Explicit Instructions Do Not Enhance Auditory Statistical Learning in Children With Developmental Language Disorder: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials.

A current issue in psycholinguistic research is whether the language difficulties exhibited by children with developmental language disorder [DLD, previously labeled specific language impairment (SLI)] are due to deficits in their abilities to pick up patterns in the sensory environment, an ability known as statistical learning (SL), and the extent to which explicit learning mechanisms can be used to compensate for those deficits. Studies designed to test the compensatory role of explicit learning mechanisms in children with DLD are, however, scarce, and the few conducted so far have led to inconsistent results. This work aimed to provide new insights into the role that explicit learning mechanisms might play on implicit learning deficits in children with DLD by resorting to a new approach. This approach involved not only the collection of event-related potentials (ERPs), while preschool children with DLD [relative to typical language developmental (TLD) controls] were exposed to a continuous auditory stream made of the repetition of three-syllable nonsense words but, importantly, the collection of ERPs when the same children performed analogous versions of the same auditory SL task first under incidental (implicit) and afterward under intentional (explicit) conditions. In each of these tasks, the level of predictability of the three-syllable nonsense words embedded in the speech streams was also manipulated (high vs. low) to mimic natural languages closely. At the end of both tasks' exposure phase, children performed a two-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) task from which behavioral evidence of SL was obtained. Results from the 2-AFC tasks failed to show reliable signs of SL in both groups of children. The ERPs data showed, however, significant modulations in the N100 and N400 components, taken as neural signatures of word segmentation in the brain, even though a detailed analysis of the neural responses revealed that only children from the TLD group seem to have taken advantage of the previous knowledge to enhance SL functioning. These results suggest that children with DLD showed deficits both in implicit and explicit learning mechanisms, casting doubts on the efficiency of the interventions relying on explicit instructions to help children with DLD to overcome their language difficulties.

Adaptación española y propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Parentalidad y Ajuste Familiar (PAFAS) / Spanish adaptation and psychometric properties of Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale (PAFAS)

El cuestionario Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales (PAFAS), que incluye las subescalas de Parenting Scale y Family Adjustment Scale, se creó con el fin de realizar evaluaciones breves y eficientes acerca de la competencia parental, las relaciones paterno-filiales y el ajuste familiar. El objetivo del presente trabajo es el de adaptar dicho cuestionario al contexto español y estimar sus propiedades psicométricas, de forma que pueda ser utilizada con garantías científicas para medir el ajuste y funcionamiento de progenitores españoles. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 2618 madres y padres de diferentes entornos socioeconómicos. Los ítems que formaron parte del instrumento se adaptaron de acuerdo con los autores de la escala original. Se emplearon análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios con el fin de analizar la estructura del cuestionario. Posteriormente se llevaron a cabo análisis de fiabilidad para cada uno de los factores y de invarianza del modelo de medida en ambas subescalas. Como consecuencia, se obtuvo un instrumento formado por 20 ítems, distribuidos en dos subescalas y cinco factores, con buenos índices de fiabilidad y ajuste para evaluar la adaptación parental y familiar en población española. La subescala de Parentalidad conformada por los factores Parentalidad coercitiva (PC), Estimulación positiva (EP) y Relaciones materno/paternos filiales (RMP) y la subescala de Ajuste Familiar, conformada por los factores Ajuste parental (AP) y Ajuste familiar (AF). El instrumento obtenido posibilita una medida válida, fiable, breve y comprehensiva para evaluar los estilos parentales y el ajuste familiar de los progenitores españoles

In order to conduct brief and efficient assessments of parental competence, parental-subsidiary relationships and family adjustment, the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales (PAFAS) was created with the Parenting Scale and Family subscales Adjustment Scale. The objective of this work is to adapt this questionnaire to the Spanish context to be used for the evaluation of Spanish parental functioning, updating its psychometric properties. The sample consisted of 2618 parents from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The items that were part of the instrument were adapted in agreement with the original authors. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses were used to analyse the structure of the questionnaire. Reliability analyses were then carried out for each of the factors and invariance of the measurement model at both subscales. As a result, an instrument consisting of 20 items, two subscales and five factors was obtained that proved reliable to measure family and parental functioning in Spain. The Parenting Scale made by Coercive parenting (PC), Positive encouragement (EP) and Parent-child relationship (RMP) factors and the Family Adjustment Scale, made by Parental adjustment (AP) and Family adjustment (AF) factors. The instrument obtained makes it possible to measure the parental styles and family adjustment of Spanish parents

Not All Words Are Equally Acquired: Transitional Probabilities and Instructions Affect the Electrophysiological Correlates of Statistical Learning.

Statistical learning (SL), the process of extracting regularities from the environment, is a fundamental skill of our cognitive system to structure the world regularly and predictably. SL has been studied using mainly behavioral tasks under implicit conditions and with triplets presenting the same level of difficulty, i.e., a mean transitional probability (TP) of 1.00. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying SL under other learning conditions remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the neurofunctional correlates of SL using triplets (i.e., three-syllable nonsense words) with a mean TP of 1.00 (easy "words") and 0.50 (hard "words") in an SL task performed under incidental (implicit) and intentional (explicit) conditions, to determine whether the same core mechanisms were recruited to assist learning. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants listened firstly to a continuous auditory stream made of the concatenation of four easy and four hard "words" under implicit instructions, and subsequently to another auditory stream made of the concatenation of four easy and four hard "words" drawn from another artificial language under explicit instructions. The stream in each of the SL tasks was presented in two consecutive blocks of ~3.5-min each (~7-min in total) to further examine how ERP components might change over time. Behavioral measures of SL were collected after the familiarization phase of each SL task by asking participants to perform a two-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) task. Results from the 2-AFC tasks revealed a moderate but reliable level of SL, with no differences between conditions. ERPs were, nevertheless, sensitive to the effect of TPs, showing larger amplitudes of N400 for easy "words," as well as to the effect of instructions, with a reduced N250 for "words" presented under explicit conditions. Also, significant differences in the N100 were found as a result of the interaction between TPs, instructions, and the amount of exposure to the auditory stream. Taken together, our findings suggest that triplets' predictability impacts the emergence of "words" representations in the brain both for statistical regularities extracted under incidental and intentional instructions, although the prior knowledge of the "words" seems to favor the recruitment of different SL mechanisms.

The Auditory N1 in Schizophrenia: Comparative Analysis with a Monoaural Stimuli Paradigm.

The auditory N1 component has been gaining interest as a possible biomarker in schizophrenia (SCZ). N1 to right (RE) and left ear (LE) amplitudes and latencies were assessed using a monoaural auditory oddball paradigm in 12 SCZ subjects and 15 matched healthy controls (M=40.1±8.53 and 39.4±7.73, respectively). T-student test revealed no differences between RE and LE stimulation for N1 amplitude and latency to both groups. However, there were differences in peak-to-peak N1 amplitudes between the two groups for both LE (t=-3.067; ρ=0.003) and RE (t=-2.794; ρ=0.007). These findings strengthen auditory N1 has an electrophysiological biomarker for schizophrenia.

Immediate effects of a rhino-pharyngeal clearance protocol in nasal obstruction and middle ear condition of children under 3 years of age with upper respiratory infections: A randomized controlled trial / Efectos inmediatos de un protocolo de aclaramiento rinofaríngeo en la obstrucción nasal y el estado del oído medio en niños menores de 3 años con infecciones respiratorias superiores: un ensayo controlado aleatorizado

Introduction and objectives: Children up to 2 years old are at high risk of respiratory infections and nasal irrigation is often prescribed. Yet, to date there is no sufficient knowledge about its immediate effects on the nasopharynx and middle ear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of a rhino-pharyngeal clearance intervention protocol on nasal obstruction and middle ear condition in children under 3 years of age with URTI. Materials and methods: Randomized controlled trial in a day-care centre of Porto, including 44 children randomized to Intervention Group (IG) and Control Group (CG). Nasal auscultation and tympanometry were performed at baseline (M0) as well as after the intervention (M1), which consisted of nasal irrigation (NaCl .9%) followed by a forced nasal inspiration in the IG, and after 30 min of normal activities, in the CG. Results: In M1 there was a lower frequency of children classified as having an obstructed nasal sound in the IG when compared to the CG (IG = 33.3%; CG = 68.4%; p = 0.042). We also observed an improvement of mean peak pressure (PP) in the IG (Left ear: M0 = -124daPa; M1 = -92daPa; p = 0.022. Right ear: M0 = -102daPa; M1 = -77daPa; p = 0.021), which was not observed in the CG (Left ear: M0 = -105daPa; M1 = -115daPa; p = 0.485. Right ear: M0 = -105daPa; M1 = -131daPa; p = 0.105). There were no significant results concerning the compliance of the tympanic membrane. Conclusions: The rhino-pharyngeal clearance improved the nasal obstruction and PP of the middle ear of children under 3 years of age with URTI

Introducción y objetivos: Los niños corren un alto riesgo de infecciones respiratorias superiores (IRS) y con frecuencia se prescriben irrigaciones nasales. Hasta hoy no hay suficiente conocimiento sobre sus efectos inmediatos en la nasofaringe y el oído medio. Por lo tanto, este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar el efecto de un protocolo de intervención de limpieza nasal en la obstrucción y en el estado del oído medio de niños menores de 3 años con IRS. Material y métodos: Ensayo controlado aleatorizado en una guardería de Oporto, incluidos 44 niños asignados al Grupo de intervención (IG) y al Grupo de control (CG). La auscultación nasal y la timpanometría se realizaron al inicio (M0) y después de la intervención (M1), que consistió en irrigación nasal (NaCl 0,9%) seguido de una inspiración nasal forzada en IG, y después de 30 min de actividades normales en CG. Resultados: En M1 hubo una menor frecuencia de niños clasificados como con un sonido nasal obstruido en IG en comparación con CG (IG = 33,3%; CG = 68,4%; p = 0,042). También se observó una mejora de la presión máxima media (PP) en IG (oído izquierdo: M0 = -124daPa; M1 = -92daPa; p = 0,022; oído derecho: M0 = -102daPa; M1 = -77daPa; p = 0,021), que no se observó en CG (oído izquierdo: M0 = -105daPa; M1 = -115daPa; p = 0,485; oído derecho: M0 = -105daPa; M1 = -131daPa; p = 0,105). No hubo resultados significativos con respecto al cumplimiento de la membrana timpánica. Conclusiones: La limpieza nasal mejoró la obstrucción y la PP del oído medio de niños menores de 3 años con IRS

Immediate effects of a rhino-pharyngeal clearance protocol in nasal obstruction and middle ear condition of children under 3 years of age with upper respiratory infections: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Children up to 2 years old are at high risk of respiratory infections and nasal irrigation is often prescribed. Yet, to date there is no sufficient knowledge about its immediate effects on the nasopharynx and middle ear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of a rhino-pharyngeal clearance intervention protocol on nasal obstruction and middle ear condition in children under 3 years of age with URTI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized controlled trial in a day-care centre of Porto, including 44 children randomized to Intervention Group (IG) and Control Group (CG). Nasal auscultation and tympanometry were performed at baseline (M0) as well as after the intervention (M1), which consisted of nasal irrigation (NaCl .9%) followed by a forced nasal inspiration in the IG, and after 30min of normal activities, in the CG. RESULTS: In M1 there was a lower frequency of children classified as having an obstructed nasal sound in the IG when compared to the CG (IG=33.3%; CG=68.4%; p=0.042). We also observed an improvement of mean peak pressure (PP) in the IG (Left ear: M0=-124daPa; M1=-92daPa; p=0.022. Right ear: M0=-102daPa; M1=-77daPa; p=0.021), which was not observed in the CG (Left ear: M0=-105daPa; M1=-115daPa; p=0.485. Right ear: M0=-105daPa; M1=-131daPa; p=0.105). There were no significant results concerning the compliance of the tympanic membrane. CONCLUSIONS: The rhino-pharyngeal clearance improved the nasal obstruction and PP of the middle ear of children under 3 years of age with URTI.

The interactive effect of occupational noise on attention and short-term memory: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Human performance is influenced by several job-related factors and workplace conditions, including occupational noise. This influence can occur at sound pressure levels lower than the ones that cause physiological damage, such as hearing loss, being mediated by the noise characteristics. However, studies concerning this issue are still scarce. Study. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of three noise conditions on attention and short-term memory: standard condition (C1), environmental noise without alarm sounds (C2), and environmental noise with alarm sounds (C3). MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, noise levels were measured during a normal workweek in a fast food establishment. Second, an experiment was designed to simulate the noise normally prevailing in the workplace. The noise levels were fixed at 45 ± 0.3 dB(A) (C1), 60 ± 0.4 dB(A) (C2), and 68 ± 0.4 dB(A) (C3). The influence of noise on participants' attention and short-term memory was assessed with the following test battery: serial recall, response inhibition, and Stroop interference. Because annoyance, stress, and discomfort perceptions during the tests can influence results, visual analog scales to assess these variables were applied in the end of each trial. Fifteen undergraduate students were included in this pilot study (20-23 years; M = 21.6; SD = 0.8; all female). RESULTS: The results demonstrated that participants' performance during the tests was lower in C3, that is, the number of errors was higher and the reaction time longer. Participants also experienced higher levels of discomfort, stress, and annoyance perceptions in this condition. However, task performance was not found to be influenced by these perceptions. CONCLUSION: This study provided important insights about the different noise conditions that workers are exposed in a fast food restaurant, and how they influence participants' performance. Further research should involve workers, exploring how these conditions are implicated in their performance in the field.

Inter- and intra-rater reliability of nasal auscultation in daycare children.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess nasal auscultation's intra- and inter-rater reliability and to analyze ear and respiratory clinical condition according to nasal auscultation. METHODS: Cross-sectional study performed in 125 children aged up to 3 years old attending daycare centers. Nasal auscultation, tympanometry and Paediatric Respiratory Severity Score (PRSS) were applied to all children. Nasal sounds were classified by an expert panel in order to determine nasal auscultation's intra and inter- rater reliability. The classification of nasal sounds was assessed against tympanometric and PRSS values. RESULTS: Nasal auscultation revealed substantial inter-rater (K=0.75) and intra-rater (K=0.69; K=0.61 and K=0.72) reliability. Children with a "non-obstructed" classification revealed a lower peak pressure (t=-3.599, P<0.001 in left ear; t=-2.258, P=0.026 in right ear) and a higher compliance (t=-2,728, P=0.007 in left ear; t=-3.830. P<0.001 in right ear) in both ears. There was an association between the classification of sounds and tympanogram types in both ears (X=11.437, P=0.003 in left ear; X=13.535, P=0.001 in right ear). Children with a "non-obstructed" classification had a healthier respiratory condition. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal auscultation revealed substantial intra- and inter-rater reliability. Nasal auscultation exhibited important differences according to ear and respiratory clinical conditions. Nasal auscultation in pediatrics seems to be an original topic as well as a simple method that can be used to identify early signs of nasopharyngeal obstruction.

Social Representation of "Loud Music" in Young Adults: A Cross-Cultural Study.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to recreational noise, particularly music exposure, is considered one of the biggest public health hazards of our time. Some important influencing factors such as socioeconomic status, educational background, and cross-cultural perspectives have previously been found to be associated with attitudes toward loud music and the use of hearing protection. Although culture seems to play an important role, there is relatively little known about how it influences perceptions regarding loud music exposure in young adults. PURPOSE: The present study was aimed to explore cross-cultural perceptions of and reactions to loud music in young adults (18-25 yr) using the theory of social representations. RESEARCH DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. STUDY SAMPLE: The study sample included young adults (n = 534) from five different countries (India, Iran, Portugal, the United States, and the United Kingdom) who were recruited using convenience sampling. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were collected using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a content analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and also χ² analysis. RESULTS: Fairly equal numbers of positive and negative connotations (∼40%) were noted in all countries. However, the χ² analysis showed significant differences between the countries (most positive connotations were found in India and Iran, whereas the most negative connotations were found in the United Kingdom and Portugal) regarding the informants' perception of loud music. The co-occurrence analysis results generally indicate that the category "negative emotions and actions" occurred most frequently, immediately followed by the category "positive emotions and actions." The other most frequently occurring categories included "acoustics," "physical aliment," "location," and "ear and hearing problems." These six categories formed the central nodes of the social representation of loud music exposure in the global index. Although some similarities and differences were noted among the social representations toward loud music among countries, it is noteworthy that more similarities than differences were noted among countries. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that "loud music" is perceived to have both positive and negative aspects within society and culture. We suggest that the health promotion strategies should focus on changing societal norms and regulations to be more effective in decreasing the noise- and/or music-induced auditory symptoms among young adults.

Social representation of "music" in young adults: a cross-cultural study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to explore perceptions of and reactions to music in young adults (18-25 years) using the theory of social representations (TSR). DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional survey design and included participants from India, Iran, Portugal, USA and UK. Data were analysed using various qualitative and quantitative methods. STUDY SAMPLE: The study sample included 534 young adults. RESULTS: The Chi-square analysis showed significant differences between the countries regarding the informants' perception of music. The most positive connotations about music were found in the responses obtained from Iranian participants (82.2%), followed by Portuguese participants (80.6%), while the most negative connotations about music were found in the responses obtained from Indian participants (18.2%), followed by Iranian participants (7.3%). The participants' responses fell into 19 main categories based on their meaning; however, not all categories were found in all five countries. The co-occurrence analysis results generally indicate that the category "positive emotions or actions" was the most frequent category occurring in all five countries. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that music is generally considered to bring positive emotions for people within these societies, although a small percentage of responses indicate some negative consequences of music.

Preference to Patient-Centeredness in Undergraduate Audiology Students in Portugal.

BACKGROUND: In health care, the model of patient-centered care is growing; and improved outcomes have been linked to patient-centeredness. Practicing audiologists have been found to strongly prefer a patient-centered approach as years in practice increase. It is unknown whether patient-centeredness begins during education and training. PURPOSE: The current study was aimed at understanding the preference to patient-centeredness in undergraduate audiology students in Portugal. RESEARCH DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. STUDY SAMPLE: One hundred and thirty-seven undergraduate audiology students completed patient-practitioner orientation scale (PPOS) and provided some demographic details. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and one-sample t tests. RESULTS: A significant difference was found for sharing subscale (p ≤ 0.001), caring subscale (p = 0.033), and the PPOS full scale (p ≤ 0.001) among different undergraduate groups. Further, post hoc tests showed that the difference between year 1 and with years 2, 3, and 4 were significant for sharing subscale and PPOS full scale, but not for caring subscale. No significant differences were observed among the years 2, 3, and 4 for sharing subscale, caring subscale, and for PPOS full scale. When compared audiologists' preferences from a previous study on audiologists with students' preferences in the current study, significant difference for both subscales and full scale was found between year 1 students and audiologists (p ≤ 0.001), with higher preference to patient-centeredness was reported by qualified audiologists. Also, significant difference was found between audiologists and overall undergraduate group for caring subscale (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that audiology education influences preference to patient-centeredness. Within a year of undergraduate coursework, students tend to develop high preference to patient-centeredness, which stays stable during four years of undergraduate studies. These results provide useful insights to audiology education and training, particularly in the context of audiological rehabilitation.

Social representation of "hearing loss": cross-cultural exploratory study in India, Iran, Portugal, and the UK.

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic conditions in older adults. In audiology literature, several studies have examined the attitudes and behavior of people with hearing loss; however, not much is known about the manner in which society in general views and perceives hearing loss. This exploratory study was aimed at understanding the social representation of hearing loss (among the general public) in the countries of India, Iran, Portugal, and the UK. We also compared these social representations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved a cross-sectional design, and participants were recruited using the snowball sampling method. A total of 404 people from four countries participated in the study. Data were collected using a free-association task where participants were asked to produce up to five words or phrases that came to mind while thinking about hearing loss. In addition, they were also asked to indicate if each word they presented had positive, neutral, or negative associations in their view. Data were analyzed using various qualitative and quantitative methods. RESULTS: The most frequently occurring categories were: assessment and management; causes of hearing loss; communication difficulties; disability; hearing ability or disability; hearing instruments; negative mental state; the attitudes of others; and sound and acoustics of the environment. Some categories were reported with similar frequency in most countries (eg, causes of hearing loss, communication difficulties, and negative mental state), whereas others differed among countries. Participants in India reported significantly more positive and fewer negative associations when compared to participants from Iran, Portugal, and the UK. However, there was no statistical difference among neutral responses reported among these countries. Also, more differences were noted among these countries than similarities. CONCLUSION: These findings provide useful insights into the public perception of hearing loss that may prove useful in public education and counseling.

Social representation of hearing aids: cross-cultural study in India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: The current study was aimed at understanding the social representation of hearing aids in India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. We also compared these results to explore the cross-cultural differences and similarities among these countries. METHODS: The study involved a cross-sectional design, and the data were collected from four different countries using the snowball sampling method. Data were analyzed using a content analysis to identify the most-similar categories of responses reported, a co-occurrences analysis to see which of these categories are reported commonly, and a chi-square analysis to study if there was any association between positive, neutral, and negative connotations among participants in different countries. RESULTS: The current study revealed four different social representations of hearing aids from India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and also a global index. CONCLUSION: The study results provide very useful insights into how hearing aids are represented in the society. These findings may have important implications for public education and also for manufacturers from the viewpoint of designing and marketing hearing aids in different countries.

The development of the N1 and N2 components in auditory oddball paradigms: a systematic review with narrative analysis and suggested normative values.

Auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) are widely used in diverse fields of today's neuroscience, concerning auditory processing, speech perception, language acquisition, neurodevelopment, attention and cognition in normal aging, gender, developmental, neurologic and psychiatric disorders. However, its transposition to clinical practice has remained minimal. Mainly due to scarce literature on normative data across age, wide spectrum of results, variety of auditory stimuli used and to different neuropsychological meanings of AERPs components between authors. One of the most prominent AERP components studied in last decades was N1, which reflects auditory detection and discrimination. Subsequently, N2 indicates attention allocation and phonological analysis. The simultaneous analysis of N1 and N2 elicited by feasible novelty experimental paradigms, such as auditory oddball, seems an objective method to assess central auditory processing. The aim of this systematic review was to bring forward normative values for auditory oddball N1 and N2 components across age. EBSCO, PubMed, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar were systematically searched for studies that elicited N1 and/or N2 by auditory oddball paradigm. A total of 2,764 papers were initially identified in the database, of which 19 resulted from hand search and additional references, between 1988 and 2013, last 25 years. A final total of 68 studies met the eligibility criteria with a total of 2,406 participants from control groups for N1 (age range 6.6-85 years; mean 34.42) and 1,507 for N2 (age range 9-85 years; mean 36.13). Polynomial regression analysis revealed that N1 latency decreases with aging at Fz and Cz, N1 amplitude at Cz decreases from childhood to adolescence and stabilizes after 30-40 years and at Fz the decrement finishes by 60 years and highly increases after this age. Regarding N2, latency did not covary with age but amplitude showed a significant decrement for both Cz and Fz. Results suggested reliable normative values for Cz and Fz electrode locations; however, changes in brain development and components topography over age should be considered in clinical practice.

Characterization of middle-ear condition of Oporto daycare children up-to 3 years-old: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine tympanometric values of children who attend Oporto daycare centers and further analyze any relations with host and environmental factors. METHODS: Cross sectional study in a randomly selected sample of 117 daycare children up-to 3-years old from Oporto. Tympanometric measures were collected. RESULTS: Children presented in left ear (LE) a mean peak pressure (PP) of -156.53daPa and a mean compliance of 0.16cm(3). Right ear (RE) revealed a PP of -145.61daPa and a compliance of 0.19cm(3). Normal tympanograms (type A) had a lower frequency than abnormal tympanograms (type B and type C). There was a positive association between age and compliance (LE: p=0.016; RE: p=0.013) and between the presence of rhinorrhea and PP (LE: p=0.002; RE: p<0.05). Abnormal tympanograms were more frequent in Spring (RE: p=0.009), in younger children (LE: p=0.03) and in children that had rhinorrhea (LE: p=0.002; RE: p=0.044). Healthy children had a mean PP of -125.19daPa and a mean compliance of 0.21cm(3) in LE and a mean PP of -144.27daPa and a mean compliance of 0.22cm(3) in RE. CONCLUSION: Tympanometric measures presented in this paper may be applicable to Oporto daycare children up-to 3 years-old. Most of daycare children revealed abnormal tympanograms. Age, rhinorrhea and season influenced children's middle-ear condition.

Auditory event-related potentials in children with benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes.

Benign focal epilepsy in childhood with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS) is one of the most common forms of idiopathic epilepsy, with onset from age 3 to 14 years. Although the prognosis for children with BECTS is excellent, some studies have revealed neuropsychological deficits in many domains, including language. Auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) reflect activation of different neuronal populations and are suggested to contribute to the evaluation of auditory discrimination (N1), attention allocation and phonological categorization (N2), and echoic memory (mismatch negativity--MMN). The scarce existing literature about this theme motivated the present study, which aims to investigate and document the existing AERP changes in a group of children with BECTS. AERPs were recorded, during the day, to pure and vocal tones and in a conventional auditory oddball paradigm in five children with BECTS (aged 8-12; mean=10 years; male=5) and in six gender and age-matched controls. Results revealed high amplitude of AERPs for the group of children with BECTS with a slight latency delay more pronounced in fronto-central electrodes. Children with BECTS may have abnormal central auditory processing, reflected by electrophysiological measures such as AERPs. In advance, AERPs seem a good tool to detect and reliably reveal cortical excitability in children with typical BECTS.

Audiologists' preferences for patient-centredness: a cross-sectional questionnaire study of cross-cultural differences and similarities among professionals in Portugal, India and Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Patient-centredness has become an important aspect of health service delivery; however, there are a limited number of studies that focus on this concept in the domain of hearing healthcare. The objective of this study was to examine and compare audiologists' preferences for patient-centredness in Portugal, India and Iran. DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional survey design with audiologists recruited from three different countries. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 191 fully-completed responses were included in the analysis (55 from Portugal, 78 from India and 58 from Iran). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS). RESULTS: PPOS mean scores suggest that audiologists have a preference for patient-centredness (ie, mean of 3.6 in a 5-point scale). However, marked differences were observed between specific PPOS items suggesting these preferences vary across clinical situations. A significant level of difference (p<0.001) was found between audiologists' preferences for patient-centredness in three countries. Audiologists in Portugal had a greater preference for patient-centredness when compared to audiologists in India and Iran, although no significant differences were found in terms of age and duration of experience among these sample populations. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences and similarities in audiologists' preferences for patient-centredness among countries. These findings may have implications for the training of professionals and also for clinical practice in terms of optimising hearing healthcare across countries.