Objective To investigate the clinical meaning and feasibility of transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) in China rural primary school children hearing screening.Methods TEOAE was recorded with Madsen Celesta 503 in 317 (634 ears) primary school children,then the results were compared with gold standard test group,including otoscopy, pure tone audiometry and tympanogram.Results In 317 (634 ears) pupils, the presence of TEOAE was 94.64% (600/634); the presence of gold standard was 94.48% (599/634). The consistency rate was (96.69?0.71)%; sensitivity (Sen) was 0.69?0.078;specificity (Spe)=0.98?0.0052, the false positive rate (FPR), that was ?, was 0.31; ? = 0.02; Youden's index J = 0.67?0.078, LR_+=34.5, LR_-=0.32, PV_+=0.71(71%),PV_-=0.98(98.%),AZ=0.8.Conclusion The TEOAE test is simple, quick, harmless, sensitive and objective. It can be used in hearing screening program in rural primary school children.

Objective:To develop and evaluate the improved Chinese hearing questionnaire for school children(CHQS)for mass epidemiology study on hearing impairment in China.Method:Using the probability proportion to size(PPS) method, 8 412 residents were investigated in 40 clusters in Jiangsu province with the WHO ear diseases and hearing disorders survey protocol.87.9% of the residents aged 7 years and over answered the questionnaire and accepted the pure tone audiometry.Result:The prevalence of hearing impairment was 12.9% by the questionnaire. Compared with golden standard(pure tone audiometry), Sen=58.5%, Spe=96.7%, PV+=78.9%, PV-=91.7%, overall accuracy=90.0% . The sensitivity for women was higher than men.Conclusion:The questionnaire produced high efficiency and specificity values.It could be used in mass hearing screening, particularly in remote and rural area, although the sensitivity was as low as most questionnaires.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if the OTOF gene contributes to the non-syndromic hearing loss of a Chinese pedigree with dominantly inherited auditory neuropathy (AN). METHOD: The subjects included were 9 live individuals in an autosomal dominant AN pedigree, 3 sporadic AN patients and 3 normal-hearing controls. Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral leukocytes of the subjects using the Pure gene DNA Isolation Kits. Firstly, the whole coding sequence of OTOF gene of one family patient were PCR amplified using specific primers. Each fragment was purified and subsequently analyzed by direct sequencing in an Applied Biosystems 3 730 automated DNA sequencer. The resultant sequence data were compared with the standard sequence to identify deafness-associated mutations. Other DNA samples were then screened for these mutations by PCR amplification and sequence analysis. RESULT: PCR amplifications were successfully conducted in all the subjects. Comparison of the resultant OTOF sequence in one family patient with the standard sequence identified 10 nucleotide variants which do not lead to amino acid change. These mutations were also detectable in other family individuals, 3 sporadic AN patients and 3 normal-hearing controls. CONCLUSION The OTOF does not seem to contribute to the pathogenesis of this Chinese AN family, which suggest new gene(s) involvement.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Case-Control Studies ; Chromosome Disorders ; ethnology ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Hearing Loss ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Sequence Analysis ; Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases ; ethnology ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate incidents and clinical features of auditory neuropathy in Nanjing deaf school students. METHOD: Three hundred and fifty-eight deaf students in the school accepted the first examination including otoscopic examination, tympanometry and transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) screening. Detailed audiological and vestibular evaluations including pure-tone audiometry, immittance audiometry and acoustic reflex measures, transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), auditory brain stem response (ABR), electronystagmography (ENG) and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) were given to whom had positive TEOAE screening. RESULT: Three hundred and twenty-three students entered the program of screening for auditory neuropathy. One student had positive TEOAE in single ear while the other two had positive TEOAE in both ears. In the screening stage,there were strong evidences in these three students with auditory neuropathy in the detailed audiological procedures. CONCLUSION Auditory neuropathy, which can also be found in deaf schools, is not as rare as we thought before. Early identification and intervention may help those children to avoid entering the deaf school and to return to normal society.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Cochlear Microphonic Potentials ; Deafness ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Central ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous ; Students ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if the DFNB59 gene contributes to the hearing loss of a Chinese pedigree with dominantly inherited auditory neuropathy (AN). METHOD: Nine members in four generations of the family were selected for this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral leukocytes of the patients using the pure gene DNA isolation kits. Firstly, the subjects DNA fragment was PCR amplified using specific primers corresponding to exon 2 and 4 of the DFNB59 gene. Each fragment was purified and subsequently analyzed by direct sequencing in an applied biosystems 3730 automated DNA sequencer. The whole coding sequence of DFNB59 gene of one family patient were then PCR amplified and submitted for sequence analysis as described above. The resultant sequence data were compared with the standard sequence to identify deafness-associated mutations. RESULT: PCR amplifications were successfully conducted in all the subjects. We failed to detect the presence either of mutations T54I and R183W in the exon 2 and exon 4 that have been reported, or any other deafness-associated mutations in the whole DFNB59 gene, by sequence analysis. CONCLUSION The DFNB59 gene seems not contribute to the pathogenesis of this Chinese AN family, which suggesting new gene(s) involvement.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; DNA Primers ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate the improved Chinese hearing questionnaire for school children (CHQS) for mass epidemiology study on hearing impairment in China. METHOD: Using the probability proportion to size (PPS) method, 8412 residents were investigated in 40 clusters in Jiangsu province with the WHO ear diseases and hearing disorders survey protocol. 87.9% of the residents aged 7 years and over answered the questionnaire and accepted the pure tone audiometry. RESULT: The prevalence of hearing impairment was 12.9% by the questionnaire. Compared with "golden standard" (pure tone audiometry), Sen = 58.5%, Spe = 96.7%, PV+ = 78.9%, PV- = 91.7%, overall accuracy = 90.0%. The sensitivity for women was higher than men. CONCLUSION The questionnaire produced high efficiency and specificity values. It could be used in mass hearing screening, particularly in remote and rural area, although the sensitivity was as low as most questionnaires.
China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hearing Disorders ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Surveys and Questionnaires

0. 05). Conclusions Tinnitus is a common problem in the older population. With the aging of population, the problem will become more and more severe. More research is urgently needed on prevention and treatment of tinnitus in elderly people.