[Analysis of hearing aids application in elderly patients.]

The aim of the study is to evaluate the possibility to implement machine learning to create a digital auditory profile for elderly patients and to analyze the hearing aid fitting efficacy depending on involvement of the peripheral and central auditory pathways in a pathological process. Data analysis of 375 people aged 60-93 years is presented. 355 patients with chronic bilateral hearing loss (230 of them used hearing aids) were included in the main group, and 20 normal hearing elderly people were included in the control group. Audiological examination consisted of standard tests (pure tone audiometry, impedancemetry, speech audiometry in quiet) and tests to evaluate the central auditory processing (binaural fusion, dichotic digits, speech audiometry in noise, random gap detection). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used to detect cognitive impairment. The hearing aid fitting efficiency was evaluated with COSI questionnaire and speech audiometry in free field. Processing of the results was carried out using Pearson's correlation analysis aimed at creating a polynomial model of a patient's hearing on the basis of the limited test battery. There were close correlations between the state of cognitive functions and age, results of tests to evaluate the central auditory processing, as well as patients' satisfaction of hearing aid. The results of the work indicate the possibility of using computer technologies of data analysis to develop rehabilitation programs for elderly hearing impaired patients.

[Effectiveness of diagnostics and treatment of complicated hypertensive disease taking into account results of 3 day arterial pressure monitoring].

UNLABELLED: Empirical choice of antihypertensive therapy (AGT) for patients with complicated hypertensive disease (HD) encounters difficulties due to high variability of arterial pressure (AP) and inadequate response to intake of medicines. The objective methods for the choice of AGT methods are absent. AIM: To evaluate effectiveness ofthe choice of AGT taking account of AP profile calculated based on the analysis of results of 3 day AP monitoring in patients with complicated HDfor whom the empirical prescription of medicines does not give the desirable result. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 51 patients aged 56 +/- 19 yr with HD 18 +/- 13 yr in duration without adequate control of AP despite combined AGT AD was measured (BPLab, Nizhni Novgorod) every 30 min for 3 days, the AP profile was calculated by special FORM-based algorithm. Peak time and magnitude were calculated, the first and second derivatives of the process were determined, AGT was prescribed at the computed AD maximum points. RESULTS: Systolic and diastolic AP decreased within 2 weeks after AGT The number of patients with enhancedAP in the daytime and at night and those with highly variable AP decreased from 33 to 11% (chi2 = 8.4, p < 0.005), from 61 to 33% (chi2 = 10.1, p < 0.005), from 51 to 26% (chi2 = 8.2, p<0.005) respectively. The number ofpatients with inadequate lowering of night-time AP and those with abnormally high fluctuations of AP decreased from 53 to 24% (chi2 = 9.3, p < 0.005) and from 31 to 15%, (p < 0.005) respectively. The frequency of intake of AGT drugs did not change. CONCLUSION: Approximation of real AP circadian profile fluctuations based on results of 3 day monitoring is a sensitive diagnostic tool facilitating the choice of rational AGT for patients with markedly altered circadian rhythms when empirical prescription of AGT does not ensure desired control ofAP