clinical data is crucial for developing more precise interventions to monitor and treat hearing loss in this vulnerable population.

Efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation program in children with balance disorders and sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: Asses the efficacy of a Vestibular-balance rehabilitation program to minimize or reverse balance disability in children with sensorineural hearing loss. METHOD: Forty-five hearing-impaired children with balance deficits (i.e., variable degrees of sensorineural hearing loss or auditory neuropathy). Thirty-five were rehabilitated with cochlear implants, and ten with hearing aids. Their age ranged from 4 to 10 years old. A Pre-rehab evaluation was done using questionnaires, neuromuscular evaluation, vestibular and balance office testing, and vestibular lab testing (using cVEMP and caloric test). Customized balances, as well as vestibular rehabilitation exercises, have been applied for three months. That was followed by post-rehab assessment, including the Arabic DHI questionnaire, PBS, BESS, HTT, and DVA test. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in all measured parameters (including the Arabic DHI questionnaire, PBS, BESS, HTT, and DVA test) after rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: Vestibular-balance rehabilitation intervention positively impacts vestibular and balance functions in hearing-impaired children.

Impact of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) on an Academic Pediatric Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic Referral Population, 2005-2020: Will the Advent of Universal Congenital CMV (cCMV) Screening Change Clinical Practice Referral Patterns?

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections exert a substantial impact on the practice of pediatric infectious diseases. Although most infections in children are minimally symptomatic, several populations are at risk for CMV-associated disease, including immunosuppressed children, children with HIV infection, and, most significantly, children with congenital CMV (cCMV) infection. In spite of the ubiquitous nature of CMV infection, few studies have quantified the impact of CMV-associated care in a pediatric outpatient clinic setting. We evaluated the impact of CMV on clinical care in an outpatient clinic setting over a fifteen-year period at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Masonic Children's Hospital Pediatric Infectious Diseases (PID) Clinic. A retrospective review of clinic appointments identified 253 unique patients specifically evaluated over this time period for consideration of CMV infection. Of these, 242 were pediatric patients. The majority of the pediatric patients evaluated in the PID clinic were referred for either confirmed or suspected cCMV infection, including children referred for consideration of CMV as a potential reason for a failed newborn hearing screen (NHS) and/or for evaluation of CMV as a possible etiology for documented hearing loss. In total, 116 of the children evaluated during this time period (48%) were unequivocally confirmed as having cCMV infection, with an additional 37 (15%) presenting with presumed, probable, or possible cCMV infection. A total of 16 (7%) of the pediatric CMV cases were confirmed to be post-natally acquired infections. Of the 253 total patients, 11 (4%) of the referrals were for pregnant patients seeking advice about potential therapies in the setting of a known or suspected primary maternal infection during their pregnancies, with an attendant risk of fetal CMV infection. This overview of the demographics and referral patterns for patients evaluated for known or suspected CMV infections in a tertiary care center outpatient PID clinic will serve as a useful baseline assessment, even as future patterns of outpatient care are highly likely to evolve. We predict that PID clinic referrals for newborns identified by universal cCMV screening programs will result in a shift of the CMV outpatient population to healthier infants with clinically inapparent infections, and care will need to be taken by practitioners not to over-medicalize management for these asymptomatic newborns.

Identification of common stria vascularis cellular alteration in sensorineural hearing loss based on ScRNA-seq.

BACKGROUND: The stria vascularis (SV), located in the lateral wall of the cochlea, maintains cochlear fluid homeostasis and mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) activity required for sound wave conduction. The pathogenesis of a number of human inheritable deafness syndromes, age related hearing loss, drug-induced ototoxicity and noise-induced hearing loss results from the morphological changes and functional impairments in the development of the SV. In this study, we investigate the implications of intercellular communication within the SV in the pathogenesis of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). We aim to identify commonly regulated signaling pathways using publicly available single-cell transcriptomic sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets. METHODS: We analyzed scRNA-seq data, which was derived from studying the cochlear SV in mice with SNHL compared to normal adult mice. After quality control and filtering, we obtained the major cellular components of the mouse cochlear SV and integrated the data. Using Seurat's FindAllMarkers and FindMarkers packages, we searched for novel conservative genes and differential genes. We employed KEGG and GSEA to identify molecular pathways that are commonly altered among different types of SNHL. We utilized pySCENIC to discover new specific regulatory factors in SV subpopulation cells. With the help of CellChat, we identified changes in subpopulation cells showing similar trends across different SNHL types and their alterations in intercellular communication pathways. RESULTS: Through the analysis of the integrated data, we discovered new conserved genes to SV specific cells and identified common downregulated pathways in three types of SNHL. The enriched genes for these pathways showing similar trends are primarily associated with the Electron Transport Chain, related to mitochondrial energy metabolism. Using the CellChat package, we further found that there are shared pathways in the incoming signaling of specific intermediate cells in SNHL, and these pathways have common upstream regulatory transcription factor of Nfe2l2. Combining the results from pySCENIC and CellChat, we predicted the transcription factor Nfe2l2 as an upstream regulatory factor for multiple shared cellular pathways in IC. Additionally, it serves as an upstream factor for several genes within the Electron Transport Chain. CONCLUSION: Our bioinformatics analysis has revealed that downregulation of the mitochondrial electron transport chain have been observed in various conditions of SNHL. E2f1, Esrrb, Runx1, Yy1, and Gata2 could serve as novel important common TFs regulating the electron transport chain. Adm has emerged as a potential new marker gene for intermediate cells, while Itgb5 and Tesc show promise as potential new marker genes for marginal cells in the SV. These findings offer a new perspective on SV lesions in SNHL and provide additional theoretical evidence for the same drug treatment and prevention of different pathologies of SNHL.

Gram-negative Bacteria are Associated With Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Chronic Otitis Media.

OBJECT: Chronic otitis media (COM) is an inflammatory disease that commonly presents with otorrhea and hearing loss. Bacteria-induced inflammation can cause inner ear damage, leading to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). This study aimed to compare the prevalence and severity of SNHL in patients with gram-negative versus gram-positive cultures and examine associations between the concentrations of circulating monocytes and neutrophils with bacteria species and SNHL. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Cholesteatoma or chronic suppurative otitis media patients with otorrhea were enrolled. Middle ear secretions were collected using sterile swabs under an otoscope, and sent for bacterial detection within 30 min. Pure tone audiometry and circulating leukocyte counts were recorded and analyzed in patients infected with different pathogens. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors associated with SNHL. RESULTS: A total of 137 patients were enrolled, including 45 patients infected with gram-negative bacteria, 41 with gram-positive bacteria, 20 with polymicrobial infection, and 31 with no bacterial growth. Logistic regression analysis showed that bacterial culture positive infections (OR = 7.265, 95% CI 2.219-23.786, p = 0.001) were an independent risk factor for SNHL. Patients with gram-negative bacteria had higher risks of SNHL (p < 0.0001) and more severe hearing loss (p = 0.005) than those with gram-positive bacteria. COM patients infected with gram-negative bacteria showed an increase in circulating monocytes, which correlated with the occurrence of SNHL (p = 0.0343). CONCLUSION: Gram-negative bacteria are associated with elevated circulating monocyte counts and have a higher risk of severe SNHL. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:3335-3341, 2024.

Postmeningitic pediatric hearing loss from non-type b Haemophilus influenzae.

BACKGROUND: Postmeningitic hearing loss from Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) is increasingly due to encapsulated serotypes other than type b (Hib) and nontypeable strains (collectively, nHiB H. influenzae). Pediatric hearing loss after nHib H. influenzae meningitis remains poorly described. METHODS: Retrospecive case series of nHiB H. influenzae meningitis cases identified from a microbiologic database at Children's Hospital Colorado from 2000 to 2020. Literature regarding nHiB H. influenzae and H. influenzae postmeningitic hearing loss was also reviewed. RESULTS: Eleven cases of nHib H. influenzae meningitis (median age 15.9 months) were identified due to serotype f (36 %), serotype a (27 %), and nontypable strains (36 %). Seven (64 %) patients were male, 55 % were white and 18 % were Hispanic or Latino. Hearing loss was initially identified in 4 children (40 %), with two patients with moderate conductive hearing loss (CHL) and one child with unilateral moderate sensorineural (SNHL) hearing loss patients recovering normal hearing. One patient with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and associated labyrinthitis ossificans required cochlear implantation. All children (4) with identified hearing loss were noted to have additional intracranial sequelae, which included empyema (2), sinus thrombosis (2), and seizures (2). Of patients receiving steroids, 25 % had hearing loss on initial testing, compared to 66 % of those who did not receive steroids. CONCLUSIONS: nHib H. influenzae can cause both transient and permanent postmeningitic hearing loss. Steroids may offer otoprotection in nHib H. influenzae meningitis similar to Hib meningitis. Given the limited literature, further study is needed to better characterize hearing outcomes after nHib H. influenzae meningitis.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss as a Complication of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 Vaccine.

The relationship between COVID-19 and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) continues to solidify in light of a growing body of evidence. In addition to the well-established COVID-19 symptoms and sequelae, otolaryngologists have observed an increased incidence of SNHL in patients with COVID-19 and following COVID-19 immunizations. Although the precise mechanisms behind this association remain unclear, various hypotheses are discussed within the scientific literature. This case report expands on the relationship between COVID-19 and SNHL by discussing a unique case of bilateral tinnitus and subsequent SNHL shortly following COVID-19 immunization. It contributes to the growing body of evidence associating COVID-19 with SNHL, underlining the importance of further research to understand potential causal mechanisms. It underscores the clinical importance of monitoring hearing in COVID-19 patients and those receiving immunizations, advocating for increased awareness among clinicians to facilitate early identification and appropriate intervention in cases of COVID-19-related hearing loss.

Congenital Peri-Lymphatic Fistula: is CT Imaging Enough?

Congenital SNHL patients uncommonly present with radiologically evident anomalies. While inner ear malformations are found in a small percentage of such cases, congenital peri-lymphatic fistula is an even rarely reported entity. We present such a case of a two-year old child who was diagnosed with both the entities on comprehensive imaging with CT as well as MRI. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-03893-0.

Syndromic Hearing Loss in Children.

Pattern recognition of specific temporal bone radiological phenotypes, in association with abnormalities in other organ systems, is critical in the diagnosis and management of syndromic causes of hearing loss. Several recent publications have demonstrated the presence of specific radiological appearances, allowing precise genetic and/or syndromic diagnosis, in the right clinical context. This review article aims to provide an extensive but practical guide to the radiologist dealing with syndromic causes of hearing loss.

Treatment of Tinnitus with Intratympanic Injection of Dexamethasone Versus Oral Drugs.

Tinnitus is a symptom of cochlear dysfunction, which can disturb the patient emotionally and physically. As anxiety and tinnitus persist concurrently, certain benzodiazepines have been administered as possible tinnitus treatment options. In addition to pharmacological medications, certain studies have looked at the use of vitamins to treat tinnitus. Intratympanic steroids have been successfully used in various studies as well, for the treatment of tinnitus. A clinical based interventional study was taken up among the patients visiting the ENT OPD of a State Medical College and Hospital. 160 subjects were included in the study by convenient sampling method, taking the inclusion and the exclusion criteria into consideration. Out of them, 80 subjects were given an intratympanic injection of dexamethasone and rest 80 were given oral drugs like alprazolam and vitamin B complex. Among the patients who were treated with intratympanic dexamethasone, significant improvement was seen in 36 of them, with a p value of 0.00 as compared to those who were given oral drugs, in which only 10 showed improvement, with a p value of 0.32. The improvement of the symptoms is significantly related with the duration of the symptoms in our study. Patients presenting with severe SNHL was the commonest presentation but had the least improvement (29.6%). Patients presenting within one year of occurrence of the symptoms had maximum improvement. Intratympanic dexamethasone can be considered as a good alternative for improvement of symptoms of tinnitus.

Effects of Chemoradiation Therapy on Hearing in Patients with Malignancy of Head and Neck.

PURPOSE: To study effects of chemoradiation therapy on hearing in patients with malignancy of head and neck. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients receiving drugs other than cisplatin as well as those with any otology-related pathology or abnormalities were excluded from the study. Patients with primary biopsy-proven malignancy of the Nasopharynx, Oropharynx, Paranasal Sinuses, Oral Cavity, and Parotid with chemoradiation by cisplatin and different radiation modalities were all eligible. Areas of interest and OARs are indicated on CT images. All patients' hearing was assessed using pure tone audiometry at the beginning of treatment, at its conclusion, and six months later. Variations in pure tone thresholds from baseline and CTCAE - Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grading are related to cochlear dose. RESULTS:  The study involves 75 patients. At cochlear dosage levels of more than 40 Gy, significant SNHL (>10 dB loss) is seen. Absolute PTA threshold values do not statistically differ from baseline to completion at any frequency. For 4000 and 8000 Hz, the absolute PTA threshold values differed from baseline to follow-up, but only for 8000 Hz was the difference statistically significant after six months of follow-up. Following treatment, 64% of patients had grade I CTCAE scoring and 16% and 12%, respectively, had otitis media with effusion and Eustachian tube dysfunction. CONCLUSION:  The inner ear may be harmed in patients receiving radiation to the head and neck. Radiation-induced SNHL typically goes unreported in routine clinical practise because of its long-term nature. In the group of head and neck tumours with high-risk locations, nearly 90% of patients with SNHL were affected. Therefore, it's critical to reduce cochlear dosage in these patient populations. More investigation is needed to distinguish between cochlear and retro-cochlear types of sensorineural hearing loss.

Hearing Screening in Children with Suspected Hearing Loss at a Tertiary Care Centre of Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

This study aims to comprehend the experience of hearing screening in children with suspected hearing loss at a tertiary care centre of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India using distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) as a screening modality. This study was conducted at a tertiary care centre of eastern Uttar Pradesh during the period of July, 2021to June, 2022 consisting of 96 children who were referred with suspected hearing loss. They underwent distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) testing. Out of 96 children who underwent DPOAE testing, 25 (26.04%) passed the test, 55(57.29%) had "refer" result in bilateral ears whereas 16 (16.67%) had "refer" result in either ear. OAE is a simple, cost-effective and convenient tool for hearing screening in spite of some limitations. Universal new-born hearing screening can be implemented using OAE.

Cardiocerebrovascular risk in sensorineural hearing loss: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015 to 2018.

Objective: This study aims to determine whether the risks of cardiocerebrovascular disease are relevant to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) based on a national database. Methods: A total of 1,321 participants aged from 18 to 69 with complete data including medical history and audiometry from the NHANES database (2015-2018) were analyzed. All included participants had available hearing data and the average thresholds of the hearing data were measured and calculated as low-frequency pure-tone average (LFPTA; 500, 1,000, and 2,000 Hz) and high-frequency pure-tone average (HFPTA; 3,000, 4,000, 6,000, and 8,000 kHz). SNHL was defined as an average pure tone of more than or equal to 20 dB in at least one better ear. Multivariable models to assess the association between cardiocerebrovascular risks and SNHL were used in this study. Results: The prevalence of stroke was 1.6% in individuals with SNHL and 0.4% in individuals without SNHL (p = 0.023). A higher cardiovascular risk score was observed in SNHL patients compared to participants without SNHL (1.58 vs. 0.90, p < 0.001). Stroke was associated with a 3.67-fold increase in the risk of SNHL (95% CI: 1.12-12.00, p = 0.032) in univariable logistic regression, and the association (OR = 4.22, 95%CI = 1.28-13.93, p = 0.020) remained significant after adjusting for several covariates. Multivariable logistic regression models indicated a positive correlation between cardiovascular risk and SNHL (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.40-1.96, p < 0.001), but no significant relationship was shown with all covariates adjusted. However, significant associations were found between SNHL and both age and sex in both univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that a higher cardiocerebrovascular risk burden was associated with an increased risk of SNHL, and the relationship may be influenced by age and sex. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the mechanistic and pathologic vascular hypothesis of SNHL.

Role of Valganciclovir in Children with Congenital CMV Infection: A Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common agent of congenital infection in humans. It is a main cause of neurodevelopmental delay and sensorineural hearing loss in infancy. Since the 2000s, a number of studies have used Valganciclovir as a therapy for children with congenital CMV infection. METHODS: In order to evaluate the efficacy of Valganciclovir in preventing clinical sequelae and its possible side effects, we performed a review of the published literature. This search was completed via PubMed for manuscripts published from January 2007 to December 2021, combining the MeSH words "Valganciclovir", "Congenital", and "Cytomegalovirus". RESULTS: A total of 27 articles were included (12 retrospective studies, 4 prospective studies, 1 randomized controlled trial, and 10 case reports). The clinical features were similar to those already described in the literature. The therapeutic protocols used were very different between the various studies included and neonatal antiviral treatments were only moderately effective. The therapy proved to be well-tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of the included studies and the sample size were limited due to the rarity of the disease. The use of different therapeutic protocols in terms of starting dates, doses, and durations made it impossible to compare and correctly evaluate the efficacy of the treatments. Randomized controlled trials are needed to establish the correct effective dose with the fewest side effects and the most efficient duration of therapy.

Identifying Clinical Criteria for an Expanded Targeted Approach to Screening for Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection-A Retrospective Study.

Targeted screening for congenital CMV infection (cCMV), which entails CMV testing of infants who fail newborn hearing screening (NBHS), has become common practice. However, this strategy misses nearly all infected infants with normal hearing at birth who are nonetheless at high risk of subsequent hearing loss and would benefit from timely cCMV diagnosis. The objective of this study was to identify expanded criteria predictive of cCMV to increase the scope and utility of targeted newborn CMV screening. In this retrospective study, 465 newborns were tested for cCMV at a single tertiary care center with a targeted screening program between 2014 and 2018. Twenty-two infants were diagnosed with cCMV, representing 0.2% of the 12,189 births over this period and 4.7% of the infants tested. The highest prevalence of cCMV infection was among infants tested because of primary maternal CMV infection (8/42, 19%), followed by failed initial NBHS (10/88, 11.4%), maternal HIV infection (3/137, 2.2%), and clinical suspicion alone (5/232, 2.2%). The symptoms with the highest prevalence of infection among all infants tested included an enlarged liver and/or spleen (33.3%) (3/9), followed by petechiae (33.3%), microcephaly (9.4%), direct hyperbilirubinemia (7.7%), thrombocytopenia (6%), and growth impairment (4.3%). In addition to CMV screening of newborns who fail the NBHS, these data suggest that certain clinical signs of cCMV-in particular: thrombocytopenia, growth impairment, and HIV exposure in pregnancy-should be additional criteria for expanded targeted newborn CMV screening, where universal screening is not yet the standard of care.

Evaluating the Incidence of Audiological Derangement in Cases of Thyroid Hormone Imbalance.

Thyroid hormone disorders are both congenital as well as acquired. According to a projection from several studies on thyroid diseases, it has been estimated that about 42 million people in India suffer from various kind of thyroid diseases (1) Thyroid hormone is closely associated with the development of the cognitive functions, thus deficiency of this hormone is said to have effect an overall impact on proper functioning of the body. The normal functioning of the thyroid gland and adequate levels in the blood are Needed for the formation and functioning of the middle ear, inner ear and the central auditory pathway. Thus, congenital hypothyroidism (CH) can be a potential risk factor for hearing impairment (2) if the hormones decrease or are absent during the development of the peripheral and central auditory system structures. This study was undertaken with the objective of studying the pattern of hearing loss in patients who have a deranged thyroid profile. The study was conducted among 50 patients who were known cases of thyroid disorder in the Otorhinolaryngology Department of our institute. The study was hospital based observational clinical study. The patients were subjected to thyroid profile test After this, those who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included, after detailed history and examination, patients were subjected to PTA, hearing loss was classified according to WHO guidelines. The age group of the patients was from 30-55 yrs. with the mean age being 42. On the basis of the t3, t4 and tsh levels, in the current study out of 50 patients,40 were hypothyroid (80%),with male to female ratio of 6:4. On pure tone audiometry, 15 patients had decreased hearing. The other 25 had normal hearing. The incidence of hearing loss in hypothyoroid patients in our study is 37.5%. On analaysis the PTA reports of these patients,9 patients (22.5%) had conductive hearing loss of mild variety, the mean value of hearing loss being 26.2 decibels. 2 (5%) patients had mixed variety of hearing loss, with sensorineural hearing loss at higher frequencies. All the remaining patients had sensorineural type of hearing loss, i.e., 10%. Of the 10 patients, that have hyperthyroidism 8 were female and 2 were male. 3 patients (30%) had hearing loss, all these 3 patients reported hearing losses at high frequencies and had moderate type of sensorineural hearing loss. Conclusion- From our current study, we could see that hearing loss is present in both extremes of thyroid hormone imbalance The dominant variety of hearing loss in thyroid disorder is sensorineural type, because thyroid hormone imbalance affects the inner ear function.

Relationship Between Lipid Profile and Sensorineural Hearing Loss: An Institution Based Study.

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most frequent problem worldwide and is the most neglected condition. Thus, it is essential to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of SNHL. The main objective of the study is to find whether serum lipid parameters have any correlation with SNHL. 68 patients within the age group of 20-60 years with clinically diagnosed sensorineural hearing loss were included in this study. Informed written consent, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry were done on all patients. The subjects were subjected to Serum lipid profile. The mean age of subjects in this study was 53.25 ± 13.78 years and male to female ratio was found to be 1.125:1. The serum total cholesterol and serum triglyceride also showed significant relationship with the degree of hearing loss (p value < 0.001). With an increase in the serum LDL there was increase in the severity of hearing loss which was statistically significant (p value < 0.001) where as serum HDL level showed statistically insignificant and negative correlation with severity of hearing loss. Serum lipid profile can be used as important biomarker for assessing the severity of hearing loss. Subjects with deranged lipid parameters had higher degress of hearing impairement.

A Study of Relationship Between Serum Lipids and Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

The modern life style poses new challenges on the normal physiological mechanisms of the human body. Drug abuse, tobacco smoking, and alcohol drinking, as well as lack of exercise may also increase the risk of developing certain diseases, especially older age.To study the relationship between degree of sensorineural hearing loss and serum lipid level (total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins).A cross-sectional study was conducted in 150 patients aged between 15 to 60 years diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss at Otorhinolaryngology outpatient department at Sir Sunder Lal hospital, IMS, BHU. All the 150 patients were amongst age group of 15 to 60 years who were registered from August 2019 to July 2021.The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein directly correlate with the severity of sensorineural hearing loss significantly (p < 0.05) whereas the serum levels of high-density lipoprotein had no direct co-relation with the severity of sensorineural hearing loss. Hyperlipidemic state is a major risk factor for SNHL. Regular screening and monitoring of serum lipid might prevent morbid SNHL and improve patients' quality of life in long term.

Effect of Neonatal Hearing Screening on Early Diagnosis of Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

The aim of the study to screen the neonates for earlier diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss and to assess the relationship between the hearing loss in newborns along with the high risk factors. A prospective, cohort, observational analytical study done at department of ENT,MGMMC & MYH INDORE (M.P.) carried out during 2018-2019 over 200 neonates who were randomly selected screened by OAE & BERA before their discharge from the hospital and after stabilizing high risk neonates. Out of 200 neonates, sensorineural hearing loss found to be in 4 neonates (2%) and hearing impairment seen 13.8 times more in high risk neonates as compare to the low risk neonates. The core goal of the study was to emphasize the importance of universal newborn hearing screening for early diagnosis & intervention in newborns & Neonates in terms of auditory rehabilitation as every child is precious and hearing is their fundamental right.