“Comparison of Cochlear Microphonics Magnitude with Broad and Narrow Band Stimuli in Healthy Adult Wistar Rats”

AbstractObjective: Cochlear microphonic (CM) is a cochlear AC electric field, recorded within, around, and remote from its sources. Nowadays it can contribute to the differential diagnosis of different auditory pathologies such as auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). The aim of this study was to compare CM waveforms (CMWs) and amplitudes with broad and narrow band stimuli in 25 healthy male young adult Wistar rats.Methods: Using an extratympanic technique in ECochG (Electrocochleography) recording, CMWs in response to click and tonal stimuli with different octave frequencies were recorded at a high intensity level in subjects. The CMW amplitudes were calculated by a graphical user interface (GUI) designed in MATLAB. The data was analyzed by One-way ANOVA test.Results: The CMW magnitude increased upon an increase in band width stimulation. Across tonal stimuli, the CMW amplitudes at lower frequency tones were larger than those at higher frequency tones. Those findings were statistically significant (P< 0.001).Conclusion: This study found that CMW most likely is a reflection of spatial summation of voltage drops generated by hair cell groups in response to acoustic stimulation. In order to production nature of CM potentials as well as their very small magnitudes especially with tonal stimuli, thus, we recommend using click stimulation for CM potential recording especially in patient with ANSD that CM plays an important role in its differential diagnosis and follow u

A study of depression, partnership and sexual satisfaction in patients with post-traumatic olfactory disorders

Post-traumatic olfactory dysfunction (PTOD) is associated with a significant decrease in quality of life. The present study aimed to explore whether PTOD is associated with depression and changes in sexuality. There were two groups in this case-control study. The patient group consisted of patients with PTOD (n = 55), and the control group comprised healthy individuals without the olfactory disorder (n = 115). Olfactory function, depression, partnership, and sexual satisfaction were assessed using the Iranian version of the Sniffin' Sticks test (Ir-SST), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Enrich Couple Scale (ECS) and Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSSW). The BDI scores were higher in the patient group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The SSSW score was lower in the patient group than in controls (p < 0.01), although the ECS score was not significantly different between patients and controls. Also, there was no significant difference in the severity of trauma between marital satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. However, the analysis showed a statistically significant difference in depression scores in connection with the head trauma severity. In the PTOD group, depression was increased and sexual satisfaction declined. Understanding the association of olfactory dysfunction with depression and sexuality allows patients and doctors to deal with less notable consequences of this disorder

Tinnitus: An Epidemiologic Study in Iranian Population

A wide range of population, 4% to 30%, suffers from tinnitus that is defined as perception of sound without apparent acoustic stimulus. We conducted the present study to determine the prevalence of tinnitus in Iranian population; Tehran province. This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2009 to December 2009, recruiting 3207 individuals (age range, 7-98) who were residing in Tehran province, Iran. Participants were asked to fill two questionnaires; the validated Persian version of Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) and another one that was specifically designed for this study. Prevalence of tinnitus and its association factors were evaluated. 3207 participants enrolled into our study comprising 1429 (44.7%) male and 1765 (55.3%) female with mean age of 55.01±17.85. Of total of 3207 participants, 146 (4.6%) had tinnitus consisting of 80 male (54.8%) and 66 (45.2%) female participants. It showed a rising trend with increasing age that was especially significant after the sixth decade of life (P=0.001). The analysis showed mean TQ global score of 35.96±25.52 that was significantly different between male and female participants (P=0.051) and had no significant correlation with increasing age (Spearman's r=0.1, P=0.10). The tinnitus intensity was moderate to very severe in 95 (56.1%) of the participants. Its severity level was not significantly different between men and women (P=0.09). Tinnitus intensity had no significant association with increasing age (Spearman's r=0.1, P=0.31). Patients with higher TQ global score had higher tinnitus intensities (P=0.001). The annoyance level was significantly different between men and women (P=0.04) and its impact on the participants daily routine functions were significantly higher in men (P=0.003). Given the results of the study, demonstrating that prevalence of tinnitus in Iranian population (Tehran province) was lower than the other countries and had a direct correlation with increasing age only after the sixth decade. TQ global score had significant correlation with tinnitus intensity, annoyance and impact on the participants' daily routine functions. However, none of the above had correlation with increasing age. Tinnitus TQ global score and intensity were not different between men and women; however annoyance of tinnitus and its impact on participants' daily routine functions were significantly higher in men

Evaluation of Culturally-Familiar Odorants for a Persian Smell Identification Test

Introduction: Processing odor information by the olfactory system depends greatly on the odor concentration. In order to use an odorant in a smell identification test (SIT), the minimum identification concentration (MIC) needs to be determined.  Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 60 healthy native individuals aged 20 to 60 years, selected from patients’ companions in a tertiary hospital. In the first step, 25 odorants were presented to evaluate familiarity among the subjects. Then, the MICs for the eligible odorants were measured using the ascending method of limits.  Results: Out of 25 odorants, only one (cacao) was distinguished by less than 70% of the subjects, and was therefore removed from the list. The MICs of the remaining 24 odorants ranged from 6.87±2.74% for menthol to 27.62±18.98% for cantaloupe. There was significant correlation between age and the MIC only for coffee (P=0.02, r=−0.300). There was a significant difference in MIC between men and women only for hazelnut (P=0.03). Conclusion: We present the MICs of 24 culturally-familiar odorants in a sample of the Persian population in a SIT

Conductive hydrogels based on agarose/alginate/chitosan for neural disorder therapy

Electroactive scaffolds derived from carbohydrate hydrogels were synthesized, resulting in a large shift in the conductivity of chitosan (CS) from 10−6 S/cm to about 10-3 S/cm, assigned to CS-oligoaniline. Several analyses including UV–vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry were performed, before examining the carbohydrate-based scaffolds for their ability to recapitulate the neural tissue microenvironment. Good conductivity and resemblance of the modulus to soft tissue of the optimized hydrogels led to appropriate cellular activity and neural regeneration. The loss of dopaminergic neurons as the prominent source of dopamine in the central nervous system results in the deterioration of multiple brain functions such as voluntary movement and behavioral processes. To overcome this, olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells (OE-MSCs) were induced to differentiate into dopaminergic neuron-like cells on hydrogels through a monolayer arrangement cell culture by using cocktail neurotrophic factors including sonic hedgehog (SHH), fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The differentiation capacity of a series of OE-MSCs on the conductive hydrogel was evaluated by real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry, and the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT) neural and dopaminergic markers. The results of this study represent the first steps in designing and implementing advanced platforms based on conductive polysaccharide hydrogels for neural disorder therapies, such as the treatment of Parkinson's disease.Fil: Alizadeh, Rafieh. Iran University Of Medical Sciences; IránFil: Zarrintaj, P.. Urmia University; IránFil: Kamrava, Seyed Kamran. Iran University Of Medical Sciences; IránFil: Bagher, Zohreh. Iran University Of Medical Sciences; IránFil: Farhadi, Mohammad. Iran University Of Medical Sciences; IránFil: Heidari, Fatemeh. Qom University Of Medical Sciences; IránFil: Komeili, Ali. Islamic Azad University; IránFil: Gutiérrez Carmona, Tomy José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Saeb, Mohammad Reza. Institute For Color Science And Technology; Irá