Influence of Cochlear Implantation on Postural Control and Risk of Falls.

BACKGROUND: Cochlear implantation is an important method of hearing rehabilitation. Earlier studies have shown the influence of implantation on the vestibular system. However, until now, the effect of hearing rehabilitation with cochlear implants (CI) on postural control and body stability has not been sufficiently studied. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the effect of hearing rehabilitation with activated CI and different sound inputs (music, speech text, and white noise) on postural control and risk of falls after implantation. METHODS: This was a prospective clinical trial that included 33 adult patients with at least 6 months' use of a CI (mean time after implantation = 23 months). All patients underwent a standard or geriatric (for patients >60 years) balancing deficit test protocol with a mobile posturography system (VertiGuard®) in different situations (CI deactivated/activated and different sound inputs). As the main outcome measure, the risk of falls (%) after each protocol was calculated by evaluating body sway both forward to backward and side to side (°/s). RESULTS: With the CI deactivated, the mean risk of falls was 45.5%. After activation of the CI, there was a small decrease in the mean risk of falls, but it was statistically significant. With an additional sound input (music or speech text) this decrease was more pronounced: 42.0 and 42.4%, respectively. This effect seems to be more pronounced in older patients. Regarding the individual patients, 72% had an improvement in the risk of falls with an activated CI, and 28% had a slight deterioration. An activated CI accompanied by sound input (music) further improved the individual risk of falls. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with prior research, this study found that the risk of falls after implantation decreased over a longer time period. Furthermore, the use of a CI and different sound inputs had a positive effect on postural control. These findings support the need for optimal hearing rehabilitation, especially in elderly patients. Although this effect is relatively small, it is important to consider for further studies that rehabilitation with CI may reduce the risk of falls. While the auditory system supposedly contributes to postural control only to a small degree and the mechanism is still poorly understood, further studies with bigger samples are warranted to clarify these effects.

Utilisation of multi-frequency VEMPs improves diagnostic accuracy for Meniere's disease.

To determine whether vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) measurements that combine the VEMP 500/1000 Hz frequency tuning ratio and the inter-aural asymmetry ratio can reliably detect unilateral Meniere's disease ears as compared to healthy controls. Forty-two consecutive patients with certain unilateral Meniere's disease (as confirmed using a locally enhanced inner ear MRI (LEIM)) were assessed. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) were recorded at 500 and 1000 Hz. The VEMP amplitudes, asymmetry ratios, and the 500/1000 Hz amplitude ratios were compared with those of 21 age-matched healthy controls. A multi-frequency VEMPs score that combined: (1) the cVEMP 500/1000 Hz amplitude ratio, (2) the oVEMP 500/1000 Hz amplitude ratio, (3) the 500 Hz cVEMP asymmetry ratio, (4) the 1000 Hz cVEMP asymmetry ratio, produced a ROC curve with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.814. The inclusion of audiology data further improved the result to 0.906. This score can be used to discriminate with a good degree of clinical accuracy between Meniere's ears (unilateral) and those of healthy controls. Multi-frequency VEMP analysis offers a simple, cost-effective solution to the diagnostic difficulties presented by Meniere's disease.

Effects of acoustic stimuli used for vestibular evoked myogenic potential studies on the cochlear function.

OBJECTIVE: To study if acoustic stimuli used for vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) studies can damage the cochlea. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective diagnostic study. SETTING: Academic tertiary referral center. METHODS: In 30 young healthy adults aged between 20 and 35 years without any audiovestibular disorders, cVEMP studies were performed in a standard setting (tone burst, 500 Hz, 133 dB SPL, stimuli rate 200). Before and after acoustic stimulation for the cVEMP examination, the cochlear function was measured using pure tone audiometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Additionally, the subjects were asked about ear symptoms. RESULTS: In all subjects, cVEMP could be recorded. Eight (27%) of them reported subjective hearing symptoms direct after the VEMP examination. All were again free of complaints on the next day. Hearing thresholds did not deteriorate in pure tone audiometry. DPOAE levels decreased on the exposed side in the high-frequency range (4,000-6,000 Hz). The subjects with subjective ear symptoms had a stronger level decrease. In a follow-up measurement 24 hours later, the DPOAE levels showed recovery. CONCLUSION: Acoustic stimuli used to elicit VEMP were found to have an adverse effect on the cochlear function. A clinically relevant hearing loss was not found in our study in healthy adults. Subjective auditory symptoms were reversible within 24 hours. Nevertheless, the stimulus levels and the number of repetitions should be kept as low as possible.

Septal injection of botulinum neurotoxin A for idiopathic rhinitis: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: Botulinum neurotoxin A (BTA) is a promising therapeutic option in the treatment of idiopathic rhinitis (IR), a disease characterized by nasal obstruction and hydrous rhinorrhea. The conventional localization for the injection of BTA in IR is the nasal turbinates. In our own clinical experience, submucoperichondrial injection of BTA in the nasal septum is an alternative that is easy to perform for the therapist and also well tolerated by the patient. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five patients received an injection of in total 80 mouse units Dysport (Ipsen Pharma, Ettlingen, Germany) in the nasal septum. The unpleasantness of the nasal injection of BTA was measured on a visual analogue scale. Over the course of 14 days, nasal symptoms (rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, urge to sneeze, nasal pruritus), the number of facial tissues used daily, and possible complications were evaluated. RESULTS: The unpleasantness of the injection of BTA into the nasal septum after local anesthesia was rated low (visual analogue scale, 0.76 on average). A good subjective symptom control was achieved in 3 patients concerning rhinorrhea and in all patients concerning nasal obstruction. The number of facial tissues used daily as a parameter for rhinorrhea was on average 21.0 before the injection of BTA, decreased in 4 patients over the course of time, and was on average 5.8 after 14 days. No patient reported any adverse effects after the injection of BTA. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates that septal injection of BTA in patients with IR can achieve good symptom control and patient comfort and should be compared in further studies to the conventional turbinal injection technique.