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Purpose The minimum masking level (MML) is the minimum intensity of a stimulus required to just totally mask the tinnitus. Treatments aimed at reducing the tinnitus itself should attempt to measure the magnitude of the tinnitus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the MML. Method Sample consisted of 59 tinnitus patients who reported stable tinnitus. We obtained MML measures on two visits, separated by about 2–3 weeks. We used two noise types: speech-shaped noise and high-frequency emphasis noise. We also investigated the relationship between the MML and tinnitus loudness estimates and the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ). Results There were differences across the different noise types. The within-session standard deviation averaged across subjects varied between 1.3 and 1.8 dB. Across the two sessions, the Pearson correlation coefficients, range was r = .84. There was a weak relationship between the dB SL MML and loudness, and between the MML and the THQ. A moderate correlation ( r = .44) was found between the THQ and loudness estimates. Conclusions We conclude that the dB SL MML can be a reliable estimate of tinnitus magnitude, with expected standard deviations in trained subjects of about 1.5 dB. It appears that the dB SL MML and loudness estimates are not closely related.

Noise is a common occupational and environmental hazard; however, little is known about the use of computational tools to quantitively analyze data on basilar membrane (BM) damage in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Here, we established a comprehensive three-dimensional finite-element human ear model to quantify the impact of noise exposure on BM and perilymph fluid.We used auditory risk units (ARUs) to evaluate the BM damage for subjects (3 men and 5 women; mean age, 32.75 ± 8.86 years; age range, 24-44 years). A 90-dB sound pressure level (SPL) was normally applied at the external auditory canal (EAC) entrance to simulate sound transmission from the EAC to the cochlea at frequencies of 0.2-10.0 kHz.The pressure distribution of perilymph fluid is totally different on frequency responses under low and high sound-evoked (0.013-10.0 kHz). The highest ARUs were 18.479% at the distance of 1 mm from the base, and the second-highest to fourth-highest ARUs occurred at distances of 5-7 mm from the base, where their ARUs were 9.749%, 9.176%, and 11.231%. The total of the ARUs reached 81.956% at external frequencies' sounds of 3.2-5.0 kHz. Among these, the 3.8-kHz and 3.6-kHz frequencies yielded the highest and second-highest ARUs of 20.325% and 19.873%, respectively.This study would inform our understanding of NIHL associated with occupational noise exposure. We present a FE modelling and describe how it might provide a unique way to unravel mechanisms that drive NIHL due to loud noises.

This is a retrospective longitudinal study that uses data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan of which hypothyroid patients who received a diagnosis between 2000 and 2010 were selected and followed up until 2011. The primary outcome of this study was the occurrence of tinnitus (ICD-9-CM code 388.3). The relevant comorbidities were selected as potential confounders according to the literature, which included vertigo (ICD-9-CM code 386), insomnia (ICD-9-CM code 780), anxiety (ICD-9-CM code 300.00), and hearing loss (ICD-9-CM code 388–389). The overall incidence of tinnitus was significantly higher in the hypothyroidism cohort than in the non-hypothyroidism cohort (9.49 vs. 6.03 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 1.35 (95% CI 1.18–1.54) after adjusting potential confounders. The incidences of tinnitus, as stratified by gender, age, comorbidity, and follow-up time, were all significantly higher in the hypothyroidism cohort than those in the non-hypothyroidism cohort. The incidence of tinnitus significantly increased with age (aHR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.01–1.02). In conclusion, we report the relationship between hypothyroidism and the increased risk for tinnitus. We also found that hypothyroidism patients are at increased risk of developing tinnitus when associated with comorbidities including vertigo, hearing loss, and insomnia.

The Young's modulus of the tympanic membrane (TM) is an important modeling parameter in computer simulations of the sound transmission in the ear. Understanding the material mechanics of the TM is essential to improve the coupling between the tympanic membrane and the auditory ossicles. However, the impact of the age-related Young's modulus of the TM on sound transmission is not well known. The objective of this study was to use a comprehensive finite element (FE) model to assess the impact of Young's modulus on sound transmission from the ear canal to the stapes footplate over acoustic frequencies.The FE model of the ear canal, the middle ear, and the inner ear, was constructed. The model was constructed with identical geometries and boundary conditions, but with three different Young's moduli for the TMs. The auditory ossicles, suspensory ligaments and tendons, and manubrium were also modeled as isotropic elastic materials. Beside, we evaluated the age-related Young's moduli of the TMs on sound transmission with the FE element fluid-structural interaction (FSI) model under acoustic loading conditions.The impact of the age-related Young's moduli on the sound pressure distributions in the ear canal was significant over two frequency ranges of 1.4-3.2 and 8.6-10 kHz. Meanwhile, the significant differences of the displacement of the stapes occurred at around 1.6 kHz, where the displacement of the stapes decreased from 0.352 nm to 0.287 nm.The FSI model could demonstrate the influence of Young's modulus of the TM on the transfer of sound-induced vibrations form the ear canal to the stapes footplate. The FE model may provide appropriate information to the medical device development of artificial ossicles and hearing aids.

Long-term noise exposure often results in noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Tinnitus, the generation of phantom sounds, can also result from noise exposure, although understanding of its underlying mechanisms are limited. Recent studies, however, are shedding light on the neural processes involved in NIHL and tinnitus, leading to potential new and innovative treatments. This review focuses on the assessment of NIHL, available treatments, and development of new pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments based on recent studies of central auditory plasticity and adaptive changes in hearing. We discuss the mechanisms and maladaptive plasticity of NIHL, neuronal aspects of tinnitus triggers, and mechanisms such as tinnitus-associated neural changes at the cochlear nucleus underlying the generation of tinnitus after noise-induced deafferentation. We include observations from recent studies, including our own studies on associated risks and emerging treatments for tinnitus. Increasing knowledge of neural plasticity and adaptive changes in the central auditory system suggest that NIHL is preventable and transient abnormalities may be reversable, although ongoing research in assessment and early detection of hearing difficulties is still urgently needed. Since no treatment can yet reverse noise-related damage completely, preventative strategies and increased awareness of hearing health are essential.

There were 2 common radiotherapy dose fractionation strategies in head-and-neck cancer patients (such as oropharyngeal cancer [OPC] or hypopharyngeal cancer [HPC]) treated with radiotherapy: intensity-modulated radiotherapy using simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB) and sequential IMRT (IMRT-SEQ). There is a lack of high-level clinical evidence to compare IMRT-SIB vs IMRT-SEQ specifically for OPC or HPC patients. The present study investigated the survival outcomes of OPC or HPC patients receiving definite concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with either IMRT-SIB or IMRT-SEQ via a population-based propensity score (PS)-based analysis. The localized stage OPC or HPC patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2015 were identified based on the Health and Welfare Data Science Center database in Taiwan. These patients received definitive CCRT with either IMRT-SIB or IMRT-SEQ. We constructed a PS-matched cohort (1:1 for IMRT-SIB vs IMRT-SEQ) to balance observable potential confounders. We compared the hazard ratio (HR) of death between IMRT-SIB and IMRT-SEQ during the entire follow-up period. We also evaluated other disease outcome or subgroups. Our study population constituted 200 patients with well balance in observed covariables. The HR of death when IMRT-SIB was compared to IMRT-SEQ was 1.23 (95% confidence interval 0.84–1.80, P = .29). The results were similar for other disease outcome or subgroups. We found the survival outcome might be comparable for those treated with IMRT-SIB vs those treated with IMRT-SEQ.

Objectives: Subjective tinnitus is a phantom sensation experienced without any external source of sound that profoundly impacts the quality of life. Some investigations have claimed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) reduces tinnitus, but studies on tDCS have demonstrated variable results. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of tDCS on patients with tinnitus. Methods: We searched for articles published through January 5, 2016, in Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar using the following keywords: tinnitus, transcranial direct current stimulation, and tDCS. The study outcomes were change in magnitude estimates of loudness (loudness), tinnitus-related distress (distress), and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Results: Pooled results demonstrated that tDCS did not have a beneficial effect on loudness (pooled standardized difference in means = 0.674, 95% CI, –0.089 to 1.437, P = .083). Further, the pooled results demonstrated a greater reduction in distress for the tDCS group (pooled standardized difference in means = 0.634, 95% CI, 0.021-1.247, P = .043). Conclusions: We conclude that the pooled results demonstrated a greater reduction in distress for groups treated with tDCS as compared with those administered a sham treatment.

A titratable thermoplastic mandibular advancement devices (MAD) is clearly an effective treatment option in some patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Determining which patients may be more likely to respond to treatment with thermoplastic MADs and to adhere to treatment would be of obvious clinical relevance. This was an experimental descriptive study (N = 60). Patients with OSA were instructed to wear a titratable thermoplastic MAD for 3 months. Treatment success was defined as a ≥50% reduction from baseline in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or AHI

High levels of albuminuria have been demonstrated to associate with hearing loss in non-diabetic people, while the clinical impact of low-grade albuminuria has attracted less attention. This cross-sectional population-based study aimed to examine whether hearing loss in non-diabetic United States (US) adults is independently associated with low-grade albuminuria or reduced estimated glomeruli filtration rate (eGFR). A total of 2518 participants aged 20 to 69 years were selected from the US National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey database. Participants with diabetes or high-grade albuminuria were excluded. Hearing loss was assessed using low-frequency pure-tone average (LFPTA) thresholds (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 kHz) and high-frequency pure-tone average (HFPTA) thresholds (3.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 kHz). Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between renal function indicators and hearing loss. The median age of included participants was 37.4 years, and 55% of them were female. Multivariate analysis revealed that participants with urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in the highest tertile had a significantly higher risk of hearing loss (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.01–3.19) and higher HFPTA thresholds (β: 2.23; SE: 0.77). Participants with eGFR

Objective We aimed to perform a meta-analysis examining balloon dilatation and laser tuboplasty for the treatment of eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). Data Sources PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase search up to April 18, 2016, with the following keywords: eustachian, middle-ear, eustachian tuboplasty, balloon tuboplasty, laser tuboplasty, laser dilatation, and balloon dilatation. Review Methods Randomized controlled trials and prospective, retrospective, and 1-arm studies of patients with ETD treated with balloon dilatation or laser tuboplasty were included. Outcome measures were improvement of eustachian tube score (ETS) and tympanometry and Valsalva maneuver results. Results Two retrospective and 11 prospective studies were included (1063 patients; 942 treated with balloon and 121 with laser tuboplasty). Balloon tuboplasty resulted in a significant improvement of ETS (pooled standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-1.66; P = .009) and, compared with laser tuboplasty, a greater tympanometry improvement rate (pooled event rate = 73% vs 13%; P = .001). Valsalva maneuver improvement rate was not different between the group results (pooled event rate = 67% vs 50%; P = .472). The maximum number of studies that provided outcome data for any one measure was only 4, and sensitivity analysis indicated ETS results may have been overly influenced by 2 studies. No balloon tuboplasty studies reported ETS data, preventing comparison between the 2 procedures. Conclusion Both procedures can improve symptoms of ETD; however, because of the limited numbers of studies reporting data of the outcomes of interest, it remains unclear if one procedure provides greater benefits.

Objectives Hearing deterioration is a major concern for hearing-preserved patients with vestibular schwannomas who are treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Thus, determining which patients are more likely to have worse hearing outcomes following SRS may facilitate clinicians in deciding whether conservative policy should be applied in the interest of hearing preservation. This study aimed to define the predictors of hearing outcomes following SRS. Patients and methods This retrospective study included 100 patients who underwent low-dose SRS (12- to 13-Gy marginal dose) for vestibular schwannomas between January 2004 and January 2014. Clinical factors and hearing outcomes following radiosurgery were reviewed. Results All patients had serviceable hearing at diagnosis and prior to SRS. The median follow-up period was 6.5 years (range, 3–10 years). The hearing preservation rate in the first, third, and fifth year after radiosurgery was 89%, 68%, and 63%, respectively. A mean cochlear dose lower than 4 Gy was a favorable predictor of hearing outcome. Maximal cochlear dose, patient age, pre-treatment pure-tone average, and imaging characteristics were not associated with post-treatment hearing preservation. Our study showed an accelerated rate of deterioration of serial pure-tone average in the first 3 years, followed by a more gradual decline after radiosurgery. Conclusion Our results suggest that cochlear dose constraint is the most crucial factor for hearing preservation. This study provides insight into the rate of hearing preservation and the pattern of hearing deterioration following radiosurgery and can help clinicians advise patients of hearing outcomes following SRS.

The purpose of the study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to compare the efficacy (and other postoperative outcomes) of nonabsorbable versus absorbable nasal packing after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. Studies were considered for inclusion if they were published in English language, were randomized clinical trials, and reported on outcomes following postoperative synechia. The primary outcome for meta-analysis was the incidence of postoperative synechia; pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed-effects models. Five studies, involving 241 nasal cavities in each treatment group, were included in the systematic review. The prevalence of synechia ranged from 4.6 to 8.0 % in the absorbable groups and from 8.0 to 35.7 % in the nonabsorbable groups. Postoperative bleeding was lower in the absorbable groups, whereas there was no clear finding regarding postoperative pain. Postoperative edema was generally similar between groups. There were no consistent findings regarding bleeding and pain on packing removal. Two studies using the same type of packing material were included in the meta-analysis. The combined OR (0.33, 95 % CI 0.04–2.78) for postoperative synechia did not significantly favor (P = 0.308) absorbable packing over nonabsorbable packing. Although there is some evidence in the available literature that absorbable nasal packing may provide superior outcomes to nonabsorbable packing after FESS, the lack of homogeneity between studies makes definitive conclusions impossible. Further randomized clinical trials are needed to compare the efficacy of different types of absorbable nasal packing for preventing synechia after FESS.

This study investigated the development of subcortical pitch processing, as reflected by the scalp-recorded frequency-following response, during early infancy. Thirteen Chinese infants who were born and raised in Mandarin-speaking households were recruited to partake in this study. Through a prospective-longitudinal study design, infants were tested twice: at 1–3 days after birth and at three months of age. A set of four contrastive Mandarin pitch contours were used to elicit frequency-following responses. Frequency Error and Pitch Strength were derived to represent the accuracy and magnitude of the elicited responses. Paired-samples t tests were conducted and demonstrated a significant decrease in Frequency Error and a significant increase in Pitch Strength at three months of age compared to 1–3 days after birth. Results indicated the developmental trajectory of subcortical pitch processing during the first three months of life.

Voice pitch carries important information for speech understanding. This study examines the neural representation of voice pitch at the subcortical level, as reflected by the scalp-recorded frequency-following responses from ten American and ten Chinese newborns. By utilizing a set of four distinctive Mandarin pitch contours that mimic the English vowel /yi/, the results indicate that the rising and dipping pitch contours produce significantly better tracking accuracy and larger response amplitudes than the falling pitch contour. This finding suggests a hierarchy of potential stimuli when testing neonates who are born in a tonal or non-tonal linguistic environment.

Depression is prevalent in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, no population-based study has ever investigated this relationship. We used nationwide population insurance data to conduct a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the subsequent risk of depression among patients with CRS.We used the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan identified 15,371 CRS patients diagnosed during 2000-2010. The non-CRS group consisted of 61,484 individuals without CRS frequency matched by sex, age, and the year of diagnosis. The occurrence of depression was monitored until the end of 2011. The hazard ratios (HRs) of depression were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model after adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities.The overall incidence of depression was 77% higher in the CRS group than in the non-CRS group (8.25 vs. 4.66/1000 person-years, p0.001), with an adjusted HR of 1.56 (95% confidence interval=1.43-1.70). Further data analyses revealed that the adjusted HRs of depression in the CRS group compared with the non-CRS group by sex, age, urbanization level, monthly income, occupation category, and comorbidity were all significant. However, there was no difference in incidences of depression between CRS patients with and without surgical treatment (8.31 vs. 8.24/1000 person-years).The present study suggests that patients with CRS are at an increased risk of depression, compared with those without CRS. Therefore, we should pay attention to the psychiatric status of these patients and provide adequate support for them.

Purpose We surveyed the benefit of dietary supplements to treat tinnitus and reported adverse effects. Method A website was created for people with tinnitus to complete a variety of questions. Results The 1,788 subjects who responded to questionnaires came from 53 different countries; 413 (23.1%) reported taking supplements. No effect on tinnitus was reported in 70.7%, improvement in 19.0%, and worsening in 10.3%. Adverse effects were reported in 6% ( n = 36), including bleeding, diarrhea, headache, and others. Supplements were reported to be helpful for sleep: melatonin (effect size, d = 1.228) and lipoflavonoid ( d = 0.5244); emotional reactions: melatonin ( d = 0.6138) and lipoflavonoid ( d = 0.457); hearing: Ginkgo biloba ( d = 0.3758); and concentration Ginkgo biloba ( d = 0.3611). The positive, subjective reports should be interpreted cautiously; many might have reported a positive effect because they were committed to treatment and expected a benefit. Users of supplements were more likely to have loudness hyperacusis and to have a louder tinnitus. Conclusions The use of dietary supplements to treat tinnitus is common, particularly with Ginkgo biloba , lipoflavonoids, magnesium, melatonin, vitamin B12, and zinc. It is likely that some supplements will help with sleep for some patients. However, they are generally not effective, and many produced adverse effects. We concluded that dietary supplements should not be recommended to treat tinnitus but could have a positive outcome on tinnitus reactions in some people.

Objective Hard palatal cancer is relatively rare in the head and neck region. Treatment outcome, risk factors that lead to poor survival outcome, and treatment strategy are still controversial. Study design Retrospective study in a tertiary medical center. Results Surgery is a better treatment strategy than concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) for achieving positive survival outcomes. We also found a higher surgical salvage rate in patients with hard palatal cancer who had local recurrence or neck relapse. Soft palate or infratemporal fossa involvement had poor outcomes. Ulcerative tumor features, tumor volumes larger than 10 mL, and local recurrent tumors that could not undergo salvage surgery also had poorer survival outcomes in our study. Conclusion Surgical management is still the first choice for patients with hard palate or alveolus squamous cell carcinomas even when patients had local or neck regional recurrence.

This study determined whether there is an increased risk of tinnitus in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ). We used information from health insurance claims obtained from Taiwan National Health Insurance (TNHI). Patients aged 20 years and older who were newly diagnosed with TMJ disorder served as the study cohort. The demographic factors and comorbidities that may be associated with tinnitus were also identified, including age, sex, and comorbidities of hearing loss, noise effects on the inner ear, and degenerative and vascular ear disorders. A higher proportion of TMJ disorder patients suffered from hearing loss (5.30 vs. 2.11 %), and degenerative and vascular ear disorders (0.20 vs. 0.08 %) compared with the control patients. The crude hazard ratio (HR) of tinnitus in the TMJ disorder cohort was 2.73-fold higher than that in the control patients, with an adjusted HR of 2.62 (95 % CI = 2.29–3.00). The comorbidity-specific TMJ disorder cohort to the control patients’ adjusted HR of tinnitus was higher for patients without comorbidity (adjusted HR = 2.75, 95 % CI = 2.39–3.17). We also observed a 3.22-fold significantly higher relative risk of developing tinnitus within the 3-year follow-up period (95 % CI = 2.67–3.89). Patients with TMJ disorder might be at increased risk of tinnitus.

Although scalp-recorded frequency-following response (FFR) to voice pitch has shown great potential to examine pitch processing mechanisms in human participants and animals, few reports have addressed the test-retest reliability of such a response in an animal model. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and reliability of recording such a response in an animal model and to evaluate the extent to which the response could be separated from background noise. A Chinese monosyllable with a rising pitch was used to elicit the FFR to voice pitch in four guinea pigs. Four objective measures (Root-Mean-Square, Amplitude, Tracking Accuracy, Frequency Error, and Slope Error) were computed from recorded brain waves and were used to examine the phase-locking magnitude and test-retest reliability of the response. Results demonstrated that the animal model produced FFR trends that were repeatable, reliable, and significantly different from responses to the background noise.

The recurrent sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP) could be transformed to sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma. We use protein expression patterns by immunohistochemical method to see whether the expression of p53, p16, p21, and p27 belongs to cell-cycle-regulators and PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and Ki-67 the proliferation markers in sixty patients with sinonasal inverted papilloma, and 10 of them with squamous cell carcinoma transformation. Significantly elevated levels of Ki-67, p27, and PCNA in IP with squamous cell carcinoma transformation of sinonasal tract compared with inverted papilloma were revealed. No variation of p16, p21, PLUNC (palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone protein) and p53 expression was correlated to sinonasal IP malignant transformation by multivariate survey. However, we found elevated PLUNC expression in IPs with multiple recurrences. Finally, we found that PCNA, p27 may interact with CDK1 which promote IP cell proliferation and correlate to sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma. Ki-67 could work throughout the cell cycles to cause malignant transformation. In conclusion, this is a first study showing the correlation of Ki-67, PCNA interacted with CDK1 might lead to malignant transformation. Elevated PLUNC expression in the sinonasal IPs was related to multiple recurrences in human., National Science Council of Taiwan (Grant NSC101-2314-B-039-013-MY3), National Science Council of Taiwan (Grant NSC102-2325-B039-001), National Science Council of Taiwan (Grant NSC102-2221-E-468-027), China Medical University (Grant CMU102-BC-3), Asia University (Grant ASIA100-CMU-2), Asia University (Grant ASIA101-CMU-2), Asia University (Grant 102-ASIA-07), China Medical University Hospital (Grant DMR-102-001), China Medical University Hospital (Grant DMR-103-025), China Medical University Hospital (Grant DMR-103-058), China Medical University Hospital (Grant DMR-103-001), China Medical University Hospital (Grant DMR-103-096)

This study investigated the development of subcortical pitch processing, as reflected by the scalp-recorded frequency-following response, during early infancy. Thirteen Chinese infants who were born and raised in Mandarin-speaking households were recruited to partake in this study. Through a prospective-longitudinal study design, infants were tested twice: at 1–3 days after birth and at three months of age. A set of four contrastive Mandarin pitch contours were used to elicit frequency-following responses. Frequency Error and Pitch Strength were derived to represent the accuracy and magnitude of the elicited responses. Paired-samples t tests were conducted and demonstrated a significant decrease in frequency error and a significant increase in pitch strength at three months of age compared to 1–3 days after birth. Results indicated the developmental trajectory of subcortical pitch processing during the first three months of life.