Ute Walliczek-Dworschak

Developmental Changes in Adolescents' Olfactory Performance and Significance of Olfaction.

Aim of the current work was to examine developmental changes in adolescents’ olfactory performance and personal significance of olfaction. In the first study olfactory identification abilities of 76 participants (31 males and 45 females aged between 10 and 18 years; M = 13.8, SD = 2.3) was evaluated with the Sniffin Stick identification test, presented in a cued and in an uncued manner. Verbal fluency was additionally examined for control purpose. In the second study 131 participants (46 males and 85 females aged between 10 and 18 years; (M = 14.4, SD = 2.2) filled in the importance of olfaction questionnaire. Odor identification abilities increased significantly with age and were significantly higher in girls as compared to boys. These effects were especially pronounced in the uncued task and partly related to verbal fluency. In line, the personal significance of olfaction increased with age and was generally higher among female compared to male participants.

Structured training on the da Vinci Skills Simulator leads to improvement in technical performance of robotic novices

The increasing use of minimally invasive techniques such as robotic‐assisted devices raises the question of how to acquire robotic surgery skills. The da Vinci Skills Simulator has been demonstrated to be an effective training tool in previous reports. To date, little data are available on how to acquire proficiency through simulator training. We investigated the outcome of a structured training programme for robotic surgical skills by robotic novices.

The Presentation of Olfactory–Trigeminal Mixed Stimuli Increases the Response to Subsequent Olfactory Stimuli

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of (1) the addition of trigeminal stimuli to an olfactory stimulus and (2) the congruence in the odorous mixture after repeated odor presentation. Twenty-five normosmic volunteers were enrolled and presented stimulation blocks, consisting of three habituation stimuli (H) (orange odor), one dishabituation (DH) (control condition, orange odor; congruent condition, orange odor + CO2; incongruent condition, orange odor + l-isopulegol), and one dishabituated stimulus (D) (orange odor). Olfactory event-related potentials were analyzed. Response amplitudes differed significantly in the incongruent condition (N1P2 between H3 and D; peak to peak N1P2 at electrode positions Cz, Fz, and Pz; response amplitudes between H3 and DH). The addition of CO2 modified the perception of orange odor, pronouncing a fruity note, whereas the addition of l-isopulegol as a DH pronounced the l-isopulegol note. This study provides evidence that incongruent trigeminal-olfactory stimulants increase the response to subsequent olfactory stimulus.

Investigation of chemosensitivity during and after an acute cold

Viral rhinitis (the “common” cold) is a frequent worldwide disease. Olfactory dysfunction is one complication that arises during infection, which in most cases heals up spontaneously upon recovery, whereas in some cases it may persist as a partial or total loss of olfaction. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the change of other chemosensory systems during a cold.

Ectonucleotidase CD39 expression in regional metastases in head and neck cancer

Abstract Introduction: CD39 is the rate-limiting enzyme in the generation of immunosuppressive adenosine and its expression and activity are significant in tumor progression. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) shows an overall poor prognosis due to high local recurrence rates and early metastatic spread. Material and methods: Primary tumor specimens and lymph node specimens harvested during neck dissection of 65 patients with a diagnosis of HNSCC were subjected to immunohistochemical and H-score analysis of CD39 expression. Demographics, histopathology and subsequent outcome were analyzed. Results: The primary cancer was squamous cell carcinoma in all patients (male/female 55:10). H-score for CD39 expression in the primary lesion and metastatic lymph nodes was significantly higher in advanced compared to early stages with no significant differences among different tumor locations. High intratumoral and intrametastatic CD39 expression was associated with an inferior patients’ overall survival at a mean follow-up of 83.4 months (6–204 months). Conclusion: CD39 expression in HNSCC correlated positively with tumor stage and appears to predict poor prognosis. Therefore, CD39 expression in primary lesions and metastatic lymph nodes seems to identify patients at high risk in HNSCC of all tumor sites. Immunotherapeutic approaches targeting CD39 might be promising for this patient population.

The Human Sense of Olfaction

Abstract The sense of olfaction is important not only for the detection of potential dangers such as fire or spoilt food, but also for the quality of life of human beings. In this article, we review the characteristics of the sense of smell and give a short overview about possible olfactory dysfunctions and their therapy.

Using a Standardized Questionnaire for Coagulation Assessment in Children Undergoing Tonsillectomy

Introduction A 2006 position paper suggests assessing coagulation status via a standardized questionnaire instead of performing routine coagulation testing for children undergoing tonsillectomy/adenotomy. The aim of the presented study was to evaluate whether this paradigm change led to a change in the incidence of secondary bleeding. Methods Descriptive statistical analysis of existing clinical data was performed to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of secondary bleeding in children after tonsillectomy/adenotomy in 2003 vs. 2009. Result In 2003, 352 children underwent surgery. Secondary bleeding occurred in 25 cases (7.1%), 18, (6.1%) of which required surgical treatment. In 2009, 20 out of 293 children who had undergone tonsillectomy/adenotomy suffered from secondary bleeding, 14 required (4.7%) surgical treatment. There was no significant difference in the incidence of bleeding between those years. In 5 children who suffered from secondary bleeding in 2003, preoperative diagnostic blood coagulation testing was performed, none of them showed abnormal results. Furthermore, none of the diagnostic blood coagulation tests performed after secondary bleeding in both groups showed any abnormalities. Conclusion Using a standardized questionnaire instead of a diagnostic blood coagulation testing for preoperative coagulation assessment does not have an influence on the incidence of secondary bleeding after tonsillectomy/adenotomy. The results of this study suggest that secondary bleeding is not is not caused by abnormal hemostasis.