Background and ObjectivesWe evaluated the short-term treatment outcomes of combined bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and tailor-made notched music training (TMNMT) in tinnitus patients. The associations of patient characteristics with treatment responsiveness were investigated.Subjects and MethodsFour sessions of bifrontal tDCS (F4: anode, F3: cathode) and TMNMT were conducted over a 2-week period in tinnitus patients. For tDCS, the stimulation intensity was 1.5 mA and the duration was approximately 20 min. During tDCS, patients listened to music lacking the frequency band within 1 octave of the tinnitus frequency. Patients were also instructed to listen to this music at home for at least 2 hours per day. One month after the final tDCS session, loudness (LD), awareness (AW), annoyance (AN), and effect on life (EL) of tinnitus were assessed subjectively using a visual analog scale.ResultsA total of 14 patients were enrolled in this study. After treatment, a 50% or greater improvement in AN, AW, EL, and LD was observed in 57.1, 42.9, 35.7, and 28.6% of patients, respectively. Furthermore, 78.6% of patients showed a 50% or greater improvement in their tinnitus handicap inventory scores. For AN, the absence of sleep disturbance was significantly associated with treatment responsiveness (p=0.041, OR=24.0).ConclusionsCombined bifrontal tDCS and TMNMT is a promising treatment for chronic tinnitus. To maximize the treatment outcomes of this therapy, sleep disturbances should also be addressed in candidate patients.

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MS itself was not an independent risk factor for HI, and, among the individual metabolic components, only increased fasting plasma glucose was independently associated with HI.

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Background The positioning of the nasal tip is as esthetically important as the tip projection when rhinoplasty is being considered. It is not uncommon for Asians to have a protruding upper lip and teeth that affect the nasolabial angle (NLA). This study aimed to find the preferred NLA according to the degree of upper lip protrusion in an Asian population. Methods A left-side lateral photograph of each participant was used for simulation of six different tip angles by using a photoshop program. First, the angles of the upper lip protrusion were changed into 10, 20, and 30° by a perpendicular line to the Frankfort line in each image; then, the NLAs were changed into six different angles (from 75 to 110°) for each of the three angles of upper lip protrusion for each model. Newly transformed images of nasal tips, six for the male model and six for the female model, were made by using presentation software slides and were placed in a random order. Then, 120 Korean raters were asked to choose the most preferred image from among the slides. Results In 10° of upper lip protrusion, the preferred mean ± standard deviation (SD) NLAs for the male and female models were 88.7 ± 6.4° and 92.9 ± 6.9°, respectively. In 20° of upper lip protrusion, the preferred mean ± SD NLAs for the male and female models were 80.9 ± 6.9° and 83.9 ± 5.7°, respectively. In 30° of upper lip protrusion, the preferred mean ± SD NLAs for the male and female models were 78.4 ± 5.5° and 79.0 ± 5.4°, respectively. Conclusion In an Asian population, the preferred NLA was changed to a more acute angle according to the degree of upper lip protrusion.

This novel EECS technique enabled satisfactory tip projection in Asians while maintaining a natural ratio of infratip lobule to total length of tip and leaving no external scar.