Objective:To better understand the clinical phenotype of Méenière’s disease(MD),we examined family history,thyroid disorder,migraine,and associated disorders in complaints of people living with MD.Method:We...Objective:To better understand the clinical phenotype of Méenière’s disease(MD),we examined family history,thyroid disorder,migraine,and associated disorders in complaints of people living with MD.Method:We designed the study as a retrospective and examined data gathered from 912 participants with MD.Their data were originally collected by the Finnish M′eni`ere Federation(FMF).The survey data included individual case histories for environmental factors,comorbidities,disease-specific complaints,impact-related questions,cognitive complaints,health-related quality of life(HRQoL),and sense of coherence(SOC).Results:We observed significant differences between those with and without sporadic occurrence,family history,thyroid disorder,and migraine-associated complaints.Family history explained 20%of variability in patient complaints.Patients with a family history of MD whose disease started at younger age experienced balance problems,more severe vertigo spells,more severe vestibular drop attacks(VDA),and less nausea,although they had good SOC.Thyroid disorder explained 14%of variability in patient complaints.MD patients with a thyroid disorder comorbidity suffered more often from constant dizziness,balance problems,greater impact of hearing problems,cognitive complaints,and poor HRQoL.Migraine explained 12%of variability in patients’complaints and was associated with poor SOC and cognitive balance problems.MD patients with both thyroid disorder and migraine used antidepressants more often than other groups.Logistic regression analysis showed comorbidities of ischemic brain disorder(among 7.1%),kidney insufficiency(among 1.2%),and diabetes(among 7.3%)had statistically significant but restricted association with balance and gait problems,VDA,and reduced HRQoL.Conclusions:Family history of MD and thyroid disorder or migraine comorbidities in MD influence the complaint pattern and partially explain complex symptom profiles,including symptoms of cognitive problems.Confounders play a minimal role in complaint profile and impact of MD whereas comorbidities influence the complaint structure and partly explain the complex symptom profile in MD.展开更多
Objective:The purpose of the study was to evaluate listening effort in adults who experience varied annoyance towards noise.Materials and methods:Fifty native Kannada-speaking adults aged 41e68 years participated.We e...Objective:The purpose of the study was to evaluate listening effort in adults who experience varied annoyance towards noise.Materials and methods:Fifty native Kannada-speaking adults aged 41e68 years participated.We evaluated the participant's acceptable noise level while listening to speech.Further,a sentence-final wordidentification and recall test at 0 dB SNR(less favorable condition)and 4 dB SNR(relatively favorable condition)was used to assess listening effort.The repeat and recall scores were obtained for each condition.Results:The regression model revealed that the listening effort increased by 0.6%at 0 dB SNR and by 0.5%at 4 dB SNR with every one-year advancement in age.Listening effort increased by 0.9%at 0 dB SNR and by 0.7%at 4 dB SNR with every one dB change in the value of Acceptable Noise Level(ANL).At 0 dB SNR and 4 dB SNR,a moderate and mild negative correlation was noted respectively between listening effort and annoyance towards noise when the factor age was controlled.Conclusion:Listening effort increases with age,and its effect is more in less favorable than in relatively favorable conditions.However,if the annoyance towards noise was controlled,the impact of age on listening effort was reduced.Listening effort correlated with the level of annoyance once the age effect was controlled.Furthermore,the listening effort was predicted from the ANL to a moderate degree.展开更多
We present the novel use of a neuroimaging technique, magnetoenceph-alography (MEG), for examining therapy-related changes in neural activity during a speech and a non-speech motor task in children with speech sound d...We present the novel use of a neuroimaging technique, magnetoenceph-alography (MEG), for examining therapy-related changes in neural activity during a speech and a non-speech motor task in children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Nine children (mean age = 4.2 years) with SSD were scanned in the MEG before and after an eight-week course of intensive motor speech therapy. MEG tasks involved an oromotor and a syllable production task. MEG analyses identified significant post-therapy changes in brain regions related to oromotor control and speech production. Behavioral assessments showed significant improvements on measures of motor speech skills and articulation following intervention. This is the first demonstration of the ability of MEG to: 1) capture brain activations resulting from oromotor movements and simple syllable production in young children, and 2) capture brain changes related to speech therapy. As the findings from this study are promising, we discuss directions for the design of future studies to further examine specific neural dysfunctions in speech sound disorders.展开更多
Background:Dementia is a syndrome that affects a person’s ability to understand and express information.The higher prevalence of vision and/or hearing losses among persons with dementia in long-term care(LTC)faciliti...Background:Dementia is a syndrome that affects a person’s ability to understand and express information.The higher prevalence of vision and/or hearing losses among persons with dementia in long-term care(LTC)facilities interferes with the ability of nurses to provide optimal care because communication is compromised.Therefore,the detection and screening for sensory impairment is of the utmost importance in LTC facilities;however,there is currently no agreement among nursing professionals on how to best identify such losses for the purpose of further referral,and the need for a validated screening measure suitable for nurses in LTC facilities is clear.The present project aims to close this gap by investigating the screening recommendations of vision-and hearing-care professionals working with clients affected by dementia.Methods:Eleven experts in audiology,optometry,deafblindness,and technology participated in individual semi-structured interviews on the topic of tools and strategies that can be used to screen individuals with dementia for sensory loss.Interview transcripts were coded by two evaluators using verbal agreement and consensus building.Results:Three main themes emerged from the interviews with experts:barriers,facilitators,and strategies.Barriers to sensory screening were often mentioned,particularly impaired communication and lack of staff cooperation.Facilitators consisted uniquely of people,such as family members,intervenors,and nurses.Strategies for sensory screening in this population consisted of improving communication through repetition and encouragements;considerations based on familiarity;and inferring an impairment on the basis of patient behaviour.Few of our interviewees were knowledgeable on the topic of screening apps.Conclusions:Our findings,to be integrated with a similar environmental scan conducted among LTC nurses,can inform the administration of sensory impairment screening tests among a population with dementia in order to optimize care.展开更多
Importance:Cleft lip and palate(CLP)is globally among the most common childhood malformations.This disorder impacts childhood development,including speech and language,and affects children worldwide.Objective:To analy...Importance:Cleft lip and palate(CLP)is globally among the most common childhood malformations.This disorder impacts childhood development,including speech and language,and affects children worldwide.Objective:To analyze child development skills(adaptive fine motor,gross motor,personal-social,and language)in preschool children with isolated CLP compared with children without this malformation.Methods:The participants included an experimental group of 27 children with isolated CLP and a comparison group of 27 children without CLP aged between 48 and 59 months.The groups were evaluated using two instruments:the Denver Developmental Screening Test II(DDST-II)and the Avaliapao do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem(ADL-Language Development Assessment).Data were analyzed by descriptive and inductive analyses,using the Student’s Mest and the Mann-Whitney test,at a significance level of P<0.05.Results:All children in the comparison group performed within normal standards for their age range in the DDST-II and the ADL.The worst performance in the experimental group was observed in language skills,followed,in declining order,by adaptive fine motor,personal-social,and gross motor as measured by the DDST-II.Children with isolated CLP also performed poorly in receptive,expressive,and global language in the ADL.No statistically significant differences were observed in the experimental group’s scores for the ADL and the DDST-II.Interpretation:Developmental skill levels were below expectations for children of this age with isolated CLP.展开更多
文摘Objective:To better understand the clinical phenotype of Méenière’s disease(MD),we examined family history,thyroid disorder,migraine,and associated disorders in complaints of people living with MD.Method:We designed the study as a retrospective and examined data gathered from 912 participants with MD.Their data were originally collected by the Finnish M′eni`ere Federation(FMF).The survey data included individual case histories for environmental factors,comorbidities,disease-specific complaints,impact-related questions,cognitive complaints,health-related quality of life(HRQoL),and sense of coherence(SOC).Results:We observed significant differences between those with and without sporadic occurrence,family history,thyroid disorder,and migraine-associated complaints.Family history explained 20%of variability in patient complaints.Patients with a family history of MD whose disease started at younger age experienced balance problems,more severe vertigo spells,more severe vestibular drop attacks(VDA),and less nausea,although they had good SOC.Thyroid disorder explained 14%of variability in patient complaints.MD patients with a thyroid disorder comorbidity suffered more often from constant dizziness,balance problems,greater impact of hearing problems,cognitive complaints,and poor HRQoL.Migraine explained 12%of variability in patients’complaints and was associated with poor SOC and cognitive balance problems.MD patients with both thyroid disorder and migraine used antidepressants more often than other groups.Logistic regression analysis showed comorbidities of ischemic brain disorder(among 7.1%),kidney insufficiency(among 1.2%),and diabetes(among 7.3%)had statistically significant but restricted association with balance and gait problems,VDA,and reduced HRQoL.Conclusions:Family history of MD and thyroid disorder or migraine comorbidities in MD influence the complaint pattern and partially explain complex symptom profiles,including symptoms of cognitive problems.Confounders play a minimal role in complaint profile and impact of MD whereas comorbidities influence the complaint structure and partly explain the complex symptom profile in MD.
文摘Objective:The purpose of the study was to evaluate listening effort in adults who experience varied annoyance towards noise.Materials and methods:Fifty native Kannada-speaking adults aged 41e68 years participated.We evaluated the participant's acceptable noise level while listening to speech.Further,a sentence-final wordidentification and recall test at 0 dB SNR(less favorable condition)and 4 dB SNR(relatively favorable condition)was used to assess listening effort.The repeat and recall scores were obtained for each condition.Results:The regression model revealed that the listening effort increased by 0.6%at 0 dB SNR and by 0.5%at 4 dB SNR with every one-year advancement in age.Listening effort increased by 0.9%at 0 dB SNR and by 0.7%at 4 dB SNR with every one dB change in the value of Acceptable Noise Level(ANL).At 0 dB SNR and 4 dB SNR,a moderate and mild negative correlation was noted respectively between listening effort and annoyance towards noise when the factor age was controlled.Conclusion:Listening effort increases with age,and its effect is more in less favorable than in relatively favorable conditions.However,if the annoyance towards noise was controlled,the impact of age on listening effort was reduced.Listening effort correlated with the level of annoyance once the age effect was controlled.Furthermore,the listening effort was predicted from the ANL to a moderate degree.
文摘We present the novel use of a neuroimaging technique, magnetoenceph-alography (MEG), for examining therapy-related changes in neural activity during a speech and a non-speech motor task in children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Nine children (mean age = 4.2 years) with SSD were scanned in the MEG before and after an eight-week course of intensive motor speech therapy. MEG tasks involved an oromotor and a syllable production task. MEG analyses identified significant post-therapy changes in brain regions related to oromotor control and speech production. Behavioral assessments showed significant improvements on measures of motor speech skills and articulation following intervention. This is the first demonstration of the ability of MEG to: 1) capture brain activations resulting from oromotor movements and simple syllable production in young children, and 2) capture brain changes related to speech therapy. As the findings from this study are promising, we discuss directions for the design of future studies to further examine specific neural dysfunctions in speech sound disorders.
文摘Background:Dementia is a syndrome that affects a person’s ability to understand and express information.The higher prevalence of vision and/or hearing losses among persons with dementia in long-term care(LTC)facilities interferes with the ability of nurses to provide optimal care because communication is compromised.Therefore,the detection and screening for sensory impairment is of the utmost importance in LTC facilities;however,there is currently no agreement among nursing professionals on how to best identify such losses for the purpose of further referral,and the need for a validated screening measure suitable for nurses in LTC facilities is clear.The present project aims to close this gap by investigating the screening recommendations of vision-and hearing-care professionals working with clients affected by dementia.Methods:Eleven experts in audiology,optometry,deafblindness,and technology participated in individual semi-structured interviews on the topic of tools and strategies that can be used to screen individuals with dementia for sensory loss.Interview transcripts were coded by two evaluators using verbal agreement and consensus building.Results:Three main themes emerged from the interviews with experts:barriers,facilitators,and strategies.Barriers to sensory screening were often mentioned,particularly impaired communication and lack of staff cooperation.Facilitators consisted uniquely of people,such as family members,intervenors,and nurses.Strategies for sensory screening in this population consisted of improving communication through repetition and encouragements;considerations based on familiarity;and inferring an impairment on the basis of patient behaviour.Few of our interviewees were knowledgeable on the topic of screening apps.Conclusions:Our findings,to be integrated with a similar environmental scan conducted among LTC nurses,can inform the administration of sensory impairment screening tests among a population with dementia in order to optimize care.
文摘Importance:Cleft lip and palate(CLP)is globally among the most common childhood malformations.This disorder impacts childhood development,including speech and language,and affects children worldwide.Objective:To analyze child development skills(adaptive fine motor,gross motor,personal-social,and language)in preschool children with isolated CLP compared with children without this malformation.Methods:The participants included an experimental group of 27 children with isolated CLP and a comparison group of 27 children without CLP aged between 48 and 59 months.The groups were evaluated using two instruments:the Denver Developmental Screening Test II(DDST-II)and the Avaliapao do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem(ADL-Language Development Assessment).Data were analyzed by descriptive and inductive analyses,using the Student’s Mest and the Mann-Whitney test,at a significance level of P<0.05.Results:All children in the comparison group performed within normal standards for their age range in the DDST-II and the ADL.The worst performance in the experimental group was observed in language skills,followed,in declining order,by adaptive fine motor,personal-social,and gross motor as measured by the DDST-II.Children with isolated CLP also performed poorly in receptive,expressive,and global language in the ADL.No statistically significant differences were observed in the experimental group’s scores for the ADL and the DDST-II.Interpretation:Developmental skill levels were below expectations for children of this age with isolated CLP.
