A tontura é um sintoma que acomete a população mundial, sendo observado maior prevalência em idosos devido ao processo de deterioração funcional dos sistemas auditivo e vestibular com o envelhecimento. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar prospectivamente o efeito da Reabilitação Vestibular (RV) como tratamento das labirintopatias de origem vascular e metabólica sobre a qualidade de vida de idosos. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: O estudo foi delineado como um ensaio clínico prospectivo, longitudinal, com a participação de 40 idosos de ambos os gêneros, divididos em 2 grupos, tontura de origem vascular ou metabólica. Os pacientes passaram por avaliações, orientações e a RV, que se baseou no protocolo de Cawthorne e Cooksey. A análise estatística dos dados foi feita através do teste t-Student e dos coeficientes de Pearson e Spearman. RESULTADOS: Pelas escalas de qualidade de vida utilizadas podemos observar que os aspectos avaliados melhoraram após a Reabilitação Vestibular. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que a RV baseada nos protocolos de Cawthorne e Cooksey pode ser utilizada de modo benéfico nesta população.

OBJETIVO: avaliar a satisfação do usuário de AAS (Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora) por meio da aplicação do questionário de autoavaliação IOI-HA (International Outcome Inventory For Hearing Aids) e correlacioná-lo às características dos indivíduos, da perda auditiva e do processo de adaptação do AAS. MÉTODO: foram avaliados 98 indivíduos, de ambos os gêneros, com perda auditiva neurossensorial, de um serviço público e usuários sistemáticos de AAS há, pelo menos, três meses. O questionário IOI-HA foi aplicado, como roteiro de entrevista estruturada, aos indivíduos. Correlacionaram-se as variáveis estudadas com o nível de satisfação do usuário, analisado pelo IOI-HA, por meio do fator 1 (que reflete a interação do indivíduo com seu AAS), o fator 2 (relacionado à interação do indivíduo com outras pessoas no seu ambiente) e a pontuação total de cada indivíduo. RESULTADOS: não houve correlação significante entre as variáveis estudadas e o nível de satisfação do usuário. Entretanto, é importante ressaltar que as médias obtidas nas análises, por item, foram positivas e, consequentemente, as análises da soma total do IOI-HA, fator 1 e fator 2, também foram positivas e se aproximaram dos escores máximos para cada fator. CONCLUSÃO: o presente estudo constatou que, no grupo estudado, os usuários de AAS estavam satisfeitos com a adaptação de seus aparelhos e não foram observadas correlações entre as variáveis estudadas e o grau de satisfação do usuário de AAS, por meio do questionário IOI-HA.

we concluded that VR, based on the protocols of Cawthorne and Cooksey, could be beneficial to this population.

Introduction Hearing difficulties can be minimized by the use of hearing aids. Objective The objective of this study is to assess the speech perception and satisfaction of hearing aids users before and after aid adaptation and to determine whether these measures are correlated. Methods The study was conducted on 65 individuals, 54% females and 46% males aged 63 years on average, after the systematic use of hearing aids for at least three months. We characterized subjectś personal identification data, the degree, and configuration of hearing loss, as well as aspects related to adaptation. We then applied a satisfaction questionnaire and a speech perception test (words and sentences), with and without the use of the hearing aids. Results Mean speech recognition with words and sentences was 69% and 79%, respectively, with hearing aids use; whereas, without hearing aids use the figures were 43% and 53%. Mean questionnaire score was 30.1 points. Regarding hearing loss characteristics, 78.5% of the subjects had a sensorineural loss, 20% a mixed loss, and 1.5% a conductive loss. Hearing loss of moderate degree was present in 60.5% of cases, loss of descending configuration in 47%, and plain loss in 37.5%. There was no correlation between individual satisfaction and the percentages of the speech perception tests applied. Conclusion Word and sentence recognition was significantly better with the use of the hearing aids. The users showed a high degree of satisfaction. In the present study, there was no correlation observed between the levels of speech perception and levels of user satisfaction measured with the questionnaire.

Introduction  A cochlear implant in adolescent patients with pre-lingual deafness is still a debatable issue. Objective  The objective of this study is to analyze and compare the development of auditory speech perception in children with pre-lingual auditory impairment submitted to cochlear implant, in different age groups in the first year after implantation. Method  This is a retrospective study, documentary research, in which we analyzed 78 reports of children with severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, unilateral cochlear implant users of both sexes. They were divided into three groups: G1, 22 infants aged less than 42 months; G2, 28 infants aged between 43 to 83 months; and G3, 28 older than 84 months. We collected medical record data to characterize the patients, auditory thresholds with cochlear implants, assessment of speech perception, and auditory skills. Results  There was no statistical difference in the association of the results among groups G1, G2, and G3 with sex, caregiver education level, city of residence, and speech perception level. There was a moderate correlation between age and hearing aid use time, age and cochlear implants use time. There was a strong correlation between age and the age cochlear implants was performed, hearing aid use time and age CI was performed. Conclusion  There was no statistical difference in the speech perception in relation to the patient's age when cochlear implant was performed. There were statistically significant differences for the variables of auditory deprivation time between G3 - G1 and G2 - G1 and hearing aid use time between G3 - G2 and G3 - G1.

Introduction Tinnitus, which is considered the third worst symptom for humans, is a common complaint among people living with hearing loss and may negatively affect the quality of life of those who have it. Objective To analyze the perception of the handicap in patients with tinnitus and hearing loss as well as the possible associations between the variables hearing loss, loudness, onset, frequency and annoyance by tinnitus, and the correlation between the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Methods A total of 30 patients with complaints of tinnitus and the presence of sensorineural hearing impairment were selected for this cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study. The loudness of the tinnitus was measured by a VAS and classified as mild, moderate, or severe. The THI was classified as slight, mild, moderate, severe, and catastrophic. Data were submitted to statistical analysis using the Fisher exact test and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results Eleven male (36.7%) and 19 female (63.3%) subjects with a mean age of 56.5 years old were evaluated. There was no significant association between loudness, annoyance, time and frequency of tinnitus, nor between hearing loss and tinnitus. There was a significant association between the variables hearing loss and loudness, and a weak correlation between VAS and THI. Conclusion Tinnitus has a practical impact in the lives of patients with hearing loss in terms of catastrophic, functional, and emotional aspects, regardless of loudness, frequency, or time of onset. Hearing loss was a factor that had an impact on the loudness of tinnitus. There was no statistically significant correlation between VAS and THI.

Purpose: to perform an integrative literature review regarding the Speech-Language-Hearing intervention in vestibular rehabilitation with the use of technologies, presenting the most applied ones, as well as their effectiveness and possible biases. Methods: a search was performed on the PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, Scopus and SciELO databases, using as search strategy, the keywords: dizziness OR postural balance AND vestibular rehabilitation. Studies carried out by at least one audiologists and which addressed vestibular rehabilitation with the use of technologies as the study object, were included. The publication period set was from 2008 to 2018. During the evaluation of these articles, a quantitative analysis, a characterization of the included studies and an evaluation of their level of evidence and results were performed. Results: six articles, published between 2013 and 2018, were chosen. Most studies (n=4) applied Nintendo WiiTM versions during interventions. Among the authors, nine were audiologists. Three studies were clinical trials, two were observational studies without a control group and one was a case study. Conclusion: it was verified that the Speech-Language-Hearing Therapy has been applying technologies in vestibular rehabilitation interventions. However, publications regarding this modality of therapy are scarce in the literature and still lack robust scientific evidence.

The performance of DMI subjects in SRTQ and SRTN was worse compared to the subjects without diabetes.