Visual-Vestibular Habituation and Balance Training for Motion Sickness

Background and Purpose. This case report describes physical therapy for motion sickness in a 34-year-old woman. The purpose of the report is twofold: (1) to provide an overview of the literature regarding motion sickness syndrome, causal factors, and rationale for treatment and (2) to describe the evaluation and treatment of a patient with motion sickness. Case Description and Outcomes. The patient initially had moderate to severe visually induced motion sickness, which affected her functional abilities and prevented her from working. Following 10 weeks of a primarily home-based program of visualvestibular habituation and balance training, her symptoms were alleviated and she could resume all work-related activities. Discussion. Although motion sickness affects nearly one third of all people who travel by land, sea, or air, little documentation exists regarding prevention or management

International Classification of Reliability for Implanted Cochlear Implant Receiver Stimulators

To design an international standard to be used when reporting reliability of the implanted components of cochlear implant systems to appropriate governmental authorities, cochlear implant (CI) centers, and for journal editors in evaluating manuscripts involving cochlear implant reliability

The perceived angle of the round window affects electrode insertion trauma in round window insertion - an anatomical study

Abstract Conclusion: In this study round window (RW) insertion of cochlear implant was performed with a lower degree of trauma in 86.6% of cases. Therefore RW insertion is a valid option to be considered in selected cochlear implant patients, especially when hearing preservation is a goal. In most cases drilling of the overhangs is required. Objectives: To systematically examine the potential for minimizing electrode insertion trauma with RW insertion. Methods: Fifteen temporal bones were inserted with a 0.5 mm electrode analog in an anterior or antero-inferior vector from a reference point along the facial recess. Surface preparation of the inferior segment of the basal turn was performed and the point of first contact was analyzed using computerized morphometric software. The same software was used to measure the RW dimensions before and after drill down of the bony overhangs. An insertion was considered 'traumatic' if the point of first contact was the medial wall of the scala, whereas 'less traumatic' was an insertion in which the point of first contact was the inferior or posterior wall of the scala. Results: Less traumatic insertion was achieved in 13 of the 15 bones, and in these the mean RW angle, as observed from a surgical point of view, was 137°. The mean RW angle in the traumatic insertion group was 147°. The difference was statistically significant

Diabetes and hearing impairment in Mexican American adults: a population-based study

Reports on the relationship between diabetes and hearing loss have been controversial. The present study examined this relationship in 1,740 Mexican American adults using data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Hearing threshold levels were obtained for each participant at the following frequencies: 500,1000, 2000, and 4000 Hertz (Hz). The thresholds from the worse hearing ear were used in the analyses. Diabetes and insulin use were assessed by self-report. The mean crude hearing thresholds in diabetics were significantly higher than in non-diabetics at each of the four frequencies. However, after adjustment for age, gender, and socioeconomic status, diabetics had a significantly higher mean threshold than non-diabetics only at 500 Hz (mean difference ± SE: 2.8 ± 1.2, p = 0.04). Diabetics who were not using insulin had significantly higher thresholds than those who were using insulin at 2000 (mean difference ± SE: 5.6 ± 2.6, p = 0.03) and 4000 Hz (7.7 ± 3.3, p = 0.02). Also, at 4000 Hz, insulin users had a significantly lower mean threshold than non-diabetics (mean difference ± SE: –4.9 ± 1.6, p = 0.02). Our data suggest that associations between diabetes and decreased hearing acuity in the higher frequencies are present only amongst diabetic Mexican-Americans who do not use insulin

Ossicular Implants

Middle ear function requires an intact, mobile tympanic membrane, an air-containing mucosa-lined middle ear space, and a connection between the tympanic membrane and the inner-ear fluids. Restoration of function to hearing-impaired patients is often feasible with modern surgical approaches