Clinical characteristics and prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss in single-sided deafness patients

BackgroundSudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) is rare. The prognosis of the sole serviceable hearing ear is very important for these patients. However, the clinical characteristics and prognosis of SSNHL in SSD patients are not well-documented.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of SSNHL in SSD patients.MethodsClinical data of 36 SSD patients and 116 non-SSD patients with unilateral SSNHL from January 2013 to December 2022 were retrospectively investigated. The clinical characteristics of the SSD patients were analyzed. All SSD patients were treated with intratympanic steroids plus intravenous steroids. Pure-tone average (PTA) and word recognition score (WRS) before and after treatment were recorded. The hearing recovery of SSNHL in SSD patients in comparison with non-SSD patients was explored. Auditory outcomes in SSD patients with different etiologies were also compared.ResultsInitial hearing threshold showed no significant differences between the SSD group and the non-SSD group (66.41 ± 24.64 dB HL vs. 69.21 ± 31.48 dB HL, p = 0.625). The SSD group had a higher post-treatment hearing threshold (median (interquartile range, IQR) 53.13(36.56) dB HL) than the non-SSD group (median 32.50(47.5) dB HL, p < 0.01). Hearing gains (median 8.75(13.00) dB) and the rate of significant recovery (13.89%) were lower in the SSD group than in the non-SSD group (median 23.75(34.69) dB, 45.69%). The etiology of SSD was classified as SSNHL, special types of infection, chronic otitis media, and unknown causes. SSNHL accounted for the maximum proportion (38.9%) of causes of SSD in the SSD group. Hearing gains were lower in the SSNHL-SSD group than in other causes of the SSD group. A binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that SSD serves as an indicator of unfavorable hearing recovery outcomes (OR = 5.264, p < 0.01).ConclusionThe prognosis of SSNHL in SSD patients is unsatisfactory. SSNHL accounts for the maximum proportion of causes of SSD in this group of patients. For SSD patients caused by SSNHL, less hearing improvement after treatment was expected when SSNHL occurred in the contralateral ear in comparison with SSD patients with other causes

Consensus on intratympanic drug delivery for Menière’s disease

Purpose: Intratympanic (IT) drug delivery receives attention due to its effectivity in treatment for Menière’s disease (MD). Due to the release of the consensuses and new evidence on IT drug delivery for MD have been published, the review with a view to supplementing the details of IT treatment of MD is indispensable. Methods: The literatures on IT injection for MD treatment over the last two decades are retrieved, International consensus (ICON) on treatment of Menière’s disease (2018), Clinical Practice Guideline (2020) and European Position statement on Diagnosis and Treatment of Meniere’s Disease (2018) are taken into account for reference, and follow advice from experts from Europe, USA and China. Results: Experts agree on the following: (1) The effectiveness of IT methylprednisolone (ITM) on vertigo control seems to be somewhat better than that of IT dexamethasone (ITD), and ITM can restore hearing in some cases. (2) Due to the ototoxicity of aminoglycosides, the application of intratympanic gentamicin (ITG) in MD patients with good hearing is conservative. However, some studies suggest that ITG with low doses has no significant effect on hearing, which needs to be further proved by clinical studies with high levels of evidence. (3) Currently, generally accepted treatment endpoint of ITG is no vertigo attack in a 12-month period or a vestibular loss in objective tests in the affected ear. Conclusion: More studies with high level of evidence are needed to evaluate the drug type, efficacy, and therapeutic endpoint of IT therapy for MD.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

FGF22 deletion causes hidden hearing loss by affecting the function of inner hair cell ribbon synapses

Ribbon synapses are important structures in transmitting auditory signals from the inner hair cells (IHCs) to their corresponding spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Over the last few decades, deafness has been primarily attributed to the deterioration of cochlear hair cells rather than ribbon synapses. Hearing dysfunction that cannot be detected by the hearing threshold is defined as hidden hearing loss (HHL). The relationship between ribbon synapses and FGF22 deletion remains unknown. In this study, we used a 6-week-old FGF22 knockout mice model (Fgf22–/–) and mainly focused on alteration in ribbon synapses by applying the auditory brainstem response (ABR) test, the immunofluorescence staining, the patch-clamp recording, and quantitative real-time PCR. In Fgf22–/– mice, we found the decreased amplitude of ABR wave I, the reduced vesicles of ribbon synapses, and the decreased efficiency of exocytosis, which was suggested by a decrease in the capacitance change. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that Fgf22–/– led to dysfunction in ribbon synapses by downregulating SNAP-25 and Gipc3 and upregulating MEF2D expression, which was important for the maintenance of ribbon synapses’ function. Our research concluded that FGF22 deletion caused HHL by affecting the function of IHC ribbon synapses and may offer a novel therapeutic target to meet an ever-growing demand for deafness treatment

Resisting problematic smartphone use: Distracter resistance strengthens grit's protective effect against problematic smartphone use

Ministry of Education, Singapore under its Academic Research Funding Tier 1; SMU Lee Kong Chian Fellowshi

Mental disengagement mediates the effect of rumination on smartphone use: A latent growth curve analysis

Ministry of Education, Singapore under its Academic Research Funding Tier

Smartphone addiction and checking behavior predict aggression: A structural equation modeling approach

Despite the potential risks of excessive smartphone use for maladaptive outcomes, the link between smartphone use and aggression remains less understood. Furthermore, prior findings are inconclusive due to a narrow focus on limited aspects of smartphone use (e.g., screen time) and reliance on self-reported assessments of smartphone use. Therefore, using objective measures of smartphone use, we sought to examine the associations between several key indices of smartphone use—screen time, checking behaviors, and addictive tendency—and multifaceted aggression (i.e., confrontation, anger, and hostility). In a cross-sectional study, we administered a series of questionnaires assessing aggressive tendencies (i.e., The Aggression Questionnaire) and various aspects of smartphone use (N = 253, M(age) = 21.8 years, female = 73.2%). Using structural equation modeling, we found that smartphone checking and addictive smartphone use predicted only hostility. In contrast, both objective and subjective measures of screen time did not predict any facets of aggression. These results highlight differing impacts of various indices of smartphone use on aggression and imply that excessive checking and addictive smartphone use are problematic smartphone-use behaviors that require more targeted interventions with respect to hostility

Seeking control during uncontrollable times: Control abilities and religiosity predict stress during COVID-19

Ministry of Education, Singapore under its Academic Research Funding Tier