Association of Pediatric Hearing Quality and Sports Participation: A Population-Based Study

Sports-related injuries, such as concussion, during childhood may result in considerable morbidity, including a range of negative developmental consequences. Auditory dysfunction is generally recognized to be a possible sequela of sports-related concussion; however, few epidemiologic studies have quantified the association between hearing quality and sports-related activity in the pediatric population. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the 2015-2016 cycle was utilized to determine the association of sports activities and hearing quality. Subjective abnormal hearing quality was more frequent among children who played football than those that did not (36.5% vs 26.8%; odds ratio, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.23-2.00]; P = .001). Other sports, such as basketball and soccer, did not have this association with hearing quality ( P = .496 and P = .852, respectively). Our findings suggest a notable association between practice of a potentially high concussion sport and hearing quality. Children practicing football are 1.56 times more likely to report abnormal hearing quality. Level of Evidence: 4.

Our experience of rare otolaryngological complications of coronavirus infection

Introduction: COVID-19 disease can lead to serious complications of the ENT organs. Among them are the developments of aseptic thrombosis of the arteries of the ENT organs and face, as well as auditory dysfunction. Purpose: to investigate changes in auditory function and blood supply to the ENT organs of patients which underwent coronavirus COVID-19. Materials and methods: examination and treatment of patients with complications of coronavirus infection: facial soft tissue thrombosis (2) and auditory dysfunction (38). The results obtained: Coronavirus infection in two patients resulted in thrombosis of the soft branches of the internal and external carotid arteries with the development of necrosis of the mucous membrane of the lateral wall of the nose, nasal sinuses, septum and palate, which required surgical treatment. Acute sensorineural hearing loss with an increase in thresholds of sound perception to 40 dB was observed in 23 (60.5%) patients, and most of them (19 people) suffered from severe coronavirus infection and received comprehensive treatment (hormones, anticoagulants, etc.). Hearing loss with an increase in the threshold of sound perception to 40-60 dB was determined in 15 (39.5%) patients, of whom only 5 underwent severe COVID-19. Conclusions: Patients who have undergone a coronavirus infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus may develop otolaryngological complications in the form of auditory dysfunction or arterial thrombosis. More severe bilateral damage to the auditory analyzer occurs in patients who underwent mild COVID-19 and did not receive anti-inflammatory therapy. The use of glucocorticoids and anticoagulants for the treatment of coronavirus infection on time prevents the development of complications from the auditory analyzer and blood coagulation system.

Early functional and cognitive declines measured by auditory evoked cortical potentials in Alzheimer's disease mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized with a progressive loss of memory and cognitive decline. Early detection of AD is critical for prevention and intervention of this common neurodegenerative disease. Previous studies demonstrated that auditory dysfunction could occur at the early stage of AD. Auditory evoked cortical potential (AECP) is an event-related potential reflecting not only neural activation in the auditory cortex but also cognitive activity in the brain. In this study, we recorded AECP in AD mice. AECP in mice usually possessed 3 waveforms. The early sensory P1 and P2 peaks were clearly visible in 1 month old mice. However, the later cognitive P3 peak was not well-developed until the age of 3 months old. In APP/PS1 AD mice, P1 and P2 were reduced at young ages (<6 months old), prior to occurrence of AD phenotypes. Different from normal aging, the cognitive peak of P3 in AD mice was diminished invisible after 4 months old. The latencies of peak N1, P2, and N2 in AD mice before 3 months were shorter than those in WT mice. Consistent with AECP changes, expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) was visible in the AD mouse auditory cortex at 2 months old. These data indicate that AECP has significant changes in young AD mice and can serve as an early, non-invasive, objective biomarker in AD and AD-related dementia detection and diagnosis.

Compensation capacities of brain in unilateral and bilateral auditory system damage in children

Neuroplasticity is a basic feature of neuronal system which provides function rebuilt or developmental dysfunction repair. Hearing impairment can have an impact on intelligence levels, organization and structure of cognitive processes. Cognitive capacities profiles of deaf people present neuropsychological results of functional reorganization of brain. 208 children were accepted for this study. Experimental group consisted of 126 children suffering from sensorineural hearing insufficiency. 26 children were diagnosed with right-sided hearing loss, 34 children were diagnosed with left-sided hearing loss and 66 children were diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss. Control group consisted of 82 normally hearing children, confirmed in audiometric assessment. In order to establish levels of cognitive abilities and intelligence in patients enrolled for the study polish adaptation of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) was administered. Children with bilateral hearing loss obtained worse results in verbal scale compared to well hearing controls. Verbal intelligence in control group was statistically higher than in right-sided auditory dysfunction group. Control group average result in nonverbal scale was statistically significantly higher compared to left-sided hearing loss patients. Children with right-sided auditory dysfunction obtained higher results in nonverbal scale compared to children with left-sided auditory dysfunction. Left-sided hearing impairment group had higher scores in almost all subtests of verbal scale than right-sided hearing impairment group. Left-sided auditory disability enhances linguistic capacity, which indicates compensation abilities of left hemisphere responsible for verbal processes. Right-sided auditory disability enhances analytic processes, visual synthesis and image reasoning, which indicates compensation abilities of right hemisphere responsible for nonverbal processes.