While mental health issues are increasingly gaining attention in Ghana, little is known about the situation among deaf people. This study assessed the mental health care needs of deaf people in Ghana. A descriptive de...While mental health issues are increasingly gaining attention in Ghana, little is known about the situation among deaf people. This study assessed the mental health care needs of deaf people in Ghana. A descriptive design, consisting of interviews and focus group discussions, was used to collect data from 97 participants. Findings indicated that participants had limited knowledge on mental health issues. Mental health stigma, inaccessible mental health information and exclusion from mental health programmes were the major barriers hindering access to mental health care services. This study bridges the knowledge gap and provides evidence for the implementation of deaf-friendly services.展开更多
In this paper,we combine the teaching and learning situation of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the Linear Algebra course of the Computer Science and Technology major at the Nanjing Normal University of Special E...In this paper,we combine the teaching and learning situation of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the Linear Algebra course of the Computer Science and Technology major at the Nanjing Normal University of Special Education.Based on the cognitive style of deaf and hard-of-hearing students,we apply example induction,exhaustive induction,and mathematical induction to the teaching of Linear Algebra by utilizing specific course content.The aim is to design comprehensive teaching that caters to the cognitive style characteristics of deaf and hard-of-hearing students,strengthen their mathematical thinking styles such as quantitative thinking,algorithmic thinking,symbolic thinking,visual thinking,logical thinking,and creative thinking,and enhance the effectiveness of classroom teaching and learning outcomes in Linear Algebra for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.展开更多
Background:Despite its widespread therapeutic use and effectiveness,the underlying pharmacologic mechanisms of Wendan decoction(WDD)and how it works to treat sudden deafness(SD)remain unclear.In this study,the pharmac...Background:Despite its widespread therapeutic use and effectiveness,the underlying pharmacologic mechanisms of Wendan decoction(WDD)and how it works to treat sudden deafness(SD)remain unclear.In this study,the pharmacological mechanisms of WDD underlying SD were analyzed using network pharmacology and molecular docking.Methods:The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)was employed to identify the active compounds and target genes of WDD,and genes associated with SD were screened on five databases.RGUI conducted Gene Ontology(GO)functional and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses.A compound-target network was established using Cytoscape,and the STRING database created a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network to identify the key compounds and targets.Subsequently,a network of crucial compound-target was generated for further molecular docking analysis.For molecular docking simulations of the macromolecular target proteins and their matching ligand molecules,AutoDock Vina and AutoDockTool were utilized.Results:TCMSP identified 162 active target genes and 36 active compounds for WDD.The active target genes were compared with the 2271 genes associated with SD to identify 70 intersecting active target genes linked to 34 active compounds.The GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were undertaken,and compound–target,and PPI networks were built.The key compounds and protein targets were identified and integrated to form a key compound–target network.Eventually,molecular docking was performed to investigate the interactions of the protein targets with their respective compounds.Conclusion:This study highlights the mechanisms of multi-compounds,targets,and pathways of WDD acting on SD and provides further evidence of crucial compounds and their matching target proteins of WDD acting on SD.展开更多
Background: Globally, mental health is recognized as one of the major public health issues, and mental health stigma is one of the main barriers to mental healthcare. While several studies have been conducted on the s...Background: Globally, mental health is recognized as one of the major public health issues, and mental health stigma is one of the main barriers to mental healthcare. While several studies have been conducted on the stigma associated with mental health, very little is known about the mental health stigma experienced by deaf persons with mental health conditions in Ghana. This study examines the experiences of double stigmatization by deaf people with mental health conditions in Ghana. Methodology: A descriptive, mixed method data collection was used for seventy-nine (79) participants. The paper presents findings from the only qualitative component of the study. Results: The findings from the study showed that deaf people with mental illness experienced double stigma, namely being stigmatized for being deaf and for having mental illness. This hindered access to mental health services for deaf people with mental health condition. Conclusion: Deaf people with mental health conditions experience double stigmatization which discourages them from seeking professional psychiatric care. This implies that efforts to reduce mental health stigma and create awareness on deafness should be improved upon. It is recommended that, in view of the impact of stigma on the provision and use of mental health care services, strategies to improve access to mental health care, should seriously consider concerns about stigma.展开更多
An important concern with the deaf community is inability to hear partially or totally. This may affect the development of language during childhood, which limits their habitual existence. Consequently to facilitate s...An important concern with the deaf community is inability to hear partially or totally. This may affect the development of language during childhood, which limits their habitual existence. Consequently to facilitate such deaf speakers through certain assistive mechanism, an effort has been taken to understand the acoustic characteristics of deaf speakers by evaluating the territory specific utterances. Speech signals are acquired from 32 normal and 32 deaf speakers by uttering ten Indian native Tamil language words. The speech parameters like pitch, formants, signal-to-noise ratio, energy, intensity, jitter and shimmer are analyzed. From the results, it has been observed that the acoustic characteristics of deaf speakers differ significantly and their quantitative measure dominates the normal speakers for the words considered. The study also reveals that the informative part of speech in a normal and deaf speakers may be identified using the acoustic features. In addition, these attributes may be used for differential corrections of deaf speaker’s speech signal and facilitate listeners to understand the conveyed information.展开更多
Objective The study is to identify the carrier rate of common deafness mutation in Chinese pregnant women via detecting deafness gene mutations with gene chip. Methods The pregnant women in obstetric clinic without he...Objective The study is to identify the carrier rate of common deafness mutation in Chinese pregnant women via detecting deafness gene mutations with gene chip. Methods The pregnant women in obstetric clinic without hearing impairment and hearing disorders family history were selected. The informed consent was signed. Peripheral blood was taken to extract genom- ic DNA. Application of genetic deafness gene chip for detecting 9 mutational hot spot of the most common 4 Chinese deafness genes, namely GJB2 （35delG, 176del16bp, 235delC, 299delAT）, GJB3 （C538T） ,SLC26A4 （ IVS72A〉G, A2168G） and mito- chondrial DNA 12S rRNA （A1555G, C1494T） . Further genetic testing were provided to the spouses and newborns of the screened carriers. Results Peripheral blood of 430 pregnant women were detected, detection of deafness gene mutation carri- ers in 24 cases（4.2%）, including 13 cases of the GJB2 heterozygous mutation, 3 cases of SLC26A4 heterozygous mutation, 1 cases of GJB3 heterozygous mutation, and 1 case of mitochondrial 12S rRNA mutation. 18 spouses and 17 newborns took further genetic tests, and 6 newborns inherited the mutation from their mother. Conclusion The common deafness genes muta- tion has a high carrier rate in pregnant women group, 235delC and IVS7-2A〉G heterozygous mutations are common.展开更多
The current use of hearing aids and artificial cochleas for deaf-mute individuals depends on their auditory nerve. Skin-hearing technology, a patented system developed by our group, uses a cutaneous sensory nerve to s...The current use of hearing aids and artificial cochleas for deaf-mute individuals depends on their auditory nerve. Skin-hearing technology, a patented system developed by our group, uses a cutaneous sensory nerve to substitute for the auditory nerve to help deaf-mutes to hear sound. This paper introduces a new solution, multi-channel-array skin-hearing technology, to solve the problem of speech discrimination. Based on the filtering principle of hair cells, external voice sig- nals at different frequencies are converted to current signals at corresponding frequencies using electronic multi-channel bandpass filtering technology. Different positions on the skin can be stimulated by the electrode array, allowing the perception and discrimination of external speech signals to be determined by the skin response to the current signals. Through voice frequen- cy analysis, the frequency range of the band-pass filter can also be determined. These findings demonstrate that the sensory nerves in the skin can help to transfer the voice signal and to dis- tinguish the speech signal, suggesting that the skin sensory nerves are good candidates for the replacement of the auditory nerve in addressing deaf-mutes＇ hearing problems. Scientific hearing experiments can be more safely performed on the skin. Compared with the artificial cochlea, multi-channel-array skin-hearing aids have lower operation risk in use, are cheaper and are more easily popularized.展开更多
Mutations in GJB2 gene are the most frequently found mutations in patients with nonsyndromic hearing impairment. However, the spectrum and prevalence of mutations in this gene vary among different ethnic groups. In Ch...Mutations in GJB2 gene are the most frequently found mutations in patients with nonsyndromic hearing impairment. However, the spectrum and prevalence of mutations in this gene vary among different ethnic groups. In China, 30,000 infants are born with congenital hearing impairment annually. In order to provide appropriate genetic testing and counseling to the families, we investigated the molecular etiology of nonsyndromic deafness in 103 unrelated school children attending Nantong School for the Deaf and Mute in Jiangsu Province, China. The coding exon of the GJB2 gene was PCR amplified and sequenced. Sixty two GJB2 mutant alleles were identified in 35.9% (37/103) of the patients. Twenty five patients carried two pathogenic mutations and 12 patients carried one mutant allele. The 235delC was the most common mutation accounting for 69.4% (43/62) of GJB2 mutant alleles. The GJB2 mutant alleles accounted for 30.1% (62/206) of all chromosomes responsible for nonsyndromic hearing impairment. Testing of the 3 most prevalent deleterious frame shift mutations in this cohort detected 100% of all GJB2 mutant alleles. These results demonstrate that an effective genetic testing of GJB2 gene for patients and families with nonsyndromic hearing impairment is possible.展开更多
Mutations in mitochondrial tRNA genes have been shown to be associated with maternally inherited syn-dromic and non-syndromic deafness. Among those, mutations such as tRNALeu(UUR) 3243A>G associated with syndromic ...Mutations in mitochondrial tRNA genes have been shown to be associated with maternally inherited syn-dromic and non-syndromic deafness. Among those, mutations such as tRNALeu(UUR) 3243A>G associated with syndromic deafness are often present in heteroplasmy, and the non-syndromic deafness-associated tRNA mu-tations including tRNASer(UCN) 7445A>G are often in homoplasmy or in high levels of heteroplasmy. These tRNA mutations are the primary factors underlying the development of hearing loss. However, other tRNA mutations such as tRNAThr 15927G>A and tRNASer(UCN) 7444G>A are insufficient to produce a deafness phe-notype, but always act in synergy with the primary mitochondrial DNA mutations, and can modulate their phenotypic manifestation. These tRNA mutations may alter the structure and function of the corresponding mitochondrial tRNAs and cause failures in tRNAs metabolism. Thereby, the impairment of mitochondrial protein synthesis and subsequent defects in respiration caused by these tRNA mutations, results in mitochon-drial dysfunctions and eventually leads to the development of hearing loss. Here, we summarized the deaf-ness-associated mitochondrial tRNA mutations and discussed the pathophysiology of these mitochondrial tRNA mutations, and we hope these data will provide a foundation for the early diagnosis, management, and treatment of maternally inherited deafness.展开更多
Objective:To determine whether a new-born child from a family carrying a deafness gene needs cochlear implantation to avoid dysphonia by screening and sequencing a deafness-related gene.Results:Both screening and sequ...Objective:To determine whether a new-born child from a family carrying a deafness gene needs cochlear implantation to avoid dysphonia by screening and sequencing a deafness-related gene.Results:Both screening and sequencing results confirmed that the new born child had a normal GJB2 gene despite the fact that she has a brother suffering from hearing loss triggered by an allelic GJB2 c.176 del 16 mutation.We cloned the GJB2 genes derived from their respective blood genomic DNA into GFP fused plasmids and transfected those plasmids into the 293 T cell line to test for gene function.While the mutated GJB2gene(GJB2 c.176 del 16) of her deaf brother was found to be unable to form the gap junction structure between two adjacent cells,the baby girl’s GJB2 gene ran into no such problems.Conclusion:The screening and sequencing as well as the GJB2 gene function tests invariably showed results consistent with the ABR tested hearing phenotype,which means that the child,with a normal wild type GJB2 gene,does not need early intervention to prevent her from developing hearing loss and dysphonia at a later stage in life.展开更多
BACKGROUND To summarize the clinical characteristics of acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in patients with sudden deafness(SD)as the first symptom,improve the awareness of the disease,and help diagnosis and treatment.CASE...BACKGROUND To summarize the clinical characteristics of acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in patients with sudden deafness(SD)as the first symptom,improve the awareness of the disease,and help diagnosis and treatment.CASE SUMMARY From 2019 to 2020,three patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom were admitted to our hospital.Pure tone audiometry,head magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),vertebral artery and carotid artery B-ultrasound,head and neck computed tomography angiography,and other examinations were performed.Following the treatment of SD,hearing and dizziness were not significantly improved.Then,the patients developed symptoms of related cranial nerve injury,and brain MRI showed cerebral infarction in the cerebellopontine angle area.All three cases were transferred to the neurology department for relevant conservative treatment.CONCLUSION Patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom usually attend the otolaryngology clinic.Here a diagnosis of SD,which is based on an audiological examination,is made and the corresponding treatment is administered.To reduce the misdiagnosis of this disease,close attention should be paid to the changes in the patient's clinical symptoms and related auxiliary examinations should be performed,such as brain MRI and cerebrovascular imaging.Otolaryngologists should pay attention to the type and severity of hearing loss,the accompanying symptoms,age,high-risk factors for cerebral infarction,and related cranial nerve symptoms in patients with SD.If the patient's early brain MRI does not show abnormalities,monitoring remains essential.The head MRI should be analyzed quickly based on the changes in the symptoms of the patient,to make an accurate diagnosis and provide the timely and correct treatment for the patients.展开更多
Objective To compare different treatment protocols for sudden deafness(SD), for the purpose of identifying an appropriate approach to SD. Methods A total of 104 patients with diagnosis of sudden hearing loss treated f...Objective To compare different treatment protocols for sudden deafness(SD), for the purpose of identifying an appropriate approach to SD. Methods A total of 104 patients with diagnosis of sudden hearing loss treated from Jan 2006 to December 2008 were included in this study, of which 31 received the typical pharmaceutical treatment (groupⅠ), 40 received the typical pharmaceutical treatment plus polarized liquid (GroupⅡ) and 33 received the hyperbaric oxygen in addition to the treatment included in Group Ⅱ(Group Ⅲ). Results The total improvement rate (67.74%, 62.50% and 75.76% for Groups Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ respectively) was not statistically different between the three groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion The three treatment protocols are similar when judged by the treatment outcomes in SD, neither being superior to the others. The two important factors that appear to influence treatment outcomes are the audiogram pattern and duration of hearing loss before seeking treatment. Patients with upsloping or peak-type audiograms and treated within 7 days from the onset have better prognosis than others.展开更多
Objective To study concomitant symptoms and disease conditions in sudden deafness. Methods Clinical data of 418 cases of sudden deafness treated in this department from 2000 to 2007 were reviewed. Results Of the 418 c...Objective To study concomitant symptoms and disease conditions in sudden deafness. Methods Clinical data of 418 cases of sudden deafness treated in this department from 2000 to 2007 were reviewed. Results Of the 418 cases, 201 were males and 217 were females. Right ear was involved in 184 cases and left ear in 191 cases. Bilateral involvement was seen in 43 cases. The average age was 44.1 years. Tinnitus was reported in 369 cases (88.3%) either before or after hearing loss, of which 64.5% was of low pitch, 27.1% of high pitch and 8.4% of mixed tones. Constant tinnitus was reported in 83% of the cases, and muffled feelings in 33.3% of the cases. Hearing loss was the only complaint in 221 cases (52.9%). Dizziness was reported in 77 cases (18.4%) and vertigo attacks in 120 cases (28%). Hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes were found in 19.6% of 418 cases and hyperlipidemia in 54.5% of 211 cases. CT and / or MRI data were available in 147 cases, with positive findings in 18 cases (12.3%): 2 with acoustic neuroma (1.36%); 4 with emphraxis in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, temporal lobe or parietal lobe, and 12 with poor pneumatization of ipsior contralateral mastoid cells. Conclusion In this case series of sudden deafness, low-pitch constant tinnitus was a common complaint. Most of the studied cases presented with simple hearing loss. Vertigo attacks were more common than dizziness in this group of patients. The most common concomitant disorder was hyperlipidemia, especially high triglycerides. Imaging studies are important in managing sudden deafness in ruling out acoustic neuroma and other intracranial diseases.展开更多
Ototoxic drugs can be used to produce a loss of cochlear hair cells to create animal models of deafness. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the establishment of a rat deafness model through t...Ototoxic drugs can be used to produce a loss of cochlear hair cells to create animal models of deafness. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the establishment of a rat deafness model through the combined application of aminoglycosides and loop diuretics. The aim of this study was to use single or combined administration of furosemide and kanamycin sulfate to establish rat models of deafness. The rats received intravenous injections of different doses of furosemide and/or intramuscular injections of kanamycin sulfate. The auditory brainstem response was measured to determine the hearing threshold after drug application. Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy were performed to evaluate inner ear morphology. In the group receiving combined administration of furosemide and kanamycin, the auditory brainstem response threshold showed significant elevation 3 days after administration, higher than that produced by furosemide or kanamycin alone. The hair cells showed varying degrees of injury, from the apical turn to the basal turn of the cochlea and from the outer hair cells to the inner hair cells. The spiral ganglion cells maintained a normal morphology during the first week after the hair cells completely disappeared, and then gradually degenerated. After 2 months, the majority of spiral ganglion cells disappeared, but a few remained. These findings demonstrate that the combined administration of furosemide and kanamycin has a synergistic ototoxic effect, and that these drugs can produce hair cell loss and hearing loss in rats. These findings suggest that even in patients with severe deafness, electronic cochlear implants may partially restore hearing.展开更多
Objective: In order to provide a theoretical basis for the revision of the current diagnostic criteria for occupational noise-induced deafness (ONID), we evaluated the degree of ONID by analyzing different high-freque...Objective: In order to provide a theoretical basis for the revision of the current diagnostic criteria for occupational noise-induced deafness (ONID), we evaluated the degree of ONID by analyzing different high-frequency-hearing- threshold-weighted values (HFTWVs). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the diagnosis of patients with ONID from January 2016 to January 2017 in Guangdong province, China. Based on 3 hearing tests (each interval between the tests was greater than 3 days), the minimum threshold value of each frequency was obtained using the 2007 edition’s diagnostic criteria for ONID. The speech frequency and the HFTWVs were analyzed based on age, noise exposure, and diagnostic classi-fication using SPSS21.0. Results: 168 patients in total were involved in this study, 154 males and 14 females, and the average age was 41.18 ± 6.07. The diagnosis rate was increased by the weighted value of the high frequencies and was more than the mean value of the pure speech frequency (MVPSF). The diagnosis rate for the weighted 4 kHz frequency level increased by 13.69% (χ2 = 9.880, P = 0.002), the weighted 6 kHz level increased by 15.47% (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002), and the weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz level increased by 15.47% (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002). The differences were all statistically significant. The diagnostic rate of the different thresholds showed no obvious difference between the genders. The age groups were divided into less than or equal to 40 years old (group A) and 40 - 50 years old (group B). There were several groups with a high frequency: high frequency weighted 4 kHz ( group A χ2 = 3.380, P = 0.050;group B χ2 = 4.054, P = 0.032), high frequency weighted 6 kHz (group A χ2 = 6.362, P = 0.012;group B χ2 = 4.054, P = 0.032), weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz (group A χ2 = 6.362 P = 0.012;B χ2 = 4.054, P = 0.032) than those of MVPSF in the same group on ONID diagnosis rate. The differences between the groups were statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the age groups (χ2 = 2.265, P = 0.944). The better ear’s (the smaller hearing threshold weighted value) MVPSF and the weighted values for the different high frequencies were examined in light of the number of working years;the group that was exposed to noise for more than 10 years had significantly higher values than those of the average thresholds of each frequency band in the groups with 3 - 5 years of exposure (F = 2.271, P = 0.001) and 6 - 10 years of exposure (F = 1.563, P = 0.046). The differences were statistically significant. The different HFTWVs were higher than those of the MVPSF values, and the high frequency weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz level showed the greatest difference, with an average increase of 2.83 dB. The diagnostic rate that included the weighted high frequency values was higher for the mild, moderate, and severe cases than those patients who were only screened with the pure frequency tests. The results of the comparisons of the diagnosis rates for mild ONID were as follows: the weighted 3 kHz high frequency level (χ2 = 3.117, P = 0.077) had no significant difference, but the weighted 4 kHz level (χ2 = 10.835, P = 0.001), 6 kHz level (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002), 3 kHz + 4 kHz level (χ2 = 6.315, P = 0.012), 3 kHz + 6 kHz level (χ2 = 6.315, P = 0.012), 4 kHz + 6 kHz level (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002), and 3 kHz + 4 kHz + 6 kHz level (χ2 = 7.667, P = 0.002) were significantly higher than the diagnosis rate of the mean value of the PSF. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups for the moderate and severe grades (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Different HFTWVs increase the diagnostic rate of ONID. The weighted 4 kHz, 6 kHz, and 4 kHz + 6 kHz high frequency values greatly affected the diagnostic results, and the weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz high frequency hearing threshold value has the maximum the effect on the ONID diagnosis results.展开更多
文摘While mental health issues are increasingly gaining attention in Ghana, little is known about the situation among deaf people. This study assessed the mental health care needs of deaf people in Ghana. A descriptive design, consisting of interviews and focus group discussions, was used to collect data from 97 participants. Findings indicated that participants had limited knowledge on mental health issues. Mental health stigma, inaccessible mental health information and exclusion from mental health programmes were the major barriers hindering access to mental health care services. This study bridges the knowledge gap and provides evidence for the implementation of deaf-friendly services.
文摘In this paper,we combine the teaching and learning situation of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the Linear Algebra course of the Computer Science and Technology major at the Nanjing Normal University of Special Education.Based on the cognitive style of deaf and hard-of-hearing students,we apply example induction,exhaustive induction,and mathematical induction to the teaching of Linear Algebra by utilizing specific course content.The aim is to design comprehensive teaching that caters to the cognitive style characteristics of deaf and hard-of-hearing students,strengthen their mathematical thinking styles such as quantitative thinking,algorithmic thinking,symbolic thinking,visual thinking,logical thinking,and creative thinking,and enhance the effectiveness of classroom teaching and learning outcomes in Linear Algebra for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
基金funded by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Plan Project of Jiangsu Province(ZT202113 to Haibing Hua)the 510 Talent Training Project of Yizheng City(2022 to Shiming Ye)+1 种基金the Scientific Research Project of Jiangyin Association of Chinese Medicine(Y202205 to Yufeng Zhang)the ChengXing Talent Training Plan of Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2022 to Yufeng Zhang).
文摘Background:Despite its widespread therapeutic use and effectiveness,the underlying pharmacologic mechanisms of Wendan decoction(WDD)and how it works to treat sudden deafness(SD)remain unclear.In this study,the pharmacological mechanisms of WDD underlying SD were analyzed using network pharmacology and molecular docking.Methods:The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)was employed to identify the active compounds and target genes of WDD,and genes associated with SD were screened on five databases.RGUI conducted Gene Ontology(GO)functional and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses.A compound-target network was established using Cytoscape,and the STRING database created a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network to identify the key compounds and targets.Subsequently,a network of crucial compound-target was generated for further molecular docking analysis.For molecular docking simulations of the macromolecular target proteins and their matching ligand molecules,AutoDock Vina and AutoDockTool were utilized.Results:TCMSP identified 162 active target genes and 36 active compounds for WDD.The active target genes were compared with the 2271 genes associated with SD to identify 70 intersecting active target genes linked to 34 active compounds.The GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were undertaken,and compound–target,and PPI networks were built.The key compounds and protein targets were identified and integrated to form a key compound–target network.Eventually,molecular docking was performed to investigate the interactions of the protein targets with their respective compounds.Conclusion:This study highlights the mechanisms of multi-compounds,targets,and pathways of WDD acting on SD and provides further evidence of crucial compounds and their matching target proteins of WDD acting on SD.
文摘Background: Globally, mental health is recognized as one of the major public health issues, and mental health stigma is one of the main barriers to mental healthcare. While several studies have been conducted on the stigma associated with mental health, very little is known about the mental health stigma experienced by deaf persons with mental health conditions in Ghana. This study examines the experiences of double stigmatization by deaf people with mental health conditions in Ghana. Methodology: A descriptive, mixed method data collection was used for seventy-nine (79) participants. The paper presents findings from the only qualitative component of the study. Results: The findings from the study showed that deaf people with mental illness experienced double stigma, namely being stigmatized for being deaf and for having mental illness. This hindered access to mental health services for deaf people with mental health condition. Conclusion: Deaf people with mental health conditions experience double stigmatization which discourages them from seeking professional psychiatric care. This implies that efforts to reduce mental health stigma and create awareness on deafness should be improved upon. It is recommended that, in view of the impact of stigma on the provision and use of mental health care services, strategies to improve access to mental health care, should seriously consider concerns about stigma.
文摘An important concern with the deaf community is inability to hear partially or totally. This may affect the development of language during childhood, which limits their habitual existence. Consequently to facilitate such deaf speakers through certain assistive mechanism, an effort has been taken to understand the acoustic characteristics of deaf speakers by evaluating the territory specific utterances. Speech signals are acquired from 32 normal and 32 deaf speakers by uttering ten Indian native Tamil language words. The speech parameters like pitch, formants, signal-to-noise ratio, energy, intensity, jitter and shimmer are analyzed. From the results, it has been observed that the acoustic characteristics of deaf speakers differ significantly and their quantitative measure dominates the normal speakers for the words considered. The study also reveals that the informative part of speech in a normal and deaf speakers may be identified using the acoustic features. In addition, these attributes may be used for differential corrections of deaf speaker’s speech signal and facilitate listeners to understand the conveyed information.
文摘Objective The study is to identify the carrier rate of common deafness mutation in Chinese pregnant women via detecting deafness gene mutations with gene chip. Methods The pregnant women in obstetric clinic without hearing impairment and hearing disorders family history were selected. The informed consent was signed. Peripheral blood was taken to extract genom- ic DNA. Application of genetic deafness gene chip for detecting 9 mutational hot spot of the most common 4 Chinese deafness genes, namely GJB2 （35delG, 176del16bp, 235delC, 299delAT）, GJB3 （C538T） ,SLC26A4 （ IVS72A〉G, A2168G） and mito- chondrial DNA 12S rRNA （A1555G, C1494T） . Further genetic testing were provided to the spouses and newborns of the screened carriers. Results Peripheral blood of 430 pregnant women were detected, detection of deafness gene mutation carri- ers in 24 cases（4.2%）, including 13 cases of the GJB2 heterozygous mutation, 3 cases of SLC26A4 heterozygous mutation, 1 cases of GJB3 heterozygous mutation, and 1 case of mitochondrial 12S rRNA mutation. 18 spouses and 17 newborns took further genetic tests, and 6 newborns inherited the mutation from their mother. Conclusion The common deafness genes muta- tion has a high carrier rate in pregnant women group, 235delC and IVS7-2A〉G heterozygous mutations are common.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.60672001Special Fund of Education Department of Shaanxi Province,China,No.05JC03
文摘The current use of hearing aids and artificial cochleas for deaf-mute individuals depends on their auditory nerve. Skin-hearing technology, a patented system developed by our group, uses a cutaneous sensory nerve to substitute for the auditory nerve to help deaf-mutes to hear sound. This paper introduces a new solution, multi-channel-array skin-hearing technology, to solve the problem of speech discrimination. Based on the filtering principle of hair cells, external voice sig- nals at different frequencies are converted to current signals at corresponding frequencies using electronic multi-channel bandpass filtering technology. Different positions on the skin can be stimulated by the electrode array, allowing the perception and discrimination of external speech signals to be determined by the skin response to the current signals. Through voice frequen- cy analysis, the frequency range of the band-pass filter can also be determined. These findings demonstrate that the sensory nerves in the skin can help to transfer the voice signal and to dis- tinguish the speech signal, suggesting that the skin sensory nerves are good candidates for the replacement of the auditory nerve in addressing deaf-mutes＇ hearing problems. Scientific hearing experiments can be more safely performed on the skin. Compared with the artificial cochlea, multi-channel-array skin-hearing aids have lower operation risk in use, are cheaper and are more easily popularized.
基金This work was supported by the Chinese National Nature Science Foundation research Grant 30572015Beijing Nature Science Foundation research Grant 7062062.
文摘Mutations in GJB2 gene are the most frequently found mutations in patients with nonsyndromic hearing impairment. However, the spectrum and prevalence of mutations in this gene vary among different ethnic groups. In China, 30,000 infants are born with congenital hearing impairment annually. In order to provide appropriate genetic testing and counseling to the families, we investigated the molecular etiology of nonsyndromic deafness in 103 unrelated school children attending Nantong School for the Deaf and Mute in Jiangsu Province, China. The coding exon of the GJB2 gene was PCR amplified and sequenced. Sixty two GJB2 mutant alleles were identified in 35.9% (37/103) of the patients. Twenty five patients carried two pathogenic mutations and 12 patients carried one mutant allele. The 235delC was the most common mutation accounting for 69.4% (43/62) of GJB2 mutant alleles. The GJB2 mutant alleles accounted for 30.1% (62/206) of all chromosomes responsible for nonsyndromic hearing impairment. Testing of the 3 most prevalent deleterious frame shift mutations in this cohort detected 100% of all GJB2 mutant alleles. These results demonstrate that an effective genetic testing of GJB2 gene for patients and families with nonsyndromic hearing impairment is possible.
基金supported by grants from The National Natural Science Foundation of China(81070794 and 31100903)The Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(Y2110399)The China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2013M531472)
文摘Mutations in mitochondrial tRNA genes have been shown to be associated with maternally inherited syn-dromic and non-syndromic deafness. Among those, mutations such as tRNALeu(UUR) 3243A>G associated with syndromic deafness are often present in heteroplasmy, and the non-syndromic deafness-associated tRNA mu-tations including tRNASer(UCN) 7445A>G are often in homoplasmy or in high levels of heteroplasmy. These tRNA mutations are the primary factors underlying the development of hearing loss. However, other tRNA mutations such as tRNAThr 15927G>A and tRNASer(UCN) 7444G>A are insufficient to produce a deafness phe-notype, but always act in synergy with the primary mitochondrial DNA mutations, and can modulate their phenotypic manifestation. These tRNA mutations may alter the structure and function of the corresponding mitochondrial tRNAs and cause failures in tRNAs metabolism. Thereby, the impairment of mitochondrial protein synthesis and subsequent defects in respiration caused by these tRNA mutations, results in mitochon-drial dysfunctions and eventually leads to the development of hearing loss. Here, we summarized the deaf-ness-associated mitochondrial tRNA mutations and discussed the pathophysiology of these mitochondrial tRNA mutations, and we hope these data will provide a foundation for the early diagnosis, management, and treatment of maternally inherited deafness.
基金supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (81470684)Clinical Special Fund of Jiangsu Province (b12014032)+4 种基金Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (2015M571818)Six Major Categories Talent (2014-WSN-043,2011-WS-074)Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students in Jiangsu Province (201510313003Z,201510313003,KYLX14-1455)Clinic Medical Special Foundation of Jiangsu Province (b12014032)Project of natural science research area of Jiangsu Province (16KJB320016)
文摘Objective:To determine whether a new-born child from a family carrying a deafness gene needs cochlear implantation to avoid dysphonia by screening and sequencing a deafness-related gene.Results:Both screening and sequencing results confirmed that the new born child had a normal GJB2 gene despite the fact that she has a brother suffering from hearing loss triggered by an allelic GJB2 c.176 del 16 mutation.We cloned the GJB2 genes derived from their respective blood genomic DNA into GFP fused plasmids and transfected those plasmids into the 293 T cell line to test for gene function.While the mutated GJB2gene(GJB2 c.176 del 16) of her deaf brother was found to be unable to form the gap junction structure between two adjacent cells,the baby girl’s GJB2 gene ran into no such problems.Conclusion:The screening and sequencing as well as the GJB2 gene function tests invariably showed results consistent with the ABR tested hearing phenotype,which means that the child,with a normal wild type GJB2 gene,does not need early intervention to prevent her from developing hearing loss and dysphonia at a later stage in life.
文摘BACKGROUND To summarize the clinical characteristics of acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in patients with sudden deafness(SD)as the first symptom,improve the awareness of the disease,and help diagnosis and treatment.CASE SUMMARY From 2019 to 2020,three patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom were admitted to our hospital.Pure tone audiometry,head magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),vertebral artery and carotid artery B-ultrasound,head and neck computed tomography angiography,and other examinations were performed.Following the treatment of SD,hearing and dizziness were not significantly improved.Then,the patients developed symptoms of related cranial nerve injury,and brain MRI showed cerebral infarction in the cerebellopontine angle area.All three cases were transferred to the neurology department for relevant conservative treatment.CONCLUSION Patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom usually attend the otolaryngology clinic.Here a diagnosis of SD,which is based on an audiological examination,is made and the corresponding treatment is administered.To reduce the misdiagnosis of this disease,close attention should be paid to the changes in the patient's clinical symptoms and related auxiliary examinations should be performed,such as brain MRI and cerebrovascular imaging.Otolaryngologists should pay attention to the type and severity of hearing loss,the accompanying symptoms,age,high-risk factors for cerebral infarction,and related cranial nerve symptoms in patients with SD.If the patient's early brain MRI does not show abnormalities,monitoring remains essential.The head MRI should be analyzed quickly based on the changes in the symptoms of the patient,to make an accurate diagnosis and provide the timely and correct treatment for the patients.
文摘Objective To compare different treatment protocols for sudden deafness(SD), for the purpose of identifying an appropriate approach to SD. Methods A total of 104 patients with diagnosis of sudden hearing loss treated from Jan 2006 to December 2008 were included in this study, of which 31 received the typical pharmaceutical treatment (groupⅠ), 40 received the typical pharmaceutical treatment plus polarized liquid (GroupⅡ) and 33 received the hyperbaric oxygen in addition to the treatment included in Group Ⅱ(Group Ⅲ). Results The total improvement rate (67.74%, 62.50% and 75.76% for Groups Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ respectively) was not statistically different between the three groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion The three treatment protocols are similar when judged by the treatment outcomes in SD, neither being superior to the others. The two important factors that appear to influence treatment outcomes are the audiogram pattern and duration of hearing loss before seeking treatment. Patients with upsloping or peak-type audiograms and treated within 7 days from the onset have better prognosis than others.
基金supported by Xian Science-TechnologyBureau(YF07176)
文摘Objective To study concomitant symptoms and disease conditions in sudden deafness. Methods Clinical data of 418 cases of sudden deafness treated in this department from 2000 to 2007 were reviewed. Results Of the 418 cases, 201 were males and 217 were females. Right ear was involved in 184 cases and left ear in 191 cases. Bilateral involvement was seen in 43 cases. The average age was 44.1 years. Tinnitus was reported in 369 cases (88.3%) either before or after hearing loss, of which 64.5% was of low pitch, 27.1% of high pitch and 8.4% of mixed tones. Constant tinnitus was reported in 83% of the cases, and muffled feelings in 33.3% of the cases. Hearing loss was the only complaint in 221 cases (52.9%). Dizziness was reported in 77 cases (18.4%) and vertigo attacks in 120 cases (28%). Hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes were found in 19.6% of 418 cases and hyperlipidemia in 54.5% of 211 cases. CT and / or MRI data were available in 147 cases, with positive findings in 18 cases (12.3%): 2 with acoustic neuroma (1.36%); 4 with emphraxis in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, temporal lobe or parietal lobe, and 12 with poor pneumatization of ipsior contralateral mastoid cells. Conclusion In this case series of sudden deafness, low-pitch constant tinnitus was a common complaint. Most of the studied cases presented with simple hearing loss. Vertigo attacks were more common than dizziness in this group of patients. The most common concomitant disorder was hyperlipidemia, especially high triglycerides. Imaging studies are important in managing sudden deafness in ruling out acoustic neuroma and other intracranial diseases.
基金supported by grants from the National Program on Key Basic Research Project of China(973 Program),No.2011CBA01000,2012CB967900
文摘Ototoxic drugs can be used to produce a loss of cochlear hair cells to create animal models of deafness. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the establishment of a rat deafness model through the combined application of aminoglycosides and loop diuretics. The aim of this study was to use single or combined administration of furosemide and kanamycin sulfate to establish rat models of deafness. The rats received intravenous injections of different doses of furosemide and/or intramuscular injections of kanamycin sulfate. The auditory brainstem response was measured to determine the hearing threshold after drug application. Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy were performed to evaluate inner ear morphology. In the group receiving combined administration of furosemide and kanamycin, the auditory brainstem response threshold showed significant elevation 3 days after administration, higher than that produced by furosemide or kanamycin alone. The hair cells showed varying degrees of injury, from the apical turn to the basal turn of the cochlea and from the outer hair cells to the inner hair cells. The spiral ganglion cells maintained a normal morphology during the first week after the hair cells completely disappeared, and then gradually degenerated. After 2 months, the majority of spiral ganglion cells disappeared, but a few remained. These findings demonstrate that the combined administration of furosemide and kanamycin has a synergistic ototoxic effect, and that these drugs can produce hair cell loss and hearing loss in rats. These findings suggest that even in patients with severe deafness, electronic cochlear implants may partially restore hearing.
文摘Objective: In order to provide a theoretical basis for the revision of the current diagnostic criteria for occupational noise-induced deafness (ONID), we evaluated the degree of ONID by analyzing different high-frequency-hearing- threshold-weighted values (HFTWVs). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the diagnosis of patients with ONID from January 2016 to January 2017 in Guangdong province, China. Based on 3 hearing tests (each interval between the tests was greater than 3 days), the minimum threshold value of each frequency was obtained using the 2007 edition’s diagnostic criteria for ONID. The speech frequency and the HFTWVs were analyzed based on age, noise exposure, and diagnostic classi-fication using SPSS21.0. Results: 168 patients in total were involved in this study, 154 males and 14 females, and the average age was 41.18 ± 6.07. The diagnosis rate was increased by the weighted value of the high frequencies and was more than the mean value of the pure speech frequency (MVPSF). The diagnosis rate for the weighted 4 kHz frequency level increased by 13.69% (χ2 = 9.880, P = 0.002), the weighted 6 kHz level increased by 15.47% (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002), and the weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz level increased by 15.47% (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002). The differences were all statistically significant. The diagnostic rate of the different thresholds showed no obvious difference between the genders. The age groups were divided into less than or equal to 40 years old (group A) and 40 - 50 years old (group B). There were several groups with a high frequency: high frequency weighted 4 kHz ( group A χ2 = 3.380, P = 0.050;group B χ2 = 4.054, P = 0.032), high frequency weighted 6 kHz (group A χ2 = 6.362, P = 0.012;group B χ2 = 4.054, P = 0.032), weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz (group A χ2 = 6.362 P = 0.012;B χ2 = 4.054, P = 0.032) than those of MVPSF in the same group on ONID diagnosis rate. The differences between the groups were statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the age groups (χ2 = 2.265, P = 0.944). The better ear’s (the smaller hearing threshold weighted value) MVPSF and the weighted values for the different high frequencies were examined in light of the number of working years;the group that was exposed to noise for more than 10 years had significantly higher values than those of the average thresholds of each frequency band in the groups with 3 - 5 years of exposure (F = 2.271, P = 0.001) and 6 - 10 years of exposure (F = 1.563, P = 0.046). The differences were statistically significant. The different HFTWVs were higher than those of the MVPSF values, and the high frequency weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz level showed the greatest difference, with an average increase of 2.83 dB. The diagnostic rate that included the weighted high frequency values was higher for the mild, moderate, and severe cases than those patients who were only screened with the pure frequency tests. The results of the comparisons of the diagnosis rates for mild ONID were as follows: the weighted 3 kHz high frequency level (χ2 = 3.117, P = 0.077) had no significant difference, but the weighted 4 kHz level (χ2 = 10.835, P = 0.001), 6 kHz level (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002), 3 kHz + 4 kHz level (χ2 = 6.315, P = 0.012), 3 kHz + 6 kHz level (χ2 = 6.315, P = 0.012), 4 kHz + 6 kHz level (χ2 = 9.985, P = 0.002), and 3 kHz + 4 kHz + 6 kHz level (χ2 = 7.667, P = 0.002) were significantly higher than the diagnosis rate of the mean value of the PSF. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups for the moderate and severe grades (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Different HFTWVs increase the diagnostic rate of ONID. The weighted 4 kHz, 6 kHz, and 4 kHz + 6 kHz high frequency values greatly affected the diagnostic results, and the weighted 4 kHz + 6 kHz high frequency hearing threshold value has the maximum the effect on the ONID diagnosis results.
