Michinari Okamoto

The Risk of Neurological Impairment of Infants Failing Audiological Screening by Crib-O-Gram

The risk of neurological impairment of those infants failing the Crib-O-Gram hearing screening test was studied. Of the 1,727 infants who were at risk with hearing loss and who were screened by Crib-O-Gram at nurseries for the newborn and premature, 292 (16.9%) failed the screening test. As a control group, whose developmental prognosis was compared with that of the group which failed, 292 infants were selected whose birth dates were very close to the birth dates of those infants failing the test. All of them had passed their Crib-O-Gram screening test. After more than 9 months of follow-up, 28 neurological deficit children were detected in the group failing the test. In the control group, there were 12 neurological deficit children. There was a statistical significance between the two groups (p less than 0.01). Of the 292 infants in the group which failed the test, 231 eventually passed a screening while 43 infants did not. Follow-up examinations of these 43 infants revealed that 15 (34.9%) had neurological deficits. These results show that infants who fail the hearing screening by Crib-O-Gram may have a high probability of neurological deficit and should receive careful follow-up both neurologically and audiologically.

DIAGNOSIS OF OLFACTORY DISTURBANCE

The methods of examination for dysosmia were reported. One thousand four hundred cases of dysosmia were treated in the last 5 years by the following examinations: 1) Olfactory acuity (detected and recognized) threshold test using T & T olfactometer. 2) Blast injection method using an applicator permeated with Alinamin solution. 3) Intravenous olfaction test using Alinamin solution. 4) Endoscopic observation of olfactory mucosa using an endoscope. The parts of lesions were diagnosed and various treatments were selected based on the results of these examinations. Nose drops of adrenocortical hormone were mainly used, while medications of peripheral vasodilator or medications for reducing of the mucosa were used in some cases. Many cases were effectively improved by the nose drops of adrenocortical hormone in Japanese patients. More than 70% of total cases were improved by these treatments.

Telephone-Communication Training for Profound Hearing-Impairment Children. (2). Evaluation of Speech Discrimination Test, Pronunciation Test and The Questionnaire to Mothers.

本研究は, 重度聴覚障害児25名に対する電話コミュニケーション指導の指導効果を検討した。 指導効果の判定には, 母親に対するアンケート調査をもとに行った。 また, 対象25名のうち6名は指導前と指導後に語音聴力検査と発語明瞭度検査を施行した。 これらの結果から以下のことが明らかになった。 指導前後で語音聴力検査と発語明瞭度検査は統計学的に有意差がみられなかった。 しかし, アンケート結果から, 指導後に日常でのコミュニケーション状態の改善が認められた。 ストラテジースキルの獲得率が, 指導後で電話場面と日常生活場面共に獲得率が伸びることから, 本指導はストラテジースキルの獲得に有用と思われた。 また, 電話および音声でのコミュニケーションに関係が深いストラテジースキルは, ききとるスキルと伝えるスキルの 「自主言い替え」 「受身言い替え」 「修正」 であった。 電話コミュニケーション指導によるコミュニケーションの改善は, ストラテジースキルの獲得に大きく関与すると考えられた。

Usefulness of tamponade with chitin-coated gause following endonasal operation.

Chitin extracted from the shells of Japanese pink crab accelerates wound healing. The usefulness of gauze coated on both sides with chitin after endonasal operation was evaluated in clinical trials at six hospitals. Coated gauze tampons were used in 37 patients after repairs of deviated septum, conchotomy, nasal polypectomy, etc. Although insertion was difficult, chitin-gauze tampons were more useful than conventional gauzetampons with respect to extractability and manageability.

The Deaf with Advanced Age and Hearing Aid

Presbyacusis is a kind of hard of hearing which every body takes but there are many stages in severity. There is no other way of curing it except the use of hearing aid.Many who use hearing aid all day are usually found in a group with hearing loss more than 50dB at low tone, and also many who use it some times are mostly found in a group with that less than 50dB. There are many of those with hearing loss more or less than 50dB who do not have will to use hearing aid because of troublesome in using it.Many of those using hearing aid all day do not use only it becausse of the reason that they can carry conversation easier but because they can manage to catch the voice with it when they are not able to hear the tone without it. Therefore, there is a tendency that many deaf with more severe hearing loss than the so-called indications of hearing aid often use it. The harder the hearing loss has the more the necessity of hearing aid and the more times of using it.Even with the hearing aid, some of the persons with severe hearing loss can not carry conversation easily from the beginning, auditory training makes it possible. The most of the deaf less effective with hearing aid need a longer period of auditory training.In order to decide the indications for use of hearing aid, effectiveness of hearing aid in the individual should be judged first of all and his own will and the co-operation of his surrounding for auditory training have to be judged at the same time.