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Biomedical subjects

R García-Tapia

Publications and source records attributed to R García-Tapia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Factor analysis and correlation between Dizziness Handicap Inventory and Dizziness Characteristics and Impact on Quality of Life scales.

In order to assess the different dimensions of disability and handicap analyzed in the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and Dizziness Characteristics and Impact on Quality of Life (UCLA-DQ) questionnaires a factor analysis study was done. The instruments used were the corresponding transculturally adapted versions of the originals into Spanish. The study included 337 patients with dizziness, independent of location and etiology, who were able to respond to all the items in the questionnaires given before vestibular testing. Factor analysis was used to determine the structure of both scales; a principal components analysis with orthogonal rotation (Varimax) was conducted on data collected from the patients. A three-factor solution was obtained in the DHI and a two-factor solution for the UCLA-DQ. The factors obtained from the DHI were related to vestibular handicap, vestibular disability and visuo-vestibular disability; the factors from the UCLA-DQ were related to frequency and severity of dizziness. There was no coincidence between the items in each of the factor obtained in the DHI questionnaire and the items in the subscales provided in the original version. The main relation between factors was found between vestibular handicap and frequency. The DHI and UCLA-DQ questionnaires are multidimensional questionnaires for the assessment of the impact of dizziness and provide a model for vestibular disability and handicap.

Adolescent↗

[Cultural adaptation of 2 questionnaires for health measurement in patients with vertigo].

OBJECTIVE: To perform a transcultural adaptation form English to Spanish of two common questionnaires of handicap assessment in vestibular disorders. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS: 337 patients seen for non-acute dizziness from peripheral or central origin in a tertiary referral setting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dizziness Handicap Inventory test and UCLA-Dizziness Questionnaire after transcultural adaptation following the method of translation-backtranslation, expert assessment and statistical validation. RESULTS: The results after cultural adaptation and reliability assessment provide a firm basis to demonstrate the close relation of the Spanish and English version in all the items and their meaning. CONCLUSION: This adapted questionnaires can be used to assess vestibular disability with no loss of metric values of the original version.

Adolescent↗

[Positron-emission tomography (PET) in the diagnosis of malignancy, recurrence, and staging in patients with head and neck tumors].

We report a prospective study with 15 patients with the diagnosis of head and neck tumors. They underwent two types of studies, the radiological one with computed tomography or magnetic resonance image scan and the positron emission tomography (PET) with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Five patients did not receive any treatment before, and the PET was performed to evaluate the possibility of malignancy, to determine the stage of the disease and if a recurrence was suspected. The study with the PET has the advantage of detecting small lesions and it is not influenced by radiotherapy or surgery.

Adolescent↗

Cerebral auditory plasticity and cochlear implants.

Previous animal research and clinical experiences in humans suggest the existence of an auditory critical period in language acquisition. We review the literature and present the changes within the cochlear nuclei in bilaterally deafferentated adult non-human primates. We also present and analyse the results of 98 prelingually deaf children and teenagers who underwent a cochlear implantation at the University of Navarra. Patients received a Nucleus 22 or 24 multichannel cochlear implant (CI). They were grouped in five categories according to their age at surgery. Performance is compared with a control group of 58 postlinguals. Only early-implanted prelingual children (before 6 years of age) achieved a complete open-set speech recognition, even with better performance than postlinguals. These results clearly demonstrate the existence of a period of high neural auditory plasticity within the first 6 years of life. The introduction of auditory stimulation with a CI can not restore the loss of neural plasticity out of this period. Prelingual children under 6 years of age should receive a CI as soon as there is a reliable diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

Adolescent↗

[Study of surgical complications and technical failures (correction of technical defects) of cochlear implants].

INTRODUCTION: Cochlear implants (CI) have proved their clinical efficacy and have overcome a routine treatment for profound sensorineural impairment. In the present paper we review our CI program concerning surgical complications and equipment failures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One-hundred and thirty-five patients (69 younger and 66 older than 14 years of age) are subjects of the study. They suffered from pre-lingual (86 cases) or post-lingual (49 cases) profound bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment, and all of them received a Mini Nucleus 22 CI in our CI program. We analyze minor and major surgical complications and also CI and external equipment failures. RESULTS: In 6.1% of the patients (8 cases) a surgical complication occurred, 3 of them flap-related complications. In 2 of these cases (1.54%) complications were major. Three patients (2.17%) developed a complete CI failure, while in 8 cases malfunction of one or more electrodes was detected. Cumulative survival of CI was 87 months, without significant differences related to age or gender. Cumulative survival of the processors was 78.6 months, without significant differences related to the type of processor (MSP or Spectra) or gender but related to the age. The microphone failed in 42.2% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: The CI is a low-morbidity treatment with adequate characteristics of durability and reliability. Nevertheless, some of the external components remain quite vulnerable.

Adolescent↗

Use of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions for auditory evaluation in Menière's disease.

Otoacoustic emissions are a relatively new tool for assessment of inner ear function. We studied 65 patients diagnosed as having Menière's disease. In order to obtain and characterize responses at different frequencies we used distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). In unilateral cases, the difference in response between ears on the diseased and healthy sides was evident at all frequencies. In the former the result was lower than expected for a group of normally hearing subjects, while in the latter it was better than expected according to pure tone averages. Reduction in amplitude and increment in threshold of the DPOAE in the diseased ear was a significant finding and could be correlated to the stage of the disease. In those subjects treated with Betahistine after 1 year's follow-up, DPOAE testing showed the recovery of response at low frequencies and a reduction of its threshold at all frequencies studied.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in normally hearing subjects.

The finding of active function by the outer hair cells for sound processing prior to neural transduction in the inner hair cells represents the basic mechanism for the generation of Otoacoustic Emissions in the cochlea. Among them the so-called Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions represent a tool for an in depth knowledge of the Organ of Corti micromechanics, more advantageous than others, based on their properties, that makes possible an objective frequency-specific study: The response in a group of normally hearing subjects is presented and characterized to ascertain the basic features to be used in further testing of deaf people.

Acoustics↗

[Vestibular suppression].

Evaluation of the function was carried out by using unilateral caloric test in different arousal status. The goal of this investigation is to further investigate the normal parameters of vestibular function. Maximum speed, latency, frequency, medium speed and number of beats of the slow component of nystagmus were calculated, as well as, the morphological pattern of the standard outline. Voluntary suppression of vestibular response was tested. A test request method was proposed as the best way to fix attention of subjects.

Adult↗

[Reconstruction of oropharyngeal defects with lateral arm flap].

The lateral arm flap, is a fasciocutaneous flap with great versatility, but underused in head and neck reconstruction. Its qualities include a intermediate thickness between the radial forearm flap and the pectoralis major, ideal to reconstruct oropharyngeal defect, a consistent vascular pedicle, a pliable soft tissue and a low donor site morbidity. Use of this flap does not require the sacrificing of a major feeding vessel to the arm. We have chosen this technique to reconstruct four cases with surgical defects in oral cavity and oropharynx. The anatomic and functional results have been satisfactory and the complications rate is comparable to other microvascular techniques. We think that the lateral arm free flap is a useful reconstructive technique in specific areas of head and neck.

Adult↗

[Synchronous osteochondroid hamartoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx].

BACKGROUND: Soft-tissue tumors of the larynx are rare, especially hamartomas. Fewer than a dozen well-documented cases have been described. We report the case of a 65 year-old man diagnosed of a synchronous epithelial tumor of the right vocal fold and a soft-tissue tumor of the contralateral lamina of the thyroid cartilage. METHODS: CT scan revealed a low-attenuating, expansive mass involving the left ala of the thyroid cartilage without airway compromise airway. The lesion contained small, scattered calcifications and the mucosa was intact, suggesting a cartilaginous tumor. The patient underwent endoscopic resection of the right vocal fold tumor and subtotal resection of the left ala of the thyroid via median thyrotomy. RESULTS: Pathology revealed a squamous-cell carcinoma of the vocal fold and an osteochondroid hamartoma within the thyroid cartilage. The management of patients with laryngeal lesions suggestive of a cartilaginous nature is discussed. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first case of a synchronous laryngeal hamartoma and carcinoma reported in the literature.

Aged↗

[Health measurement instruments in patients with vertigo].

OBJECTIVE: Compare disability and handicap in patients with dizziness by means of two questionnaires. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS: 337 patients seen for non-acute dizziness from peripheral or central origin in a tertiary referral setting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Spanish version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory test and UCLA-Dizziness Questionnaire after transcultural adaptation following the method of translation-back-translation. RESULTS: We obtained a good correlation between the frequency of dizzy spells and quality of health as perceived by the patient; also there was good correlation between the intensity of each spell and limitation for performance of daily activities. Quality of life is mainly related to handicap in these patients. CONCLUSION: Vertigo, as a non-fatal health outcome, can be studied following the two main conceptual frameworks of Impairment, Disabilities and Handicap and Health-Related Quality of Life.

Activities of Daily Living↗

[Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in Ménière's disease].

We present the results of the distortion product otoacustic emission testing performed in 24 patients diagnosed of Ménière's disease. Significant differences in the evoked response of both normal and pathologic ears, and a correlation between lesion degree and auditive impairment, were found. On the other hand, response of the normal ears was lower than in a same age, normal-hearing subjects group.

Adult↗

[Clinical application of free microvascular flaps in reconstructive surgery of the oral cavity].

We present the results of reconstructive surgery after different surgical resections in the oral cavity. Reconstruction of the defects was made using free microvascularized flaps. We used a free radial fasciocutaneous or osteocutaneous flap in every case, with a 100% of viability and a low complication rate. This technique is widely versatile in the reconstruction of different oral defects, offering an adequate replacement of oral mucosa.

Aged↗