OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between pure-tone average (PTA), the fractional anisotropy (FA) of the auditory pathway, cognitive cortex and auditory cortex in presbycusis. METHOD: Twenty-five elderly subjects with presbycusis were participated in the study. PTA, speech discrimination abilities were evaluated in each subject. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was applied to access the FA of the IC, the superior frontal gyrus and the Heschl's gyrus. Compare the difference between two sides of the values of FA in the three areas. Bivariate correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of PTA and FA of the inferior colliculus (IC), the superior frontal gyrus and the Heschl's gyrus on speech discrimination abilities. RESULT: There were no significant differences between the left and right side of the inferior colliculus (P > 0.05). Higher FA values were recorded at the left side of the Heschl's gyrus and the superior frontal gyrus (P < 0.05). Both PTA and the FA of the superior frontal gyrus have a negative association with speech discrimination abilities (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), while the FA of the Heschl's gyrus has a positive association with speech discrimination abilities (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that the speech discrimination abilities of the elderly is not only related to the peripheral auditory function, but also to the central auditory and cognitive function.
Aged ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Auditory Cortex ; physiopathology ; Auditory Pathways ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Humans ; Inferior Colliculi ; physiopathology ; Presbycusis ; diagnosis ; Speech Perception

Objective To test whether the prophylactic small dose amitriptyline has any beneficial influence on the rate of poststroke depression (PSD) by clinical experiment. Methods All 123 patients with first stroke were divided into the intervention group and the control group according to the block randomization tables. The patients in the intervention group were treated with 12. 5 mg amitriptyline every night for more than 1 month and the control group was blank Before and at the end of the observation, the rate of PSD and activities of daily living (ADL), degree of neurological deficit (NIHSS) of all the subjects were assessed. Results At the end of the one-month treatment, the intervention group had lower rate of PSD (16. 4% ) than the control (51.6%);and they had lower score in NIHSS (2. 83 ± 1.74 vs 3. 64 ±1.93) and higher score in ADL (93.0 ± 16. 1 vs 87.0 ± 37. 1) than the control. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed: the change of ADL score was closely related to the rate of PSD (RR =3.01 ,P =0. 04); the change of NIHSS score was closely related to the rate of PSD ( RR = 2. 42, P = 0. 03 );prophylactic small dose amitriptyline was closely related to PSD ( RR = 3.11, P = 0. 01 ). Conclusions Prophylactic small dose amitriptyline can decrease the rat of PSD, reduce the neurologic impairment and improve the activity of daily living.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of auditory event-related potentials(AERP) mismatch negativity and P300 in presbycusis patients.Methods Auditory event-related potentials were recorded from 20 presbycusis patients, 20 normal hearing elderly subjects and 20 normal young volunteers(the control group) in the Oddball stimulus paradigm.Mismatch negativity(MMN) was tested under the status of reading.P300 was tested under the status of concentrating.The latencies and amplitudes of 3 groups were compared.Results The latency of MMN in the presbycusis patient group(187.38±29.63ms) was significantly longer than those of the normal hearing older group(160.10±23.21±ms)and the control group(148.22±19.30 ms)(P<0.01).There were statistically significant differences between the normal hearing older group and control group(P<0.05).The amplitude differences were not statistically significant among the 3 groups(P>0.05).The latency of P300 in the presbycusis patient group (369.83±27.09 ms) was significantly longer than those of the normal hearing older group(332.89±25.60 ms)and the control group(318.51±22.32ms)(P<0.01).The amplitude differences were not statistically significant among the 3 groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The presbycusis patients show some central auditory processing dysfunction and cognitive impairment.MMN and P300 might be used as objective methods for evaluating central auditory processing and cognitive function in presbycusis patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics and prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss through vestibular evoked myogenic potentials. METHOD: Fifty patients with unilateral sudden hearing loss underwent an ear test battery, including audiometry, cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential(oVEMP). The cVEMP and oVEMP in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss were investigated. Their associations with initial hearing threshold, the type of audiogram, the results of coloric test and hearing recovery were also accessed. RESULT: After one-month treatment, the average threshold declined significantly in affected ears, with normal VEMP rates improved significantly (P < 0.05). Initial hearing threshold and hearing recovery were significantly associated with the results of coloric test and the results of VEMP test (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Our study indicated that vestibular evoked myogenic potential examination was not only a useful additional diagnostic tool in the neurotological evaluation of patients suffering sudden hearing loss, but also very valuable in the prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; diagnosis ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; diagnosis ; Hearing Loss, Unilateral ; diagnosis ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Otolithic Membrane ; physiopathology ; Prognosis ; Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials

Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) can infect human cell in vitro, which raised widely concerns re-garding the transmission of PERV to xenograft recipients. It's essential to establish a method for detection of PERV.3 pairs of primers were synthesized according to the sequence of gag, pol and env gene of PERV. Polymerase chainreaction (PCR) and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assays were performed for detection of PERV provirusDNA and PERV specific mRNA. The results showed that provirus DNA and mRNA of PERV existed and expressedin all 4 tested cell lines. The sizes of amplified fragments are identical with the predicted. These methods may be suit-able for monitoring PERV in other cells or tissue.

OBJECTIVE: Three genes including the OTOF, the DFNB59 and the DIAPH3 have been implicated previously in human non-syndromic auditory neuropathy. In this study, we aim to investigate whether DIAPH3 gene or the known deafness loci of 25 cloned autosomal dominant deafness (DFNA) genes contribute to the nonsyndromic hearing loss of a Chinese pedigree with dominantly inherited auditory neuropathy (AN). METHOD: Nine members of the kernal pedigree in this family were selected. Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral leukocytes of the subjects using the Puregene DNA Isolation Kits. Firstly, the 5'UTR of DIAPH3 gene was PCR amplified in all subjects. Then, the DNA fragments spanning the entire coding regions of DIAPH3, GJB2 and GJB3 genes, and 50 exons in other 23 cloned DFNA genes were amplified using specific primers. Each fragment was purified and analyzed by direct sequencing. The resultant sequence data were compared with the standard sequence to identify deafness-associated mutations. RESULT: PCR amplifications were successfully conducted. We failed to detect the presence either of c. --172G > A mutation in the 5'UTR that have been reported, or any other deafness-associated mutations in the whole DIAPH3 gene, by sequence analysis. We also did not find any known deafness-causing mutations among the 25 cloned DFNA genes. CONCLUSION The DIAPH3 gene, and the known deafness loci of 25 cloned DFNA genes seem not contribute to the pathogenesis of this Chinese AN family in this study, which suggesting new gene(s) involvement.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Connexins ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Deafness ; Exons ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Central ; genetics ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; genetics ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To investigate the effects of stellate ganglion block(SGB)on attention and executive function in middle-aged and elderly patients after surgery.Methods Middle-aged and elderly patients aged 55-75 years who underwent hip replacement surgery under lumbar anesthesia were randomized into a control group and an SGB group.Patients in the SGB group received ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block 30 min before surgery,and patients in the control group were given no additional treatment before surgery.All patients were tested with a modified version of the Trail Making Test-Part A (TMT-A)and a modified version of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)1 day before surgery and 7 days after surgery.The Z-score method was used to diagnose postoperative attention and/or executive function impairment.Results The modified versions of TMT-A and SDMT had good reliability and validity among Chinese middle-aged and elderly people aged 55-75 years.Age was the main influencing factor for the two tests,and their two parallel versions had good alternate-form reliability.There was no significant difference between the control group and the SGB group in scores of modified TMT-A and SDMT at 7 days after surgery(P＞0.1).However,the incidence of attention and/or executive function impairment was lower in the SGB group than in the control group(19.3％ vs.36.6％,P＜0.05).Conclusions The modified TMT-A and SDMT have good reliability and validity among Chinese middle-aged and elderly people aged 55-75 years.Preoperative SGB may protect attention and executive function in middle-aged and elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree affected with non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL). METHODS: Commercialized gene chip was applied to detect common mutations associated with congenital deafness. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for patients for whom gene chip yielded a negative result. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: Two patients from the pedigree were discovered to carry compound heterozygous variants of the TRIOBP gene, namely c.3299C>A and c.5185-2A>G. Their parents had normal hearing and were both heterozygous carriers of the above variants. Both variants had co-segregated with the disease phenotype in the pedigree and were unreported previously. CONCLUSION Pathogenic variants of the TRIOBP gene comprise an important factor for NSHL. The novel c.5185-2A>G and c.3299C>A variants discovered in this study have enriched the mutational spectrum of the TRIOBP gene and enabled molecular diagnosis and genetic counseling for the family.
Deafness/genetics* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Microfilament Proteins/genetics* ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Whole Exome Sequencing

Objective:To evaluate the changes in the central auditory system of presbycusis by applying auditury brainstem response (ABR) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Method:A total of twenty-five elderly subjects with expressed presbycusis, eight elderly subjects with normal hearing and fifteen healthy volunteers as young controls were enrolled in the study. Each participant was examined using ABR and DTI. ABR measures were obtained from all the subjects. The fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured at two brain regions of the auditory pathway-the inferior colliculus (IC) and Heschl's gyrus. Result:Higher FA values were recorded at the left side of the Heschl's gyrus in all three groups (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the left and right side of the ABR results and FA values of inferior colliculus in the three groups (P>0.05). Aging increased ABR peak latencies, yet did not change the Ⅰ-Ⅴ interpeak latency interval. Comparing with the elderly subjects with normal hearing group, the wave Ⅴ latencies of the presbycusis group were prolonged (P<0.05). Comparing with the healthy control group, the FA values of the IC were reduced in both of the elderly subjects with normal hearing group and the presbycusis group (P<0.05). No statistically differences were observed between the presbycusis group and the elderly subjects with normal hearing group in the FA values of the IC (P>0.05). Significant differences between all groups were found in the FA values of the Heschl's gyrus, with higher values in the elderly subjects with normal hearing group than in the presbycusis group and even higher values in the healthy control group than in the elderly subjects with normal hearing group (P<0.05). Conclusion:The results indicated that the age-related microstructural changes exist in the central part of the auditory system, which are more obvious in the patients with presbycusis.

OBJECTIVESince 1986, the reference of birth weight for gestational age has not been updated. The aim of this study was to set up Chinese neonatal network to investigate the current situation of birth weight in China, especially preterm birth weight, to develop the new reference for birth weight for gestational age and birth weight curve.

METHODA nationwide neonatology network was established in China. This survey was carried out in 63 hospitals of 23 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. We continuously collected the information of live births in participating hospitals during the study period of 2011-2014. Data describing birth weight and gestational age were collected prospectively. Newborn's birth weight was measured by electronic scale within 2 hours after birth when baby was undressed. The evaluation of gestational age was based on the combination of mother's last menstrual period, ultrasound in first trimester and gestational age estimation by gestational age scoring system.

STATISTICAL ANALYSISthe growth curve was drawn by using LMSP method, which was conducted in GAMLSS 1.9-4 software package in R software 2.11.1.

RESULTA total of 159 334 newborn infants were enrolled in this study. There were 84 447 male and 74 907 female. The mean birth weight was (3 232 ± 555) g, the mean birth weight of male newborn was (3 271 ± 576) g, the mean weight of female newborn was (3 188 ± 528) g. The test of the variables' distribution suggested that the distribution of gestational age and birth weight did not fit the normal distribution, the optimal distribution for them was BCT distribution. The Q-Q plot test and worm plot test suggested that this curve fitted the distribution optimally. The male and female neonatal birth weight curve was developed using the same method.

CONCLUSIONUsing GAMLSS method to establish nationwide neonatal birth weight curve, and the first time to update the birth weight reference in recent 28 years.