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Objective: To evaluate the differences in olfactory sensitivity, nutritional habits, levels of modulators of feeding and smell, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measures and metabolic assays between two groups of participants with stage I and II obesity and reciprocal relationships between these parameters.Methods: Eighteen participants with stage I (11 female; mean age = 54.3 ± 13.1 years) and 20 participants with stage II (10 female; mean age = 54.5 ± 11.9) obesity underwent a food frequency questionnaire and Sniffin' Sticks® test battery, anthropometric parameters, and BIA measurements as well as metabolic assays (including plasma levels of leptin, insulin, ghrelin, glucose, insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1] and usual laboratory parameters).Results: The stage II obesity participants demonstrated significant higher levels of insulin and leptin and lower levels of ghrelin and IGF-1, a reduction in odor identification (OI) and in total olfactory score, and an increase in visceral and total fat percentage. Among a mosaic of multiple correlations, ghrelin was found to positively correlate with OI and leptin negatively with odor discrimination.Conclusion: The present study expands the notions positing the olfactory perception - and its connections with metabolic cues, foods habits and BIA measures - changes across the two most important obesity stages. This could ameliorate clinical and research deepening of obesity-related olfactory behavior with possible consequences on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of onset and development of obesity, thus opening possible future strategies involving multidisciplinary contributions.Level Of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 132:2028-2035, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate sleep behavior and its relation to otoneurological parameters in a group of patients with chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) without self‐reported sleep disturbances when compared with healthy subjects serving as a control group (CG). Methods: Fifty‐one patients affected by UVH underwent a retrospective clinical and instrumental otoneurological examination, a 1‐week actigraphy sleep analysis, and a series of self‐report and performance measures (SRM/PM). A CG of 60 gender‐ and age‐matched healthy subjects was also enrolled. A between‐group analysis of variance was performed for each variable, while correlation analysis was performed in UVH patients between otoneurological, SRM/PM, and actigraphy measure scores. Results: When compared with CG subjects, UVH patients were found to be spending less time sleeping and taking more time to go from being fully awake to asleep, based on actigraphy‐based sleep analysis. Also, SRM/PM depicted UVH patients to have poor sleep quality and to be more prone to an evening‐type behavior. Correlations were found between vestibular‐related functionality indexes and subjective sleep quality, as well as between longer disease duration and reduced sleep time. Conclusion: For the first time, a multiparametric sleep analysis was performed on a large population‐based sample of chronic UVH patients. While a different pattern in sleep behavior was found, the cause is still unclear. Further research is needed to expand the extent of knowledge about sleep disruption in vestibular disorders. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:2341–2347, 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluating postural function in patients with otosclerosis by assessing otoneurological function and balance-related quality of life before and 6 weeks after surgical treatment. Correlations between and clinical features were investigated.Methods: Thirty-three patients affected by otosclerosis underwent otoneurological examination, video Head Impulse Test (vHIT), and static posturography before and after stapedotomy. Quality of life and dizziness-related handicap were screened by means of validated questionnaires. Correlation analysis was performed in order to discover possible relations with audiological pre- and postoperative parameters.Results: A significant improvement in posturographic parameters was found. Correlation analysis yielded a negative correlation between preoperative bone conduction auditory threshold and both vHIT scores and postural performance improvement, evaluated by spectral analysis. Moreover, a positive correlation was also found between improvements in posturographic scores and quality-of-life questionnaires.Conclusion: The study results demonstrated an improvement in postural function and self-reported measures in a cohort of patients with otosclerosis 6 weeks after stapedotomy. The inverse correlation with preoperative auditory levels may reflect lesser chance for balance restoration in cases with worse sensorineural function. Possible implications for daily activities and overall quality of life were suggested by improved self-report questionnaire results.Level Of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:2448-2454, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study is aimed at revaluating alexithymia, somatic sensations, resilience and their relationships with suicide ideation in drug naïve adult outpatients suffering from first episode major depression (MD). Methods: Data of 103 adult outpatients (49 men, 56 women) with a diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition, text revision (DSM‐IV‐TR) diagnosis of MD were analysed. Alexithymia was measured using the 20‐item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS‐20) and resilience with the 25 items Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC) whereas depression was evaluated using the 17‐item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, somatic sensations with the Body Sensations Questionnaire and suicide ideation with Scale of Suicide Ideation (SSI). Results: Gender comparisons between all demographic and clinical variables showed no significant differences in all variables. Subjects who were found positive for alexithymia showed higher scores on all clinical variables controlling for age, gender and duration of the current episode. In a linear regression model, lower scores on CD‐RISC and Difficulty in Identifying Feelings dimension of TAS‐20 were significantly predictive of higher scores on SSI. Conclusions: Alexithymia and low resilience were significant predictors of increased suicide ideation in a first MD episode. However, study limitations must be considered and future research needs are being discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals have to reweight the respective contribution of the different sources of sensorial information for regulating posture and balance, especially during fine task execution. Given the evidences indicating strategy during swing performance as associated with prioritization of task-relevant visuospatial information for skill execution, the aim of the present work is to assess differences in visual dependency (VD) and postural control in a population of expert (EXP) and non-expert (NEXP) golfers when compared with healthy subjects (HC) and to discover possible relationships between these outcomes and swing performance. Thus, 15 golfers (EXP = 7; NEXP = 8) and 32 matched HC underwent otoneurological testing including video Head Impulse Test, posturography and Rod and Disk Test (RDT). Golf players also underwent a swing session procedure, which performance was measured by means of the Flightscope X2 Doppler-radar launch monitor system. EXP subjects demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) lower values in i) counter-clockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) dynamic conditions when compared with both NEXP and HC subjects RDT outcome measures and ii) surface and length posturography values as compared with HC subjects. When treating golf players outcomes as 'a continuum', CCW and CW scores were found to positively correlate with both lateral distance and horizontal launch angle and to negatively correlate with spin rpm. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the high-level of visual-independency demonstrated by EXP subjects may be functionally related in expert golfers to an effective motor strategy preferentially not referring to an inappropriate reliance on visual input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vestibular dysfunction was linked to moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome ( OSAS) patients in literature. However, due to a lack of knowledge among valid and recent implementations conceived to study postural control on static posturography ( SP) and vestibulo-ocular reflex ( VOR) gain under physiological conditions (video Head Impulse Test; vHIT), the aim of this work was to integrate (i) VOR changes via vHIT implementation, (ii) postural arrangement by studying both classical parameters and frequency spectra ( PS) and (iii) correlation between these findings, polygraphic ( PG) and subjective scores along Dizziness Handicap Inventory ( DHI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale ( ESS). Thus, 32 moderate-to-severe OSAS patients and 32 healthy subjects - studied by using PG, DHI and ESS - underwent vHIT and SP posturographic assessment. Analysis of variance was performed to disclose between-group effects and correlation analysis was implemented between otoneurological, PG, DHI and ESS values. OSAS group demonstrated a significant decay of VOR gain and an increase in both frequency spectra PS values, especially within the low-frequency interval, and in classical posturographic SP parameters. Further, positive and negative correlations between mean SaO2 and gain and low frequency interval spectra PS were found, respectively. Strengthening previous hypothesis related to brainstem chronic hypoxemia phenomena affecting vestibular network, implementation of these data could generate future attentions (i) for screening under physiological conditions postural and vestibular detriments in OSAS subjects, especially exposed at risk settings, and (ii) among PG parameters, such as mean SaO2, to propose further reliable tools in monitoring postural and vestibular decay in these patients demonstrating PG parameters detriments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a global epidemic that results in significant morbidity and mortality. Mutations in the melanocortin 4 receptor ( MC4R) gene, which codes for a G-protein-coupled receptor responsible for postprandial satiety signaling, have been associated with monogenic obesity. The prevalence of obesity is on the increase in South Africa, and it is hypothesized that mutations in MC4R are a contributing factor. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective assessment of the relationship between allelic variants of MC4R and BMI in a South African study cohort. DNA was isolated from a demographically representative cohort of 297 individuals and the entire MC4R gene sequenced by Sanger sequencing. Eight previously reported MC4R variants were identified in 42 of the 297 (14.1%) study participants. The most frequently observed MC4R alleles were V103I (4.0%), I170V (1.5%), and I198I (1.2%), while the remaining five variants together constituted 1.18%. Five compound heterozygotes were also detected. Although MC4R variants were rare, the majority of variation was observed in individuals of Black African ancestry. No statistically significant associations with BMI were reported. Given that lifestyle interventions have limited success in decreasing obesity, there is an urgent need to perform large-scale population studies to further elucidate the molecular underpinnings of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]