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Introduction: The change in the hormonal levels during the three phases of menstrual cycle, namely, menstrual phase (hormonal withdrawal), proliferative phase (estrogen peak), and secretory phase (progesterone peak), influences the conduction velocities in the central auditory pathways. Variable findings of brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) have been reported during different phases of menstrual cycle by different researchers. Aim: To study the effect of different phases of menstrual cycle on BAER. Methodology: A prospective observational study on 80 audiometrically normal, healthy, eumenorrheic female students in age group of 18-24 years was done at a medical college of northern India. BAER was recorded across the three phases of the menstrual cycle, i.e., menstrual phase (day 1-3), proliferative phase (day 10-12), and secretory phase (day 20-22). Recordings of peak latencies, interpeak latencies, and amplitude of waves of BAER were taken and statistically analyzed. Results: In this study, significant decrease in the latencies of wave III, wave V, and interpeak latency I-III and a trend of decrease in latencies of wave I and interpeak latency I-V (which was statistically insignificant) were observed in proliferative (estrogen peak) phase as compared to menstrual and secretory phase. However, there was no statistically significant difference found in the amplitude of waves of BAER during all the three phases of menstrual cycle. Conclusion: The hormonal changes during different phases of menstrual cycle do seem to influence BAER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the microtensile bond strength (μTBS) of bulk fill and low shrinkage composite for different depths of Class II cavities with the cervical margin in cementum. Materials and Methods: Standardized conservative box-shaped Class II cavities were prepared on sixty sound-impacted human third molars. The samples were randomly divided into two groups: Group I (n = 30) - horizontal incremental technique and Group II (n = 30) - bulk fill technique (SonicFill). They were further subdivided into three subgroups of (n = 10) samples each according to the different occluso-gingival height: subgroup (A - 4 mm, B - 5 mm, and C - 6 mm). The gingival margins for all the samples were located 1 mm below the cementoenamel junction. The restored samples were subjected to thermocycling (500 cycles) followed by μTBS testing. The scores were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc test using SPSS software version 16. Results: Subgroups IA and IB showed lower μTBS than subgroups IIA and IIB (P < 0.05) whereas subgroup IC showed higher μTBS than subgroup IIC (P < 0.05). SonicFill showed a significant reduction in μTBS as the depth increased. Conclusion: SonicFill should be used in two increments for cavities with a depth of more than 5 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reaction time (RT) is a measure of the response to a stimulus. RT plays a very important role in our lives as its practical implications may be of great consequences. Factors that can affect the average human RT include age, sex, left or right hand, central versus peripheral vision, practice, fatigue, fasting, breathing cycle, personality types, exercise, and intelligence of the subject. Aim: The aim was to compare visual RTs (VRTs) and auditory RTs (ARTs) on the basis of gender and physical activity levels of medical 1st year students. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 healthy medical students in age group of 18-20 years. RT for target stimulus that is, for the beep tone for measuring ART, and red circle for measuring VRT was determined using Inquisit 4.0 (Computer Software) in the laptop. The task was to press the spacebar as soon as the stimulus is presented. Five readings of each stimulus were taken, and their respective fastest RT's for each stimuli were recorded. Statistical analysis was done. Results: In both the sexes' RT to the auditory stimulus was significantly less (P < 0.001) as compared to the visual stimulus. Significant difference was found between RT of male and female medical students (P < 0.001) as well as between sedentary and regularly exercising healthy medical 1st year students. Conclusion: The ART is faster than the VRT in medical students. Furthermore, male medical students have faster RTs as compared to female medical students for both auditory as well as visual stimuli. Regularly exercising medical students have faster RTs when compared with medical students with sedentary lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted on a group of 90 traffic policemen aged 20-50 years and working in and around Patiala district to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practices toward the ill effects caused by traffic noise on health. The subjects were required to fill up a questionnaire regarding their self-assessment of hearing ability, noise-related attitudes, and the use of personal protective equipment such as earplugs. The mean age of subjects was 39.8 ± 5.80 years, while the mean duration of exposure to traffic noise was 10.56 ± 6.43 years. Only 5.5% subjects felt that their hearing was below average. As many as 61% subjects had work-related tinnitus. It was observed that none of them had ever used ear plugs, mainly due to their non availability. The self-assessment of hearing by traffic policemen indicated that most of them had normal hearing. However, to find out the exact number of cases with hearing impairment, further evaluation with audiometry is recommended in them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder whose detrimental effects on various organ systems, including the nervous system are well known. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the changes in the brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 116 females with type 2 diabetes and 100 age matched, healthy female volunteers were selected. The brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were recorded with RMS EMG EP Marc-II Channel machine. The measures included latencies of waves I, II, III, IV, V and Interpeak latencies (IPL) I-III, III-V and I-V separately for both ears. Data was analysed statistically with SPSS software v13.0. Results: It was found that IPL I-III was significantly delayed (P = 0.028) only in the right ear, while the latency of wave V and IPL I-V showed a significant delay bilaterally (P values for right ear being 0.021 and 0.0381 respectively while those for left ear being 0.028 and 0.016 respectively), in diabetic females. However, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was found between diabetic and control subjects as regards to the latencies of waves I, II, III, IV and IPL III-V bilaterally and IPL I-III unilaterally in the left ear. Also, none of the BAEP latencies were significantly correlated with either the duration of disease or with fasting blood glucose levels in diabetics. Conclusions: Therefore, it could be concluded that diabetes patients have an early involvement of central auditory pathway, which can be detected quite accurately with the help of auditory evoked potential studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measurement of peak expiratory flow (PEF) is imperative for management and evaluation of asthmatic children. It is well known that lung function parameters show wide variations with respect to regional, racial, and genetic factors. Aim: This study was conducted to measure PEF in healthy Punjabi children aged 7-14 years as only a few studies have evaluated the lung functions in North Indian children. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in which PEF was measured in 366 healthy schoolchildren (186 boys and 180 girls) of Patiala district, using the Mini Wright Peak Flow Meter. Best of the three trials was recorded. All the subjects were tested in standing position after recording their age, height, and weight. SPSS v. 13 was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The present study showed that all the three independent variables (age, height, and weight) had a significant positive correlation with PEF, in both genders. Furthermore, height was maximally correlated with PEF in both boys (r = 0.970) and girls (r = 0.964). The mean PEF value in boys (249.34 ± 81.36 L/min) was significantly higher than girls (233.31 ± 67.06 L/min). Regression equations for PEF were also determined using age, height, and weight, separately for the genders. Conclusion: Equations derived from this study for estimation of expected PEF values would help the clinicians in assessing the airway obstruction in this population subset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Air pollution due to road traffic is a serious health hazard and thus the persons who are continuously exposed, may be at an increased risk. Although several studies have confirmed the ill effects of air pollutants on the lung function of traffic policemen, only a few have investigated the relationship between respiratory health and duration of exposure in this category of occupationally exposed persons. Aim: The study was carried out with the aim of evaluating the extent of impairment in lung function in traffic policemen in respect to an unexposed control group having the same age group. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which the spirometric parameters of a group of 100 nonsmoking traffic policemen, aged 20-55 years, working in and around Patiala city, were compared with those obtained in an age-matched control group, consisting of 100 healthy males, serving in the Punjab Police, who have never done traffic duty and are thus not exposed to traffic pollution. Lung function was done with MEDSPIROR. The data on the overall health status of the subjects was collected using the standard Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire. The statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS PC software version 13. Results: Traffic policemen recorded a significant decline in various parameters, such as forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) when compared with controls, and is probably due to exposure to vehicular pollution. It was also observed that in traffic policemen with >8 years of exposure, the values of FVC (2.7 L), FEV1 (1.8 L), and PEFR (7.5 L/s) were significantly lower than those obtained in traffic policemen with <8 years of exposure, in whom the values were 2.9 L, 2.3 L, and 7.7 L/s for FVC, FEV1, and PEFR, respectively. Conclusion: The effect of pollution by vehicular exhausts may be responsible for these pulmonary function impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]