Carlos Kazuo Taguchi

Características das emissões otoacústicas em lactentes expostos à medicação ototóxica

ABSTRACT Purpose: To analyze the otoacoustic emissions (OAE) of infants exposed to ototoxic drugs during the neonatal period. Methods: It was carried out the testing of transient OAE (TOAE) and distortion product OAE (DPOAE) with 40 infants: 14 infants exposed to oto-toxic drugs for, at least, five days (study group), and 26 infants with no risks for hearing loss and no complications during the neonatal period (control group). The statistical analysis was performed using the non-parametric tests of Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney, and the confidence interval for the average technique. Results: Lower levels of response and signal/noise relation of DPOAE were observed in the study group, with statistically significant values for the frequencies of 3000, 6000 and 8000 Hz. Conclusion: The action of the ototoxic drugs can be observed by the typical response of OAE in high frequencies, which was better evaluated by the DPOAE. Keywords: Infant; Risk factors; Otoacoustic emissions, spontaneous/drug effects

Estado mental e impacto do zumbido em idosos

Purpose to analyze the performance of the elderly people on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE); to verify the results of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI); to investigate the interference of the variables gender, schooling and tinnitus on the MMSE and THI scores; to verify possible relations with self-reported mental state of psychoacoustic characteristics and emotional domain of THI. Methods clinical descriptive, exploratory qualitative and quantitative research. It was submitted to the MMSE and THI, 108 volunteers, male and female, aged ranged 60 to 80 years referred from Coordenadoria de Atencao Basica of Itabaiana – SE. The statistical analysis based on sample distribution and Spearman´s correlation with 0,05%. Results the mean age was 65.63 years. The MMSE results were grouped into four levels of education: no schooling (37.0%), ≥ 1 to ≤ 8 years (55.6%), ≥ 9 to ≤ 11 years (4.6%) and ≥ 12 years (2.8%), the mean MMSE was 21.7 points. It was observed that 49.1% scored below the pattern, while 50.9% presented equals or exceeds the parameter used. On THI, we found that 59.3% presented tinnitus. It was observed that tinnitus interferes with the quality of life on 89.10% of the population. Conclusion the majority of the elderly people presented abnormal MMSE. It was verify no significant association between gender, schooling and MMSE score and THI and the majority of the participants in this study reported impaired quality of life associated with tinnitus. No relation between abuse of psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus and results displayed by the MMSE, however, the data showed that the majority of the population tested complained of tinnitus.

Avaliação da tendência à quedas em idosos de Sergipe

Purpose: to evaluate and characterize the balance during gait using the Dynamic Gait Index and Time Up and Go Test Brazilian version and the interference of the variables gender, age and falling events. Methods: this is a clinical research, descriptive, qualitative and quantitative to analyze the results of applying the Dynamic Gait Index and Time Up and Go Test -Brazilian version, in 60 volunteers of both sexes and aged between 60 and 83 years (mean = 68, 57 ± 5.94). The research project was appreciated by the Ethics Committee of the institution and followed the recommendations of the opinion 196/96. For data analysis we used descriptive tests, Mann-Whitney and Chi-square (X ²), and was adopted at p <0.05. Results: we found that 37 (61.7%) of the 60 subjects scored with indices below the normal range in Time Up and Go Test while Dynamic Gait Index in 19 (31.7%) volunteers had rates below the cutoff point. There was a statistically significant association between Dynamic Gait Index and the variables of age and falls. In this study the Time Up and Go Test showed statistically significant association with the variables gender and falls. Values statistically significant were found in the study of the all variables. Conclusion: it was a frequent finding functional alteration of gait and balance, and most of the sample tended to fall. Age was associated with changes in gait and balance, gender with tendency to falls, and reports of events falls stunted with both instruments applied. The results presented here underscore the need for scientific and professional training directed at primary and secondary care in the elderly population.

Quality of Life and Gait in Elderly Group

Introduction  The process of aging could lead to seniors being more prone to falls, which affects their quality of life. Objective  The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of life and gait in the elderly. Methods  We used World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief) Brazilian version and the Dynamic Gait Index to assess fifty-six volunteers from the northeast of Brazil. Ages ranged from 60 to 85 years. Results  The Dynamic Gait Index, which indicates the probability of falls, resulted in 36.3% of the sample presenting abnormal results. There was correlation between domain 2 (psychological) and domain 4 (environment) with domain 1(Physical) and domain 3 (Social); a negative correlation between age and Domain 2; correlation between Question 1 (How would you rate your quality of life?) and domains 1, 2, and 4 and no correlation between questions 1 and 2 (How satisfied are you with your health?). Question 2 was correlated with all of the domains. There was negative association between question 1 and falls, and a slight correlation between the Dynamic Gait Index scores and Question 1. Conclusion  The self-perception of the study group about their quality of life was either good or very good, even though a considerable percentage of individuals had suffered falls or reported gait disturbances.

Emissões otoacústicas em lactentes expostos a infecção intra-útero

PURPOSE: To analyze otoacoustic emissions (OAE) in infants exposed to intrauterine infection. METHODS: Transient OAE (TEOAE) and distortion product OAE (DPOAE) were performed in 40 infants: 14 with and/or exposed to some type of congenital infection (Study Group) and 26 without exposition and with no risk factors for hearing loss (Control Group). Inclusion criteria were: Control Group: healthy full-term infants, with no risk factors for hearing loss; Study Group: full-term infants or preterms with corrected gestational age between 37 and 41 weeks at the date of assessment, exposed to some type of intrauterine infection or with congenital infection. The statistical analysis of the data set was performed using the non-parametric tests of Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney, and the technique of confidence interval for the mean. RESULTS: Lower levels of response and signal/noise ratio in TEOAE and DPOAE were observed in the Study Group, when compared to the Control Group, with significant statistical values for DPOAE in 8 kHz, and for TEOAE in 1.5 kHz. CONCLUSION: The exposure to intrauterine infections might attenuate the response level in OAE during the neonatal period.

Effects in Hearing Thresholds in Subjects Receiving Radiotherapy as Treatmentfor Head and Neck Cancer

Introduction: Head and neck tumors patients present greater complaints due to their anatomical location. One of the most efficent treatment is radiotherapy, nevertheless it can cause undesired effects on area extending from the external to the internal ear. Aim: To evaluate hearing thresholds in subjects receiving radiotherapy as treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods: Transversal cohort study carried out in an Oncology Ward in a public hospital from the northeast of Brazil (Aracaju-Sergipe). Audiological evaluation was performed in 36 volunteers of both genders, divided equally between two groups: control and study group. The control group, non oncolgy, was composed by normal hearing thresholds subjects (including criteria). The study group was characterized of cancer patients, who were undergoing oncology treatment in a Cancer Department of the major public hospital of the town. The procedures, for both groups, were performed in two sections: anamnesis and conventinal pure tone audiometry. Results: Normal hearing thresholds of control and study group evinced that study group had worsening thresholds (p ≤ 0.05). Most of the study group (61.1%) was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss characterized by changes as from the 3 kHz frequency. Conclusion: Subjects with head and neck cancer undergoing oncology treatment might present significant worsening of hearing thresholds

Valor clínico dos nistagmos posicional e de posicionamento no diagnóstico vestibular de idosos

PURPOSE: to study the importance of positional nystagmus and positioning in vestibular assessment in the elderly. METHOD: retrospective descriptive study. It was analyzed evaluation charts of 70 patients aged over 60 years submitted of vestibular assessment. These charts were divided into two groups: group A composed of 35 charts with evaluation results of the positional nystagmus and vestibular diagnosis and group B with 35 charts with the results of the evaluation positional nystagmus and vestibular diagnosis. RESULTS: nystagmus position highlighted a significant number of peripheral vestibular dysfunction in Group A and nystagmus positioning a large number of positional vertigo in Group B, in which, also, was founded a prevalence of normal results. No significant differences it was found between the two groups for the variables, gender and age. CONCLUSION: the nystagmus position test allowed identifying peripheral vestibular disorders and positioning nystagmus to identify positional vertigo, pointing that the introduction of the latter test was useful but not replace the nystagmus position evaluation.