The relationship between motor proficiency, bilateral vestibular hypofunction and dynamic visual acuity in children with congenital or early acquired sensorineural hearing loss

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-115).The functional integrity of the vestibular system in children is not often tested. Due to the close relationship between the cochlea and the peripheral vestibular system, the function of the vestibular system may be impaired in children with sensorineural hearing loss.The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of impairments of motor performance, vestibular function and dynamic visual acuity, and the nature and extent of interaction between these in children between the ages of four and fourteen years with congenital and early acquired sensorineural hearing loss. Motor performance was evaluated by means of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, dynamic visual acuity was determined by means of the Dynamic Visual Acuity Test, and vestibular function with the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test

Clinical and audiological outcomes of cochlear implantation : A retrospective study of 55 cases

CI are auditory prostheses designed to link an internal device, which is interfaced with the cochlear nerve, to an external device, which uses a specific speech coding strategy to translate acoustic information into electric stimulation. This allows the transmission of acoustic information to the central auditory pathway. A sophisticated multidisciplinary team approach that addresses the varied needs of the deaf recipients is required. The essential works of the aural/oral (re)habilitation program include listening skill development, speech therapy, speech-reading training and language instruction. This study aims to evaluate the etiology and epidemiology of hearing loss in 55 CI cases. Surgical techniques and audiometric and radiological results were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively with a minimum follow up time of six months. The acquired and congenital hearing loss incidences were almost equal in our group of patients. All arrays of CI postoperatively were in the first turn of the cochlear basis, and the dominant used device was Cochlear Nucleus (Australia). CI is considered as an oto-surgical procedure with a low risk and low complication rate compared with other surgical techniques. Moreover, the audiological protocol was performed like an international classification to achieve the exact indication of CI, and there is a considerable improvement in the average of PTA threshold and the average of SDT records post-CI. Similar results of hearing improvement were published by other authors. Finally, it is important to note that the present study is retrospective. Further prospective trials are recommended to investigate the SDT two years after obtaining a phonetic rehabilitation, especially to pre-lingually deaf children and adult groups

Hearing Disorders: Diagnosis, Management, and Future Opportunities

This book focuses on research on sensorineural hearing loss, syndromic or non-syndromic, related to genetic and viral factors. The metabolic syndrome, autoimmune etiopathogenesis, and new elements of cochlear implantation were also evaluated. New developments and utility of laboratory tests in inner ear diseases (sudden sensorineural hearing loss, Meniere disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis) are also discussed

The child who lived: Down syndrome among Neanderthals?

10 p.Caregiving for disabled individuals among Neanderthals has been known for a long time, and there is a debate about the implications of this behavior. Some authors believe that caregiving took place between individuals able to reciprocate the favor, while others argue that caregiving was produced by a feeling of compassion related to other highly adaptive prosocial behaviors. The study of children with severe pathologies is particularly interesting, as children have a very limited possibility to reciprocate the assistance. We present the case of a Neanderthal child who suffered from a congenital pathology of the inner ear, probably debilitating, and associated with Down syndrome. This child would have required care for at least 6 years, likely necessitating other group members to assist the mother in childcare.Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva (HM Hospitales- Universidad de Alcalá)Agencia Estatal de Investigació

Hearing Loss

Authored by 17 international researchers and research teams, the book provides up-to-date insights on topics in five different research areas related to normal hearing and deafness. Techniques for assessment of hearing and the appropriateness of the Mongolian gerbil as a model for age-dependent hearing loss in humans are presented. Parental attitudes to childhood deafness and role of early intervention for better treatment of hearing loss are also discussed. Comprehensive details are provided on the role of different environmental insults including injuries in causing deafness. Additionally, many genes involved in hearing loss are reviewed and the genetics of recessively inherited moderate to severe and progressive deafness is covered for the first time. The book also details established and evolving therapies for treatment of deafness