Audiometric evaluation in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The objective of this study is to assess the validity of ASSR as a complementary diagnostic test for peripheral hearing loss by proving a significant correlation between behavioral thresholds and ASSR. The design used in this study is monocentric prospective study from November 2014 to April 2015. The setting used in this study is the ENT-Head and Neck Surgery Department and Geriatrics Department in a French Regional and University Hospital. The participants are patients over 75 years with cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's disease or mild-cognitive impairment) with a Mini-Mental State Examination score under 27/30 and without hearing aids. Exclusion criteria were: otoscopic and middle ear abnormalities, retro-cochlear lesion, other types of dementia, and central nervous system disease altering cerebral lateralization. The intervention used in this study is pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, dichotic listening test, and auditory steady-state responses recording. The correlations between these exams were studied with Pearson's correlation coefficient and Student's t test. Results were significant if p < 0.05. Twenty-three ears were analyzed from 12 patients. There were six women and six men with cognitive impairment, mean age 82.1 (±4.6) years, and mean MMSE score that was 21.3/30 (±5.7). The correlation between pure-tone audiometry and ASSR was significant for all frequencies: r = 0.55 (p = 0.006) for 500 Hz, r = 0.58 (p = 0.005) for 1000 Hz, r = 0.61 (p = 0.003) for 2000 Hz, and r = 0.66 (p = 0.002) for 4000 Hz. There was no significant correlation between the MMSE and the difference between ASSR and PTA on each frequency. The dichotic listening test showed a right ear advantage (50.9 %, p = 0.039). The ASSR in patients with cognitive impairment and understanding troubles is a promising complementary technique to estimate the hearing thresholds.

Evaluation of Postoperative Practices Regarding Packing of the External Auditory Canal.

BACKGROUND: Packing of the external auditory canal after ear surgery is an established practice in most otologic centers. However, no guidelines exist concerning the management of this process. The aim of the study is to investigate otologists' habits concerning packing of the external ear canal after otologic surgery. A second objective was to collect their opinion concerning the absence of packing. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional survey. We sent an online questionnaire to the 135 members of the French Otology and Neurotology Association (AFON). It was conducted between March 15, 2020, and May 15, 2020. It consisted of 11 demographic questions and 6 surgical management-related questions concerning 6 major otologic procedures. RESULTS: Fifty-seven members answered the survey. The most frequent packing used was ear wick with silicon sheets (48.6%) among all surgical procedures. Among participants, 62% used the same packing material for all surgical procedures. Of the participants, 96% were reluctant not to pack the external ear canal after otologic surgery. CONCLUSION: This study shows a great variability concerning surgeons' practices. A randomized controlled trial would be helpful to guide surgeons for ear packing after otologic surgery and assess the absence of packing.

Training outcomes for audiology students using virtual reality or traditional training methods.

Due to limited space and resources, it can be difficult to train students on audiological procedures adequately. In the present study, we compared audiology training outcomes between a traditional approach and a recently developed immersive virtual reality (VR) approach in audiology students. Twenty-nine first-year audiology students participated in the study; 14 received traditional training ("TT group"), and 15 received the VR training ("VRT group"). Pre- and post-training evaluation included a 20-item test developed by an audiology educator. Post-training satisfaction and self-confidence were evaluated using Likert scales. Mean post-training test scores improved by 6.9±9.8 percentage points in the TT group and by 21.1±7.8 points in the VRT group; the improvement in scores was significant for both groups. After completing the traditional training, the TT group was subsequently trained with the VR system, after which mean scores further improved by 7.5 points; there was no significant difference in post-VR training scores between the TT and VRT groups. After training, the TT and VRT groups completed satisfaction and self-confidence questionnaires. Satisfaction and self-confidence ratings were significantly higher for the VR training group, compared to the traditional training group. Satisfaction ratings were "good" (4 on Likert scale) for 74% of the TT group and 100% of the VRT group. Self-confidence ratings were "good" for 71% of the TT group and 92% of the VRT group. These results suggest that a VR training approach may be an effective alternative or supplement to traditional training for audiology students.

[Adult deafness: Towards new paradigm]. / Les surdités de l'adulte : vers de nouveaux paradigmes.

Screening and early treatment of deafness regardless of age is essential. Deafness leads to social isolation, depression, and decreased cognitive function. The diagnosis requires an otoscopy and a confirmation of the type and degree of deafness by audiometry. Sudden deafness and meningitis are neuro-sensorial emergencies. Deafness may be the mode of disclosure of an autoimmune disease or part of the evolutionary profile. Hearing complaints with a normal classical audiogram may be the manifestation of a so-called "hidden" hearing loss and must be explored more carefully.