PRÓTESES AUDITIVAS

Hearing loss has been since a long time considered a severely disabling illness. In order to minimize its effects, many different sound amplifiers systems have been developed and improved, having as main goal a better quality of life of deaf people. In almost all cases of hearing loss, this objective can be reached, by means of a clinical or surgical treatment, or by adaptation of hearing aids. The authors coment about the different available individual sound amplifiers systems, as well as their employment for adults and children.A deficiência auditiva foi considerada como uma doença severamente incapacitante por muitos séculos. A fim de minimizar seus efeitos, sistemas de amplificação sonora vêm sido desenvolvidos e aprimorados, sempre visando a uma melhor qualidade da comunicação do portador de surdez. Em quase todos os casos de perda auditiva, há como melhorar substancialmente a qualidade de vida do individuo, seja através de tratamento clínico, cirúrgico ou através do uso de aparelhos de amplificação sonora. Os autores comentam os diferentes tipos de aparelhos auditivos disponíveis, bem como sua utilização em crianças e adultos

Oral communication disturbances in children

Oral communication disturbances in children are very frequent, and can be caused by auditory, neurologic and psychiatric alterations, among others. It’s of a great importance to stablish an early diagnosis about the origin of this disturbance, in order to perform the apropriated therapeutic method and to minimize the consequent deficits. The authors present a revision about this theme.Os distúrbios da comunicação oral em crianças são muito comuns, podendo ser causados por diversos tipos de alterações, incluindo distúrbios auditivos, neurológicos e psiquiátricos. É de grande importância o diagnóstico precoce da origem do problema, para intervenção terapêutica apropriada, a fim de minimizar os déficits decorrentes desses distúrbios. Os autores apresentam uma revisão sobre o assunto

Zinc Supplement Modifies Auditory Brainstem Responses in Patients with Tinnitus

Introduction: Zinc is an essential element for human homeostasis being clearly related to almost all metabolic pathways. It is found in some neural circuitries, probably acting as a modulator of glutamatergic excitatory synapsis. In the auditory system its presence has been demonstrated within the cochlea and cochlear nuclei. Tinnitus symptoms are correlated to zinc physiology, and it has been postulated that the oligoelement could be used as an alternative treatment for this clinical situation. Aim: This study has evaluated the brainstem responses (ABR) in patients who suffer from chronic idiophatic tinnitus, before and after being treated with zinc. Neural transmissions in the brainstem auditory structures were also compared in both conditions. Materials and Methods: Forty-one patients (22 with tinnitus and 19 controls, groups I and II, respectively) were included in the study and submitted to anamnesis, otorhinolaryngologic examinations, biochemical evaluation and audiological tests. Group I patients received an specific zinc formulation for 90 days. ABR tests were performed at the beginning of the study and at the end of the zinc treatment. Results: First ABR tests showed no differences between the groups, but on the second evaluation there was a significant prolongation of the wave V latency and an enlargement of wave V amplitude shown in group I. Conclusion: Treatment with systemic zinc could change some aspects of auditory neurotransmission in the brainstem