Effectiveness of the Brazilian version of the Dangerous Decibels (R) educational program

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Brazilian version of the Dangerous Decibels (R) educational program in increasing students' knowledge and positively changing their attitudes and intended behaviors related to NIHL prevention and to decrease exposures to loud sounds and the barriers related to hearing protective strategies (HPS). Design: This is a prospective longitudinal controlled study. Study sample: Third to fifth graders (n = 220) filled out a baseline questionnaire; participated in a 60 minutes Dangerous Decibels (R) classroom presentation; answered a follow-up questionnaire immediately after the presentation; worked with their teachers on an activity booklet about hearing health ten weeks later; and filled out a three-months follow-up questionnaire. Students that did not receive health hearing education served as a control group (n = 51). A mixed analysis of variance was performed, with time as the within-subjects independent variable, and the intervention as the between-subjects independent variable. Results: The study group exhibited significant short- and long-term improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and intended behavior related to NIHL and acoustic trauma prevention, and in decreased exposures to loud sounds and barriers to the use of hearing protective strategies. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a Brazilian version of the Dangerous Decibels classroom program with an additional supplementary workbook intervention.532S35S42Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP [Fapesp 2009/15825-0

Musical hallucination associated with hearing loss

In spite of the fact that musical hallucination have a significant impact on patients' lives, they have received very little attention of experts. Some researchers agree on a combination of peripheral and central dysfunctions as the mechanism that causes hallucination. The most accepted physiopathology of musical hallucination associated to hearing loss (caused by cochlear lesion, cochlear nerve lesion or by interruption of mesencephalon or pontine auditory information) is the disinhibition of auditory memory circuits due to sensory deprivation. Concerning the cortical area involved in musical hallucination, there is evidence that the excitatory mechanism of the superior temporal gyrus, as in epilepsies, is responsible for musical hallucination. In musical release hallucination there is also activation of the auditory association cortex. Finally, considering the laterality, functional studies with musical perception and imagery in normal individuals showed that songs with words cause bilateral temporal activation and melodies activate only the right lobe. The effect of hearing aids on the improvement of musical hallucination as a result of the hearing loss improvement is well documented. It happens because auditory hallucination may be influenced by the external acoustical environment. Neuroleptics, antidepressants and anticonvulsants have been used in the treatment of musical hallucination. Cases of improvement with the administration of carbamazepine, meclobemide and donepezil were reported, but the results obtained were not consistent.692B395400Tinnitus Research Group of Otolaryngology DisciplineNeurology Discipline of Sao Paulo University Medical Schoo

Características do zumbido em trabalhadores expostos a ruído The characteristics of tinnitus in workers exposed to noise

O zumbido é um sintoma auditivo relatado por indivíduos expostos ao ruído. OBJETIVO: Estudar as características do zumbido relatadas por indivíduos expostos ao ruído ocupacional. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Descritivo prospectivo. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Participaram 52 indivíduos com idade média de 29 anos que faziam parte do programa de prevenção da perda auditiva de um frigorífico. Os indivíduos responderam a uma anamnese e suas audiometrias realizadas em 2005 e 2006 foram utilizadas. RESULTADOS: No presente estudo, 71% dos indivíduos apresentaram audiometria normal. A prevalência do zumbido para o sexo masculino foi de 16% e para o sexo feminino foi de 9% apresentando tempo médio de exposição ao ruído de sete anos a um nível médio de ruído entre 86 e 91 dBA (48%). Verificou-se um predomínio do zumbido bilateral (46%), do tipo chiado (40%) de intensidade média (49%), com tempo de instalação do sintoma entre um a cinco anos (67%), sendo sua freqüência semanal (41%) e a noite o período que mais perturba (34%). Encontrou-se significância entre a periodicidade do zumbido e o nível de ruído. CONCLUSÃO: Recomenda-se a inclusão do tema zumbido em programas de prevenção da perda auditiva a fim de promover a saúde auditiva dos trabalhadores.<br>Tinnitus is a common auditory complaint among individuals exposed to noise. AIM: this paper aims to study the characteristics of tinnitus in workers exposed to noise. STUDY DESIGN: this is a descriptive prospective study. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Fifty-two individuals averaging 29 years of age were enrolled in a hearing loss prevention program at a meat processing plant. The participants were interviewed and had their hearing tested in 2005 and 2006. RESULTS: seventy-one percent of the participants were found to have normal hearing. Tinnitus was present in 16% of the males and in 9% of the females. Mean noise exposure length was 7 years and noise levels ranged from 86 to 91 dBA (48%). Bilateral tinnitus (46%) of the hissing type (40%) and moderate intensity (49%) was the most prevalent. Symptoms began to be observed within one to five years after initial exposure to noise (67%) and manifested themselves in weekly episodes (41%) that bothered the patients mostly at night (34%). A significant correlation was observed between the frequency of tinnitus episodes and the noise levels to which workers were exposed. CONCLUSION: tinnitus should be included in hearing loss prevention programs in order to more comprehensively promote occupational hearing health

Aparelho de amplificação sonora individual: melhora a sensação de zumbido? Hearing aid: does it reduce the sensation of tinnitus?

OBJETIVO: observar se o uso da amplificação sonora além de garantir melhora na inteligibilidade de fala pode proporcionar alívio na sensação de zumbido. MÉTODOS: participaram do presente estudo 21 indivíduos, usuários de aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI) que referiam sensação de zumbido, além da perda auditiva sensorioneural, sendo 13 (61,9%) indivíduos do sexo feminino e oito (38,1%) do sexo masculino. A idade dos participantes variou entre 35 a 88 anos, com idade média de 61 anos. Para a avaliação dos participantes foi utilizado um questionário específico. Os dados foram analisados por meio de análise estatística descritiva e para tanto foram utilizados os testes não paramétricos: qui-quadrado e Kruskal-Wallis H. RESULTADOS: Entre os 21 participantes, 17 (80,9%) apresentaram melhora do zumbido, enquanto quatro (19,1%) referiram que o aparelho de amplificação não gerou nenhum efeito sobre o sintoma apresentado. CONCLUSÃO: este estudo verificou que a utilização do AASI reduziu imediatamente a sensação de zumbido apresentada na população estudada.<br>PURPOSE: to observe if the use of hearing aid may provide relief in tinnitus sensation besides guarantying the improvement of speech intelligibility. METHODS: a sample was made up by 21 hearing aid users and a specific questionnaire was used for the evaluation of the participants. The ages ranged from 35 to 88-year old, with an average of 61-year old. The tinnitus sensation was mentioned by 13 (61.9%) female beings and eight (38.1%) male beings beyond sensory neural hearing loss. The results were obtained through a descriptive statistical analysis, and furthermore, non-parametric tests were used, such as chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis H. RESULTS: among the participants 17 (80.9%) showed recovery from tinnitus, while four (19.1%) said that the hearing aid device did not cause any effect on the evidenced symptoms. CONCLUSION: this study found out that the usage of the hearing aid reduced promptly the sensation of tinnitus in the studied subjects