Computerized cognitive training for improving cochlear-implanted children's working memory and language skills

Abstract Sensory deprivation, including hearing loss, can affect different aspects of a person’s life. Studies on children with hearing impairment have shown that such patients, especially those with cochlear implants (CIs), suffer from cognitive impairments, such as working memory problems and poor language skills. The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of cognitive computer training in improving working memory and language skills in children with a CI.This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. Fifty-one children with a CI aged 6-12 years were recruited through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the control and treatment groups. The Wechsler Working Memory Subtest and the Test of Language Development (TOLD) were used to evaluate children’s working memory and language skills pre- and post-treatment. The treatment group attended twenty 50-60-minute cognitive computer training sessions three times a week.Sina-Working Memory Training was used to provide the treatment group with working memory training, whereas no intervention was provided to the control group. Univariate and multivariate analysesof covariance were used to analyze data.The results demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive computer training in improving the performance of cochlear-implanted children’s working memory (auditory and visual-spatial) (P < 0.01). The results also pointed to improved performance in sentence imitation (P < 0.01), word discrimination (P < 0.01), and phonemic analysissubtests (P < 0.01).Overall, the findings indicated that cognitive computer training might improve working memory and language skills for children with CI. Therefore, the development and execution of such programs for children with CIs seem to improve their cognitive functions, such as working memory and language skills

Improvement of Tinnitus following Tympanoplasty and Tympanomastoidectomy Surgeries in Patients with Chronic Otitis Media

peer reviewedBackground: After otorrhea and hearing loss, Tinnitus is the most common symptom in pa­tients with chronic otitis media (COM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement of tinnitus in COM patients after tympanoplasty and tympanomastoidectomy surgeries. Mate­rials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on COM patients suffering from Tinnitus referred to Baqiyatallah hospital, Tehran, Iran undergoing tympanoplasty or tympano­mastoidectomy surgeries between March 2013 and August 2014. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaires were filled before and two months after surgery by each patient, and considered subjects were compared with each other. Audiometry test was taken from each patient before and two months after surgery. Audiometry results as well as Air-Bone gap were measured and evaluated prior and after surgery. Data were analyzed using SPSS software by ANOVA, sample t-test and Chi-square tests. Results: Eventually, 26 male and 24 female patients with a mean age of 38.62±11.88 years were enrolled. Air conduc­tion at all frequencies was 49.99±17.37 before and 36.98±22.06 after surgery (P<0.001). Sever­ity of tinnitus was 62.92±30.54 before and 30.54±20.08 after surgery based on THI (P<0.001). Also, it was 7.46±1.66 before and 3.5±2.06 after surgery based on VAS evaluations (P<0.001). Tinnitus severity reduction was significantly associated with the improvement of hearing loss and decrement of air-Bone gap (P<0.001). Tinnitus symptoms such as loudness, annoyance, impact on life and perception of Tinnitus significantly reduced after surgery. Moreover, Tym­panomastoidectomy was more effective on the improvement of Tinnitus in comparison with Tympanoplasty (P=0.019).Conclusion: It seems that, both tympanomastoidectomy and tympa­noplasty surgeries are effective on the improvement of tinnitus in patients with COM; however, Tympanomastoidectom surgery was shown to be more effective.[GMJ.2016;5(2):63-69

Dual Ectopic Multinodular Goiter: A Case Report

peer reviewedBackground: As the first endocrine gland to form during embryogenesis, Thyroid develops in the 7th embryonic week through migration from foramen cecum to its adult position, anterolat­eral of 2nd and 4th tracheal cartilages. Ectopic Thyroid can be found anywhere along the migra­tion path with or without co-existence of a normally located Thyroid. Ectopic thyroid glands at two different locations are so rare that only about 24 cases of dual ectopia have been reported. We present the first case of dual ectopic submandibular multinudolar goiter. Case Report: We describe a 35-year-old housewife who consulted us complaining two huge and gradually-grow­ing swellings in right and left upper neck regions. In physical examination, two great well-de­fined masses, one in right and one in left submandibular regions, were seen which had firm for­midability with no mobility, tenderness or evidence of inflammation. Imaging and fine-needle aspiration confirmed the diagnosis of dual ectopic submandibular multinodular goiter in our patient as the first case of occurrence. Conclusion: Finally, we recommend ectopic thyroid to be considered in the diagnosis of laterally located and submandibular neck masses especially in the absence of normally located thyroid. Additionally, we confirmed the idea that not all the laterally-located ectopic thyroids are malignant.[GMJ.2016;5(2):98-102

Cochlear Implants: An Excursus into the Technologies and Clinical Applications

Hearing loss causes severe alterations in social function and daily communications. Cochlear device implantation (CDI) is the only beneficiary method for auditory rehabilitation in patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Regarding a report in 2014, over 300,000 people had received cochlear implants throughout the world since December 2012 among which about 60,000 were adults and 40,000 were children in the United States. In this chapter, we discuss the history, origin, mechanism of action, and type of cochlear implants, as well as method of surgery and complications

Herbal Medicine in the Management of Tinnitus

Tinnitus, which is commonly defined as “ringing in the ears” by the patients, is a perception of an auditory sensation without any accompanying external stimulation. It accounts for a notable part of visits in otolaryngology clinics and has been estimated to involve about 5–15% of adult population making serious problems in 3–5% of patients. Tinnitus causes a lot of problems for patients, their family, and guardians and significantly decreases quality of life of patients. Many treatment methods have been proposed and presented for Tinnitus since the first year of diagnosis. These methods range from conservative management and chemical medications to surgical methods. As the other diseases and conditions, herbal medicine has been trying to treat Tinnitus and a variety of medications have been proposed. In this chapter, we aimed to have a comprehensive review on the current herbal medications of Tinnitus from all over the world

Thyroid Cancers: Considerations, Classifications, and Managements

Rapidly increasing trend of thyroid cancer incidence has turned this disease into a global concern. An estimated number of 64,300 new cases of thyroid cancer occurred in men and women in 2016, which represents 3.8% of all new cancer cases of USA (https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html). Thus, there is a high possibility for every physician to encounter a case of thyroid cancer during his/her professional lifetime. In this chapter, we clarified epidemiology, different categories, and new approaches toward diagnosis and management of thyroid cancer

Comparing the Effects of Epley Maneuver and Cinnarizine on Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo; A Randomized Clinical Trial.

peer reviewed[en] BACKGROUND: The fastest and safest treatment method of BPPV is repositioning maneuvers. In Iran, this methods are not widely used, and many physicians use medical therapy, despite their side effects, for management of BPPV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial patients with BPPV were randomly allocated to Epley repositioning maneuver or Cinnarizine (25mg every 8 hours) for two weeks. The patients were evaluated for symptoms using visual analogue scale (VAS) scoring system before intervention, first and second weeks after intervention. In the second and third visitd the results of hallpike test was recorded for both groups. RESULTS: 43 patients with a mean age of 46.88±11.08 years in two Epley and Cinnarizine group underwent analysis. The mean VAS score for improvement of symptoms after intervention was 1.66±1.06 in Epley and 1.50±0.91 in Cinnarizine group (P=0.57). CONCLUSION: we found that there is no significant difference between Epley maneuver and Cinnarizine for treatment and controlling symptoms of BPPV

Assessment of the Relationship between Fear and Self-efficacy of Childbirth during Labor in Primipara Women

Fear of childbirth is an important and prevalent problem during pregnancy and delivery. Self-efficacy of childbirth is one of the factors playing an important role in the fear of delivery. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the fear and self-efficacy of childbirth during labor in primipara women. This descriptive and analytical study was conducted on 100 primipara women in Ommolbanin Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, during 2017. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. According to the results, the mean scores of fear and self-efficacy of delivery were reported to be 48.9±14.2 and 220.5±54.9, respectively. In addition, there was a reverse association between the scores of fear of childbirth and self-efficacy of delivery using Pearson’s results (r=-0.44,

Salivary Gland Cancers: A Survey through History, Classifications and Managements

In this chapter, we are going to discuss about salivary glands cancers, their clinical manifestations and categories, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. We will go through details in each part in both clinical and surgical aspects based on recently prominent published studies and research in prestigious journals. After a short review on clinical features, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment, we will show staging and tumor node metastasis (TNM) classification of major salivary gland tumors and also basic principles of approach to salivary gland cancers. A little will be explained about basic surgical procedures for removal of cancers and benign tumors

Comparison of outcome following dacryocystorhinostomy with or without silicon stent appliance; a randomized clinical trial

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