An acoustical analysis of the effects of maxillary sinus augmentation on voice quality.

OBJECTIVE: Increased experience in sinus lifting procedures has led to a number of literature reports, but the potential effects of sinus lifting on voice quality is not clearly addressed in clinical studies. The aim of this study was to objectively investigate the effects of sinus lifting on alterations in voice quality and, in particular, on vocal resonance. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 17 patients who were in need of bilateral sinus augmentation were recruited. Acoustic analyses were performed before and after surgery. Volume changes in the sinuses were recorded before and after surgery using dental volumetric tomography. The Friedman test with Bonferroni correction was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Changes in the perturbation parameters of acoustic sound analysis were found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that all patients (especially voice professionals) be informed about the possible effects of sinus lifts on speech and voice alterations.

Significance of serotonin transporter gene polymorphism in tinnitus.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) polymorphism in tinnitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four consecutive patients experiencing subjective tinnitus and 174 healthy controls were allocated for the study. Psychoacoustic parameters of tinnitus were measured. Beck Depression Inventory was used to assess the depression level of the patients. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory was used to assess the severity of tinnitus. A visual analog scale was designed to measure the impact of tinnitus on quality of life of the patients. The 44-bp insertion-deletion in the promoter region (5-HTTLPR) and 17-bp variable number tandem repeats in the second intron of the serotonin transporter gene were assessed. RESULTS: No difference was found between the genotypes and allele frequencies of the patients and controls regarding variable number tandem repeats and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms (p > 0.05). There was no association between the psychoacoustic parameters of tinnitus and SLC6A4 polymorphism (p > 0.05). There was a significant association between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and scores from the visual analog scale of the patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Generation of tinnitus signal is not associated with SLC6A4 polymorphism and possibly with serotonergic mechanisms. However, the "ll" genotype variant of the SLC6A4 polymorphic promoter region seems associated with the limbic and autonomic nervous system symptoms of the patients with tinnitus. Therefore, serotonergic mechanisms may help explain the neurophysiological model of tinnitus, and serotonin replacement or serotonin reuptake inhibitors may increase the success rate of tinnitus treatment modalities based on the neurophysiologic model of tinnitus.

Otoacoustic emissions and effects of contralateral white noise stimulation on transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in diabetic children.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, our aim was to determine presence of dysfunction in the efferent auditory system of children with type-I diabetes mellitus (DM) presenting no evidence of symptomatic neuropathy. METHODS: Thirty children with type-I DM (DM group) and 31 age matched healthy children (control group) with normal hearing and middle ear function were entered to the study. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE) measurements were performed. Then, the TEOAE recording was repeated while a continuous broadband white noise (bandwidth: 50-8000 Hz) presented at 40 dB SL was delivered to the contralateral ear for efferent auditory system suppression. RESULTS: We found that contralateral stimulation (CS) with white noise resulted in significantly more pronounced suppression of the TEOAE response amplitude in healthy controls compared to DM group at 2000 and 4000 Hz frequencies. Further, a relatively higher percentage of the controls had suppression in at least three frequencies compared to DM group. SOAE prevalence was found to be higher in the DM group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest presence of a dysfunction in medial olivocochlear efferent system in diabetic children. This may be regarded as an early central manifestation of diabetic neuropathy.