Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions testing for screening of sensorineural deafness in puppies

<p><b>Background:</b> Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) are widely used for human neonatal deafness screening, but have not been reported for clinical use in dogs.</p> <p><b>Hypothesis/Objectives:</b> To investigate the feasibility of TEOAE testing in conscious puppies and the ability of TEOAE testing to correctly identify deaf and hearing ears, as defined by brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER).</p> <p><b>Animals:</b> Forty puppies from 10 litters.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Prospective study on puppies presented for hearing assessment as part of a congenital deafness BAER screening program. Hearing status was determined using BAER. TEOAE testing was performed after the BAER assessment and the results of the TEOAE testing were compared with the hearing status for each ear. Parameters were tested for normality using the D'Agostino Pearson test and comparisons between the deaf and hearing ears were made using Mann-Whitney tests.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> TEOAE testing was readily performed in puppies presented for congenital deafness screening. Using analysis parameters based on those used in human neonatal hearing screening, TEOAE testing correctly identified all deaf ears, as defined by BAER testing, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 56-100%) for diagnosing deafness and specificity of 78% (95% CI: 66-87%).</p> <p><b>Conclusions and Clinical Importance:</b> TEOAE testing is an effective screening modality for identifying congenital sensorineural deafness in dogs. In light of the simpler and less expensive equipment, TEOAE testing has the potential to improve access to hearing screening and through this reduce the prevalence of congenital deafness in the dog.</p&gt

A destressing "deafness" in French?

French is a language in which accent is mandatory on the last syllable of every content word. In contrast, Spanish uses accent to distinguish different lexical items (e.g., b'ebe vs beb'e). Two population of subjects were tested on the same materials to study whether such linguistic differences have an impact on the perceptual capacities of listeners. In Experiment 1, using an ABX paradigm, we find that French Subjects have a surprising deficit compared to Spanish Subjects in making accent distinctions. In Experiment 2, we find that Spanish subjects cannot ignore irrelevant differences in accent in a phoneme-based ABX task, whereas French Subjects have no difficulty at all. In Experiment 3, we replicate the basic French finding, and find that Spanish subjects benefit from redundant accent information even when phonemic information alone is sufficient to perform the task. In our final Experiment 4, we show that French subjects can hear the acoustic correlates of accent; their problem seem to arise at the level of short term memory. Implications for language-specific processing and acquisition are discussed

Disabilities in the Writing Center

Since writing centers serve communities of teachers and learners, they will inevitably serve people with disabilities. Ever since the 1980s, writing center workers have explored the issue of tutoring students with disabilities, people who may require different learning environments and may have learning needs that interact in complex ways with standard tutoring practices. In order to make accessing this scholarship easier, I have read and analyzed as many of the available articles in the literature as I could find. This article presents summaries in tabular form of both the research methods and tutoring suggestions contained in these sources. I also discuss and analyze these methods and go into detail on those studies that use empirical methods. My goal is not to rank the usefulness of studies based on methods used but simply to point out that studies based on empirical methods may assist tutors and practitioners in achieving Evidence-Based Practice (Babcock and Thonus). Another analysis that emerges from this research are the types of disabilities portrayed in the literature, and I make suggestions based on a comparison with the disabilities actually disclosed by college students.University Writing Cente

Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome, atypical connexin GJB2 genemutation, and peripheral T-cell lymphoma: more than a random association?

Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by a variety of skin lesions— that is, palmoplantar keratoderma, thickening of the skin, and erythematous verrucous lesions—neurosensorial hypoacusia, and keratitis with a variable degree of visual impairment. Both sporadic and familial forms of the syndrome have been described, the latter usually showing a dominant pattern of inheritance. The molecular lesion responsible for the syndrome typically involves the connexin 26 (Cx26) gene (GJB2). Most patients display the heterozygous c.148G→A mutation causing the substitution of an aspartic acid for an asparagine at position 50 (p.Asp50Asn), while a few of them show the c.50C→T mutation, implying the substitution of a serine for a phenylalanine at position 17 (p.Ser17Phe). However, even a mutation in the connexin 30 (Cx30) gene (GJB6) has been found in a typical KID patient, thus suggesting a genetic heterogeneity of the syndrome. As connexins are a large family of small integral membrane proteins which influence tissue cornification by modulating the establishment of direct cell-cell communication through gap junction channels, it is likely that defects involving this class of proteins are at the basis of the wellknown increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma in KID patients

How level and type of deafness affects user perception of multimedia video clips

Our research investigates the impact that hearing has on the perception of digital video clips, with and without captions, by discussing how hearing loss, captions and deafness type affects user QoP (Quality of Perception). QoP encompasses not only a user's satisfaction with the quality of a multimedia presentation, but also their ability to analyse, synthesise and assimilate informational content of multimedia . Results show that hearing has a significant effect on participants’ ability to assimilate information, independent of video type and use of captions. It is shown that captions do not necessarily provide deaf users with a ‘greater level of information’ from video, but cause a change in user QoP, depending on deafness type, which provides a ‘greater level of context of the video’. It is also shown that post-lingual mild and moderately deaf participants predict less accurately their level of information assimilation than post-lingual profoundly deaf participants, despite residual hearing. A positive correlation was identified between level of enjoyment (LOE) and self-predicted level of information assimilation (PIA), independent of hearing level or hearing type. When this is considered in a QoP quality framework, it puts into question how the user perceives certain factors, such as ‘informative’ and ‘quality’

Deafness: Disability or Culture? Best Practices Regarding Controversial Interventions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Background: Many people in the deaf community view deafness as a distinct culture, with its own unique language and history. They reject the use of assistive technologies which can restore hearing for themselves and their children. However, some members of the medical and legal communities consider it unethical to deprive a child of these interventions. Learn more about this emerging conflict, as well as best practices for working with deaf and hard of hearing students in a school environment. Methods: Peer-reviewed journals and popular publications were consulted to gather information about attitudes towards interventions such as the cochlear implant from members of the deaf community, as well the legal and medical communities. Education journals were consulted to gather information about best practices when working with deaf and hard of hearing students. Results: There are strong opinions on both sides of this issue, with various arguments being made both for and against the use of interventions like the cochlear implant. From the perspective of K-12 educators and school counselors, making sure that students feel safe and supported at school. Conclusions: It is not necessary for K-12 educators and school counselors to have opinions on specific assistive technologies. It is important for them to be aware of best practices for working with deaf and hard of hearing students, and to support and respect the decisions of deaf families with regards to their culture.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1117/thumbnail.jp

Admission of Deaf Soldiers to the Military: Rethinking the Undifferentiated Soldier Paradigm

Keith Nolan, a deaf man with undergraduate and graduate degrees, asked to be admitted to military training to become a uniformed American soldier. The military said no, and the issue was joined. Nolan’s application presents the Department of Defense (DOD) with an opportunity to reconsider its historical bar to people who are deaf. The Article suggests a new paradigm in thinking about the selection criteria used to screen out deaf applicants for military service, a paradigm rooted in a disability studies framework. With a few exceptions in the Civil War, the United States armed forces have barred people with disabilities, including those who are deaf, from serving in the military. The current recruitment model is based on the “undifferentiated soldier,” which requires an applicant for military service to become combat-ready, that is, someone who can serve on the front line of fighting even if ultimately the soldier never enters the theater of war in his or her military career. As Keith Nolan’s case demonstrates, the military assumes deaf applicants are incapable of military service because they cannot become combat ready. These assumptions underline a DOD report to Congress last year that militates against deaf soldiers in the United States armed forces. It is time to rethink these assumptions

Rehabilitation of hearing impaired children in India – An update

The prevalence of deafness in India is fairly significant. It is the second most common cause of disability. Approximately 63 million people (6.3%) in India suffer from significant auditory loss.1 Rehabilitation of hearing impaired children in India remains a challenging task. Early detection and intervention are the mainstay of this initiative. This article does not purport to detail the clinical aspects and surgical management of hearing handicapped children.We discuss here the resources and options available in India for the education of deaf children and the role of the Government bodies in rehabilitation. Awareness abouteducation and rehabilitation of hearing handicapped is low among the general public and even among the medical fraternity.