The main aim of this work was to determine the influence of contralateral stimulation (CS) on the psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). PTCs and DPOAEs were measured in two modes: in the presence or absence of CS. The contralateral signal was a wideband noise (bandwidth 0.2-10 kHz) at a level of 50 dB sound pressure level (SPL). The primary tones (F_1 and F_2) were presented at levels of L_1=60 dB SPL, and L_2=50 dB SPL. The signal frequency used in the measurements of the PTC was 1 kHz or 2 kHz. For both PTC signal frequencies the CS significantly reduces the sharpness of the PTCs. The average change in level of DPOAE under the influence of CS throughout the whole range of frequencies takes an effect of suppression. The CS has a significant effect on decreasing the value of the quality factor (Q_{10Roex}) of PTCs (F(1,9)= 19.36, p=0.002). The CS caused a decrease in the level of DPOAE in 88% of cases. The maximum suppression of the DPOAE level occurs for the F_2 frequency from 1 kHz to 2 kHz.
Contralateral stimulation of the auditory system causes changes in levels of otoacoustic emissions. The main objective of this study was to determine the changes in the level of distortion product otoacoustic emissions for contralaterally presented unmodulated broad-band noise, or amplitude modulated broad-band noise. Two types of modulating signal were used in the investigations (sine or rectangular wave form). The modulation depth was 100% for both the sinusoidal and the rectangular modulation. The modulation rate was 4 or 100 Hz. The generation and acquisition of the distortion product otoacoustic emissions signal lasted 2 s. The values of the distortion product otoacoustic emissions level changes were defined as the difference between the mean distortion product otoacoustic emissions levels with and without contralateral stimulation. Ten normal-hearing subjects participated in this study. The results showed that reduction in the level of the distortion product otoacoustic emissions (suppression effect) was highest for the low F_2 frequencies and decreased along with the increase in the F_2 frequency. The modulation type of the contralateral stimulation did not influence the mean suppression effect significantly. However, the distortion product otoacoustic emissions level reduction reached higher values for the unmodulated contralateral stimulation than for the modulated, and these differences were statistically significant.
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of hearing loss on speech intelligibility in tinnitus patients. Two new Polish tests for speech intelligibility measurements (the Polish Sentence Test-PST and the Polish Digit Triplet Test-PDTT) were used in the investigation. Tinnitus patients (56 persons) with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and 28 tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds participated in the study. For tinnitus patients with hearing loss, two slopes of the audiograms for higher frequencies were chosen. The speech reception threshold (SRT) for sentence test (SRT_{S}) and for triplet test (SRT_{T}) were determined. Results showed that for tinnitus patients (without hearing loss), the mean SRT_{S} = - 4.2 dB and was higher by -1.9 dB than that for normal hearing subjects (control group). For the triplet test, the mean SRT_{T}= - 8.1, and was by -1.3 dB higher than SRT_{T} for the control group. This meant that the PST reflected a greater tinnitus influence on the speech intelligibility than the PDTT. The mean SRT_{S} values for tinnitus patients with sloping audiogram up to 15 dB/oct were within the range from -3.2 to -0.7 dB, while for the larger slopes the mean SRT_{S} values changed from -2.2 dB to 0.48 dB.
One of the methods for objective evaluation of the hearing system is based on acoustic otoemissions. Particularly promising is the method based on measurement of the distortion product of otoacoustic emission as it is connected to the problem of tinnitus. Slow-varying magnetic field of low induction has been used in therapy of many diseases and ailments. It is expected that magnetostimulation will be effective in treatment of certain types of tinnitus by inducing the return of the organism to homeostasis. The aim of this study was to identify the changes in distortion product of otoacoustic emission levels in patients, prior and after the magnetostimulation. However any significant changes were found among patients with tinnitus, for the control group statistically important changes in distortion product of otoacoustic emission levels were observed.
The LED light therapy and magnetostimulation is an innovative method of treatment used in Viofor JPS System. Simultaneous application of both types of electromagnetic radiation increases the therapy effectiveness by the synergy effect. It is recommended in analgesic, anti-inflammatory treatment, and to support immune system of the organism. The mechanism of biological effect of variable magnetic fields and light are of similar nature at the tissue level. When applying magnetostimulation and light together, it shortens the time of therapy. The LED light therapy and magnetostimulation is supposed to be an alternative supporting method to therapies used to treat tinnitus so far.
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