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Biomedical subjects

I Honjo

Publications and source records attributed to I Honjo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Influence of unilateral deafness on auditory evoked magnetic field.

To investigate the effect of unilateral deafness on central auditory mechanisms, we examined patients with unilateral deafness of various durations. Auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEF) were recorded using a whole-head neuromagnetometer. In patients who had unilateral deafness for more than 3 weeks, the average N100m latency in the ipsilateral hemisphere did not differ from that in the contralateral hemisphere. In addition, in some patients with congenital or early onset deafness, the equivalent current dipole (ECD) moment was larger in the ipsilateral hemisphere than in the contralateral hemisphere. These findings suggest that unilateral deafness may cause reorganization of the central auditory pathway. They also suggest that central auditory pathway in adults has some plasticity, though not as much as in childhood.

Adult↗

Pathophysiological and therapeutic considerations of otitis media with effusion from viewpoint of middle ear ventilation.

Using nitrous oxide, we examined the gas exchange function through the middle ear mucosa in ears with otitis media with effusion (OME) in children, and found the function to be impaired in 50% of them. The size of the mastoid was significantly smaller in ears with negative gas exchange function than those with positive function, and the presence or absence of the function was even more significantly correlated with the presence or absence of aeration in the middle ear. Furthermore, the presence or absence of aeration in ears with OME was found to be significantly correlated with their prognosis (response of OME to antibiotics treatment) and also with the presence or absence of eardrum mobility examined by a pneumatic otoscope. Finally, after myringotomy and removal of effusion, the gas exchange function recovered in most of the ears with impaired function. These results indicate that the eardrum mobility test may serve as an appropriate indicator for the surgical treatment for OME.

Child↗

Influence of speech-coding strategy on cortical activity in cochlear implant users: a positron emission tomographic study.

The effects of a speech-coding strategy of cochlear implant (CI) on cortical activity were evaluated using positron emission tomography. The CIs used in the present study were those of a 22-channel system using the Multipeak speech-coding strategy (MPEAK) and the spectral peak strategy (SPEAK). On comparing the 2 groups, it was found that the speech-tracking performance was significantly higher in the SPEAK group than in the MPEAK group. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured during the silent resting, noise stimulus and speech stimulus periods. The increase in rCBF was localized mainly in the primary auditory area during the noise stimulus period. The increase in rCBF in the auditory association area during the speech stimulus period was stronger in the SPEAK group than in the MPEAK group. This finding suggests that the SPEAK strategy activates more speech processing neuronal networks in the auditory association area than the MPEAK strategy.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Influence of the gas exchange function through the middle ear mucosa on the development of sniff-induced middle ear diseases.

To investigate the influence of gas exchange function through the middle ear mucosa on the development of sniff-induced middle ear diseases, the authors examined the mastoid pneumatization among patients with sniffing habit using computed tomography, and also examined the change of negative middle ear pressure induced by sniffing using tympanogram. In 20 ears with cholesteatoma or adhesive otitis media, the areas of mastoid cavity measured at the level of the lateral semicircular canal were significantly smaller than those in 26 ears with otitis media with effusion (OME) or attic retraction and in eight normal ears with sniffing habit (P < .01 and P < .0001, respectively). In 26 ears with OME or attic retraction, the areas of mastoid cavity were significantly smaller than those in eight normal ears with sniffing habit (P < .0001). By contrast, in the four ears with sniff-induced middle ear disease, the recovery of negative middle ear pressure in 5 minutes without swallowing was less than 10 mm H2O, whereas in all seven ears with normal eardrum, negative middle ear pressure recovered by more than 20 mm H2O in 5 minutes. These findings suggested that impairment of gas exchange function through the middle ear mucosa, as well as eustachian tube dysfunction, might be closely related to the development of sniff-induced middle ear diseases.

Adolescent↗

Cause of posterior canal wall retraction after surgery from the viewpoint of mastoid conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between preservation of the mastoid mucosa during ear surgery and retraction of the attic or posterior wall of the external auditory canal (EAC) and mastoid aeration after surgery. METHODS AND DESIGN: Retraction of the posterior EAC wall and mastoid aeration were evaluated after surgery in 48 individuals (50 ears) with cholesteatoma, adhesive otitis media, or chronic suppurative otitis media, in whom the posterior bony EAC walls were removed with or without preservation of mucosa and reconstructed with soft tissues alone (EAC skin and temporal fascia) during surgery. RESULTS: Postoperative computed tomography showed that in ears with notable retraction of the posterior EAC wall appearing like an open mastoid cavity, there was no air in the mastoid, whereas in ears with no or only slight retraction there was computed tomographic evidence of mastoid aeration. Second, notable retraction of the posterior EAC wall occurred in a significantly smaller percentage of ears in which at least the epitympanic mucosa had been able to be preserved during surgery than in those that had undergone removal of all mucosa (mastoidectomy). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that 1) preservation of epitympanic mucosa during surgery is an important factor for prevention of retraction of the posterior EAC wall and for reaeration of the mastoid after surgery, and 2) the intact canal wall technique seems to be indicated whenever at least the epitympanic mucosa can be preserved, and when no mucosa can be preserved the canal wall down procedure seems to be indicated.

Adult↗

Cortical processing mechanism for vocalization with auditory verbal feedback.

To investigate the relationship between motor and sensory speech center, cortical activity was examined using PET while normal subjects perceived their own voice which sounded different to the articulated one. The results showed significant activation in the superior temporal gyri with absence of activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA). In a previous study we found significant activation in SMA with no activity in the superior temporal gyrus when normal subjects simply vocalized. Thus, two different cortical pathways for vocalization were delineated: programmed pathway in SMA, and pathway with auditory verbal feedback. The former is thought to be the mature system in the adult, and the latter may be related to speech acquisition.

Adult↗

The role of the temporal coding system in the auditory cortex on speech recognition.

To elucidate the temporal coding system for speech recognition, we synthesized stimulation sounds which do not contain formant information but do contain temporal information by transforming original sound wave to click sequences. Using this stimulation sound, we performed a recognition test and used PET to examine the cortical activities in normal subjects listening to this sound. The results of the recognition test showed a good perception of the sounds made from sequential speech. The PET study demonstrated significant activation of the superior temporal gyri while listening to the stimulation speech sounds. Our results imply that these stimulation sounds were processed semantically in the auditory cortices. The temporal processing system is thought to make an important contribution to speech recognition.

Adult↗

Gas exchange function of the middle ear in patients with otitis media with effusion.

Gas exchange function through the middle ear mucosa was assessed using nitrous oxide (N2O) in patients with otitis media with effusion (OME), as well as in normal ears during elective surgery for unrelated disorders. In all normal ears except one (n = 43), an increase in pressure was observed after N2O inhalation. In 42 of 84 ears with OME, a pressure increase was observed, but not in the remaining 42 ears (50%), indicating that the gas exchange function in these latter ears was impaired. In 21 of the 42 ears showing no middle ear pressure increase following N2O inhalation, the middle ear pressure was again monitored after myringotomy and aspiration of the effusion A pressure increase was found in 16 ears, indicating that the impairment in gas exchange function in ears with OME may be reversible in most cases. Computed tomography of the mastoid was examined preoperatively in 66 ears, with the presence or absence of a middle ear pressure change well correlated in 57 ears with the presence or absence of mastoid aeration.

Adolescent↗

Cortical activation by monaural speech sound stimulation demonstrated by positron emission tomography.

To investigate how auditory input from each ear contributes to spoken language processing, cortical activation by monaural speech sound stimulation was examined in 12 normal subjects using 15O-labeled water positron emission tomography. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured under four different sound stimulation conditions: (1) silence, (2) white noise, (3) sequential Japanese sentences ("speech"), and (4) Japanese sentences played backward ("reversed speech"), and the results were evaluated by statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Noise induced significant rCBF increase in the contralateral Heschl's gyrus. Speech and reversed speech stimuli caused significant rCBF increase in the contralateral Heschl's gyrus and the bilateral superior temporal gyri, with contralateral activation broader than that in the ipsilateral hemisphere. Monaurally input speech sound signals that reach the contralateral Heschl's gyrus may be processed chiefly and phonologically in the surrounding superior temporal gyrus in the same hemisphere. Comparison of speech activation with reversed speech activation failed to demonstrate a significant difference, which made it difficult to identify the area for lexical and semantic processing.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Efficacy of transmeatal low power laser irradiation on tinnitus: a preliminary report.

Thirty-eight patients suffering from tinnitus resistant to several medical therapies for more than 6 months were treated by low power laser irradiation. A 40 mW laser with a wavelength of 830 nm was irradiated via their external auditory meatus toward the cochlea for 9 min once a week, 10 times or more. Patients were asked to score their symptoms on a 5 point scale before and after the treatment for a subjective evaluation of the effect. The results were estimated by the change of the loudness and duration of tinnitus, and the degree of annoyance due to tinnitus. Although only 26% of the patients had improved duration, loudness and degree of annoyance were relieved in up to 58 and 55%, respectively, without major complication. Laser therapy seemed to be worth trying on patients with intractable tinnitus.

Adult↗

Gas exchange function through the mastoid mucosa in ears after surgery.

Gas exchange function through the mastoid mucosa was investigated in ears after surgery using nitrous oxide. Increase in the mastoid pressure was assessed by a micropressure sensor placed in the mastoid cavity during the second-stage revision operation performed under general anesthesia using 67% nitrous oxide, 33% oxygen, and sevoflurane on 14 ears with chronic adhesive otitis media or cholesteatoma as well as on seven ears without inflammation as controls. All seven control ears showed pressure increase in the mastoid in various degrees. In the 14 postoperative ears, nine of the 10 ears on which the mastoid mucosa had previously been able to be preserved in various degrees showed pressure increase in the mastoid, but none of the remaining four ears, which had previously had mastoidectomy, showed any pressure increase. The presence or absence of the mastoid pressure increase of those ears was also found to be correlated well with the presence or absence of mastoid aeration on computed tomography examined just before the second-stage operation. These results appear to indicate that, in ears after surgery, recovery of both the gas exchange function and aeration in the mastoid is expected only when the mastoid mucosa can be preserved even partially.

Adolescent↗

Recent progress in treating patients with cleft palate.

Over the last 4 decades remarkable progress has been made in the treatment of cleft palate: the rate of attaining normal or nearly normal speech after surgery has risen from about 65% 40 years ago to nearly 90% or more nowadays. One of the main factors is intratracheal intubation anesthesia that has made the surgery much safer and easier. Improved surgical technique and speech therapy also played a great role. This paper deals with two problems: (1) Slight velopharyngeal incompetence: The combined use of fiberscopy and fluorovideoscopy can provide useful information as to: (a) the exact place of the faulty articulation, (b) the detailed pattern of inconsistent velopharyngeal function, (c) changes in articulation induced by speech therapy, and (d) the relation between velopharyngeal function and faulty articulation. All the above information greatly facilitates speech therapy for cleft palate speech. It should be done with utmost care though due to possible adverse effects of radiation. (2) Analysis of faulty articulation. It was revealed that faulty articulations such as laryngeal fricative and affricates, pharyngeal stop, and glottal stop in cleft palate speech, secondary to velopharyngeal incompetence, were produced by articulation in the larynx at various sites such as the epiglottis, arytenoids, aryepiglottic folds and vocal folds. These faulty articulation points were located lower than supposed on the basis of auditory perception.

Adolescent↗

Sound-induced activation of auditory cortices in cochlear implant users with post- and prelingual deafness demonstrated by positron emission tomography.

Changes of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the auditory cortices induced by sound stimulation were examined in nine postlingually and five prelingually deaf cochlear implant (CI) users by 15O-labeled water Positron Emission Tomography, and the results were compared with those of eight normal volunteers. Speech stimulation caused significantly greater rCBF increase compared with noise stimulation in the auditory association area in normal and postlingually deaf subjects. In prelingually deaf subjects, however, speech activation of the auditory association area was much less than that found in either of the other two groups. Neuronal networks for speech sound processing in the auditory association area in postlingually deaf individuals are thought be similar to those in normal subjects, while those in prelingually deaf patients who received CI after the speech acquisition period may not develop completely.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Influence of the upper respiratory tract infection on tubal compliance in children with otitis media with effusion.

To clarify the influence of inflammation on tubal compliance in children with otitis media with effusion (OME), we investigated the change of compliance of the ET by upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in 18 children (23 ears) with OME using the forced response test. The tubal compliance index (TCI), the ratio of passive tubal resistances at two different airflow rates, significantly increased during URTI represented by acute rhinitis or paranasal sinusitis in comparison with non-URTI periods (paired t-test: t = 4.14, p < 0.001). In nine ears, the TCI could be followed for some months after that, during which the children had had URTI several times. A clear reproducible correlation was found between the presence or absence of URTI and the TCI values; the TCI values increased again during URTI and decreased after the URTI periods. These results seemed to support our hypothesis that compliance of the ET may depend not only on the property of the cartilaginous framework of the ET but also upon the mucosal condition.

Child↗

Tinnitus remission by lidocaine demonstrated by auditory-evoked magnetoencephalogram. A preliminary report.

An auditory-evoked magnetic field was recorded before and during tinnitus remission induced by an intravenous lidocaine injection. One and 4 kHz probe tones were presented monaurally in four tinnitus patients, and the responses were recorded using a 122-channel magnetometer. Three normal volunteers were also examined as controls. In tinnitus patients, the N100 m peak became sharper, while there was no marked change except for slight reduction in amplitude in normal subjects. Tinnitus remission by lidocaine may be related to attenuation of a masking-like effect of tinnitus on the sound-evoked responses.

Aged↗

Effects of adenoidectomy on sinusitis.

Effect of adenoidectomy on sinusitis was investigated in 78 children (aged 5 to 7) with adenoid vegetation, sinusitis and otitis media with effusion. After a 6 month period, improvement of the sinusitis was observed in 25 of the 45 children (56%) in the adenoidectomized group, and only in 8 of the 33 children (24%) in the non-adenoidectomized group. This was statistically significant in the adenoidectomized group (mean 2 = 7.65, p < .01). Through nasopharyngeal endoscopy in the adenoidectomized children in the 6 months following surgery, we noted decreased evidence of infection and/or inflammation. These findings may indicate that adenoidectomy is effective for sinusitis in children.

Adenoidectomy↗

Light-weight and low-cost infrared CCD eye monitoring system designed for routine vestibular clinic use.

A simple and low-cost eye monitoring system with infrared illumination was developed. This system consists of a small board mounted with an infrared sensitive CCD camera and its control unit and a swimming goggle; it is light-weight and visualizes eye movements by connecting the output lines of the board to the video input on a monitor. We have found the present system useful in the routine vestibular clinic practice.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗