A scoping review to catalogue tinnitus problems in children

© 2019 The Authors Background: The reported prevalence of tinnitus in children is similar to that in adults. However, unlike adults, there is relatively little understanding of the tinnitus-related problems children experience. Knowledge of the problems experienced by adults has led to the development of numerous clinical questionnaires used by health professionals in assessment and treatment practices; to date no child-specific questionnaire measure of tinnitus has been developed. To support development of a questionnaire measure of tinnitus in children, the aim of this scoping review was to catalogue the peer-reviewed and grey scientific literature according to 1) the methods used to identify problems experienced by children with tinnitus, 2) tinnitus-related problems observed in or reported by children, and 3) research recommendations suggested by investigators with regards to tinnitus in children. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following an established methodological framework. Records were included where a tinnitus-related problem was reported in a child 18 years or younger, and tinnitus was reported as the primary complaint. Tinnitus problems were extracted and categorised into problem themes. Results: Thirty-five records met the inclusion criteria for this review. Methods used to identify tinnitus-related problems in children, and the number and range of problems reported, varied across the records. Symptom impact was summarised according to six problem themes; Physical health, Cognitive health, Hearing and listening, Emotional health, Quality of life, and Feeling different/isolated. Identified research recommendations highlighted a demand for more standardised approaches. Conclusions: The findings evidence the detrimental impact tinnitus can have on a child's quality of life and emotional wellbeing. The current British Society of Audiology Tinnitus in Children Practice Guidance recommends management practices to address the most broadly reported problems identified in this review; sleep difficulties, emotional difficulties, and concentration and hearing problems at school. Given the finding of this review, we suggest problems relating to the impact of tinnitus on quality of life and feelings of isolation are also important problem domains to consider when managing a child who has tinnitus. Current variability in the approach to identifying children's tinnitus problems underlines the importance of developing a standardised and dedicated measure of tinnitus in children

An evaluation of paediatric tinnitus services in UK National Health Service audiology departments

© 2020 The Author(s). Background: Whilst evidence indicates many children experience troublesome tinnitus, specialist services for children are far less established than those available for adults. To date, there is limited understanding of how paediatric tinnitus is managed in the UK, and to what extent current practice reflects what is recommended. This service evaluation aimed to 1) profile how tinnitus in children is managed in UK clinical practice, and assess to what extent care provided by services reflects advice included in the British Society of Audiology (BSA) Tinnitus in Children Practice Guidance, 2) collate clinician opinions on how services may be optimised, and 3) identify common problems experienced by children who present with bothersome tinnitus in clinic. Methods: As part of a larger survey, eight questions regarding services for paediatric tinnitus were distributed to UK NHS audiology services via email and social media. Representatives from eighty-seven services responded between July and September 2017. Results: Fifty-three percent of respondents reported that their department provided a paediatric tinnitus service. Among these services, there was widespread use of most BSA recommended assessments and treatments. Less widely used practices were the assessment of mental health (42%), and the use of psychological treatment approaches; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (28%), mindfulness (28%), and narrative therapy (14%). There was varied use of measurement tools to assess tinnitus in children, and a minority of respondents reported using adult tinnitus questionnaires with children. Frequently reported tinnitus-related problems presented by children were sleep difficulties, concentration difficulties at school, situation-specific concentration difficulties, and emotional distress. Conclusions: Approaches used to manage children with troublesome tinnitus in UK NHS services are largely consistent and reflective of the current practice guidance. However, findings from this study indicate specialist staff training, access to child-specific tools, and the treatment and referral of children with tinnitus-related psychological problems represent key areas in need of optimisation

The role of ECL2 in CGRP receptor activation: a combined modelling and experimental approach

The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor is a complex of a calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR), which is a family B G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and receptor activity modifying protein 1. The role of the second extracellular loop (ECL2) of CLR in binding CGRP and coupling to Gs was investigated using a combination of mutagenesis and modelling. An alanine scan of residues 271–294 of CLR showed that the ability of CGRP to produce cAMP was impaired by point mutations at 13 residues; most of these also impaired the response to adrenomedullin (AM). These data were used to select probable ECL2-modelled conformations that are involved in agonist binding, allowing the identification of the likely contacts between the peptide and receptor. The implications of the most likely structures for receptor activation are discussed.</jats:p

Configural and component processing in simultaneous and sequential lineup procedures

Configural processing supports accurate face recognition, yet it has never been examined within the context of criminal identification lineups. We tested, using the inversion paradigm, the role of configural processing in lineups. Recent research has found that face discrimination accuracy in lineups is better in a simultaneous compared to a sequential lineup procedure. Therefore, we compared configural processing in simultaneous and sequential lineups to examine whether there are differences. We had participants view a crime video, and then they attempted to identify the perpetrator from a simultaneous or sequential lineup. The test faces were presented either upright or inverted, as previous research has shown that inverting test faces disrupts configural processing. The size of the inversion effect for faces was the same across lineup procedures, indicating that configural processing underlies face recognition in both procedures. Discrimination accuracy was comparable across lineup procedures in both the upright and inversion condition. Theoretical implications of the results are discussed

Auxotrophic interactions: A stabilizing attribute of aquatic microbial communities?

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Johnson, W. M., Alexander, H., Bier, R. L., Miller, D. R., Muscarella, M. E., Pitz, K. J., & Smith, H. Auxotrophic interactions: A stabilizing attribute of aquatic microbial communities? FEMS Microbiology Ecology, (2020): fiaa115, doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa115.Auxotrophy, or an organism's requirement for an exogenous source of an organic molecule, is widespread throughout species and ecosystems. Auxotrophy can result in obligate interactions between organisms, influencing ecosystem structure and community composition. We explore how auxotrophy-induced interactions between aquatic microorganisms affect microbial community structure and stability. While some studies have documented auxotrophy in aquatic microorganisms, these studies are not widespread, and we therefore do not know the full extent of auxotrophic interactions in aquatic environments. Current theoretical and experimental work suggests that auxotrophy links microbial community members through a complex web of metabolic dependencies. We discuss the proposed ways in which auxotrophy may enhance or undermine the stability of aquatic microbial communities, highlighting areas where our limited understanding of these interactions prevents us from being able to predict the ecological implications of auxotrophy. Finally, we examine an example of auxotrophy in harmful algal blooms to place this often theoretical discussion in a field context where auxotrophy may have implications for the development and robustness of algal bloom communities. We seek to draw attention to the relationship between auxotrophy and community stability in an effort to encourage further field and theoretical work that explores the underlying principles of microbial interactions.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [OCE-1356192]

Report of the Committee on Resolutions- Declaration

Pamphlet concerning a declaration made by the National Educational Association at the forty-fourth annual convention