mohsen monadi

Hearing loss is an unknown complication of diabetes mellitus(DM). The aim of this study was to evaluate hearing function using auditory brainstem response (ABR) in diabetes patients.

The present case-control study was performed on thirty diabetic patients as a case group and thirty healthy individuals as a control group. Baseline demographic information, HbA1c level, and duration of diabetes were obtained from all diabetic patients. In all subjects, the ABR and pure-tone audiometry (PTA) tests were performed and the results were analyzed using the t-test and logistic regression.

The absolute latency of I was significantly lower in diabetes patients. The absolute latency of III and the interpeak latencies (IPL) I-III were significantly higher in diabetic patients. No significant relationship was noticed in the absolute latency of V and the IPL I-V among diabetic patients in the right and left ears (P>0.05).

The results of this study suggested that diabetes may cause central auditory dysfunction manifested on the absolute latency of III, the IPL I-III and III-V.

Particle size of sediment is necessary to design and operation of sewer systems. In this regard, calculation of the equivalent particle diameter (EPD) is of important to determine the particle Reynolds number (Ret) as well as total load calculation. In this research work, 5 different particle diameters (i.e. d35, d50, d65, dm and deff) have been used in three famous total load calculation methods for calculating the best EPD. For this goal, a field experimental data has been collected at the entrance grit chamber of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Khomein city, Iran. The total load of the sediments has been measured and the results compared with the total loads calculated by the three famous total load computation methods (i.e. Graf & Acaroglu method, Laursen method and Yang & Lim method) by using the particle diameters. The results show that the methods estimate the total load of sediments with the relative errors of 4.25, 10.80 and 1.26 by using dm, d35 and d65 as the EPDs, respectively. Also, a simplified and improved correction factor has been developed and the results show that by applying the correction factor the relative errors of the methods decrease and they are equal to 10.34, 3.45 and 496.5, respectively. The improvement of the mentioned total load methods is equal to are 82.70%, 93.10% and 34.80%, respectively. The proposed correction factor can be applied for the standard deviation between 2.5-4.7 and the median particle diameter between 0.84-2.90 mm.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo and nystagmus in clinics. Vertigo has many causes and the recurrence of vertigo is unknown. Among a lot of factors, vitamin D deficiency is more important. This study was conducted to determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on torsional nystagmus in BPPV patients. This study wants to show the deficiency of vitamin D leads to the recurrence of BPPV.

This case-control study was conducted from April 2017 to May 2018. All eligible patients with BPPV were presented to the Audiology clinic of Babol Rouhani hospital consecutively. Diagnosis of BPPV and the presence of nystagmus were confirmed and serum vitamin D was assessed. Dix-halpike maneuver and videonystagmography (VNG) for assessing nystagmus were done and for serologic assessment, ELISA was performed for analyzing the level of hydroxy 25 vitamin D.Vitamin D sufficient patients (more than 20 ng/ml) with BPPV were considered as the control group and vitamin D deficient patients (less than 20 ng/ml) were as the test group.In all the patients of two groups, torsional nystagmus (vertical, horizontal and oblique) were studied and compared.

Twenty-seven patients in each group have completed the study. The mean age of the control group and test group was 48.2+4.8, 47.8+5.7 and 47.2+4.9 years respectively (P=0.91). Two groups were comparable regarding nystagmus severity. All patients had at least two attacks During the last six months. The mean of serum 25 OHD was 33.81 in the control group and 11.41 in the test group that was statistically significant (P=0.001 for all) and the severity of torsional nystagmus in three axes of horizontal, vertical and oblique in the control group was 4.98, 9.06, 5.40 respectively and 3.32, 8.86, 6.93 in the test group that was statistically significant as compared with the control group (P=0.001).

Findings of this study indicate a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and recurrence of nystagmus in BPPV patients

Previous studies showed that one of the complications of rheumatoid arthritis disease was auditory disorder. The goal of the present study was to compare the auditory status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy individuals.

In the present case-control study, 30 normal persons and 60 persons with rheumatoid arthritis with mean age of 46.72 and standard deviation of 6.76 of both genders were appraised using pure tone audiometry, tympanometry and speech audiometry. The mean disease duration in patients with rheumatoid arthritis was 12.51±6.09 years.

The frequency of hearing loss in rheumatoid arthritis group was significantly more than the control group (p=0.001). All patients had sensorineural hearing loss. Only in 5% of rheumatoid arthritis group, abnormal tympanometry (as type) was reported. Speech discrimination score analysis showed significant difference between the patients with rheumatoid arthritis and controls. In terms of hearing threshold level, the mean hearing threshold level (in 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz frequencies) of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis was significantly higher than control group in both ears (p<0.05). A positive significant correlation was found among mean hearing threshold level in 4000 and 8000 Hz frequencies and rheumatoid arthritis duration in both ears.

The frequency of hearing loss and the average hearing threshold in RA patients were higher than healthy individuals. The most common type hearing loss is sensorineural.

The fall velocity of sediment particles plays a key role in sediment transport studies. Researchers have attempted to determine the terminal fall velocity, and most of the studies in this regard have been based on experimental, quasi-experimental, and in-situ measurements. The present study aimed to use a numerical model to estimate the fall velocity of a single sediment particle in distilled and motionless water. We used spherical quartz particles with the diameters of 0.77, 1.09, 2.18, and 4.36 millimeters and density of 2,650 kg/m3. The Flow-3D software was applied to estimate the fall velocity based on the environment of experiment by Ferguson and Church (2004) using the void of flow method. The main objective of this research was to demonstrate the power of the numerical model to simulate the fall velocity of sediment particles. To validate the results of the model, they were compared with the experimental results and 26 well-known publications during 1933-2016 using the root-square-mean and mean-absolute-percentage errors. The results showed good agreement between the experimental and numerical data. Therefore, the proposed numerical model could be used to determine the fall velocity of sediment particles with a wide range of diameters in the proposed environment and particle types.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is linked to vitamin D deficiency. This clinical trial aimed to determine the influence of vitamin D supplementation on intensity of BPPV.
The study population was selected consecutively and the diagnosis of BPPV was made by history and clinical examination and exclusion of other conditions. Intensity of BPVV was assessed based on VAS score (0-10). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) was measured using ELISA method and levels After two months of treatment, in both vitamin D treated and non-treated groups the intensity of BPPV decreased significantly as compared with control (P=0.001 for both groups) but at endpoint, the intensity of BPPV aggravated and regressed to the baseline value in vitamin D deficient non-treated group (P=0.001) whereas, in vitamin D treated group, improvement of BPPV remained stable and unchanged over the study period.
This study indicates that correction of vitamin D deficiency in BPPV provides additional benefit to rehabilitation therapy (Epley maneuver) regarding duration of improvement. These findings suggest serum 25-OHD measurement in recurrent BPPV.

Noise in dental offices is one of the risk factors in the workplace. One of the major effects of noise is hearing loss. This study aimed to determine the effects of noise on hearing thresholds of dentists of Babol city. This descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 40 dentists in Babol City (as case group) and 40 office workers (as control group). Hearing thresholds were measured from all the subjects. The mean hearing threshold was calculated at different frequencies in each group and compared with the number 15 db. The data were analyzed by statistical software SPSS 17 and p≤0.05was considered significant. The mean and standard deviation of hearing thresholds for the right ear of dentists and the control group without considering the different frequencies were 13.6156±9.14210 db and 10.0156±5.4488 db (p=0.036), respectively and for the left ear were 12.5115±8.7609 db and 10.059±5.9254 db respectively. Hearing threshold of right and left ear of young and middle age dentists was not significant. The hearing thresholds of the dentists with work experience of 15 years or less were not significant for the right and left ear. Auditory thresholds were significant between male and female only for the left ear (p=0.02). There was a change in hearing thresholds at all frequencies. A clear difference was in the left ear of men and women and hearing loss was higher in men. Also, age and working experience were not among the contributing factors to the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss.

Hearing loss is one of the common complaints of diabetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hearing status of diabetic patients in Babol, North of Iran. The hearing status of 50 type 2 diabetic patients (case group) and 50 healthy individuals (control group) were evaluated from October 2011 to September 2012. Audiometry was done with the frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000 HZ and speech tests like SRT (speech reception threshold), SDS (speech discrimination score) were performed. The data were collected and analyzed. The mean age of case group was 50.1±3 and in control group was 49.9±3.2. Hearing thresholds were 10.55.6, 10.76.1, 15.27.1, 169.6, 21.213.5, 26.416.5, 28.32 db in the right ear of the case group and 11.25.3, 9.74.9, 127.1, 14.29.4, 20.913.3, 25.115.6, 27.620.2 db in control group with different frequencies (p<0.05). Similar results were obtained in the left ear of both groups. The mean SRT in the right ear of the case group was 15.77.7 and control group was 9.24.8 and 13.56.9 in case and 9.14 in the left ear of case group (P=0.0001). SDS was 94.33.7 and in 96.23.3 in the right ear for the case and control group, respectively (P=0.0001). For the left ear, these values were 94.44.4 and 95.93.2, respectively (P=0.023). The results show that hearing loss in different frequencies and speech reception threshold were higher in diabetic group but speech discrimination score was higher in normal individuals. Audiological monitoring is recommended in diabetic patients during therapy.

The aim of this study was comparing ABR in normal and down children. This study was performed between 1388 to 1391 at Akhavan rehabilitation center of University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences Tehran and Babol Amir Kola hospital. Forty five 3-6 year-old boy with Down’s syndrome and forty five normal children were selected from available population. After case history، otoscopy and basic hearing tests، ABR test was performed. In ABR absolute latencies، interpeak latencies and amplitude ratio of V/I were analyzed. For analyzing data، parametric independent t test was selected. Latencies and inter-peak latencies of I-III، I-V (P-value<0. 001)، III-V (P-value=0. 01) and V/I amplitude ratio (P-value<0. 001) were shorter than normal. Children with Down syndrome had significantly higher threshold than normal children (P-value<0. 001). Peripheral auditory system development is delayed and brainstem function in children with Down’s syndrome is abnormal. Early diagnosis of hearing impairments and intervention in these children is very important because it affects communication skills.

Vitamin D deficiency seems to be associated with pulmonary function deterioration. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D and forced expiratory volume in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). From September 2011 to April 2012 eighty consecutive patients with COPD presented to an outpatient clinic of Babol University- Teaching Hospital entered to the study. Diagnosis of COPD was confirmed according to clinical findings and pulmonary function test. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) was assessed by chemiluminuscence method and postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) was measured in all patients. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between serum 25-OHD concentrations and FEV1 value. The patients were classified according to serum 25- OHD concentrations as less 10ng/ml, 10-19.9; 20-29.9; 30-39.9; and 40ng/ml or higher. The mean values of FEV1 for each class of serum 25-OHD were determined and compared. The mean age of patients was 67.4±11.5 years. The mean FEV1 volume in serum 25-OHD deficient COPD was lower than sufficient COPD (1.550±0.55 vs 1.650±-0.58, p=0.45). Mean FEV1 values increased from 1.55±0.55 L in patients with mean serum 25-OHD <20 ng/ml to 1.94±0.74 L in COPD patients with mean serum 25-OHD ±>40 ng/ml. There was a dose-response pattern of relationship between FEV1 and serum 25-OHD. However, the relationship did not reach to a statistically significant level. These findings indicated a relationship between serum 25-OHD concentration and FEV1 volume in patients with COPD and suggest optimization of serum vitamin D levels in COPD.

Middle latency auditory evoked potentials (MLAEPs) development takes longer time than the auditory brainstem response (ABR) development does, which makes them difficult to record in some children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the age effect on characteristics and detection of MLAEPs in children and adults.

This cross sectional study was conducted on 15 children aged 7-12 yr and 31 adults aged 20-50 yr with normal peripheral hearing. To investigate precisely, children were divided in two subgroups of older and younger than 10 years old, as well. The MLAEPs amplitudes and latencies were recorded by conventional protocol and compared.

Adult Na mean latency, 20.86 ms, was less than that of children, 22.86 ms, (p=0.0025). In contrast, the adult Nb mean latency, 44.93 ms, was longer (p=0.0001). Children Nb mean latency was 42.02 ms. There was no significant difference in MLAEP amplitudes and latencies between two children subgroups, although variance was more in younger children.

MLAEPs are reliably recorded after 7 years old. Characteristics of MLAEPs are different in adults and children so that the primary MLAEPs generators have a course of development extending beyond the first decade of life. As those potentials were recorded in all children, it is suggested to be used in their test batteries for hearing evaluation.