Analysis of Studies in Tinnitus-Related Gene Research.

OBJECTIVE: Summarize and analyze the current research results of tinnitus-related genes, explore the potential links between the results of each study, and provide reference for subsequent studies. METHODS: Collect and sort out the research literature related to tinnitus genes included in PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform before December 31, 2019. Then the relevant contents of the literature were sorted out and summarized. RESULTS: Fifty-one articles were finally selected for analysis: 31 articles (60.8%) were classified as researches on animal models of tinnitus, and 20 (39.2%) as researches on tinnitus patients. Existing studies have shown that genes related to oxidative stress, inflammatory response, nerve excitation/inhibition, and nerve growth are differentially expressed in tinnitus patients or animal models, and have presented the potential links between genes or proteins in the occurrence and development of tinnitus. CONCLUSION: The research on tinnitus-related genes is still in the exploratory stage, and further high-quality research evidence is needed.

Etiology of newborn hearing impairment in Guangdong province: 10-year experience with screening, diagnosis, and follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Hearing impairment is one of the most common birth defects in children. Universal newborn hearing screenings have been performed for 19 years in Guangdong province, China. A screening/diagnosis/intervention system has gradually been put in place. Over the past 10 years, a relatively complete data management system had been established. In the present study, an etiological analysis of newborn cases that failed the initial and follow-up screenings was performed. METHODS: The nature and degree of hearing impairment in newborns were confirmed by a set of procedures performed at the time of initial hearing screening, rescreening and final hearing diagnosis. Then, multiple examinations were performed to explore the associated etiology. RESULTS: Over a period of 10 years, 720 children were diagnosed with newborn hearing loss. Among these children, 445 (61.81%) children had a clearly identified cause, which included genetic factor(s) (30.56%), secretory otitis media (13.30%), maternal rubella virus infection during pregnancy (5.83%), inner ear malformations (4.86%), maternal human cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy (2.92%), malformation of the middle ear ossicular chain (2.50%) and auditory neuropathy (1.81%). In addition, 275 cases of sensorineural hearing loss of unknown etiology accounted for 38.19% of the children surveyed. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term follow-up is needed to detect delayed hearing impairment and auditory development in children. The need for long-term follow-up should be taken into account when designing an intervention strategy. Furthermore, the use of the deafness gene chip should further elucidate the etiology of neonatal hearing impairment.

Effect of balloon dilation eustachian tuboplasty combined with tympanic tube insertion in the treatment of chronic recurrent secretory otitis media.

PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term clinical effect of balloon dilation eustachian tuboplasty (BET) combined with tympanic tube insertion (TTI) in the treatment of chronic recurrent secretory otitis media (CRSOM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 30 cases of CRSOM treated with BET combined with TTI under general anesthesia between August 2014 and September 2016. Thirty cases of CRSOM treated with TTI in the same period were taken as the control group. All cases were followed over 24 months. The scores of eustachian tube (ET) function preoperation, 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months postoperation were collected and analyzed, respectively. A satisfaction questionnaire was used to evaluate the therapy at 24-months postoperation. RESULTS: The symptoms were significantly improved and the ET score was obviously increased postsurgery in most cases treated with BET plus TTI compared with those treated with TTI alone. The highest ET score was obtained at 6 months post BET. Five (14%) cases (6 ears) of CRSOM recurred. The 24-month postoperation follow-up questionnaire showed that 84.6% of the patients were satisfied with the treatment, while ten cases (25%) in the TTI group recurred. CONCLUSION: BET combined with TTI surgery is an effective therapy for patients with CRSOM.

[Vertigo due to enlarged vestibule with lateral semicircular canal dysplasia: an analysis of clinical characteristics].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and possible pathological mechanisms of vertigo due to enlarged vestibule with lateral semicircular canal dysplasia. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted for 5 cases of peripheral vertigo due to enlarged vestibule with lateral semicircular canal dysplasia. Their characteristics of medical history, precipitating factors, course of vertigo, auditory tests, vestibular tests and imaging examine results were analyzed. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics were as follows. (1) Specifics of medical history: 4 cases suffered delays in gross motor development and potential equilibrium dysfunctions. One case failed to recount an earlier medical history, but could maintain normal hearing and vestibular functions for a long time in adulthood. (2) Most cases could identify the precipitating factors of initial attacks, such as head-bumping, nose-blowing and constipation, etc. resulting in sudden rises of intracranial or abdominal pressures. (3) Paroxysmal vertigo and progressive hearing loss were mimicking Meniere disease or large vestibular aqueduct syndrome. But its course of vertigo was different from those of Meniere disease and large vestibular aqueduct syndrome with regards to hearing levels and audiograms. (4) Some cases had positional vertigo. But the results of Dix-Hallpike and Roll tests were different from benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV). (5) The inner ear imaging showed enlarged vestibule with lateral semicircular canal dysplasia. CONCLUSION: The enlarged vestibule with lateral semicircular canal dysplasia is a rare etiology of peripheral vertigo. The history of delays in gross motor development and potential equilibrium dysfunctions in childhood may offer important diagnostic clues. And audiological and vestibular tests, high-resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance may help to ascertain the diagnosis.

[The clinical characteristics of the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo associated with Meniere's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics of the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) associated with Meniere's disease (MD) in retrospect in an effort to improve the diagnosis and efficacy of treatment. METHOD: Fifteen cases (1 male and 14 female, aged 46 to 68 years old) of BPPV associated with MD from July 2007 to June 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Patient clinically characterized with positional paroxysmal vertigo were diagnosed as MD by ECochG and glycerol test and were confirmed as BPPV associated with MD by Dix Hallpike test or roll test. They were treated with Epley maneuver or Barbecue rol maneuver according to the type of BPPV, and the efficacy was evaluated. RESULT: (1) Most cases involved female patients in this study; (2) BPPV occurred after MD in al of the cases, of which 13 cases were posterior semicircular canal lithiasis (9 cases in the same ear, 2 in the other and 2 in both) and 2 cases were horizontal semicircular canal lithiasis (cupula lithiasis in the same ear); (3) in this study, 10 patients were cured after 3-4 times of posture treatment (66.7%), 4 patients were cured after 5 times and 1 patient received endolymphatic sac decompression because of recurrent vertigo. CONCLUSION: (1) BPPV can result from MD, for which a possible mechanism may be the hydrolabyrinth that lead to eardust falling off. (2) Most cases of BPPV occurred in the posterior semicircular canal in the same ear. Most cases in incidence rate have obvious sexual bias in female. (3) Eardust reposition is an effective treatment for BPPV caused by MD; while it is refractory compared to ordinary BPPV and require multiple treatments, which may be related to the recurrence of hydrolabyrinth.

[Chronic tinnitus: a grading management mode study].

OBJECTIVE: To probe into grading management mode for chronic tinnitus victims, so as to improve the cost-effectiveness rate of tinnitus treatment. METHODS: According to the severity of patient's own feeling and the therapy demand, the authors managed 587 of chronic tinnitus victims using a progressive methods: Level 1 was primary evaluation, counseling and treatment for tinnitus victims, then determined if the victim require further clinical intervention. Level 2 was educational counseling about the knowledge of tinnitus. Level 3 was further evaluation for hearing function and the severity of tinnitus. Than the authors made and put in practice an individual integrative treatment project for every victim according to the assessment results. RESULTS: 75% (441/587) of the chronic tinnitus victims needed only educational counseling which can free them from the mystification and dread of tinnitus, the counseling helped them get habituation of tinnitus; the rest 25% (146/587) needed long-term integrative clinical treatment. CONCLUSION: Effective grading management can hold the tinnitus severity level and the treatment desirability from the victims rapidly and exactly, then provided them multiple modalities treatment from counseling to long-term integrative therapy. The grading management mode improved the cost-effectiveness rate of tinnitus treatment.

[Acute aggravation of chronic tinnitus: a study of the hearing characteristic and prognosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hearing change when chronic tinnitus acute aggravated and the affect of prognosis due to hearing change. METHODS: The pure tone threshold and acoustic immittance were used for every case in the acute aggravation of chronic tinnitus (AACT) group, and for some of AACT group members the auditory brainstem response (ABR), distort-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), electrocochleogram (EcochG), glycerin test and MRI were used at the same time for further diagnosis. For the chronic tinnitus, the patients accepted the intervention of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) both for the AACT group and the control group. As for the recent hearing loss appeared in the AACT group members, the patients were treated the cases as the sudden deafness, and then the hearing characteristic of the AACT group was analyzed and the effect of the chronic tinnitus both for the AACT group and control group after the TRT for 3, 6, 9 and 12 months was evaluated. RESULTS: Three kinds of hearing changes appeared when chronic tinnitus acute aggravated. Based on the dated high frequencies hearing loss ranged 4-8 kHz, recent hearing loss appeared in 1-2 middle frequencies near the impaired high frequencies; Based on the dated single middle frequency hearing loss, another middle frequency hearing impaired near the dated hearing loss frequency, the sawtooth-like audiogram changed to groove-like audiogram; Hearing fluctuation in low frequency area, hearing threshold increased 10-30 dB in 125-1000 Hz but kept unchanged in the high frequency area. The recent local frequency hearing loss healed after the vasodilator and neurotrophic drugs therapy, but the dated hearing loss can't rehabilitate. Along with the rehabilitation of recent local hearing loss, 25 of 32 cases chronic tinnitus victims get to habituation; this finding showed that the experience of tinnitus aggravation and relief accelerated the habituation. Until the 12 months after the TRT, the curative effect difference between AACT group and control group showed statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: When the chronic tinnitus acute aggravated, 3 kinds of local area hearing impaired. Timely diagnosis and effective treatment had brought not only hearing rehabilitation but also promotion to habituation of chronic tinnitus.