Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Complaints in Tinnitus: Further Hints for a Putative Tinnitus Subtype

OBJECTIVE: Tinnitus is considered to be highly heterogeneous with respect to its etiology, its comorbidities and the response to specific interventions. Subtyping is recommended, but it remains to be determined which criteria are useful, since it has not yet been clearly demonstrated whether and to which extent etiologic factors, comorbid states and interventional response are related to each other and are thus applicable for subtyping tinnitus. Analyzing the Tinnitus Research Initiative Database we differentiated patients according to presence or absence of comorbid temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder complaints and compared the two groups with respect to etiologic factors. METHODS: 1204 Tinnitus patients from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) Database with and without subjective TMJ complaints were compared with respect to demographic, tinnitus and audiological characteristics, questionnaires, and numeric ratings. Data were analysed according to a predefined statistical analysis plan. RESULTS: Tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints (22% of the whole group) were significantly younger, had a lower age at tinnitus onset, and were more frequently female. They could modulate or mask their tinnitus more frequently by somatic maneuvers and by music or sound stimulation. Groups did not significantly differ for tinnitus duration, type of onset (gradual/abrupt), onset related events (whiplash etc.), character (pulsatile or not), hyperacusis, hearing impairment, tinnitus distress, depression, quality of life and subjective ratings (loudness etc.). CONCLUSION: Replicating previous work in tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints, classical risk factors for tinnitus like older age and male gender are less relevant in tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints. By demonstrating group differences for modulation of tinnitus by movements and sounds our data further support the notion that tinnitus with TMJ complaints represents a subgroup of tinnitus with clinical features that are highly relevant for specific therapeutic management

Efficacy of a Mouthwash Containing CHX and CPC in SARS-CoV-2–Positive Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Soon after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, preprocedural mouthwashes were recommended for temporarily reducing intraoral viral load and infectivity of individuals potentially infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in order to protect medical personnel. Particularly, the antiseptic cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) has shown virucidal effects against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Therefore, the aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to investigate the efficacy of a commercially available mouthwash containing CPC and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) at 0.05% each in SARS-CoV-2–positive patients as compared to a placebo mouthwash. Sixty-one patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with onset of symptoms within the last 72 h were included in this study. Oropharyngeal specimens were taken at baseline, whereupon patients had to gargle mouth and throat with 20 mL test or placebo (0.9% NaCl) mouthwash for 60 s. After 30 min, further oropharyngeal specimens were collected. Viral load was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and infectivity of oropharyngeal specimens was analyzed by virus rescue in cell culture and quantified via determination of tissue culture infectious doses 50% (TCID50). Data were analyzed nonparametrically (α = 0.05). Viral load slightly but significantly decreased upon gargling in the test group (P = 0.0435) but not in the placebo group. Viral infectivity as measured by TCID50 also significantly decreased in the test group (P = 0.0313), whereas there was no significant effect but a trend in the placebo group. Furthermore, it was found that the specimens from patients with a vaccine booster exhibited significantly lower infectivity at baseline as compared to those without vaccine booster (P = 0.0231). This study indicates that a preprocedural mouthwash containing CPC and CHX could slightly but significantly reduce the viral load and infectivity in SARS-CoV-2–positive patients. Further studies are needed to corroborate these results and investigate whether the observed reductions in viral load and infectivity could translate into clinically useful effects in reducing COVID-19 transmission (German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00027812)

Is there a link between tinnitus and temporomandibular disorders?

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The frequent concurrence of tinnitus and temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscle disorders (TMD) has led to the assumption that a possible relationship exists between these 2 conditions. PURPOSE: The present prospective clinical study was conducted to assess the possible association between tinnitus and TMD and to investigate the effect of stomatognathic therapy on tinnitus distress. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The prevalence of TMD and tinnitus was investigated in a consecutive series of 951 patients at the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry at the University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany. Patients with TMD and simultaneous tinnitus were included in the prospective clinical trial (n=25). Baseline examination comprised a detailed functional analysis, diagnosis of temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscle disorder, and a tinnitus questionnaire. All the participants received individual dental functional therapy (oral splints, physiotherapy). The effects of functional therapy on TMD and tinnitus symptoms were examined 3 to 5 months after the initiation of dental functional therapy. Means (standard deviations) were calculated, and 1-way ANOVA was used to investigate statistical differences (α=.05). The differences of the 2 binary outcomes were compared with the Pearson χ(2) test, and the relative risk was calculated. RESULTS: Prevalence of tinnitus was found to be 8 times higher in participants with TMD (30 of 82 [36.6%]) than in participants without TMD (38 of 869 [4.4%]). All the participants with unilateral TMD and unilateral tinnitus showed these conditions on the same side. Stomatognathic therapy improved tinnitus symptoms in 11 of 25 participants (44%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study and the prospective clinical trial showed a significant correlation between tinnitus and TMD. The observed treatment outcome suggests that dental functional therapy may have a positive effect on TMD-related tinnitus

Digitale Lehre mit interaktiven Fallvorstellungen von HNO-Erkrankungen - Diskussion der Nutzung und der Motivation der Studierenden

Introduction: Due to the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, the teaching during the block internship at the Department for Otorhinolaryngology was switched to digital learning. Various online courses were created and the utilisation by the students was analyzed. Material & methods: Examination videos, surgical images and videos were created and live lectures were held. In addition, patient cases of common otorhinolaryngological diseases were reconstructed on an interactive platform. A total of 16 cases were offered in weekly rotation. These cases are provided with gap texts, open and selection questions, links and videos and thematically appropriate digression offers. The time-consuming creation was carried out as a HTML 5 learning package with the authoring program Exelearning 2.5. Each case was to be evaluated separately after being worked on by the students. Results: The direct feedback and the evaluation results of the students on the internship and case presentations were consistently positive. However, on average only 50.72% of the registered students took part in the weekly video meetings. In the course of the semester, the willingness to participate decreased. In addition, the willingness to evaluate the patient cases was low.Discussion: With the case presentation tool, concrete patient examples can be well presented, especially when patient contact is not possible (especially in an ENT clinic due to violation of distance and hygienic rules). Even though the evaluations were positive in terms of content, the frequency of utilisation and also the motivation for feedback seems disappointing. This seems to be associated above all with an increasing return to everyday life after the end of the lockdown.Einleitung: Aufgrund der Umstände der Covid-19-Pandemie wurde der Unterricht während des Blockpraktikums der Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde auf digitales Lernen umgestellt. Diverse Online-Lehrangebote wurden erstellt und die Nutzung der Studierenden analysiert. Material & Methoden: Es wurden Untersuchungsvideos, Operationsbilder und -videos erstellt sowie Live-Vorlesungen abgehalten. Darüber hinaus wurden Patientenfälle von häufigen HNO-Erkrankungen rekonstruiert auf einer interaktiven Plattform angeboten. Insgesamt wurden 16 Fälle im wöchentlichen Wechsel angeboten, diese sind mit Lückentexten, offenen und Auswahl-Fragen, weiterführenden Links und Videos und thematisch passenden Exkurs-Angeboten versehen. Die zeitaufwendige Erstellung erfolgte als HTML 5 Lernpaket mit dem Autorenprogramm Exelearning 2.5. Jeder Fall sollte nach Bearbeitung durch die Studierenden separat evaluiert werden. Ergebnisse: Die direkten Rückmeldungen und die Evaluationsergebnisse der Studierenden zum Praktikum und zu den Fallbearbeitungen waren durchweg positiv. An den wöchentlichen Videomeetings haben jedoch zum Beispiel im Schnitt nur 50,72% der angemeldeten Studierenden teilgenommen. Im Laufe des Semesters nahm die Teilnahmebereitschaft ab. Zudem war die Bereitschaft die Patientenfälle zu evaluieren gering.Diskussion: Mit dem Tool der Fallvorstellung können konkrete Patientenbeispiele, insbesondere bei nicht möglichem Patientenkontakt (vor allem in der HNO wegen Verletzung der Abstandsregeln), gut dargestellt werden. Auch wenn die Evaluationen inhaltlich positiv waren, erscheint uns die Nutzungshäufigkeit und auch Motivation zum Feedback enttäuschend. Dies scheint vor allem mit zunehmender Rückkehr zum Alltagsgeschehen nach dem Ende des Lockdowns assoziiert zu sein