Corrigendum: COVID-19 and sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a systematic review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.883749.].

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation in adolescents with down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of hypoglossal nerve stimulation in adolescents with down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea. Methods: A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus databases. The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A comprehensive search strategy used a combination of Medical Subject Headings and free words with "OR" and "AND." Articles were screened to extract data reporting apnea-hypopnea index, quality of life, voltage, follow-up duration, and complications. All included participants were adolescents with down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea. Results: A total of 92 articles were identified, of which 9 articles met the inclusion criteria. A total of 106 patients were included. All the studies showed that patients receiving hypoglossal nerve stimulation experienced a significant decrease in apnea-hypopnea index (at least 50%). The pooled AHI was significantly lower in patients following treatment (mean AHI reduction 17.43 events/h, 95% confidence interval 13.98-20.88 events/h, P < 0.001) after 2 case reports were excluded. The pooled OSA-18 were significantly decreased in 88 patients after treatment (mean OSA-18 reduction 1.67, 95% confidence interval 1.27-2.08, P < 0.001) after excluding 5 studies. Four investigations examined the necessity to optimize stimulation voltage for arousal during treatment. The most common complication was pain or discomfort in the tongue or mouth. Most studies had relatively short patient follow-up periods, with the most extended follow-up being 44-58 months. Conclusion: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation significantly reduces apnea-hypopnea index and improves the quality of life; and thus, could be a potential alternative therapy for obstructive sleep apnea in adolescents with down syndrome. The adolescent's age, potential complications, adverse events, long-term efficacy, and comfort, needs to be considered while performing hypoglossal nerve stimulation.

Can SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women affect the hearing of their newborns: A systematic review.

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused over 500 million confirmed cases (including pregnant women) worldwide. Recently, hearing status in newborns born to mothers with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has received attention. This systematic review outlines the current knowledge regarding the effects of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on newborn hearing. Intrauterine SARS-CoV-2 infection has the potential to affect the auditory system of the newborn due to intrauterine hypoxia and vertical transmission. SARS-CoV-2 might have a greater influence on hearing loss (HL) in newborns during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Therefore, all newborns whose mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy should be evaluated for cochlear function, regardless of whether their mothers were symptomatic at the time of the disease. However, the understanding of this issue is not consistent and remains controversial. Since early identification and intervention of congenital HL are crucial to the language development of newborns, newborns should be provided with audiological evaluation by various approaches, including Tele-audiology, in the COVID-19 era.

COVID-19 and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review.

A growing body of evidence suggests that patients with the 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have a risk of developing sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). The pathogenesis of COVID-19-related SSNHL remains unclear. This systematic review examined whether COVID-19 causes an increased incidence of SSNHL and the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19-related SSNHL according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. SSNHL usually developed between a few days and 2 months after the diagnosis of COVID-19, and a proportion of patients developed it before the diagnosis of COVID-19. The literature is inconsistent regarding whether COVID-19 causes an increased incidence of SSNHL, and this matter remains unclear. This review included 23 patients with COVID-19-related SSNHL, all adult patients with an average age of 43.1 years. Of these patients, 60.9% had accompanying tinnitus symptoms. Glucocorticoids are the preferred medication to treat COVID-19-related SSNHL. Intratympanic administration may be considered to reduce the side effects of the drug. Hearing tests are suggested when hearing loss is suspected in COVID-19 individuals, and if SSNHL is detected, prompt and aggressive treatment is vital. Large-scale, multicenter research on the pathophysiology, treatment, and prognosis of COVID-19- related SSNHL should be conducted in the future.

The Role of Wideband Tympanometry in the Diagnosis of Meniere's Disease.

Meniere's disease (MD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by spontaneous recurrent vertigo, usually accompanied by hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. The cause of MD remains unclear and is generally considered to be associated with endolymphatic hydrops. Studies showed that patients with MD could have eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). ETD can disrupt the pressure balance between the middle and inner ear and impair the inner ear's function. In recent years, several studies have attempted to identify MD by using wideband tympanometry (WBT). However, there are limited studies in this area. There is no consensus on how to use WBT to diagnose Meniere's disease. Therefore, we endeavored to conduct a narrative review in this aspect based on the latest research findings. Reduction in resonance frequency and absorbance are characteristic of MD and can identify Meniere's disease. The use of an increase in the integrated area of absorbance as an indicator for identifying MD is controversial. WBT seems to be ineffective as a diagnostic tool during the acute episodes of Meniere's disease. Patients with MD may benefit from WBT. WBT has excellent potential for future use in Meniere's disease. However, further large sample sizes, multicenter studies are needed.

Telemedicine for ear diseases with the smartphone otoscopes via WeChat in the COVID-19 era.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and satisfaction of ear patients who participated in the smartphone otoscopes telemedicine via WeChat. METHODS: Patients in this study included newly diagnosed outpatients and online patients who did not undergo an outpatient diagnosis. Patients performed regular ear self-examinations, took pictures at home using their smartphone endoscopes, and submitted images to a WeChat community. Otolaryngologist gave timely online feedback. All of the following data were recorded: patients age and gender, disease duration, outpatient diagnosis, side, telemedicine duration, number of telemedicine visits, outcomes, satisfaction. RESULTS: A total of 74 patients were included in the study, including 39 males and 35 females, with an average age of 31.1 ± 13.7 years (range 4-55 years). Of these patients, 68 were outpatients, and 6 directly participated in telemedicine online. The patient's disease duration ranged from 1 day to 15 days, with an average of 4.0 ± 3.0 days. The mean duration was 8.1 days (range: 3-21 days) for telemedicine. The mean number of visits was 2.7 times (range: 2-6 times) for telemedicine. 68 (91.9%) of the 74 patients were cured, 6 (8.1%) were improved, and 0 (0%) were ineffective. Almost all patients were pleased with the telemedicine service, 71.9 0% were very satisfied (n = 62), 28.10% were very satisfied (n = 11), and 0% were dissatisfied (n = 0). CONCLUSIONS: Smartphone otoscopes telemedicine can decrease outpatient follow-up, reduce the risk of cross-infection, increase telemedicine accuracy, and improve patient satisfaction. It is worthy of clinical application in the COVID-19 era.