Developing Persian Quick Speech in Noise With Words Containing High Frequency Phonemes: Determining its Validity and Equivalency

Background and Aims The quick speech in noise (Q-SIN) test shows how difficult it is to perceive speech in noise by determining signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss. The lists with high-frequency words have a better ability to identify SNR loss which have been created in Persian. Although a Persian version of Q-SIN with emphasis on high frequency is available، but there is no Q-SIN lists with high-frequency words; therefore,this study aims to develop new lists and the lists with high-frequency words for Q-SIN test and determine their equivalency in normal-hearing people which was condcuted in Tehran University of Medical Sciences.Methods The sentences were first developed. Then, their content validity and face validity were determined. In this regard، 36 sentences were used to make new Q-SIN lists and 36 sentences were used to make Q-SIN lists with high-frequency words. Based on the Q-SIN test development criteria، six regular lists (lists 1-6) and six lists with high-frequency words (lists 7-12) were tested on 46 people (23 males and 23 females) aged 18-35 with normal hearingResults The content validity index for new and high-frequency words lists were 0. 74 and 0. 736، respectively. The equivalency test results showed that among the first 6 lists، the lists no. 1, 2, 3, and 4 were equal. Among the six lists with high-frequency words, the lists no. 7, 8, 10, 11 were equal. There was no gender differences between six regular lists and high-frequency lists (P>0.05). Conclusion The Q-SIN word lists with equivalency can be used for normal-hearing people in clinical practice

Spontaneous Nystagmus in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Is It A New Sign?

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a condition that indicates a benign inner ear disorder. It is generally believed that BPPV is due to the dislodged otoconial particles from otolith organs and unusual collection of them within any of semicircular canals or even in all three semicircular canals. Although the typical features of nystagmus in BPPV have been well-studied, very few studies (just four articles) have highlighted the presence of spontaneous nystagmus in BPPV recently. During the past 10 years, 2850 patients have been examined at the audiology unit of our department, and 254 patients have received diagnoses of BPPV but recently 2 patients presented with BPPV and spontaneous nystagmus, a new symptom that has been never observed in our clinical records. We herein describe this rare symptom in 2 case of BPPV. A 50-year-old woman with BPPV who showed an 18 degree spontaneous nystagmus treated with Epley maneuver and a 53-year-old man with 3 degree spontaneous nystagmus

Cervicogenic vertigo: etiology, diagnosis and treatment

Background and Aim: Cervicogenic dizziness is induced by a specific neck position and the earth’s gravity has no effect on provoking of it. The precise incidence of cervicogenic dizziness is not certain but, 20-58% of patients following sudden head injuries experience its symptoms . In this article, the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of cervicogenic vertigo is discussed. Methods: At first, articles of cervicogenic dizziness from electronic databases of Google scholar , PubMed, Scopus, Ovid and CINAHL were searched from 1987 up to 2012. Then, the articles in them vertigo, disequilibrium or nystagmus were consistent with neck disorders were searched. Conclusion: Articles with title of cervicogenic vertigo (cervical vertigo) were limited. Clinical researches about cervicogenic vertigo up to now implicate on several points; all signify that we cannot diagnose it certainly and there is not any specific single test for that. Recently, smooth pursuit neck torsion test (SPNTT) has introduced for diagnosis of cervicogenic vertigo that is not valid yet. There is no protocol for diagnosis of cervicogenic vertigo and diagnosis is often based on limited clinical experiences of clinicians. Physiotherapy, medication and manual therapies are options for treatment but there is no distinct and effective treatment for it and in just one article, a combination of treatments for cervicogenic vertigo as a protocol has recommended

Investigation of Persian Speech Interaural Attenuation in Adults

Background and Aim: As clinical audiometry assessment of each ear needs to know interaural attenuation (IA), the aim of this study was to investigate Persian speech IA in adults.Methods: This cross-sectional, analytic study was performed on 50 normal hearing students (25 males, 25 females), aged 18-25 years old in Faculty of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Speech reception threshold (SRT) was determined with descending method with and without noise. Then speech IA for Persian spondaic words was caculated with TDH-39 earphones.Results: Mean speech IA was 53.06±3.25 dB. There was no significant difference between mean IA in males (53.88±2.93 dB) and females (52.24±3.40 dB)(p>0.05). The lowest IA was in females (45 dB) and the highest IA was in males (60 dB). Mother’s language has no significant effect on speech IA.Conclusion: We may consider 45 dB as the lowest IA for Persian speech assessment, however generalization needs more study on a larger sample

Introducing and Evaluating a Farsi - Language Version of the Staggered Spondaic Word Test in Normal Hearing Subject

ackground and Aim: The staggered spondaic word (SSW) test is potent to evaluate the function of the central auditory nervous system. As the Farsi version is not available, the purpose of this study was to prepare a Farsi language version of SSW (FLV-SSW) and to conduct a primary evaluation. Materials and Methods: The Farsi-language version of SSW was first prepared and recorded on a tape. Fifty-eight normal hearing individuals with mean age 29.72 years were avaluated in Rehabilitation School of Iran University of Medical Sciences in 3 months. Results: The mean scores of Raw SSW was 98.364 in the normal group. The minimum and maximum percentage of errors of Corrected SSW were -6 and 8 for each of the conditions, -4.75 and 5 for each ear and -3.88 and 3.75 for the entire test (total). The maximum number of reversals was one. There is no difference between males and females scores. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, the FLV-SSW test appears to have potential as a useful measure of central auditory processing but the generalization of this results needs further studies

A review in vestibular evoked myogenic potential: with an emphasis on Cervical response

Introduction: Emersion of cervical and subsequently ocular vemp tests open a new arena in vestibular system assessment for audiologists and auditory-vestibular researchers. According to spatial neural pathways evaluated during the potential recording, the test could be assume as a complemantary test for balance system assessment.Aim of present study was to provide a review of last information about different methods used for recording and evaluating the response changes in different vestibular disorders. Materials and Methods: Search were done among  recent 10 years articles with vestibular evoked myogenic potential Keyword from electronic databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct , Ebsco and refrence books related to the topic. Results:58 articleswere used for extension and description of  main implications and used methods for doing vemp test. Conclusion:With doing the vestibular evoked myogenic potential test correctly and eliminating conflicting factors and with reliance on valid study results in this field the test could be used as an important diagnostic test in evaluating  and monitoring of treatment process in different vestibular diseases. Keywords: vestibular evoked myogenic potential,vestibular system,vestibular diseases,saccul

Interaural Difference Values of Vestibular Evoked Myogenic

Migraine is a neurologic disease, which often is associated with a unilateral headache. Vestibular abnormalities are common in migraine. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) assess otolith function in particular functional integrity of the saccule and the inferior vestibular nerve. We used VEMP to evaluate if the migraine headache can affect VEMP asymmetry parameters. A total of 25 patients with migraine (22 females and 3 males) who were diagnosed according to the criteria of IHS-1988 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Control group consisted of 26 healthy participants (18 female and 8 male), without neurotological symptoms and history of migraine. The short tone burst (95 dB nHL, 500 Hz) was presented to ears. VEMP was recorded with surface electromyography over the contracted ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. Although current results showed that the amplitude ratio is greater in migraine patients than normal group, there was no statistical difference between two groups in mean asymmetry parameters of VEMP. Asymmetry measurements in vestibular evoked myogenic potentials probably are not indicators of unilateral deficient in saccular pathways of migraine patients

Effect of Prophylactic Drugs on Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential in Migraine Patients

Background and Aim: In many migraine patients prophylactic drugs are effective in reducing attacks and symptoms such as vestibular complaints. Therefore, related neural pathways are probably alsoaffected. This study aimed to compare vestibular evoked myogenic potential in migraine patients under treatment with prophylactic drugs and those without any treatment.Methods: Subjects included 46 patients with migraine. They were evaluated in two groups; those under treatment with prophylactic drugs (21 subjects) and those without treatment (25 subjects). Theage range of patients was 20-60 years. The vestibular evoked myogenic potential were recorded with 500 Hz tone bursts at 95 dB nHL.Results: Mean of amplitude ratio (p=0.02), and interpeak latency values in the right ear (p=0.03) and left ear (p=0.001) were higher in patients with prophylactic therapy than the group without therapy;this difference was statistically significant. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of mean of latency of p13 and n23 peaks, and absolute amplitude (p>0.05).Conclusion: Prophylactic drugs probably improve mean of main response parameters of vestibular evoked myogenic potential in migraine patients with prophylactic therapy

Deficit of auditory temporal processing in children with dyslexia-dysgraphia

Background and Aim: Auditory temporal processing reveals an important aspect of auditory performance, in which a deficit can prevent the child from speaking, language learning and reading. Temporal resolution, which is a subgroup of temporal processing, can be evaluated by gap-in-noise detection test. Regarding the relation of auditory temporal processing deficits and phonologic disorder of children with dyslexia-dysgraphia, the aim of this study was to evaluate these children with the gap-in-noise (GIN) test.Methods: The gap-in-noise test was performed on 28 normal and 24 dyslexic-dysgraphic children, at the age of 11-12 years old. Mean approximate threshold and percent of corrected answers were compared between the groups.Results: The mean approximate threshold and percent of corrected answers of the right and left ear had no significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). The mean approximate threshold of children with dyslexia-dysgraphia (6.97 ms, SD=1.09) was significantly (p<0.001) more than that of the normal group (5.05 ms, SD=0.92). The mean related frequency of corrected answers (58.05, SD=4.98%) was less than normal group (69.97, SD=7.16%) (p<0.001).Conclusion: Abnormal temporal resolution was found in children with dyslexia-dysgraphia based on gap-in-noise test. While the brainstem and auditory cortex are responsible for auditory temporal processing, probably the structural and functional differences of these areas in normal and dyslexic-dysgraphic children lead to abnormal coding of auditory temporal information. As a result, auditory temporal processing is inevitable