Parent's Satisfaction of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Iran.

Measuring parent satisfaction is an important factor in pediatric health care service programs because parents play a major role in their child's life. The parental decisions are a basis for the success or failure of the child's treatment in many cases. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of parents' satisfaction following the implementation of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program in Iran. In this study, the Persain version of the parent satisfaction questionnaire with neonatal hearing screening program (PSQ-NHSP) was used to measure parents' satisfaction on information of newborn hearing screening program, personnel in charge of the hearing testing, hearing screening activities, and overall satisfaction. Newborns were screened using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and automatic auditory brainstem response tests within the first 48 h of life for each ear. Of the 312 questionnaires distributed, 217 parents (67%) responded. The mean scores of the "overall satisfaction" items ranged from 4.07 to 4.29, demonstrating high levels of parent satisfaction with this aspect of the program. More than 86% of parents were overally satisfied with the hearing screening program. In open-ended items, 84% of parents comments showed their satisfaction. The findings of the present study revealed that parents were generally satisfied with the UNHS program. The PSQ-NHSP questionnaire is easily employed and effective method for assessing parental satisfaction with newborn hearing screening programs.

Evaluating Oculomotor Tests before and after Vestibular Rehabilitation in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Pre-Post Study.

Introduction: The elderly population is commonly affected by balance and gait disorders that increase the risk of falls. Pivotal systems for efficient postural control are sensory, motor, visual, vestibular, and cognitive. Disruption in any of these systems could lead to postural instability. Vestibular rehabilitation is a set of exercises that positively affect the primary components of the central sensory-motor integration, including somatosensory, visual, and vestibular systems. Accordingly, we hypothesized that vestibular rehabilitation exercises might improve both oculomotor functions and upright postural control in patients with Parkinson's disease. Materials and Methods: 11 idiopathic Parkinson's patients voluntarily participated in this study based on inclusion criteria: central vestibular dysfunction and the Hoehn and Yahr scale scores less than or equal to 3. Videonystagmography (VNG) and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores were measured at the baseline. Then, the patients underwent vestibular rehabilitation training for 24 sessions (3 sessions per week). The VNG and BBS were measured again after 48 hours of the completion of the last session of the training. Result: After completing vestibular rehabilitation sessions, there were significant improvements in balance (P ≤ 0.001). Eye-tracking and gaze function statistically improved in 7 patients and 6 patients, respectively. Conclusion: Vestibular rehabilitation produced positive effects on oculomotor function and balance in a small cohort of people with PD. Consequently, it could be considered as a possible effective intervention for Parkinson's patients. This trial is registered with IRCT201709123551N6.

The Effect of Cognitive Tasks on the Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Healthy People.

INTRODUCTION: The majority of the daily life activities involve the concurrent performance of simultaneously challenging motor and cognitive activities, such as talking while walking, which requires the vestibular system for balance. Functional balance allows the brain to interpret and integrate the sensory information from our physical and social environment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive activities on the vestibular system function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study investigated the otolith system as a sensory organ that is responsible for linear acceleration by recording ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) in 28 healthy participants (11 males and 17 females) with the age range of 18-26 years under a cognitive condition. The rest and intervention states were compared in terms of oVEMP n1-p1 amplitude, n1-p1 latencies, and gender. RESULTS: The results showed that the oVEMP n1-p1 amplitude in both ears significantly decreased, and the asymmetry increased after cognitive tasks, compared to the rest state in females (P≤0.02). Moreover, there was no significant difference between the rest state and numeric subtraction task in terms of oVEMP n1-p1 latencies in males and females (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that an augmented cognitive load causes an alteration in the oVEMPs; therefore, it is suggested that the structures associated with the cognitive processing are connected with the vestibular system in the brain. These findings demonstrate the importance of non-vestibular factors in balance, especially in females.

Effects of Vestibular Rehabilitation on Fatigue and Activities of Daily Living in People with Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Study.

One of the most disabling nonmotor symptoms in persons with Parkinson's disease is fatigue, which can decrease the quality of life by restricting the function and activities of daily living (ADL). Nonetheless, sufficient evidence for treating fatigue, including drug or nondrug treatment, is not available. In this study, we evaluated the probable effects of vestibular rehabilitation on fatigue and ADL in patients with Parkinson's disease. Methods. This was a single-blind clinical trial study in which patients with Parkinson's disease voluntarily participated based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were randomly assigned to the case and control groups. The case group received 24 sessions of vestibular rehabilitation protocol, and conventional rehabilitation was performed in the control group (i.e., 3 sessions each week, each lasted about 60 minutes). Both groups were also given fatigue management advice. Fatigue was measured by the Parkinson Fatigue Scale (PFS) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). ADL was measured by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). All changes were measured from the baseline at the completion of the intervention. Results. Both fatigue (P ≤ 0.001) and ADL (P ≤ 0.001) improved significantly more in the vestibular intervention group than in the control one. Conclusion. Vestibular rehabilitation may improve fatigue and ADL and therefore can be used as an effective intervention for patients with Parkinson's disease, which was also found to be well tolerated.

Disability and Anxiety in Vestibular Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Patients with dizziness and vertigo usually experience psychological, physical, and social functioning limitations that may affect their daily living activities. In order to better understand disability and anxiety in patients with vertigo, in the present study we aimed to investigate the correlation between disability and anxiety in four different types of diseases causing vertigo. Moreover, the difference between the observed disabilities in these etiologies of vertigo was studied. Materials and methods In this analytic cross-sectional design, 130 patients (52 male, 78 female; age range: 18-75 years) with dizziness/vertigo who were referred to our balance clinic participated. All patients underwent a detailed diagnostic procedure including neurological, clinical, and otological evaluations. Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used to assess handicap and anxiety, respectively. Results There were no significant differences in "total DHI" and DHI subcomponent scores among different study populations (p>0.05). In terms of the BAI score, the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test indicated no significant differences among the four groups (p=0.158). Our results exhibited a significant positive correlation between the BAI and "total DHI" and "DHI subcomponents" values. Conclusion The degree of disability and anxiety is not different between patients with Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere's disease (MD), unilateral weakness (UW), and central causes. The significant positive correlation between the BAI and "total DHI" and "DHI subcomponents" values shows that the possibility of anxiety in patients with vertigo should not be ignored.

The Effects of the Vestibular Rehabilitation on the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Recurrence Rate in Patients with Otolith Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although repositioning maneuvers have shown remarkable success rate in treatments of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the high recurrence rate of BPPV has been an important issue. The aims of present study were to examine the effects of otolith dysfunction on BPPV recurrence rate and to describe the effect of vestibular rehabilitation exercises on BPPV recurrence in BPPV patients with concomitant otolith dysfunction. Subjects and. METHODS: Forty-five BPPV patients included in this study (three groups). Patients in group 1 had no otolith dysfunction and patients in groups 2 and 3 had concomitant otolith dysfunction. Otolith dysfunction was determined with ocular/cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP and cVEMP) abnormalities. Epley's maneuver was performed for the patients in all groups but patients in group 3 also received a 2-month vestibular rehabilitation program (habituation and otolith exercises). RESULTS: This study showed that BPPV recurrent rate was significantly higher in patients with otolith dysfunction in comparison to the group 1 (p<0.05). Vestibular rehabilitation resulted in BPPV recurrence rate reduction. Utricular dysfunction showed significant correlation with BPPV recurrence rate. CONCLUSIONS: Otolith dysfunction can increase BPPV recurrence rate. Utricular dysfunction in comparison to saccular dysfunction leads to more BPPV recurrence rate. Vestibular rehabilitation program including habituation and otolith exercises may reduce the chance of BPPV recurrence.

The Follow-Up Role of the Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential Test in Meniere's Disease.

Despite some proposed roles for the diagnostic impact of the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential test in the patients with Meniere's disease, the role of this test as an objective instrument in following up the patients with Meniere's disease who underwent. Intratympanic steroid injection is not cleared. In a prospective study, thirty-one adult patients with definite one-sided Meniere's disease with vertigo as main complaint refractory to medical treatments for three months, were selected. Patients underwent three times of intratympanic dexamethasone injection with one-week intervals. We performed cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential test at first and four weeks after the last injection for all participants. We followed the patients for one year. The study results were analyzed with the chi-square test. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential test could not be recorded in 26 patients (83.9%), and the test results were abnormal in the remaining 5 patients. The results were abnormal in the healthy ear of 32.3% of the patients. Despite the clinical improvement of the symptoms after intratympanic injection, the test results were not changed. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential test could not be recorded in the majority of the patients with Meniere's disease; while it is usually recorded in normal ears. On the other hand, results of the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential test do not change during the early phase after treatment and could not be a good option for follow up and evaluating the response in this situation.

Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Abnormalities in Posterior Semicircular Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), involving the semicircular canals, is one of the most common diseases of the inner ear. The video head impulse test (vHIT) is a new test that examines the function of the canals. This study aimed to investigate the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain, gain asymmetry and saccades after stimulating all six canals in patients definitively diagnosed with posterior semicircular canal BPPV (PSC-BPPV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine unilateral PSC-BPPV patients with normal oculographic and caloric results were enrolled in this study. vHIT was performed on six canals, and VOR gain, gain asymmetry and saccades were measured. RESULTS: Sixteen (55.17%) patients had abnormal posterior canal VOR gains in the ipsilesional ear. VOR gains in both horizontal canals were within normal limits. Superior canal VOR gains were mostly lower than normal and were not correlated to PSC abnormalities (P>0.05). No corrective saccades could be observed. CONCLUSION: VOR gain in the direction of the posterior semicircular canal may be reduced in PSC-BPPV patients. Evaluation of PSC-VOR parameters could be beneficial, although superior canal measurements should be interpreted with caution.

Intratympanic Injection of Dexamethasone and Electrocochleographic Data in Cases of Definite One Sided Refractory Meniere's Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Meniere's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that presents itself with repeated episodes of vertigo (96.2%), tinnitus (91.1%), and sensorineural hearing loss (87.7 %). In this article we sought to assess the effects of intratympanic (IT) injections of dexamethasone on definite cases of MD using electrocochleography (ECOG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this hospital-based case series in 36 patients, we measured audiometric values and ECOG in all patients before, 1 month and 6 months after 4-mg/mL IT injections of dexamethasone. RESULTS: Four patients (11%) had improved hearing following the intervention. No difference in pure tone audiometry (PTA) was observed following IT injections (P=0.492), while speech discrimination score (SDS) was significantly improved (P=0.008). There was a significant improvement in vertigo 1 month after IT injections (P<0.001), although this effect did not last for 6 months. No significant change in ECOG was observed between before and after treatment (P=0.052). CONCLUSION: IT dexamethasone injections can improve vertigo in definite cases of MD, although it seems that the effect is only temporary.

Universal newborn hearing screening in southwestern Iran.

OBJECTIVES: The implementation of Neonatal Hearing Screening (NHS) program is still at the preliminary stage particularly in developing countries despite the burden of permanent congenital and early-onset hearing impairment. The purpose of this study was to report results for universal newborn NHS in a cohort of children born in the southwestern region of Iran, as part of a national screening program set up by the Iranian National Health System. METHODS: During this cross-sectional study, which took place between March 2013 and April 2016, healthy newborns were screened using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and automated auditory brainstem responses (AABRs) methods at several points in time as early as possible after birth. Screening followed a two-stage strategy and newborns referred after the second-stage screening were scheduled for diagnostic evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 92,521 newborns were screened in the urban (n = 67,780) and rural (n = 24,741) regions. Hearing impairment was confirmed in 223 (2.41 per 1000) newborns. One hundred forty-one (1.52 per 1000) of these newborns were affected bilaterally. More than 87% of these infants (195/223) showed a sensorineural hearing loss, while the defect was found to be conductive in 12 cases (P < 0.001). Of the 223 cases with hearing loss, 28 (12.5%) infants had auditory neuropathy. The majority of the infants, in both urban and rural regions, showed severe hearing impairment. We did not observe any significant difference among the incidences associated with gender (p = 0.29). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that universal newborn hearing screening program is an adequate program for southwestern of Iran with high coverage, low referral rate, and good follow-up rate.

The effects of abnormality of cVEMP and oVEMP on rehabilitation outcomes in patients with idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

The presence of utricular and saccular dysfunction impairs quality of life (QoL) in patients. The aims of the present study were to examine the effect of repositioning maneuvers on QoL of patients with idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and to describe the effect of cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) or ocular VEMP (oVEMP) abnormalities on patient recovery after rehabilitation. Thirty idiopathic BPPV patients with/without otolith dysfunctions (n = 15, each group) were included in this clinical trial study. Otolith dysfunction was determined using oVEMP and cVEMP abnormalities. EcochG and caloric tests were performed to rule out other causes of secondary BPPV. The QoL in groups of patients with idiopathic BPPV was assessed using a Persian version of the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI-P) before and after treatment with Epley's maneuver. Pre-treatment results showed significant handicaps in both groups. DHI-P scores were higher in BPPV patients with otolith dysfunction (total, functional, emotional, physical score: 34.13, 11.20, 7.06, 15.86, respectively) than those in patients without otolith dysfunction (total, functional, emotional, physical score: 25.46, 7.86, 6.13, 11.46, respectively, P < 0.05). After treatment, DHI-P scores decreased in both groups. However, in the otolith dysfunction group, DHI-P scores (total, functional, emotional, physical score: 9.20, 3.33, 1.33, 4.53, respectively) were higher than those in patients without otolith dysfunction (total, functional, emotional, physical score: 4.13, 0.93, 1.06, 2.00, respectively). In BPPV patients with cVEMP or oVEMP abnormalities, QoL is more compromised in comparison with that in BPPV patients without these dysfunctions. Otolith dysfunction enhances the negative effects of BPPV on QoL.