Objective To investigate the effects of the intervention,rehabilitation and speech development of children with severe hearing loss in some rural areas.Methods 61 children,including 35 males and 26 females,were diagnosed as severe hearing loss with ABR and 40 Hz-AERP from June 2004 to July 2008.All the children failed hearing screening or visited the hospital as outpatients.The ages ranged from 2 to 72 months with the average age of 17.59 months.During telephone follow-up,the questionnaire was used to gather the data regarding the usage of hearing aids,hearing and speech rehabilitation,speech development,and communication abilities.Results 33 (54.10%) children were fitted with hearing aids,and 2 (3.28%) received cochlear implants,while 26(42.62 %) neither had hearing aids nor cochlear implants.10 cases with hearing aids also had speech training,whereas 23 children with hearing aids did not receive the training.2 cases with cochlear implants and 2 cases with hearing aids were found to have good speech development and communication ability,while 31 cases with hearing aids had delayed speech development.26 cases without any devices had to rely on sign language for their commumication.Conclusion Children in rural area with severe hearing loss experience greater speech and communication difficulties because many of them have no access to intervention and speech training.The results suggest that it would be very important to increase public awareness and educate parents to have their children wear hearing aids and receive speech training.

Objective To compare the effects of nitinol alloy memorial stent with silastic tube in treating the stenosis of the rabbit.Methods 16 rabbits with external ear canal(EEC) stenosis were randomly divided into two groups.One group was implanted with skin on the EEC wound while the other not.By self-comparison method nitinol alloy memorial stem was implanted in a rabbit's one ear and the silastic tube in the other.After days 5,15,30,and 60 later,the diameters of the external ear canal (with two materials planted) were measured respectively in the skin-planting group.In the naked group scar tissues were harvested and tested separately according to the planting material.HE coloration were used to study fibroblast hyperplasty while RT-PCR were applied to detecting the TGFβ1mRNA expression.The two brackets were compared according to their effect to scar hyperplasty.Results The EEC diameters using nitinol alloy memorial stem were found more spacious than using silastic tube.HE coloration showed the fibroblast hyperplasia was more mitigatory by using the nitinol alloy memorial stent.RT-PCR also found the TGFβ1mRNA expression was low by using same material.Conclusion The nitinol alloy memorial stent shows obvious superiority over silastic tube in external ear canal stenosis therapy.

Objective To observe the action of H_2O_2 on the hair cells in the organ of Corti of rats.Methods The culture technology of Corti in neonatal rat in vitro was used to establish the model of studying the injury of inner and outer hair cells caused by exogenous H_2O_2. 24 neonatal SD rats of 1～ 5 days were selected and divided into 4 groups with 6 in each group.There were 12 ears in each group:①serum-free medium;②0.05 mmol/L H_2O_2;③0.1 mmol/L H_2O_2;④0.5 mmol/L H_2O_2.Forty-eight hours after the tissues cultivation, the tissue was stained by AO and PI.The ratio of apoptotic cells in different groups was studied.Results Apoptosis cells were detected in groups of different concentration of H_2O_2.Outer hair cell were the main target attacked by H_2O_2.But not at apoptotic Sertoli cells.The loss of hair cells on the bottom,middle and parietal turn of basilar membranes varied as the injury to the bottom turn was more severe.The results suggest OFR could cause apoptosis of hair cells,and cochlea damage was dose-dependent in this way.Conclusion Under the conditions of this experiment,exogenous H_2O_2 can cause the apoptosis of hair cells of the organ of Corti in rats,but not related to apoptotic Sertoli cells.

Objective To observe the effects of herbal compound in reinforcing the kidney for activating blood and arousing consciousness(HCRAA) on the ABR threshold and the expression of neurotrophic factor 3(NT-3) of the cochlea of gentamicin (GM)-induced ototoxic mice.Methods 40 mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,and high,middle and low concentration HCRAA groups.Normal group received no treatment.The model group and the HCRAA groups were intraperitoneally injected with GM 100mg/kg per day for consecutive 15 days.At the same time,the model group and the HCRAA groups respectively receiveded normal saline and high,middle and low concentration Chinese medical formula decoction at the same dosage by garage for consecutive 20 days.After the experiment,the mice were tested ABR.The expression of NT-3 of the cochlea in mice was detected by western blot.Results HCRAA at high and middle concentration reduced the GM elevated ABR threshold(P＜0.01),and increased the expression of NT-3 in the cochlea(P＜0.01).Conclusion HCRAA may effectively reduce the elevated ABR threshold induced by gentamycin by protecting GM damaged cochlear hair cell and neurons and increasing the expression of NT-3 in the cochlea.

Objective To compare the characteristics of the SP-AP compound wave elicited by click and tone pip.Methods The electrocoehleogram was recorded with round window electrode,and waves were elicited by click and tone pips,respectively.Results The SP-AP compound waves were elicited 1,2,3,4 and 8 kHz tone pip and click.The amplitude of SP at each frequency was-13.56±8.7,-16.61±10.53,-10.13±14.75,-3.71±14.49,-2.99±5.4 and -4.44±10.81 μv,respectively.Conclusion Tone pip at 1,2,3,4,8 kHz can elicit SP,and produce frequency specific SP wave.This is helpful to identify the lesion site of auditory neuropathy.

Objective To explore the efficacy of intratympanic dexamethasone injection in treating acute low-frequency hearing loss(ALHL).Methods Thirty-seven ALHL cases not responsive to intravenous dexamethasone and vasodilator medications were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups.In the treatment group,dexamethasone was injected intratympanically once per day to 18 cases for a seven-day history with unilateral ALHL and 1 case with bilateral ALHL.In the control group,18 cases with unilateral ALHL were given intravenous vasodilator medications for 7 days.All patients were followed up for 1～ 2 years.Results In the treatment group with unilateral ALHL,8 cases achieved complete recovery,7 cases achieved partial recovery and no change was observed in the other 3 cases.The efficiency was 83.3 %.2 cases showed recurrent low-frequency hearing loss during the follow-up period.One case with bilateral ALHL did not respond to the treatment and no recurrence was observed.No side effect was observed in the study.In the control group,3 cases completely recovered,5 cases partially recovered and 10 cases showed no improvement.The efficiency was 44.4%.5 cases recurred and one of them progressed to Meniere's disease.There was a statistically significant difference in efficiency of patients with unilateral ALHL between two groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion Intratympanic dexamethasone application was an effective and safe treatment option for ALHL.

Objective To evaluate the hearing function of pilots under physical examination for modification to equipment of high performance aircraft,using pure tone audiometry(PTA) and distortion product otoacoustic emission(DPOAE).Methods Analyzed were all the results of PTA and DPOAE of 75 pilots (150 ears) which accepted physical examination for modification to equipment of high performance aircraft in our department from March 2008 to February 2009.75 cases were divided into two groups according to their flight time.The difference between these two groups was studied.Results According to the Equipments of Physical Constitution for Flying Persons of Air force,PLA,all 75 pilots passed the ENT assessments as being qualified for flying.Of all 150 ears,abnormal DPOAEs were obviously higher than that of abnormal PTA tests.128 ears had normal PTA results.92 ears had normal DPOAE results.36 ears (27.6&) showed abnormal DPOAEs at one or more frequencies,especially at 1,3 and 4 kHz.22 ears had abnormal PTA results.20 ears had noticeable V or U shaped thresholds at 3 kHz and/or 4 kHz.The DPOAE amplitudes showed similar curves.The other two ears showed depressions at all frequencies,in both PTA and DPOAE tests.No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in DPOAE.But statistical difference was found in DPOAE at 4 kHz compared with other frequencies.No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in DPOAE amplitudes at 1,2,3 and 4 kHz.but at 6 and 8 kHz.Conclusion The application of DPOAE test helped find pilots who were on the early stage of noise-induced hearing loss.These pilots were the most important objects for us to follow up.

Objective To investigate and to analyze the extend,structure,regional distribution,and causes of the hearing disability in Guangxi,from the information gathered from the second national sample survey among the disabled;to evaluate the present situation of hearing disability among Guangxi residents;and to provide basis for setting up effective preventing and intervening program for the hearing disabled.Methods The sampling methods was used to carry out a selective examination among 200 sample areas,including 25 counties and 100 villages.There were about 400 residents in each area,22 569 families,80 712 people involved in the survey with the sampling rate of 1.730%.The standard time began at 0 o'clock,April 1st,2006.Results Among the 5 837 disabled,1 467 were hearing disabled,accouting for 25.13% of the total.70 were grade 1 hearing diability(4.770% of the total number of the disabled);127 were of grade 2 hearing diability (8.660% of the total number of the disabled);689 grade 3 hearing diability (46.98% of the total number of the disabled);581 grade 4 hearing diability(39.600% of the total number of the disabled).The distribution of primary causes indecated that 911 were age related hearing loss,accounting for 62.10%;155 had unknown cause,accounting for 10.570%;158 ontological disease,accounting for 10.770%;111 systemic disease,accounting for 7.57%;132 had other reasons,accounting for 8.99%.Among all,821 were male (560%),646 were female (440%).The gender ratio was 1.27:1.910 were rural residents (620%),557 urban residents (38%).The age distribution was:3 under six (0.20%),10 from 7 to 17 (0.68%),215 from 18 to 59 (14.66%),1 239 over 60 (84.46 %).Conclusion Hearing disability is of the highest incidence among all kinds of disability in Guangxi.Most of the hearing impaired are associated with age and ear disease.Therefore prevention,education and treatment can help reduce the incidence of hearing disability.

Objective To assess hearing and efferent system functions of autistic children.Methods Tests were performed on 30 Autistic children and 15 normal children to evaluate hearing objectively by using otoacoustic emission (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR).The efferent system functions were analyzed through contralateral suppression in OAE.Results The mean ABR Ⅰ-Ⅴ interpeak latencies (IPLs) in children with Autism were significantly reduced than that in the control group.The amplitudes of OAE at 1 kHz and 2 kHz in autistic children were significantly different in two groups.There were no significant differences in contralateral suppressions between the Autistic children and the control.Conclusion Hearing impairment may be more common in children with Autism than in normal children,while for a few Autistic children,their efferent system functions are affected.

Objective To investigate residual hearing of children with sensorineural hearing loss in whom wave V was not found in ABR testing and to emphasize the importance of behavioral audiometry in determining the residual hearing.Methods Residual hearing obtained by behavioral audiometry of 101 children with SNHL was studied in relation to the absence of wave V in both click-ABR and tone burst-ABR tests.Results All children have residual hearing of different degrees at different frequencies.There appeared to be a higher percentage of lowfrequency residual hearing than middle and high frequencies.Also,the residual hearing at low frequencies appeared to be better than those in the middle and high frequencies.Average residual hearing thresholds in the right ears from 500 to 4 000 Hz were 106.81±7.13,110.00±7.90,111.78±5.22,112.06±7.08 dB HL and those in the left ears were 98.01±3.98,111.30±7.18,112.06±7.08,108.33±7.23 dB HL.Conclusion The absence of wave V in ABR does not mean total deafness.For those children with no wave V in ABR,behavioral audiometry must be conducted to determine children's behavioral hearing thresholds in order to know their residual hearing.