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Journal of Clinical Medicine May 2024: Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign tumor of the eighth cranial nerve formed from neoplastic Schwann cells. Although VS can cause a variety of symptoms, tinnitus is... (Review)
Review
: Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign tumor of the eighth cranial nerve formed from neoplastic Schwann cells. Although VS can cause a variety of symptoms, tinnitus is one of the most distressing symptoms for patients and can greatly impact quality of life. The objective of this systematic review is to comprehensively examine and compare the outcomes related to tinnitus in patients undergoing treatment for VS. Specifically, it evaluates patient experiences with tinnitus following the removal of VS using the various surgical approaches of traditional surgical resection and gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS). By delving into various aspects such as the severity of tinnitus post-treatment, the duration of symptom relief, patient quality of life, new onset of tinnitus after VS treatment, and any potential complications or side effects, this review aims to provide a detailed analysis of VS treatment on tinnitus outcomes. : Following PRISMA guidelines, articles were included from PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and EMBASE. Quality assessment and risk of bias analysis were performed using a ROBINS-I tool. : Although VS-associated tinnitus is variable in its intensity and persistence post-resection, there was a trend towards a decreased tinnitus burden in patients. Irrespective of the surgical approach or the treatment with GKS, there were cases of persistent or worsened tinnitus within the studied cohorts. : The findings of this systematic review highlight the complex relationship between VS resection and tinnitus outcomes. These findings underscore the need for individualized patient counseling and tailored treatment approaches in managing VS-associated tinnitus. The findings of this systematic review may help in guiding clinicians towards making more informed and personalized healthcare decisions. Further studies must be completed to fill gaps in the current literature.
PubMed: 38892775
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13113065 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Apr 2024Auditory nerve (AN) function has been hypothesized to deteriorate with age and noise exposure. Here, we perform a systematic review of published studies and find that...
Auditory nerve (AN) function has been hypothesized to deteriorate with age and noise exposure. Here, we perform a systematic review of published studies and find that the evidence for age-related deficits in AN function is largely consistent across the literature, but there are inconsistent findings among studies of noise exposure history. Further, evidence from animal studies suggests that the greatest deficits in AN response amplitudes are found in noise-exposed aged mice, but a test of the interaction between effects of age and noise exposure on AN function has not been conducted in humans. We report a study of our own examining differences in the response amplitude of the compound action potential N1 (CAP N1) between younger and older adults with and without a self-reported history of noise exposure in a large sample of human participants (63 younger adults 18-30 years of age, 103 older adults 50-86 years of age). CAP N1 response amplitudes were smaller in older than younger adults. Noise exposure history did not appear to predict CAP N1 response amplitudes, nor did the effect of noise exposure history interact with age. We then incorporated our results into two meta-analyses of published studies of age and noise exposure history effects on AN response amplitudes in neurotypical human samples. The meta-analyses found that age effects across studies are robust (r=-0.407), but noise-exposure effects are weak (r=-0.152). We conclude that noise-exposure effects may be highly variable depending on sample characteristics, study design, and statistical approach, and researchers should be cautious when interpreting results. The underlying pathology of age-related and noise-induced changes in AN function are difficult to determine in living humans, creating a need for longitudinal studies of changes in AN function across the lifespan and histological examination of the AN from temporal bones collected post-mortem.
PubMed: 38585917
DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.20.585882 -
Neuro-oncology Mar 2024The choice of an appropriate strategy for intracanalicular vestibular schwannoma (ICVS) is still debated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The choice of an appropriate strategy for intracanalicular vestibular schwannoma (ICVS) is still debated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim to compare treatment outcomes amongst management strategies (conservative surveillance (CS), microsurgical resection (MR), or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)) aiming to inform guideline recommendations on behalf of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS).
METHODS
Using PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed manuscripts published between January 1990 and October 2021 referenced in PubMed or Embase. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed clinical studies or case series reporting a cohort of ICVS managed with CS, MR, or SRS. Primary outcome measures included tumor control, the need for additional treatment, hearing outcomes, and posttreatment neurological deficits. These were pooled using meta-analytical techniques and compared using meta-regression with random effect.
RESULTS
Forty studies were included (2371 patients). The weighted pooled estimates for tumor control were 96% and 65% in SRS and CS series, respectively (P < .001). Need for further treatment was reported in 1%, 2%, and 25% for SRS, MR, and CS, respectively (P = .001). Hearing preservation was reported in 67%, 68%, and 55% for SRS, MR, and CS, respectively (P = .21). Persistent facial nerve deficit was reported in 0.1% and 10% for SRS and MR series, respectively (P = .01).
CONCLUSIONS
SRS is a noninvasive treatment with at least equivalent rates of tumor control and hearing preservation as compared to MR, with the caveat of better facial nerve preservation. As compared to CS, upfront SRS is an effective treatment in achieving tumor control with similar rates of hearing preservation.
Topics: Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Radiosurgery; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Practice Guidelines as Topic
PubMed: 38134966
DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad253 -
Cureus Nov 2023The facial nerve is the seventh of 12 cranial nerves found in the head and neck region that facilitates several nerve fibers and pathways to perform various functions.... (Review)
Review
The facial nerve is the seventh of 12 cranial nerves found in the head and neck region that facilitates several nerve fibers and pathways to perform various functions. Iatrogenic facial nerve injury during surgeries of the head and neck is common, ranging from 4-6%, particularly in procedures that involve mobilization or resection of associated anatomical structures. Any injury to the facial nerve or its branches impacts the quality of life and patient satisfaction as the degree of iatrogenic injury may result in partial or complete facial nerve paralysis. Of the various implementable techniques available to avoid injury, electromyography (EMG) has recently been widely used to monitor facial nerve function intraoperatively to determine the degree of injury and predict postoperative weakness. The purpose of this study was to analyze and review existing scientific literature in determining the role of intraoperative facial nerve monitoring (IFNM) with EMG in decreasing the incidence and degree of intraoperative facial nerve injury among commonly performed surgeries involving the facial nerve. A systematic review was conducted from articles published between September 2006 and December 2022. Suitable articles were identified from the MEDLINE/PubMed databases using relevant terms to meet the inclusion criteria. Articles were subsequently coded based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria as well as the type of surgery performed with concurrent use of EMG and the results from intraoperative monitoring. A total of 47 articles were found in relation to the use of IFNM, including studies to reduce the incidence and determine preventative measures to decrease nerve injury. Eleven articles were used to evaluate the use of EMG during various head and neck surgeries in decreasing the incidence of intraoperative facial nerve injury. Sources found were primarily divided based on the type of surgery performed when determining the use of EMG. Four sources tested the efficacy of EMG during parotidectomy, four sources during vestibular schwannoma resection, two sources during cochlear implant surgeries, and one during a lymphatic malformation surgery. IFNM also decreased the duration of surgery, the severity of facial nerve palsy, and the average time of facial nerve paralysis recovery. IFNM was found to not significantly predict facial nerve injury in the setting of intraoperative nerve injury but tended to preserve potential facial nerve function in vestibular schwannoma cases. The surgical setting determined the efficacy and use of IFNM in decreasing the incidence of facial nerve weakness and paralysis. IFNM had the best preventative and prognostic value when used in vestibular schwannoma resection, and the least in cochlear implants, with mixed evidence seen in the setting of parotidectomy. Overall, IFNM using EMG as an adjunct during surgery may reduce the risk of iatrogenic injury; however, additional studies must be performed to determine the degree of long-term patient satisfaction and quality of life achieved in the setting of IFNM.
PubMed: 38060739
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.48367 -
Laryngoscope Investigative... Oct 2023To systematically review the prevalence and risk factors of inadvertent facial nerve stimulation (FNS) after cochlear implant (CI) surgery. And to report the different... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To systematically review the prevalence and risk factors of inadvertent facial nerve stimulation (FNS) after cochlear implant (CI) surgery. And to report the different management strategies used for reducing and resolving FNS.
DATA SOURCE
Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Virtual Health Library (VHL) of the World Health Organization (WHO).
REVIEW METHODS
A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) on studies that reported FNS as a complication after CI. A comprehensive electronic search strategy was used to identify the relevant articles. We extracted the data on the prevalence of FNS after CI activation, the reported grades, and the management strategies. The number of associated electrodes; cause of deafness; co-anomalies; and duration of hearing loss and their relationships with FNS were also studied.
RESULTS
Twenty-one relevant articles were included in this review. The prevalence of FNS among the CI populations was 5.29% (175/3306 patients). Among those whose ages were reported, 58.3% (95/163) were adults, and 41.7% (68/163) were pediatrics. Modifying the different fitting parameters was the most used strategy, as it successfully resolved FNS in 85.5% of the patients (142/166). The second commonly used management strategy was surgical intervention (reimplantation or explantation), which was reported in seven studies for 23 patients.
CONCLUSION
FNS after CI activation could be controlled and resolved with many advances that range from readjusting the fitting parameters to surgical intervention. However, further studies are required to validate the efficacy of each management strategy and its impact on patients' performance. Our findings demonstrate that CI recipients with FNS could still benefit from the CI devices and their FNS could be controlled.
PubMed: 37899846
DOI: 10.1002/lio2.1121 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Sep 2023Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), a pain-alleviating and muscle-relaxing treatment used in physio-therapeutic clinical practice, has recently appeared... (Review)
Review
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), a pain-alleviating and muscle-relaxing treatment used in physio-therapeutic clinical practice, has recently appeared to be just as effective in dysphonia. This review aimed at clarifying whether TENS can be an effective practice in dysphonia therapy and/or management on its own or combined with other types of interventions and, hence, whether its practice can be a useful, more widespread establishment to speech and language therapy intervention methods. A search was conducted on the PubMed database using specific terms based on the PICO search strategy. Eventually, four randomized controlled studies and four clinical trials were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the physiotherapy evidence-based database (PEDro) assessment tool, and this indicated high-quality research with an average score of 8.43. The studies utilized various TENS devices, predominantly the Dualpex 961 device (frequency of 10 Hz, phase of 200 ms). The assessment methods varied, including auditory perception, vocal therapy, electrostimulation, audio and video perceptual assessments, and laryngeal evaluations. The clinical outcomes of TENS showed a reduction in musculoskeletal pain in various areas, while the acoustic analysis results were significant in only one study. TENS was compared to manual laryngeal therapy (LMT), placebo TENS, and vocal therapy in different studies with mixed results. This review supports the idea that a multidimensional approach, incorporating various therapeutic modalities (TENS, LMT, speech therapy, and vocal training) can yield positive outcomes for patients with voice disorders. Further research is needed to explore the specific mechanisms of action and optimal treatment protocols for TENS in voice therapy.
Topics: Humans; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; Dysphonia; Musculoskeletal Pain; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37893455
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59101737 -
Chinese Medicine Sep 2023Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the main illnesses afflicting the aged population and has a significant negative impact on society, economy, and health.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the main illnesses afflicting the aged population and has a significant negative impact on society, economy, and health. However, there is presently no appropriate therapeutic treatment of ARHL due to the absence of comprehensive trials.
OBJECTIVES
The goal of this review is to systematically evaluate and analyze recent statistics on the pathologic classifications, risk factors, treatment strategies, and drug candidates of ARHL, including that from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), to provide potential new approaches for preventing and treating ARHL.
METHODS
Literature related to ARHL was conducted in databases such as PubMed, WOS, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang from the establishment of the database to Jan, 2023. The pathology, causal factor, pathophysiological mechanism, treatment strategy, and the drug candidate of ARHL were extracted and pooled for synthesis.
RESULTS
Many hypotheses about the etiology of ARHL are based on genetic and environmental elements. Most of the current research on the pathology of ARHL focuses on oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, cochlear blood flow, ion homeostasis, etc. In TCM, herbs belonging to the kidney, lung, and liver meridians exhibit good hearing protection. Seven herbs belonging to the kidney meridian, 9 belonging to the lung meridian, and 4 belonging to the liver meridian were ultimately retrieved in this review, such as Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., Panax ginseng C.A. Mey, and Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi. Their active compounds, 2,3,4',5-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-D-glucoside, ginsenoside Rb1, and puerarin, may act as the molecular substance for their anti-ARHL efficacy, and show anti-oxidative, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, or mitochondrial protective effects.
CONCLUSION
Anti-oxidants, modulators of mitochondrial function, anti-inflammation agents, vasodilators, K channel openers, Ca channel blockers, JNK inhibitors, and nerve growth factors/neurotrophic factors all contribute to hearing protection, and herbs are an important source of potential anti-ARHL drugs.
PubMed: 37730634
DOI: 10.1186/s13020-023-00825-6 -
Neurosurgical Review Jul 2023Proton beam therapy is considered, by some authors, as having the advantage of delivering dose distributions more conformal to target compared with stereotactic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
Proton beam therapy is considered, by some authors, as having the advantage of delivering dose distributions more conformal to target compared with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of proton beam for VSs, evaluating tumor control and cranial nerve preservation rates, particularly with regard to facial and hearing preservation.
METHODS
We reviewed, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) articles published between 1968 and September 30, 2022. We retained 8 studies reporting 587 patients.
RESULTS
Overall rate of tumor control (both stability and decrease in volume) was 95.4% (range 93.5-97.2%, p heterogeneity= 0.77, p<0.001). Overall rate of tumor progression was 4.6% (range 2.8-6.5%, p heterogeneity < 0.77, p<0.001). Overall rate of trigeminal nerve preservation (absence of numbness) was 95.6% (range 93.5-97.7%, I = 11.44%, p heterogeneity= 0.34, p<0.001). Overall rate of facial nerve preservation was 93.7% (range 89.6-97.7%, I = 76.27%, p heterogeneity<0.001, p<0.001). Overall rate of hearing preservation was 40.6% (range 29.4-51.8%, I = 43.36%, p heterogeneity= 0.1, p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Proton beam therapy for VSs achieves high tumor control rates, as high as 95.4%. Facial rate preservation overall rates are 93%, which is lower compared to the most SRS series. Compared with most currently reported SRS techniques, proton beam radiation therapy for VSs does not offer an advantage for facial and hearing preservation compared to most of the currently reported SRS series.
Topics: Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Proton Therapy; Hearing; Cranial Nerves; Facial Nerve; Radiosurgery; Treatment Outcome; Follow-Up Studies; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37402894
DOI: 10.1007/s10143-023-02060-x -
The Journal of International Advanced... Jun 2023The aim of our study was to report rates of facial nerve palsy and residual tumor following surgical intervention and subsequent tumor recurrence in patients with... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The aim of our study was to report rates of facial nerve palsy and residual tumor following surgical intervention and subsequent tumor recurrence in patients with endolymphatic sac tumors. A systematic literature review of preoperative assessment and surgical management is also included. Studies including patient/s affected by sporadic or von Hippel-Lindau disease related endolymphatic sac tumors, reporting levels of facial nerve function, residual and recurrence pathology following a surgical procedure, were considered. Data were combined for proportional meta-analysis, and the selected studies' methodological quality was also evaluated. Overall 34 papers, including 202 subjects (209 cases of endolymphatic sac tumors) were analyzed. Pooled proportion rate (95% CI) of overall facial nerve palsy was 39.7% (28.2-51.9) and residual tumor was 16.5% (10.3-23.7) after surgical procedure. Pooled proportion rate (95% CI) of tumor recurrence was 14.0% (9.7-19.3) during a mean follow-up period of 49.7 months (8-136). Our results showed that preoperative facial nerve function is impaired in almost 30% of patients with endolymphatic sac tumors. Surgical management of endolymphatic sac tumor may cause a worsening of facial nerve function in a low percentage of treated subjects. Residual and/or recurrence of endolymphatic sac tumors are not rare events, and follow-up strategies should be designed accordingly.
Topics: Humans; Endolymphatic Sac; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm, Residual; von Hippel-Lindau Disease; Ear Neoplasms; Bone Neoplasms; Facial Paralysis
PubMed: 37272644
DOI: 10.5152/iao.2023.22957 -
PloS One 2023There is increasing evidence of both central and peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement in COVID-19. We conducted this systematic literature review to investigate...
There is increasing evidence of both central and peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement in COVID-19. We conducted this systematic literature review to investigate the characteristics, management and outcomes of patients with PNS, including the types and severity of cranial nerves (CN) involvement. We systematically searched on PubMed for studies reporting adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and PNS involvement until July 2021. From 1670 records, 225 articles matched the inclusion criteria, with a total of 1320 neurological events, in 1004 patients. There were 805 (61%) CN, 350 (26.5%) PNS, and 165 (12.5%) PNS plus CN events. The most frequently involved CN were the facial, vestibulo-cochlear and olfactory nerve in 27.3%, 25.4% and 16.1%, respectively. Guillain-Barre syndrome spectrum was identified in 84.2% of PNS events. We analysed 328 patients reported in 225 articles with CN, PNS, and PNS plus CN involvement. The patients with CN involvement were younger (mean age 46.2±17.1, p = .003), and were more frequently treated as outpatients (p < .001), mostly with glucocorticoids (p < .001). Patients that had PNS with or without CN involvement were more likely to be hospitalized (p < .001), and to receive intravenous immunoglobulins (p = .002) or plasma exchange (p = .002). Patients with CN, PNS, and PNS plus CN had severe COVID -19 disease in 24.8%, 37.3%, 34.9% respectively. The most common neurological outcome was mild/moderate sequelae in patients with CN, PNS, and PNS plus CN in 54.7%, 67.5% and 67.8% respectively (p = .1) and no significant difference was found between the three categories regarding death, disease severity, time from disease onset to neurological symptoms, lack of improvement and complete recovery. CN involvement was the most frequent PNS finding. All three categories of PNS involvement were rather associated to non-severe COVID-19 but it may be an important cause of hospitalization and post COVID-19 sequelae.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Middle Aged; COVID-19; Guillain-Barre Syndrome; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Plasma Exchange; Peripheral Nervous System
PubMed: 37023030
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283827