Dreams in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder were characterized by an elevated proportion of aggressive contents, despite normal levels of daytime aggressiveness. Dreams with aggressiveness and the known excessive phasic muscle activity during REM sleep may be related to the hyperactivity of a common neuronal generator.

Objective: To investigate the validity of hearing screening with hearTest smartphonebased audiometry and to specify test duration addressing the two response modes and hearing loss criteria. Design: A diagnostic accuracy study comparing hearing screening with conventional audiometry. Study sample: 340 individuals, aged between 5 and 92 years. Results: Of the 340 participants, 301 undertook all test procedures (273 adults and 28 children). Sensitivity and specificity were >90% for hearTest hearing screening to identify disabling hearing loss for both response modes with adults and children. We found similar sensitivity in identifying any level of hearing loss for both response modes in children, with specificity >80%, and for the self-test mode in adults. Low specificity was observed when identifying any level of hearing loss in adults using the test-operator mode. In adults, there was a significant difference between test duration for the testoperator and self-test modes. Conclusion: Hearing screening using hearTest smartphonebased audiometry is accurate for the identification of both disabling hearing loss and any level of hearing loss in adults and children in the self-test response mode. The testoperator mode is also an option for children; however, it does not provide good accuracy in identifying mild level of hearing loss in adults.

This exploratory study brings new hypotheses to be tested and thus works toward clarifying the causes and mechanisms involved in the cause and development of vestibular nerve schwannoma.

Objective: to describe the audiological profile of a group of patients with Parkinson's disease and to investigate the association between hearing loss and the disease. Methods: 50 individuals with and 46 without Parkinson's disease underwent Pure Tone Audiometry, Otoacoustic Emissions by Distortion Product, and auditory processing tests. The results of the patients were compared to those obtained in individuals without the disease, according to clinical and biological variables. Results: in individuals with Parkinson's disease, 82% presented hearing loss, 53.5% alterations in Otoacoustic Emissions by Distortion Product, 78%, alterations in temporal processing, and 12%, changes in binaural integration. Individuals with the disease had a greater impairment in the recognition of duration patterns when compared to those without the disease, with a worse performance in men and in individuals aged between 42 and 65 years old and Hoehn and Yahr I and II stages. Conclusions: the profile found corresponds to descending sensorineural hearing loss and alteration in otoacoustic emissions, temporal ordering and noise gaps detection.Only losses in temporal order are associated with the disease, especially in men, individuals under the age of 65 and in the initial stage.

OBJETIVO: Estudar a influência do zumbido nos limiares auditivos das altas freqüências. MÉTODOS: A amostra foi composta por 30 indivíduos do sexo feminino, com idades entre 19 a 56 anos, sendo 14 com zumbido (grupo estudo) e 16 sem zumbido (grupo controle), todos com limiares tonais de 0,25 a 8 kHz até 25 dB NA. Foram pesquisados os limiares tonais de 9, 10, 12, 14 e 16 kHz. RESULTADOS: Houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os limiares auditivos de alta freqüência entre o grupo estudo e o controle, sendo piores no grupo estudo. Não foi observada diferença significante entre os limiares auditivos das orelhas direita e esquerda dos indivíduos do grupo estudo, bem como em relação à localização da queixa de zumbido. Observou-se diferença estatisticamente significante entre as médias de idade dos grupos, sendo o grupo estudo composto por pessoas mais velhas. CONCLUSÃO: A pesquisa das altas freqüências apresenta-se como uma alternativa diagnóstica na identificação precoce de perdas auditivas.

Purpose: To describe the prevalence of auditory and vestibular dysfunction in individuals with systemic sclerosis (SS) and the hypotheses to explain these changes. Research strategy: We performed a systematic review without meta-analysis from PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science , SciELO and SCOPUS databases, using a combination of keywords "systemic sclerosis AND balance OR vestibular" and "systemic sclerosis AND hearing OR auditory." Selection criteria: We included articles published in Portuguese, Spanish, or English until December 2011 and reviews, letters, and editorials were excluded. We found 254 articles, out of which 10 were selected. Data analysis: The study design was described, and the characteristics and frequency of the auditory and vestibular dysfunctions in these individuals were listed. Afterwards, we investigated the hypothesis built by the authors to explain the auditory and vestibular dysfunctions in SS. Results:Hearing loss was the most common finding, with prevalence ranging from 20 to 77%, being bilateral sensorineural the most frequent type. It is hypothesized that the hearing impairment in SS is due to vascular changes in the cochlea.The prevalence of vestibular disorders ranged from 11 to 63%, and the most frequent findings were changes in caloric testing, positional nystagmus, impaired oculocephalic response, changes in clinical tests of sensory interaction, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Conclusion: High prevalence of auditory and vestibular dysfunctions in patients with SS was observed. Conducting further research can assist in early identification of these abnormalities, provide resources for professionals who work with these patients, and contribute to improving the quality of life of these individuals. RESUMOObjetivo: Descrever a prevalência das alterações auditivas e vestibulares em indivíduos com Esclerose Sistêmica (ES) e as hipóteses elencadas para explicar essas alterações. Estratégia de pesquisa: Revisão sistemática, sem meta-análise, a partir das bases de dados PubMed, LILACS, Isi Web of Science, SciELO e SCOPUS, utilizando a combinação das palavras-chave "systemic sclerosis AND balance OR vestibular" e "systemic sclerosis AND hearing OR auditory". Critérios de seleção: Foram incluídos artigos publicados em Português, Espanhol ou Inglês até dezembro de 2011e excluídos os artigos de revisão de literatura, cartas e editoriais. Foram localizados 254 artigos e selecionados dez. Análise dos dados: Foi realizada a descrição do delineamento dos estudos e elencadas as características e frequência das alterações auditivas e vestibulares. Após, investigaram-se as hipóteses formuladas pelos autores para explicar o comprometimento auditivo e vestibular na ES. Resultados: A perda auditiva foi o achado mais comum, com prevalência de 20 a 77%, sendo o tipo sensorioneural bilateral o mais frequente. Hipotetiza-se que o prejuízo auditivo na ES é decorrente de alterações vasculares na cóclea. A prevalência das alterações vestibulares variou de 11 a 63%, e os achados mais frequen...

Introduction: evidences indicate chemicals as potentially otoneurotoxic agents; however, there is no consensus as to the associations between exposure characteristics and the ototoxicity of different chemicals present in industrial environments. Objective: to review the available scientific literature in order to identify studies that point to evidence of association, or non-association, between hearing impairment and occupational exposure to organic solvents. Method: systematic review of the literature, through query on electronic databases, considering only original articles, published from January 1987 to February 2013. Results: thirty-one studies were included in the systematic review. Discussion: studies have confirmed exposure to certain solvents as a risk factor for occupational hearing loss, especially in the presence of noise. Various assessment and classification methods were used regarding cochlear and/or central hearing impairment, contributing to the understanding of the extent of chemical-induced hearing loss as well as to the identification of populations at risk. However, data on appropriate diagnostic procedures, safe levels of chemical exposure and dose-response effect have not yet been fully elucidated.

methodological limitations and lack of precision in the findings impose limits to definitive conclusions concerning those risk factors. The current study contributes with information which can subsidize decisions related to the methodology to be used, having in mind new investigations on risk factors for VS. Therefore, it is of great help for knowledge improvement in this field.