Otology & Neurotology

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has demonstrated that realistic patient expectations are a critical factor in determining cochlear implant (CI) candidacy. The current study uses the validated Cochlear Implant Quality of Life-Expectations (CIQOL-Expectations) instrument to determine expectations of potential CI users and the degree to which their pre-CI expectations are met after implantation. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary medical center...

OBJECTIVE: With ongoing national expansions in cochlear implantation (CI) candidacy criteria, more patients qualify for CI today than ever before. Among US veterans and military service members, the prevalence of qualifying degrees of hearing loss secondary to occupational noise exposure exceeds the general population. The primary aim of the current work was to evaluate CI trends across the military health system. STUDY DESIGN: Database review. SETTING: Military and civilian practices...

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HYPOTHESIS: Analysis of human temporal bone specimens of patients with Menière's disease (MD) may demonstrate altered expression of gene products related to barrier formation and ionic homeostasis within cochlear structures compared with control specimens. BACKGROUND: MD represents a challenging otologic disorder for investigation. Despite attempts to define the pathogenesis of MD, there remain many gaps in our understanding, including differences in protein expression within the inner ear...

OBJECTIVES: Congenital corpus callosum agenesis (CCA) is one of the congenital anomalies in newborns, which usually presents with syndromic features. It can be asymptomatic or have variable neurological deficits. Some studies demonstrated that hearing loss can occur in patients with CCA; however, the exact prevalence remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of hearing loss in CCA using data from newborn hearing screening in a single tertiary referral center. METHODS: A total of 126 patients with CCA combined with hearing loss diagnosed at our hospital from November 2005 to November 2022 were retrospectively included in our study...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability of temporal bone density measurements for diagnosing otosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case-control study is presented. Bone density was measured in Hounsfield units (HUs) by using high-resolution computed tomography in eight regions of interest (ROI) where otosclerotic foci are usually localized. The density of 113 otosclerotic ears was compared with that of 33 nonotosclerotic ears to determine sensitivity and specificity...

OBJECTIVE: Precise electrode positioning is crucial for achieving optimal audiological outcomes in cochlear implantation. The slim modiolar electrode (SME), a thin, flexible, and precurved electrode, exhibits favorable modiolar proximity. However, tip fold-over can affect optimal electrode placement. Herein, we share our experiences with tip fold-over in SMEs and present an analysis of conditions that may predispose to tip fold-over. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review...

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the relationship between Vestibular Migraine Patient Assessment Tool and Handicap Inventory (VM-PATHI) scores and daily dizziness symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort analysis of 52 patients with vestibular migraine (VM). SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Fifty-two patients diagnosed with VM or probable VM according to Barany Society criteria. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects reported their dizzy symptoms (on a scale of 0 [no symptoms], 1 [mild], 2 [moderate], and 3 [severe]) every day for 1 month via automated text messaging linked to a cloud-based research database...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of preoperative and perioperative factors on postlinguistic adult cochlear implant (CI) performance and design a multivariate prediction model. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Two hundred thirty-nine postlinguistic adult CI recipients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Speech-perception testing (consonant-nucleus-consonant [CNC], AzBio in noise +10-dB signal-to-noise ratio) at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively; electrocochleography-total response (ECochG-TR) at the round window before electrode insertion...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Vestibular schwannomas (VSs), despite being histologically benign, cause significant morbidity because of their challenging intracranial location and the propensity for growth. The role of the stroma and particularly fibroblasts, in the progression of VS, is not completely understood. This study examines the profile of fibroblasts in VS. METHODS: Seventeen patients undergoing surgical excision of VS were recruited into the study. Reverse transcription with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed on VS tissue samples and fibroblast-associated molecules examined...

OBJECTIVE: Characterize the incidence, risk factors, and patient outcomes of dural venous sinus thrombosis identified on postoperative imaging after retrosigmoid or translabyrinthine craniotomy for vestibular schwannoma resection. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single tertiary academic referral center. PATIENTS: Eighty-one patients 19 to 82 years of age with vestibular schwannomas, 58% female. INTERVENTIONS: Retrosigmoid or translabyrinthine craniotomy with postoperative magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance venography...

HYPOTHESIS: Metformin treatment will protect mice from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). BACKGROUND: We recently identified metformin as the top-ranking, Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to counter inner ear molecular changes induced by permanent threshold shift-inducing noise. This study is designed to functionally test metformin as a potential otoprotective drug against NIHL. METHODS: Male and female B6CBAF1/J mice were obtained at 7 to 8 weeks of age...

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OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of early vestibular rehabilitation on physical function and dizziness in patients with acute vestibular disorders. DATABASES REVIEWED: The electronic databases examined included PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE (via Dialog), and PEDro. METHODS: The inclusion criteria in terms of the study participants were patients 20 years and older with an acute unilateral peripheral vestibular disorder...

HYPOTHESIS: Prosthetic electrical stimulation can evoke compensatory eye and head movement despite vestibular implant electrode insertion occurring years after prior labyrinthectomy. BACKGROUND: Vestibular implants sense head rotation and directly stimulate the vestibular nerve, bypassing damaged end organs. Animal research and current clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of this approach. However, candidacy criteria for vestibular implants currently require presence of a patent labyrinth in the candidate ear and at least aidable hearing in the opposite ear, thus excluding patients who have undergone prior labyrinthectomy for unilateral Menière's disease that later progressed to bilateral vestibular hypofunction...

HYPOTHESIS: Assessment techniques for the cochlear spatial lateral wall are associated with inter-rater variability, but derived clinical recommendations nonetheless offer value for individualized electrode selection. BACKGROUND: Anatomical variations influence the location of cochlear implant electrodes inside the cochlea. Preoperative planning allows individualization of the electrode based on characterization of the bony lateral wall. METHODS: The study used publicly available digitized temporal bones based on microslicing and computed tomography...

HYPOTHESIS: Metformin and aspirin reduce vestibular schwannoma (VS) growth. BACKGROUND: There have been reported associations between patients with VS prescribed metformin and decreased tumor volumetric growth. Aspirin has also been associated with decreased VS growth in animal studies. METHODS: Rat schwannoma cell lines were grown and implanted into 50 athymic nude mice. Tumors were grown to 5 mm, and then mice were injected with either low- or high-dose metformin, aspirin, or saline daily...

OBJECTIVE: To conduct the Chinese cross-cultural adaptation of the Cochlear Implant Quality of Life-10 Global (CIQOL-10 Global) instrument. PATIENTS: Bilingual Chinese American cochlear implant users. INTERVENTION: Chinese cross-cultural adaptation of the CIQOL-10 Global. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Description of the process of Chinese cross-cultural adaptation of the CIQOL-10 Global and pilot testing of the Chinese CIQOL-10 Global in the target patient population...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of patient age on longitudinal speech understanding outcomes after cochlear implantation (CI) in bilateral hearing loss. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary academic center. PATIENTS: One thousand one hundred five adult patients with bilateral hearing loss receiving a unilateral CI between 1987 and 2022InterventionsNone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postoperative speech recognition outcomes, including AzBio sentences, consonant-nucleus-consonant word, and Hearing in Noise Test in quiet were analyzed at short-term (<2 yr), medium-term (2-8 y), and long-term (>8 yr) term postoperative intervals...

HYPOTHESIS: There are clinically relevant differences in scalae anatomy and spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) quantity between incomplete partition type II (IP-II) and normal cochleae. BACKGROUND: IP-II is a commonly implanted cochlear malformation. Detailed knowledge of intracochlear three-dimensional (3D) morphology may assist with cochlear implant (CI) electrode selection/design and enable optimization of audiologic programming based on SGN maps. METHODS: IP-II (n = 11) human temporal bone histological specimens were identified from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Temporal Bone Registry and digitized...