Assessment of Executive Functions in Children with Sensorineural Hearing Loss and in Children with Specific Language Impairment: Preliminary Reports.

Executive functions (EFs) are related abilities, associated with the frontal lobes functions, that allow individuals to modify behavioral patterns when they become unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to assess EFs in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and in children with "specific language impairment" (SLI), compared with a control group of children with normal development, to identify specific skill deficits. Three groups of preschool children aged between 2 and 6 years were assessed: 19 children with normal hearing, cognitive, and language development, 10 children with SNHL, and 20 children with SLI. The FE-PS 2-6 Battery was used for the assessment of preschool EFs, supplemented with the Modified Bell Test for the analysis of selective attention. Statistically significant differences were found between the two experimental groups and the control one, regarding the investigated skills. Children with SNHL showed a clear deficit in flexibility, whereas children with SLI had greater problems in self-regulation and management of waiting for gratification. Selective attention was found to be deficient in all three groups, with no statistically significant differences. This study shows that the skills investigated were found to be deficient in both SNHL and SLI patients. It is essential to start targeted exercises based on specific deficient skills as part of the rehabilitation program. It is of great importance to understand the consequences of EF deficit in preschool children to achieve an accurate diagnosis and carry out customized rehabilitation programs.

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Patients with Chronic Tinnitus-Preliminary Results.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures are both causes of psychological distress. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the psychological effects of lockdown measures on patients with subjective chronic tinnitus diagnosed before the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of n = 77 patients with chronic tinnitus was contacted by mail/phone for a survey between June 2021 and September 2021. All patients filled out questionnaires on tinnitus distress (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, THI), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and eight items of the Tinnitus Sample Case History (TSCH) about tinnitus history (i.e., loudness, pitch, perception, tinnitus location), stress, and related conditions (noise annoyance, vertigo/dizziness, headache). Forty patients with chronic tinnitus filled out the survey. No significant differences of total THI mean scores (p > 0.05) were found compared to the results obtained before the COVID-19 pandemic and after lockdown. Regarding depression and anxiety, the female population showed a significant increase in scores obtained from the BDI (p < 0.0170) and the BAI (p < 0.049). Only two patients (0.5%) were infected by COVID-19 (positive RT-PCR), and they did not report any worsening of tinnitus. According to the data of the literature, our patients experienced a heterogeneous course of tinnitus, and the severity of tinnitus was not significantly affected by lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

Correlation Between SNOT-22, Nasal Cytology, and Mood Disorders in Patients With Allergic Rhinitis Treated With a Liposomal Nasal Spray.

Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) can suffer from mood disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of a liposomal nasal spray (LN) containing vitamins A and E on the nasal mucosa in patients suffering from AR who had refused any type of anti-allergic treatment. For this purpose, the results of nasal cytology, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) test were analyzed. Moreover, we evaluated the relationship between SNOT-22 and nasal cytology and between nasal symptoms and HADS scores. Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease of scores at T1 in the LN treatment group as concerns VAS, SNOT-22, HADS-Anxiety test and a remarkable reduction of inflammatory cells detected with nasal cytology. Our study showed that higher levels of SNOT-22 corresponded to a higher level of HADS-Anxiety. The mechanisms underlying this relationship in AR patients are currently unknown, but we can suppose that improving mucosal trophism may contribute to the decrease of nasal symptoms and anxiety scores. The improvement of nasal symptoms, as measured by SNOT-22, was significantly correlated with the objective results of nasal cytology. These relationships between SNOT-22 and nasal cytology and between anxiety and cytology were investigated for the first time in our research.

Analysis of the audiological characteristics and comorbidity in patients with chronic tinnitus.

Tinnitus is defined as perception of a sound without sound stimulation. This study aims to investigate the correlation between chronic tinnitus and the most significant clinical comorbidities and pharmacological treatments. We recruited 130 consecutive outpatients with a tinnitus for least from three months and 100 subjects without tinnitus. All patients had a full medical and audiological evaluation and all filled in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory questionnaire and Khalfa's Hyperacusis questionnaire. We also analyzed the qualitative variables: audiometry exam, tinnitus characteristics and psychometric questionnaires. Univariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the associations between the presence of tinnitus and the presence of comorbidities and drug intake. The statistical analysis provided the following results in the group of patients with tinnitus. We obtained an Odds Ratio statistically significant for the following categories taken into consideration: the presence of anxiety and depression, neurological diseases, headache, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, intake of levothyroxine and proton-pump inhibitor. In this study, we tried to evaluate the audiological characteristics in the subjects affected by chronic tinnitus in order to find a possible correlation with the comorbidities and any drugs intake. We found a statistically significant correlation between tinnitus and comorbidities like anxiety, depression, TMJ disorders, dysthyroidism, headache and levothyroxine and PPI intake.

Asymmetric hearing loss and chronic dizziness in a patient with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

We report a case of a 54-year old female patient, complaining for chronic dizziness, hearing loss, tension headaches without aura, postural instability and gait dysfunction. The patient referred having these symptoms from 1992, but the last few months she experienced a noticeable aggravation of the symptoms. A magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a triventricular hydrocephalus, not associated with signs of intracranial hypertension decompensation. The ENT-Audiology evaluation revealed a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with a conductive component, video-nystagmography resulted in an areflexia of the right ear and a reduced vestibular activity for the left ear. Auditory brainstem response test was also carried out and showed pathologic findings for the latencies of the waves I-III, III-V and I-V bilaterally but more significant in the right ear. On January 2016 the patient had endoscopic third ventriculostomy. On the follow up the patient referred an important subjective improvement regarding instability and gait dysfunction. In this paper we study the correlation between hydrocephalus, hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction.

Steroid-Eluting Ethmoidal Stent Versus Antero-Posterior Ethmoidectomy: Comparison Of Efficacy And Safety In Allergic Patients.

BACKGROUND: Allergic and chronic rhinosinusitis is a disabling pathological condition with an 8% prevalence in the European population and 5% in the Italian one. The ethmoidal sinus is the first one involved in the inflammation. The typical surgical procedure to manage ethmoidal sinusitis is an endoscopic antero-posterior ethmoidectomy. Recently introduced on the European market balloon called Relieva Stratus MicroFlow Spacer can be inserted within the ethmoid, with a local slow release of a steroid drug. This study had the aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the steroid-eluting ethmoidal stent in the management of allergic chronic rhinosinusitis in comparison with the traditional endoscopic ethmoidectomy. Methodos: 70 allergic patients who presented chronic rhinosinusitis were randomly divided into 2 groups and receive respectively the steroid-eluting ethmoidal stent or endoscopic ethmoidectomy. RESULTS: The most significant observation coming from the comparative analysis of the results is the substantial equivalence of the treatment with the steroid-eluting ethmoidal stent (SEES) compared with endoscopic ethmoidectomy in the management of ethmoid chronic rhinosinusitis with the exception of a reduction of overall discomfort and nasal secretion and better functional results at rhinomanometry in the steroid-eluting ethmoidal stent group. CONCLUSION: in our experience, the SEES was efficacious in the treatment of allergic patients with ethmoidal CRS when conventional medical treatment had failed, or when wishing to avoid the classic endoscopic ethmoidectomy (EE). However, further long-term studies will be performed in order to confirm the safety and stability, over time, of the results obtained.

Association between vasomotor rhinitis and irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Vasomotor rhinitis (VMR) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two of the most widespread pathologies in industrialized countries, and they have a substantial impact on health-related quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between VMR and IBS to provide evidence to classify VMR and IBS as a sole disorder. METHODS: The study included 150 patients from San Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila: 50 with VMR, 50 with IBS, and 50 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: With regard to a probable link between VMR and IBS, 62 patients of the whole population, 150 patients (41.3%) were affected by both VMR and IBS, 33 subjects (22%) were not affected by VMR or IBS, 25 patients (16.67%) only had VMR, and 30 patients (20%) only had IBS. When considering the 87 subjects affected by VMR, 62 of them also had IBS (71.26%). In turn, when considering all 92 subjects with IBS, 62 (67.39%) had VMR. We found a significant association among IBS and nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and turbinates, and among VMR and a change in stool consistency and abdominal pain. Among the patients affected by nonallergic rhinitis (NAR), we found a prevalence of NAR with eosinophils (31%) compared with the other cytologic types. CONCLUSION: This study expanded the knowledge of the link between VMR and IBS, also the correlation between typical VMR symptoms and IBS, and about the correlation between typical IBS symptoms and VMR. For future implications, the diagnosis of NAR indicated the need to check for the presence of IBS, by using the Rome III criteria, and a diagnosis of IBS indicated the need to check for the presence of VMR. More studies are needed to find the pathogenetic mechanisms to explain the clinical correlation between VMR and IBS as seen in the present study.

Turbinoplasty with quantic molecular resonance in the treatment of persistent moderate-severe allergic rhinitis: Comparative analysis of efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) presents as the main and most invasive symptom in the blocking of the nose. This condition is almost always related to hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates. When the medical treatments are found to be insufficient to solve the obstructive symptom of the patient, the quality of life is considerably impaired and it is often necessary to submit the patient to a surgical approach. In the present study we aimed to establish the efficacy and safety of a new technique recently introduced for the shrinkage of hypertrophic turbinates using a specific device, based on a new radiofrequency energy that does not produce thermal mucosal damage, viz., quantic molecular resonance (QMR) in a group of patients with persistent moderate-severe allergic rhinitis, in addition to standard medical treatment (nasal steroid and oral antihistamine). METHODS: All patients were randomly assigned to two homogeneous groups (group A, control subjects; group B, treated patients); each group included 145 individuals. During the study, both groups received standard medications (ebastine, 10-mg tablet, and budesonide nasal spray at 100 micrograms/nostril per day) for 90 days. Before the medical treatment, patients in group B underwent inferior endoscopic turbinoplasty using QMR. All of the patients enrolled in this study were submitted to a complete otorhinolaryngologic evaluation with objective clinical examination (basal rhinomanometry, nasal provocation test rhinomanometry, and mucociliary transport time), endoscopy, and questionnaires (22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test and visual analog scale for nasal symptoms). RESULTS: Greater efficacy has been achieved using a combined approach with the association of medical and QMR treatment, compared with medical treatment alone, in the control of AR associated with hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates, in particular in the reduction of turbinate volume at rhinoendoscopy. CONCLUSION: QMR inferior turbinoplasty, in conjunction with medical therapy, improves the nasal flow, without any thermal mucosal damage, more effectively when compared with medical treatment alone in persistent moderate-to-severe AR. In particular, local reactivity, as measured with nasal provocation test, was noticeably reduced.

Nasal Allergy and Otitis Media: A real correlation?

OBJECTIVES: The correlation between middle ear pathology and nasal allergy has been debated for almost 30 years. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between otitis media with effusion (OME) and persistent allergic rhinitis symptoms versus intermittent rhinitis in children. METHODS: The study included 100 atopic children (52 boys, 48 girls) aged 5-9 years with otological symptoms who were patients of the University of Siena Hospital, Italy. Ear, nose and throat evaluations, tympanometry, skin prick tests (SPTs), mucociliary transport time (MCTt) and Eustachian tube function tests were performed. RESULTS: The SPTs revealed 50 children sensitised to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, 34 to grass pollen and 16 to Parietaria. Of all patients, mild symptoms were intermittent in 19 children and persistent in 18; moderate/severe symptoms were intermittent in 22 and persistent in 41. Tubal dysfunction was present in 25 children, whereas middle ear effusion was present in 45 children undergoing myringotomy. The MCTt was slower in the persistent group (21 ± 2 mins) versus the intermittent group (16 ± 2 mins) with a significant difference (P <0.01). Mean eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) values in the middle ear effusions of children who had undergone myringotomy were 251 ± 175.2 µg/L, and mean ECP blood values were 25.5 ± 16.3 µg/L, with significant differences (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There was a significant association between OME, delayed MCTt, ECP values in middle ear effusion and persistent symptoms of allergic rhinitis. These results suggest a direct involvement of the middle ear mucosa as a target organ in persistent forms.

Nasal obstruction as a key symptom in allergic rhinitis: efficacy and safety of a medical device in children.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health problem that has increased rapidly in prevalence over the past few decades. Nasal congestion, which represents a cardinal symptom of AR, appears to be difficult to treat and, especially for pediatric population, therapies that are both well tolerated and effective in relieving nasal congestion are needed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and clinical effectiveness of the medical device (lactoferrin, carboximetil ß-glucan, D-panthenol, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate) in reducing the allergic rhinitis symptoms. METHODS: A multicenter prospective study with a pre-post design was performed consecutively enrolling 100 pediatric patients of both genders affected by persistent AR. Patients received 2 puffs into each nostril 2 times a day over the course of 4 weeks. The severity of AR symptoms, as measured by VAS score, was assessed before and after treatment. The main outcomes were improvement in each symptom score and in overall symptom burden (as measured by average symptom scores). Differences in symptoms scores measured before and after treatment were compared using paired-sample Wilcoxon signed rank test. The proportion of participants with adverse effects attributed to the treatment was also computed. RESULTS: All considered symptoms, including nasal congestion, significantly improve after treatment (p<0.001), while only 9 patients suffered adverse effects (itch, burning sensation, dryness). CONCLUSION: These results confirm the efficacy and safety of this medical device in pediatric population.

TLR4 and TLR9 Expression in Different Phenotypes of Rhinitis.

Background. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) represent a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins, that represent a fundamental link between innate and adaptive immune responses. Aim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of TLR4 and TLR9 in the normal nasal mucosa and in the mucosa of subjects with different phenotypes of rhinitis. Methodology. A confocal analysis of TLR4 and TLR9 (co)expression was carried out on biopsies from the inferior turbinate obtained from 4 patients affected by persistent allergic rhinitis, 8 patients with chronic rhino-sinusitis, and 6 patients with vasomotor rhinitis The results were compared with those of specimens obtained from 4 subjects undergoing nasal surgery, but with signs of nasal inflammation. Results. TLR4 and TLR9 were expressed in the healthy nasal mucosa; TLR4 and TLR9 expression was significantly decreased in allergic rhinitis. TLR4 was over expressed in the epithelium of chronic rhino-sinusitis. Both TLRs were co-expressed in the sub-epithelial infiltrate of chronic and vasomotor rhinitis, even though this expression was higher in the former compared with the latter. Conclusions. This study indicates that TLR4 and TLR9 show a different pattern of expression in different phenotypes of rhinitis, possibly related to the type and severity of the disease.

Foreign bodies in the airways: a meta-analysis of published papers.

BACKGROUND: Very recently, some attempts have been made to start a systematic collection of foreign bodies (FB) in view of using them to characterize the risk of chocking in terms of size, shape and consistency of the FB. However, most of the epidemiologic evidence on foreign bodies in children comes from single-center retrospective studies, without any systematic geographical and temporal coverage. This paper is aimed at providing an estimate of the distribution of foreign body's injuries in children according to gender, age, type of FB, site of obstruction, clinical presentation, diagnostic/therapeutic procedures, complications, as emerging from a meta-analytic review of published papers. METHODS: A free text search on PubMed database ((foreign bodies) OR (foreign body)) AND ((aspiration) OR (airways) OR (tracheobronchial) OR (nasal) OR (inhalation) OR (obstruction) OR (choking) OR (inhaled) OR (aspirations) OR (nose) OR (throat) OR (asphyxiation)) AND ((children) OR (child)) finalized to identify all English written articles referring to foreign body inhalation over a 30 years period (1978-2008) was performed. The target of the analysis has been defined as the proportion of injuries as reported in the studies, stratified according to children demographic characteristics, type of FB, site of obstruction. The pooled proportions of FB were calculated using the DerSimonian and Laird approach. RESULTS: 1699 papers were retrieved and 1063 were judged pertinent; 214 English written case series were identified, among them 174 articles were available and have been included in the analysis. Airway foreign body most commonly occurs in young children, almost 20% of children who have inhaled foreign bodies being between 0 and 3 years of age. Organic FB, particularly nuts, are the most documented objects while, among inorganic FBs, the greatest pooled proportion has been recorded for magnets, which can be particularly destructive in each location. Non specific symptoms or a complete absence of symptoms are not unusual, justifying mistaken or delayed diagnosis. Acute and chronic complications seem to occur in almost 15% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Even if an enormous heterogeneity among primary studies seems to exist and even if the absence of variables standardized definitions across case series, including class age definition and symptoms and signs descriptions, seriously impairs studies comparability, our results testify the relevant morbidity associated with foreign body inhalation in children, stressing the importance of preventive measures.

Nuts and seed: a natural yet dangerous foreign body.

RATIONALE AND AIM: This paper has the object to present the impact of nuts' and seeds' injuries withdrawing data from the Susy Safe registry, highlighting that as for other foreign bodies the main item efficiently and substantially susceptible to changes to decrease the accidents' rates is the education of adults and children, that can be shared with parents both from pediatricians and general practitioners. Indeed labeling and age related warnings have also a fundamental relevance in prevention. METHODS: The present study draws its data from the Susy Safe registry. Details on injuries are entered in the Susy Safe Web-registry through a standardized case report form, that includes information regarding: children age and gender, features of the object, circumstances of injury (presence of parents and activity) and hospitalization's details (lasting, complications and removal details). Cases are prospectively collected using the Susy Safe system from 06/2005; moreover, also information regarding past consecutive cases available in each centre adhering to the project have been entered in the Susy Safe registry. RESULTS: Nuts and seeds are one of the most common food item retrieved in foreign bodies injuries in children. In Susy Safe registry they represent the 38% in food group, and almost the 10% in general cases. Trachea, bronchi and lungs were the main location of FB's retrieval, showing an incidence of 68%. Hospitalization occurred in 83% of cases, showing the major frequency for foreign bodies located in trachea. This location was also the principal site of complications, with a frequency of 68%. There were no significant associations between these outcomes and the age class of the children. The most common complications seen (22.4%) was bronchitis, followed by pneumonia (19.7%). Adult presence was recorded as positive in 71.2% of cases, showing an association (p value 0.009) between the adult supervision and the hospitalization outcome. On the contrary there was a non significant association between adult presence and the occurrence of complications. In 80.7% of cases, the incident happened while the child was eating. Among those cases, 88.6% interested trachea, lungs and bronchi. CONCLUSIONS: Food-related aspiration injuries are common events for young children, particularly under 4 years of age, and may lead to severe complication. There is a need to study in more depth specific characteristics of foreign bodies associated with increased hazard, such as size, shape, hardness or firmness, lubricity, pliability and elasticity, in order to better identify risky foods, and more precisely described the pathogenetic pathway. Parents are not adequately conscious and aware toward this risk; therefore, the number and severity of the injuries could be reduced by educating parents and children. Information about food safety should be included in all visits to pediatricians in order to make parents able to understand, select, and identify key characteristics of hazardous foods and better control the hazard level of various foods. Finally, preventive measures including warning labels on high-risk foods could be implemented.

Influence of Waldeyer's ring hypertrophy on snoring and sleep apnea.

Severe adenotonsillar hypertrophy can be the main cause of nocturnal respiratory affections, as confirmed by the improvement of symptoms seen after adenotonsillectomy. Unsuccessful surgical treatment can be due to craniofacial morphological alterations. Hypotony of the pharyngeal muscles could also be responsible together with tonsil hypertrophy. In our study, we enrolled 125 patients (87 males and 38 females), aged from 3 to 8 years, suffering from chronic snoring. All the patients underwent adenotonsillectomy. The follow-up was carried out at 2, 4 and 6 months after the operation. Snoring and nocturnal apneas were no longer present in almost all the patients. Overnight polysomnography remains the gold standard diagnostic test for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, but its feasibility in clinical practice is debated. Rhinomanometry, which gives an objective evaluation of ventilatory nasal function, acoustic rhinometry, which measures the cross-section in fixed nasal areas, and nasal mucociliary transport time can be considered useful tests to evaluate the cause of respiratory obstruction.