C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE IN SERUM AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID IN RAPID AND EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF CHILDHOOD MENINGITIS

ObjectiveBacterial meningitis is still a life threatening epidemiological problem especially in many developing countries; considering its dire consequences, its prompt and accurate diagnosis has become a priority for clinicians. Because of the various limitations of conventionally used laboratory techniques, we evaluated and compared the diagnostic utility of C-reactive protein(CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis and its effectivity in distinguishing it from aseptic meningitis (AP).Material and MethodsA total of 125 pediatric cases, aged between 1 month and 12 years, including patients with bacterial meningitis (n=45), aseptic meningitis (n=42) and a control group (n=38), were retrospectively analyzed on the basis of data from the initial clinical examinations. Cultures, smears and other common serum and CSF indices were compared with serum and CSF CRP levels and LDH activity.ResultsCompared with each of the other variables, there were significant differences in the mean values of serum-CRP, CSF-glucose, CSF-LDH and CSF/serum LDH ratio between the bacterial and aseptic meningitis groups (

The investigation of semantic memory deficit in chronic tinnitus: a behavioral report Investigação do déficit de memória semântica no zumbido crônico: um relato comportamental

Introduction: Tinnitus is a central auditory disorder in which different processing systems are involved as a network. One of these networks is memory. Previous studies have demonstrated some deficits in various types of memory in chronic tinnitus. Objectives: The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the semantic memory, which is not yet investigated in the tinnitus population. Methods: In this case�control study, 15 subjects with chronic tinnitus and 16 matched healthy controls were included. 40 semantically related and 40 semantically unrelated word pairs were presented to the participants in a counter-balanced fashion. They were asked to make decision about their semantic relatedness. Then the participants� reaction times and the accuracy of responses were calculated. Results: Mean of reaction times were significantly longer in the tinnitus group (M = 1034 ms, SD = 0.31) compared to the control group (Mean = 1016 ms, SD = 0.13), p < 0.05. However, no significant difference was found for the mean percentage of correct responses between the two groups. Conclusion: The current study provided behavioral evidence that chronic tinnitus can affect the semantic memory. Such behavioral outcomes may provide new insights into more research activities in the field of electrophysiology and neuroimaging in the tinnitus population. © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facia

The investigation of semantic memory deficit in chronic tinnitus: a behavioral report Investigação do déficit de memória semântica no zumbido crônico: um relato comportamental

Introduction: Tinnitus is a central auditory disorder in which different processing systems are involved as a network. One of these networks is memory. Previous studies have demonstrated some deficits in various types of memory in chronic tinnitus. Objectives: The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the semantic memory, which is not yet investigated in the tinnitus population. Methods: In this case�control study, 15 subjects with chronic tinnitus and 16 matched healthy controls were included. 40 semantically related and 40 semantically unrelated word pairs were presented to the participants in a counter-balanced fashion. They were asked to make decision about their semantic relatedness. Then the participants� reaction times and the accuracy of responses were calculated. Results: Mean of reaction times were significantly longer in the tinnitus group (M = 1034 ms, SD = 0.31) compared to the control group (Mean = 1016 ms, SD = 0.13), p < 0.05. However, no significant difference was found for the mean percentage of correct responses between the two groups. Conclusion: The current study provided behavioral evidence that chronic tinnitus can affect the semantic memory. Such behavioral outcomes may provide new insights into more research activities in the field of electrophysiology and neuroimaging in the tinnitus population. © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facia

Eye movement patterns in Iranian dyslexic children compared to non-dyslexic children

Objective: Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder that affects 5�10 of school aged children. Eye movement abnormalities and visual processing deficits have been reported in some of dyslexic children. Objective of this study is to compare the eye-movement patterns of Iranian dyslexic children with those of non-dyslexic children as they perform the oculomotor tests and to explore the relationship between their eye-movement patterns and their reading ability. Methods: Binocular eye movements were recorded by oculomotor subtype of videonystagmography (VNG) testing on 30 dyslexic children and 20 non-dyslexic age-matched children (aged 8�12) in both genders. Dyslexic children were diagnosed with DSM-V scale by experts in reading disorder centers. Gain of the pursuit and optokinetic tests and the latency, accuracy and velocity of the saccade test were measured in both groups of dyslexic and non-dyslexic children. The independent samples t-test, Chi-square test and linear regression test in SPSS v. 21 were used to analyze behavioral and eye-movement parameters. Results: Compared to the non-dyslexic group, dyslexic children presented lower gain in pursuit and optokinetic tests, and increased latency with decreased accuracy in saccade test. All behavioral and eye-movement parameters without saccade velocity differed significantly among two groups. Conclusion: The atypical eye movement patterns observed in dyslexic children suggests a deficiency in the visual information processing and an immaturity of brain structures responsible for oculomotor skills. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Comparative Study of the ability of selective attention and speech perception in noise between 6 to 9 year old normal and learning disabled children

Object: Selective auditory attention and speech perception in the presence of noise are necessary skills to correctly process speech. Persian version of monaural selective auditory attention test P-mSAAT that simultaneously assesses selective auditory attention and speech in noise perception performance was used in the present study. Design: The P-mSAAT was performed on 89 normal children aged 6 to 9 and 24 children with learning disability sampled from different schools in Tehran in two competitive and non-competitive ways. Results: The average of test scores had a significant difference in a competitive way between normal and children with learning disability (P < 0/001). Furthermore, the test scores improved as a function of age in the both groups. Conclusion: Findings of the current study demonstrated that children presented with learning disability had difficulty in speech perception in the presence of competitive noise accompanied by reduced selective auditory attention ability. It is also suggested that P-mSAAT can be used as a screening test in diagnosing Learning disability in children aged 6 to 9 due to its high sensitivity. © 2019, © 2019 International Association of Physicians in Audiology

Development, validity, reliability and normative data of the Persian Phonemic Synthesis Test (P-PST)

Objectives: This study was conducted to develop the Persian version of the Phonemic Synthesis Test, evaluate its psychometric properties and generate normative data. Design: Test development, including the optimisation of materials, determining content and face validities and assessing the psychometric properties. Study samples: Overall, 425 subjects participated in this study in three different stages. Ten experts participated in the content validity assessment stage. The face validity was determined by taking the views of 17 subjects, including children diagnosed with APD, normal children and experts. The psychometric properties were evaluated with 395 normal children aged 7 to 11, divided into five age groups. All the participants were retested after four weeks for evaluating the test-retest reliability. Results: The results revealed the strong content and face validity of the test. No significant differences were observed between the genders. Significant differences were observed in the quantitative and qualitative scores among the age groups. The Spearman correlation coefficient showed that the scores of the test and retest were strongly and positively correlated (r > 0.9). The findings showed many similarities with the data reported in the original American English Phonemic Synthesis Test. Conclusions: The Persian Phonemic Synthesis Test is a reliable and valid test for auditory processing assessments in Persian-speaking children. © 2019, © 2019 British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society

Frequency of hearing defect and ear abnormalities in newborns conceived by assisted reproductive techniques in Royan institute

Background: Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are used with increasing frequency worldwide. The present research was conducted to determine the effects of ART on hearing defects and ear abnormalities. Materials and Methods: In a descriptive, cross-sectional, non-randomized study, the status of hearing and ear abnormalities was assessed in 300 newborns conceived by ART at Royan Institute, Tehran, Iran. This study was performed over a sixteen month period. Data were collected from parents, otoscopic examinations and transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) tests of the newborns. The external ear was assessed by otoscopic examination, followed by the TEOAE test (an objective test that does not need the infant's collaboration) which was performed by an audiologist. In this test, the OAE wave was registered after a click (stimulus) at 5-20 millisecond intervals with an 82 dB SPL altitude. Data were analyzed by statistical tests. Results: Of the 300 cases examined by otoscopy, two cases (0.66) had bilateral malformation in the auricle, two (0.66) had unilateral perforation of the tympanic membrane, five (1.66) had unilateral retraction of the tympanic membrane, eight (2.66) had bilateral retraction of the tympanic membrane, one (0.33) had unilateral tympanic membrane inflammation, one (0.33) had bilateral tympanic membrane inflammation and one case (0.33) had wax obstruction of the external ear canal. A total of 289 out of 300 newborns undewent the TEOAE test. Of these, three cases (1.03) did not have a bilateral registered wave and were diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss. Conclusion: This study shows that hearing and ear screening in newborns conceived by ART is contemplative and emphasizes the profitability of continual check up in these infants