Validation of the Effectiveness of Three-Step Hand Rub Hearing Screening.

Hearing loss is an important public health concern worldwide, especially because of the global trend of aging populations. Therefore, simple, effective, and efficient methods of hearing screening within communities are needed. To develop and validate the effectiveness of a novel three-step hand rub hearing screening (3SHRHS) method to efficiently detect and categorize hearing loss severity.

Hearing Outcome in Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss After COVID-19 Vaccine in Asian Population: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: To determine the hearing outcomes in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) after exposure to different brands of vaccines against COVID-19.

Study Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Clinical Insights into Bilateral Cochlear Implantation for a Child with Dominant Deafness-Onychodystrophy Syndrome.

Dominant deafness-onychodystrophy (DDOD) syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by sensorineural hearing loss and the absence or hypoplasia of nails, associated with defects in the ATP6V1B2 gene. This gene defect significantly affects hearing function, leading to congenital severe-to-profound hearing loss. We present the comprehensive cochlear implant (CI) outcome of a 5-year-old child with DDOD syndrome who received bilateral sequential CIs at the ages of 1  and 4 years.

Timing of bilateral sequential cochlear implantation for children: determination of its benefit.

Purpose: To evaluate monosyllable word recognition in noise under different conditions in bilateral sequential cochlear implants (CIs). Second, to assess subjective hearing benefits among bilateral sequential CIs, bimodal hearing, and CI-only groups. Lastly, to analyze the prognostic factors affecting CI outcomes in children with bilateral sequential CIs.

Bilateral Fluctuating Sensorineural Hearing Loss as a Paraneoplastic Manifestation for Lymphoma.

Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is an uncommon cause of fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which is diagnosed by exclusion and required a high index of suspicion. Secondary AIED, which accompanies other autoimmune diseases, occurs in up to 30% of AIED cases. Secondary AIED is a rare manifestation of paraneoplastic syndrome, and the causal malignancy may be occult initially.

Speech Perception and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Mandarin-Speaking Postlingual Deaf Adults With Cochlear Implant: Any Difference With the Intonation Language Users?

Objective: To evaluate the effects of related factors on long-term speech perception and quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes in postlingual deaf Mandarin-speaking adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients and to assess any differences between tone language and other intonation language CI adult users.

Study Design: Retrospective cases review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Impact of Hearing Aids on Language Outcomes in Preschool Children With Mild Bilateral Hearing Loss.

This study aimed to investigate the role of hearing aid (HA) usage in language outcomes among preschool children aged 3-5 years with mild bilateral hearing loss (MBHL). The data were retrieved from a total of 52 children with MBHL and 30 children with normal hearing (NH). The association between demographical, audiological factors and language outcomes was examined.

Bilateral cochlear implants in a MELAS patient.

Background: Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is a maternally inherited mitochondrial disease that affects various systems in the body, particularly the brain, nervous system, and muscles. Among these systems, sensorineural hearing loss is a common additional symptom.

Methods: A 42-year-old female patient with MELAS who experienced bilateral profound deafness and underwent bilateral sequential cochlear implantation (CIs).

Can Mandarin-speaking prelingual deaf adults benefit from cochlear implant?

Background: With advances in cochlear implant (CI) technology, prelingual deaf adults may experience improved speech perception and quality of life (QoL). It is still a challenge for Mandarin-speaking CI user with tone recognition due to CI technology focused on intonation language.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term post-CI auditory performance and social-emotional benefits in prelingual deaf Mandarin-speaking adults and the difference between them and post-lingual deaf adults.

Long-term auditory performance and psychosocial benefits of cochlear implantation in Mandarin-speaking older adults.

Purpose: Although previous studies have shown the efficacy of cochlear implants (CIs) in older adults, no study written in English has focused on Mandarin-speaking older recipients. Mandarin is a tonal language, it is hard to lip-read and tone recognition for CI users. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term post-CI outcomes in Mandarin-speaking older adults and the difference between them and younger recipients.

Development and Validation of a Virtual Reality Simulator for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery Training.

The value of kinematic data for skill assessment is being investigated. This is the first virtual reality simulator developed for liver surgery. This simulator was coded in C++ using PhysX and FleX with a novel cutting algorithm and used a patient data-derived model and two instruments functioning as ultrasonic shears.

Follow-up on children with suspected bilateral congenital hearing loss identified through universal newborn hearing screening program in Taiwan: A national-based population study.

Objective: This investigation was to ascertain the performance of the UNHS in Taiwan.

Methods: The predefined questionnaire was delivered on the phone in 2016. The descriptive analysis was applied to the research data.

Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Exosomes Rescue the Loss of Outer Hair Cells and Repair Cochlear Damage in Cisplatin-Injected Mice.

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UCMSCs) have potential applications in regenerative medicine. UCMSCs have been demonstrated to repair tissue damage in many inflammatory and degenerative diseases. We have previously shown that UCMSC exosomes reduce nerve injury-induced pain in rats.

Extracochlear Electrode Insertion in the Petrous Area in Cochlear Implantation.

Cochlear implantation is a reliable and safe tool to rehabilitate patients with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, who get limited benefits from traditional hearing aids. Electrode misplacement is a rare but significant problem that fails to provide benefits and may cause injury to the nearby structures. We present a case that underwent mastoidectomy first to remove cholesteatoma, followed by cochlear implantation with electrode misplacement into the petrous area, with sustained hearing benefits and without any injury to the surrounding structures.

The intravenous administration of skin-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorates hearing loss and preserves cochlear hair cells in cisplatin-injected mice: SMSCs ameliorate hearing loss and preserve outer hair cells in mice.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from different tissue origins, such as the bone marrow, the placenta, the umbilical cord, adipose tissues, and skin tissues. MSCs can secrete anti-inflammatory molecules and growth factors for tissue repair and remodeling. However, the ability of skin-derived MSCs (SMSCs) to repair cochlear damage and ameliorate hearing loss remains unclear.

GJB2 mutation spectrum in the Taiwanese population and genotype-phenotype comparisons in patients with hearing loss carrying GJB2 c.109G>A and c.235delC mutations.

Hearing loss, the most common sensory abnormality, is caused by the death of or damage to inner ear hair cells. Genetic mutations are the main cause of hearing loss. We used nex-generation sequencing data released by the Taiwan Biobank to investigate the GJB2 mutation spectrum in 1517 patients.

Investigation of the effect of cochlear implantation on tinnitus, and its associated factors.

Many studies have focused on the suppressive effects of cochlear implants (CIs) on loudness of tinnitus. This study aimed to examine the effects of CIs and their activation on changes in loudness and tinnitus and explore other factors associated with this effect. We recruited 26 CI recipients according to specific criteria.

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells MMCi001-A from a Taiwanese hearing loss patient carrying GJB2 pV37I mutation.

Hearing loss is the most common disorder in the sensory system. Mutations in GJB2 have been reported to be very common in sensorineural hearing loss patients. In this report, we generated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line, MMCi001-A, from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a 4-year-old male hearing loss patient carrying GJB2 pV37I mutation by using the Sendai virus delivery system.

ATOH1/RFX1/RFX3 transcription factors facilitate the differentiation and characterisation of inner ear hair cell-like cells from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells harbouring A8344G mutation of mitochondrial DNA.

Degeneration or loss of inner ear hair cells (HCs) is irreversible and results in sensorineural hearing loss (SHL). Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been employed in disease modelling and cell therapy. Here, we propose a transcription factor (TF)-driven approach using ATOH1 and regulatory factor of x-box (RFX) genes to generate HC-like cells from hiPSCs.

Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line from a 39-year-old female patient with severe-to-profound non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss and a A1555G mutation in the mitochondrial MTRNR1 gene.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a prevalent form of deafness commonly arising from damage to the cochlear sensory hair cells and degeneration of the spiral ganglion neurons. In this study, Sendai virus was used to generate an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a 39-year-old female patient diagnosed with severe-to-profound, non-syndromic SNHL. The patient also carries a A1555G mutation in the mitochondrial 12S ribosome RNA gene (MTRNR1).

Age-related hearing loss and dementia: a 10-year national population-based study.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is postulated to affect dementia. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between ARHL and the prevalence, and 10-year incidence of dementia in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). We selected patients diagnosed with ARHL from the NHIRD.