Gaining masculine power through guns? The impact of masculinity threat on attitudes toward guns.

Gun violence is a serious problem in the United States and elsewhere and more so among men than women. We conducted an experiment to examine if men whose masculinity was threatened are more attracted to guns than non-threatened men, presumably to compensate for the threat. After completing a gender knowledge test, men (N = 168) randomly received either false masculinity threatening (experimental condition) or masculinity affirming (control condition) feedback. Subsequently, we measured men's attitudes toward guns and their choice of a gun-range voucher. Men whose masculinity was threatened (vs. affirmed) showed more positive attitudes toward guns and were more likely to choose the voucher. Both effects were statistically significant when the whole sample was analyzed and when very strict exclusion criteria were applied. However, when data exclusions were based on a suspicion check, effects were statistically significant only when a covariate was included (i.e., social dominance orientation, patriotism, or experience with guns). We discuss reasons for this mixed evidence, including the possibility that suspicion regarding the masculinity feedback could itself be a compensatory reaction to threat.

Predictors of expectant fathers' parental leave-taking intentions before birth: masculinity, fatherhood beliefs, and social support.

Despite continuing progress, men remain underrepresented in childcare, domestic labor, and other care work. Because parental leave is discussed as a gateway to increasing men's childcare engagement, we aimed to gain insights into predictors of men's parental leave-taking intentions during the transition to parenthood. Using outcomes on a continuum from behavioral preferences to more behavior-oriented measures, we examine how masculinity and fatherhood beliefs as well as social support become relevant during men's formation of their leave-taking intentions. Planned analyses of data collected from 143 expectant fathers in Belgium and Germany revealed that the support men perceive from their partners for taking leave predicts their parental leave-taking desire, intention, and planned length of leave. Moreover, men's conception of a prototypical man, especially in terms of agency, was linked to their desire to take leave. Against expectations, father role attitudes and workplace support did not emerge as relevant predictors of men's intended leave-taking. Results of exploratory analyses suggest that care engagement of peers, expected backlash, and self-efficacy beliefs additionally play a role in men's intended leave-taking. We discuss parental leave as a negotiation process within couples and review the role of men's normative environment for their intended leave-taking.

Did Descriptive and Prescriptive Norms About Gender Equality at Home Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross-National Investigation.

Using data from 15 countries, this article investigates whether descriptive and prescriptive gender norms concerning housework and child care (domestic work) changed after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of a total of 8,343 participants (M = 19.95, SD = 1.68) from two comparable student samples suggest that descriptive norms about unpaid domestic work have been affected by the pandemic, with individuals seeing mothers' relative to fathers' share of housework and child care as even larger. Moderation analyses revealed that the effect of the pandemic on descriptive norms about child care decreased with countries' increasing levels of gender equality; countries with stronger gender inequality showed a larger difference between pre- and post-pandemic. This study documents a shift in descriptive norms and discusses implications for gender equality-emphasizing the importance of addressing the additional challenges that mothers face during health-related crises.

Patient Preferences for Long-Term Implant Care in Cochlear, Glaucoma and Cardiovascular Diseases.

In the process of developing and implementing innovative implant technologies the consideration of patient preferences can be beneficial for patients, doctors and developers. Nevertheless, in existing literature, there is still scarce knowledge of patients' perspectives on long-term implant care. In this study, three discrete choice experiments (DCEs) were conducted in the context of cochlear implants (CI, n = 92), glaucoma implants (GI, n = 21) and cardiovascular implants (CVI, n = 23), examining the relative importance of attributes of long-term implant care from the patients' perspective. The participants chose between differently shaped options for implant-related care. The attributes of these care options were generated and selected based on previous literature reviews, group discussions and a diary study with patients. The choice data were analyzed via binary logit regression. In CI-DCE, the technological compatibility of the implant with newer implant models, accessories or devices from other manufacturers was highly valued by participants, whereas in GI-DCE the (in)dependency on glaucoma medication post-implantation had the greatest influence on participants' choice behavior. In CVI-DCE, the attribute with the highest relative importance related to the means of securing long-term treatment success. In all three DCE, shared decision making was relatively important for participants. Our results emphasized the importance of an adequate transfer of technological advancements in implant care for promoting patient benefits, such as the availability of comprehensible, understandable, high-quality information about current developments. Similarly, promoting technological health literacy and further pushing the technological compatibility, durability and safety of implants are directions for future implant development in accordance with patients' preferences. Therefore, the participation of implant wearers in the development process is encouraged.

Corrigendum: Potentiation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-induced protection of spiral ganglion neurons by C3 exoenzyme/Rho inhibitor.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.602897.].

Reactions and Feelings to a Close Relative's Coming Out in a Heterosexual Relationship.

Which different feelings and reactions do different family members show if an adult family member who has long been perceived as heterosexual discloses their sexual identity as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB)? Previous studies have investigated reactions of spouses and sometimes children in the United States. This article describes the findings of qualitative interviews and a German-language quantitative survey (N = 188) in which family members were asked about their emotions, experiences during the coming out process, and their use of support options. The samples were recruited via different LGB+ online forums and organizations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (age M = 44.08). The results demonstrate that a coming out after years of a heterosexual biography and family life affects adults' parents and siblings in addition to spouses and children. Siblings were perceived as a supportive group of family members showing calm and mostly positive reactions. Parents mainly reported surprise but also showed on the one hand interest in supporting their children in the coming out process; on the other hand, we find also evidence for negative reactions including rejecting behavior. Children's coping and well-being depended on the time that had passed since the coming out and their age at the time of the coming out. Spouses felt shocked, angry, and the ground was pulled from under their feet. Comparing the perspectives of these groups of family members, differences between them, and their specific needs are discussed. Practical implications are derived from the support options mentioned, and range from information from books, the internet to professional advice. Spouses report the need of diverse support options, whereas other family members ask friends and other family members for support. Forums, counseling and the possibility to exchange were perceived as a support but were more accessible for women than for men. They provide the chance for a communicative exchange before the stress becomes too strong.

Racism in Europe: Characteristics and Intersections With Other Social Categories.

Concerning race and its intertwinements with gender, sexual orientation, class, accents, or ability there is a scarcity of social psychological research in Europe. With an intersectional approach studying racism in Europe it is possible to detect specific experiences of discrimination. The prevalent understanding of European racism is connected to migration from the former colonies to the European metropoles and the post-Second-World-War immigration of 'guest workers.' Thus, the focus of this research is on work-related discrimination. Against the background of a short historical review, we present the results of the few existing studies on intersectional discrimination within the labor market in Europe and discuss their implications. The pattern of findings is more complex than the assumption that individuals belonging to two or more marginalized social categories are always the most discriminated ones. Gender, sexual orientation, and origin rather interact with the specific job context. These interactions determine whether minority individuals are discriminated against or even preferred over individuals belonging to the majority group. We argue that considering the stereotype content model and social-identity theory helps to structure the sometimes contradictory results of intersectionality research. Therefore, the review presents new perspectives on racism in Europe based on current research, develops hypotheses on the interplay of intersecting identities, and identifies four novel research questions based on racist attributions considering situational variables: These are the role of concrete job contexts in explaining (no) discrimination, the influence of different stereotypes regarding marginalized groups, the explanatory value of sexual orientation as well as class or socioeconomic-status and age in terms of some patterns of results.

Proteome profile of patients with excellent and poor speech intelligibility after cochlear implantation: Can perilymph proteins predict performance?

Modern proteomic analysis and reliable surgical access to gain liquid inner ear biopsies have enabled in depth molecular characterization of the cochlea microenvironment. In order to clarify whether the protein composition of the perilymph can provide new insights into individual hearing performance after cochlear implantation (CI), computational analysis in correlation to clinical performance after CI were performed based on the proteome profile derived from perilymph samples (liquid biopsies). Perilymph samples from cochlear implant recipients have been analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS). The proteins were identified using the shot-gun proteomics method and quantified and analyzed using Max Quant, Perseus and IPA software. A total of 75 perilymph samples from 68 (adults and children) patients were included in the analysis. Speech perception data one year after implantation were available for 45 patients and these were used for subsequent analysis. According to their hearing performance, patients with excellent (n = 22) and poor (n = 14) performance one year after CI were identified and used for further analysis. The protein composition and statistically significant differences in the two groups were detected by relative quantification of the perilymph proteins. With this procedure, a selection of 287 proteins were identified in at least eight samples in both groups. In the perilymph of the patients with excellent and poor performance, five and six significantly elevated proteins were identified respectively. These proteins seem to be involved in different immunological processes in excellent and poor performer. Further analysis on the role of specific proteins as predictors for poor or excellent performance among CI recipients are mandatory. Combinatory analysis of molecular inner ear profiles and clinical performance data using bioinformatics analysis may open up new possibilities for patient stratification. The impact of such prediction algorithms on diagnosis and treatment needs to be established in further studies.

Which representations of their gender group affect men's orientation towards care? the case of parental leave-taking intentions.

Men are currently underrepresented in traditionally female care-oriented (communal) engagement such as taking parental leave, whereas they are overrepresented in traditionally male (agentic) engagement such as breadwinning or leadership. We examined to what extent different prototypical representations of men affect men's self-reported parental leave-taking intentions and more generally the future they can imagine for themselves with regard to work and care roles (i.e., their possible selves). We expected prototypes of men that combine the two basic stereotype dimensions of agency and communion to increase men's communal intentions. In two experiments (N1 = 132, N2 = 233), we presented male participants with contrived newspaper articles that described the ideal man of today with varying degrees of agency and communion (between-subjects design with four conditions; combined agentic and communal vs. agentic vs. communal vs. control condition). Results of Experiment 1 were in line with the main hypothesis that especially presenting a combination of agency and communion increases men's expectations for communal engagement: As compared to a control condition, men expected more to engage in caretaking in the future, reported higher parental leave-taking intentions, and tended to expect taking longer parental leave. Experiment 2 only partially replicated these findings, namely for parental leave-taking intentions. Both experiments additionally provided initial evidence for a contrast effect in that an exclusive focus on agency also increased men's self-reported parental leave-taking intentions compared to the control condition. Yet, exclusively emphasizing communion in prototypes of men did not affect men's communal intentions, which were high to begin with. We further did not find evidence for preregistered mechanisms. We discuss conditions and explanations for the emergence of these mixed effects as well as implications for the communication of gendered norms and barriers to men's communal engagement more broadly.

Potentiation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-Induced Protection of Spiral Ganglion Neurons by C3 Exoenzyme/Rho Inhibitor.

Preservation of the excitability of spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) may contribute to an improved speech perception after cochlear implantation. Thus, the application of exogenous neurotrophic factors such as the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to increase SGN survival in vitro and in vivo is a promising pharmacological approach in cochlear implant (CI) research. Due to the difficult pharmacokinetic profile of proteins such as BDNF, there is a quest for small molecules to mediate the survival of SGN or to increase the efficacy of BDNF. The C3 exoenzyme from Clostridium botulinum could be a potential new candidate for the protection and regeneration of SGN. Inhibition of the RhoA GTPase pathway which can be mediated by C3 is described as a promising strategy to enhance axonal regeneration and to exert pro-survival signals in neurons. Nanomolar concentrations of C3, its enzymatically inactive form C3E174Q, and a 26mer C-terminal peptide fragment covering amino acid 156-181 (C3156-181) potentiated the neuroprotective effect on SGN mediated by BDNF in vitro. The neuroprotective effect of C3/BDNF was reduced to the neuroprotective effect of BDNF alone after the treatment with wortmannin, an inhibitor of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K).The exoenzyme C3 (wild-type and enzyme-deficient) and the C3 peptide fragment C3154-181 present novel biologically active compounds for the protection of the SGN. The exact underlying intracellular mechanisms that mediate the neuroprotective effect are not clarified yet, but the combination of BDNF (TrkB stimulation) and C3 exoenzyme (RhoA inhibition) can be used to protect SGN in vitro.

On the Intracochlear Location of Straight Electrode Arrays After Cochlear Implantation: How Lateral Are Lateral Wall Electrodes?

OBJECTIVE: Cochlear implants are the gold standard for patients with severe sensorineural hearing loss. A focused electrical stimulation of individual spiral ganglion neurons has not been achieved yet because the scala tympani is a fluid-filled compartment and does not offer a matrix for neuritic outgrowth. Coating of the electrode contacts with swelling hydrogels could fill that gap between the electrode array and the medial wall of the cochlea. Therefore, the exact position of the electrode array within the scala tympani has to be known. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patient data sets. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. A total of 95 patients with cochlear implants from one manufacturer were included in this study. The lateral wall, the modiolar wall, and the cochlear implant electrode were segmented using OsiriX MD. For repositioning and reconstructing the respective contours and measuring distances, files were analyzed in MATLAB. The distances from the edge of each electrode contact to the cochlear walls showed no significant differences. But between the different contacts within each patient, there were significant differences. Around 180 degree insertion, electrodes start to get in contact with the lateral wall. The tip of the electrode array was always facing toward the modiolar wall independent of the length of the electrode. We established a method to analyze the position of electrodes within the cochlea.

Meta-Analytic Use of Balanced Identity Theory to Validate the Implicit Association Test.

This meta-analysis evaluated theoretical predictions from balanced identity theory (BIT) and evaluated the validity of zero points of Implicit Association Test (IAT) and self-report measures used to test these predictions. Twenty-one researchers contributed individual subject data from 36 experiments (total N = 12,773) that used both explicit and implicit measures of the social-cognitive constructs. The meta-analysis confirmed predictions of BIT's balance-congruity principle and simultaneously validated interpretation of the IAT's zero point as indicating absence of preference between two attitude objects. Statistical power afforded by the sample size enabled the first confirmations of balance-congruity predictions with self-report measures. Beyond these empirical results, the meta-analysis introduced a within-study statistical test of the balance-congruity principle, finding that it had greater efficiency than the previous best method. The meta-analysis's full data set has been publicly archived to enable further studies of interrelations among attitudes, stereotypes, and identities.

Impedance Values Do Not Correlate With Speech Understanding in Cochlear Implant Recipients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a possible correlation between impedance values and speech perception after cochlear implantation. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: All patients implanted with a MedEl Flex28 device in our department with complete audiometric data (Freiburger monosyllabic testing at 65 dB, Hochmaier-Schulz-Moser testing in quiet and in 10 dB noise) and impedance measurements at the 1-year refitting appointment were enrolled in this study. Further inclusion criteria were age > 17 years, native speakers, and no use of electric-acoustic-stimulation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean values for impedances were calculated over all electrode contacts and separately for basal, medial, and apical regions. These data were correlated statistically (Pearson's correlation) with speech testing results. Furthermore, groups of patients with extreme values were built and compared against each other and against the rest of the collective. RESULTS: Impedance values did not correlate significantly with speech performance in any of the audiometric tests neither for all electrode contacts nor for specific clusters of contacts. Patients with the lowest impedances did not perform statistically different than patients with the highest impedances in any condition. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first data on a possible correlation between impedances and speech perception. The extent of the impedances as a benchmark for a good performance in speech discrimination tests could not be verified. Further prospective studies, possibly with more precise diagnostic tools, should be carried out to define the value of impedance measurements for cochlear implantation provision.

Using Scenarios for Measuring the Affective and Behavioral Components of Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men: Validation of the SABA Scale.

Attitude-change research requires sound attitude measures adequately predicting behavior. Most existing attitude measures focus on the cognitive (and some on the affective) attitude component (while neglecting the behavioral component). The present research introduces the SABA, a brief scale that consists of Scenarios measuring the Affective and Behavioral components of Attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. In two studies with student and non-student samples (n1 = 66, n2 = 202), we developed a 25-item scale and reduced it by performing exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded two factors (affective and behavioral) for each version (SABA-L for attitudes toward lesbians, SABA-G for attitudes toward gay men). The reduced scales each contained five scenarios showing good reliability. High convergent validity and discriminant validity were shown using explicit and implicit attitude measures in a multitrait-multimethod analysis. Further, SABA scores correlated with the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS) and the Attitudes Toward Lesbians (ATL) and Gay Men Scale (ATG), but-as predicted-not with social anxiety and the Homopositivity Scale. The SABA's criterion and incremental validity were demonstrated in predicting attitude-related behavior better than the MHS. SABA scores showed established associations and differences in antigay attitudes based on age, religiousness, male role norms, authoritarianism, openness (SABA-G only), and sexual orientation, confirming (known-group) validity. Further, the SABA correlated less with the motivation to act without prejudice than the MHS, the ATL, and the ATG. Thus, outperforming existing attitude scales, the SABA appears to be a psychometrically sound instrument to measure attitudes toward lesbians and gay men.

A brief diversity training: Raising awareness of ingroup privilege to improve attitudes towards disadvantaged outgroups.

Diversity training is a popular strategy to reduce prejudice within educational settings. However, in practice, diversity training rarely relies on social-psychological theory, and research on its effectiveness in real-world settings is scarce. Previous research regarding diversity training has particularly neglected an important theoretical concept: privilege as the counterpart of discrimination. Therefore, we developed a diversity training aiming to increase awareness of ingroup privilege, using an intersectional approach to teach participants the complex interaction between privilege and oppression. We randomly allocated students of educational science (N = 112) to a repeated-measures (pre-test, post-test, follow-up) control-group design. Compared with the control group, training participants showed a significant increase in awareness of ingroup privilege 1 week after the training, whereas there was no change in awareness of discrimination. Furthermore, increased awareness of ingroup privilege 1 week after the training mediated improved outgroup attitudes (i.e., more positive outgroup feelings towards immigrants and refugees, reduced subtle prejudice towards immigrants and reduced homonegativity) 2 weeks after the training.

Dimensions of artefacts caused by cochlear and auditory brainstem implants in magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the extent of MRI artefacts due to the magnet of selected auditory implants.Study design: Artefacts of the Synchrony cochlear implant at 1.5 T as well as at 3 T MRI devices were examined in cadavers and compared to the artefacts in MRI scans at 1.5 T of 17 patients implanted with CI (n = 12) and auditory brainstem implants (ABI) (n = 5).Results: None of the scanned implants showed any failure after MRI. After removal of the magnet, only a portion of the images in the direct neighbourhood of the implant, especially in the temporal and parietal lobe, contained artefacts. More anatomical substructures were visible without artefacts using the MedEl Synchrony device.Conclusion: Artefacts can be markedly reduced by rotating, self-aligning magnet. Removal of the magnet also results in reduction of artefacts.

Microarray-based screening system identifies temperature-controlled activity of Connexin 26 that is distorted by mutations.

Here, we show that human Connexin 26 (hCx26 or Cx26WT) hemichannel opening rapidly enables the transport of small molecules when triggered by temperature and by compensation of the Ca2+ blockade with EDTA. Point mutations within Cx26 were analysed by a novel optical microarray-based Lucifer Yellow uptake assay or by two electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) on frog oocytes to monitor simultaneous activities of channel proteins. Point mutations L90P, F161S, R184P or K188N influenced the temperature-dependent activity drastically. Since several mutations blocked trafficking, the temperature-dependent activity of the recombinant synthesized and purified wild-type Cx26WT and Cx26K188N hemichannel was tested by liposome flux assay (LFA) and on a microarray-based Lucifer Yellow uptake assay under warm conditions (>30 °C). The data from TEVC measurements and dye flux experiments showed that the mutations gave no or only a weak activity at increased temperature (>30 °C). We conclude that the position K188 in the Cx26WT forms a temperature-sensitive salt bridge with E47 whereas the exchange to K188N destabilizes the network loop- gating filter, which was recently identified as a part of the flexible Ca2+ binding site. We assume that the temperature sensitivity of Cx26 is required to protect cells from uncontrolled release or uptake activities through Cx26 hemichannels.

Male Majority, Female Majority, or Gender Diversity in Organizations: How Do Proportions Affect Gender Stereotyping and Women Leaders' Well-Being?

Whereas popular wisdom often centers on character differences between women and men when explaining work-related behavior, Kanter (1977) predicted that the proportion of women and men present in organizations is the crucial factor: With unequal proportions, women (similar to other minority persons) are singled out as "tokens" and gender becomes salient, which has been theorized to have a range of negative consequences. In contrast, if proportions of women and men are similar (i.e., in the presence of gender diversity), gender is not salient, and the work environment becomes much more positive for women. These considerations imply that not only a male majority, but also a female majority at work has negative consequences, because gender becomes salient in both cases. However, empirical research on work environments with female majorities at the top of organizations is scarce. The present study tested the perception of a range of negative consequences, including work-related well-being, among women in leadership positions in Spain who reported a male majority, a female majority, or similar proportions of both genders at the top level of their organization. The online convenience sample consisted of a total of N = 649 women leaders. In addition to work-related well-being, we measured perceived work-family conflict and perceived feelings of guilt associated with work-family conflict, traditional gender stereotypes regarding warmth and competence, women-leadership stereotypes, negative work-related stereotypes of mothers, gender harassment, and stigma consciousness. Almost all of our findings support Kanter's theorizing that equal proportions of both genders go along with more positive perceptions as compared to a male majority. However, a female majority went along with as negative perceptions as a male majority regarding several of the outcome variables, but was associated with the most positive perceptions for other outcomes. We discuss implications and possible reasons for the latter mixed findings.

Investigating the common set of acoustic parameters in sexual orientation groups: A voice averaging approach.

While the perception of sexual orientation in voices often relies on stereotypes, it is unclear whether speech stereotypes and accurate perceptions of sexual orientation are each based on acoustic cues common to speakers of a given group. We ask if the stereotypical belief, that members of the same sexual orientation group share similar acoustic patterns, is accurate to some degree. To address this issue, we are the first to use a novel voice morphing technique to create voice averages from voices that represent extremes of a given sexual orientation group either in terms of actual or perceived sexual orientation. Importantly, averaging preserves only those acoustic cues shared by the original speakers. 144 German listeners judged the sexual orientation of twelve natural-sounding sentence stimuli, each representing an average of five original utterances. Half of the averages were based on targets' self-ratings of sexual orientation: On a 7-point Kinsey-like scale, we selected targets who were most typical for a certain sexual orientation group according to their self-identifications. The other half were based on extreme ratings by others (i.e., on speech-related sexual-orientation stereotypes). Listeners judged sexual orientation from the voice averages with above-chance accuracy suggesting 1) that the perception of actual and stereotypical sexual orientation, respectively, are based on acoustic cues shared by speakers of the same group, and 2) that the stereotypical belief that members of the same sexual orientation group share similar acoustic patterns is accurate to some degree. Mean fundamental frequency and other common acoustic parameters showed systematic variation depending on speaker gender and sexual orientation. Effects of sexual orientation were more pronounced for stereotypical voice averages than for those based on speakers' self-ratings, suggesting that sexual-orientation stereotypes exaggerate even those differences present in the most salient groups of speakers. Implications of our findings for stereotyping and discrimination are discussed.

Single Intravenous High Dose Administration of Prednisolone Has No Influence on Postoperative Impedances in the Majority of Cochlear Implant Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effect of prednisolone on the impedances after cochlear implantation. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: A total of 130 patients underwent cochlear implantation with a Med-El Flex28 synchrony device between 2012 and 2016 and met the inclusion criteria. Only patients with full datasets regarding impedance measurements perioperatively, at first fitting (before and after chronic electric stimulation) and at 3 and 12 months appointments afterward were included. Patients (n = 101) received a single intravenous administration of at least 200 mg prednisolone intraoperatively and control patients (n = 29) did not receive any steroids at all. Patients receiving low dose steroids during surgery were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean values for impedances were calculated over all electrode contacts and separately for basal, medial, and apical regions. RESULTS: Impedances increased significantly from perioperative measures to first fitting in both groups. Mainly at the basal region of the electrode array, impedances were slightly lower in the steroid group compared with controls. However, the majority of the patients showed increased impedances whether they received steroid treatment or not. CONCLUSION: The present study shows a slight but statistically significant reduction of the mean value of postoperative impedances at the basal electrode contacts in patients receiving a single systemic high dose application of prednisolone. Less than half of the patients showed a decrease in impedances and whether this decrease is clinically relevant remains to be elucidated.