| 1. |
- Cros, Olivier, 1975-
(författare)
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Image Analysis and Visualization of the Human Mastoid Air Cell System
- 2015
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- From an engineering background, it is often believed that the human anatomy has already been fully described. Radiology has greatly contributed to understand the inside of the human body without surgical intervention. Despite great advances in clinical CT scanning, image quality is still related to a limited amount X-ray exposure for the patient safety. This limitation prevents fine anatomical structures to be visible and, more importantly, to be detected. Where such modality is of great advantage for screening patients, extracting parameters like surface area and volume implies the bone structure to be large enough in relation to the scan resolution.The mastoid, located in the temporal bone, houses an air cell system whose cells have a variation in size that can go far below current conventional clinical CT scanner resolution. Therefore, the mastoid air cell system is only partially represented on a CT scan. Any statistical analysis will be biased towards air cells of smaller size. To allow a complete representation of the mastoid air cell system, a micro-CT scanner is more adequate. Micro-CT scanning uses approximately the same amount of X-rays but for a much longer exposure time compared to what is normally allowed for patients. Human temporal bone specimens are therefore necessary when using such scanning method. Where the conventional clinical CT scanner lacks level of minutes details, micro-CT scanning provides an overwhelming amount of fine details.Prior to any image analysis of medical data, visualization of the data is often needed to learn how to extract the structures of interest for further processing. Visualization of micro-CT scans is of no exception. Due to the high resolution nature of the data, visualization of such data not only requires modern and powerful computers, but also necessitates a tremendous amount of time to adjust the hiding of irrelevant structures, to find the correct orientation, while emphasising the structure of interest. Once the quality of the data has been assessed, and a strategy for the image processing has been decided, the image processing can start, to in turn extract metrics such as the surface area or volume and draw statistics from it. The temporal bone being one of the most complex in the human body, visualization of micro-CT scanning of this bone awakens the curiosity of the experimenter, especially with the correct visualization settings.This thesis first presents a statistical analysis determining the surface area to volume ratio of the mastoid air cell system of human temporal bone, from micro-CT scanning using methods previously applied for conventional clinical CT scannings. The study compared current resul s with previous studies, with successive downsampling the data down to a resolution found in conventional clinical CT scanning. The results from the statistical analysis showed that all the small mastoid air cells, that cannot be detected in conventional clinical CT scans, do heavily contribute to the estimation of the surface area, and in consequence to the estimation of the surface area to volume ratio by a factor of about 2.6. Such a result further strengthens the idea of the mastoid to play an active role in pressure regulation and gas exchange.Discovery of micro-channels through specific use of a non-traditional transfer function was then reported, where a qualitative and a quantitative preanalysis was performed are described. To gain more knowledge about these micro-channels, a local structure tensor analysis was applied where structures are described in terms of planar, tubular, or isotropic structures. The results from this structural tensor analysis, also reported in this thesis, suggest these micro-channels to potentially be part of a more complex framework, which hypothetically would provide a separate blood supply for the mucosa lining the mastoid air cell system.
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| 2. |
- Frodlund, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Vestibular Function After Cochlear Implantation: A Comparison of Three Types of Electrodes
- 2016
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Ingår i: Otology and Neurotology. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 1531-7129 .- 1537-4505. ; 37:10, s. 1535-1540
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the vestibular function after cochlear implantation with different types of electrode arrays. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Academic tertiary referral center. Materials and Methods: Forty three adults underwent first cochlear implantation. Three consecutive series of patients: Group 1 (n = 13) implanted with a precurved electrode, Group 2 (n = 15) implanted with a straight electrode, Group 3 (n = 15) implanted with a flexible electrode. Patients vestibular functions were assessed with pre-and postoperative caloric testing using videonystagmography (VNG). The postoperative reduction of the maximum slow phase velocity (MSPV) in the implanted ear was evaluated. Medical charts were reviewed to evaluate the occurrence of late onset of postoperative vestibular symptoms. Results: Mean reduction of MSPV was 7.6/s (standard deviation [SD] 8.0) in Group 1, 23.1/s (SD 16.6) in Group 2, and 0.1/s (SD 18.5) in Group 3. Significant difference was found between Group 1 and 2 (p amp;lt; 0.030) and between Group 2 and 3 (p amp;lt; 0.001). Group 2 showed a higher prevalence of late onset of clinical vertigo (28.6%) than Group 1 (7.7%) and 3 (6.7%). Conclusion: In this prospective study, significantly larger reductions of caloric responses were found in subjects implanted with a straight electrode compared with subjects implanted with a precurved or flexible electrode. These findings seem to correlate to a higher prevalence of postoperative vertigo.
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| 3. |
- Mattson, Lina, et al.
(författare)
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Potential Involvement of Type I Interferon Signaling in Immunotherapy in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Immunology Research. - : HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORP. - 2314-8861 .- 2314-7156.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Specific immunotherapy (SIT) reverses the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in most patients. Recent studies report type I interferons shifting the balance between type I T helper cell (Th1) and type II T helper cells (Th2) towards Th2 dominance by inhibiting the differentiation of naive Tcells into Th1 cells. As SIT is thought to cause a shift towardsTh1 dominance, we hypothesized that SIT would alter interferon type I signaling. To test this, allergen and diluent challenged CD4(+) T cells from healthy controls and patients from different time points were analyzed. The initial experiments focused on signature genes of the pathway and found complex changes following immunotherapy, which were consistent with our hypothesis. As interferon signaling involves multiple genes, expression profiling studies were performed, showing altered expression of the pathway. These findings require validation in a larger group of patients in further studies.
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| 4. |
- Sharma, Sumit, et al.
(författare)
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Detection of rotavirus- and norovirus-specific IgG memory B cells in tonsils
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Virology. - : WILEY. - 0146-6615 .- 1096-9071. ; 91:2, s. 326-329
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Because rotavirus (RV) and norovirus (NoV) are transmitted through the fecal-oral route, tonsils due to their location within the oropharynx may sample or become infected with these viruses. We investigated if RV and NoV RNA/antigen, or virus-specific memory/plasma B cells can be detected in the tonsils. While neither RV/NoV antigen, nor genomic RNA was detected, 90% (27/30) of tonsils tested had RV- and NoV-specific IgG memory B cells. However, the mechanism explaining how these cells get there (whether because of local induction or homing after induction at other sites) and the role these cells might play during active infection is not yet clear.
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| 5. |
- Sinkvist, David, et al.
(författare)
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Five Year Data and Results of Continuous Quality Improvement Using SKURT
- 2017
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Ingår i: Educational Research Applications. - IL, USA : Gavin Publishers. - 2575-7032. ; 2017:05
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Student rating of teaching isessentialfor attaining and maintaining higheducational quality.A quality improvement system, SKURT,based on digital online weekly combined quantitative, ten-graded scale, and qualitative, open-ended free text, group feedback from medical students was developed. Students rated all educational, non-clerkship, items throughout the entire medical program, spanning eleven terms. The results were semi-publicly available for students and faculty at a Swedish university. This study describes datafrom five-year use of the system,focusing on how the use of SKURT influenced educational items found to be in the most substantial need for improvements.Statistically but hardly practically significant improvement in average feedback grade was found during the observation period (average 7.07 in 2009 to 7.24 in 2013 (p<0.001)).The medical program was already in 2007recognized ascenter of excellent quality in higher education. When analyzing the 18 lectures with lowest outcome in the spring 2009 compared to the fall 2013, five were discontinued. The remaining 13 lectures improved significantly (p<0.001) 116% from 2.94 (SD 0.92) to 6.34 (SD 2.58). A weekly group feedback system employing the principles used in SKURTis useful forimproving the quality of medical education particularlyby improvingthe items with the lowest ratings.
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| 6. |
- Sinkvist, David, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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SKURT: Quality Improvement System with Comprehensive Weekly Digital Student Group Feedback
- 2017
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Ingår i: Educational Research Applications. - : Gavin Publishers. - 2575-7032. ; 2017:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Students’ role in evaluation and rating of teachers and education has been extensively researched for nearly a century. Applied worldwide, students’ ratings account for the majority of the available data.We created a new quality improvement system, SKURT, using digital online weekly combined quantitative, ten-graded scale, and qualitative, open-ended free text, group feedback from medical students. Students rated all educational, non-clerkship, items throughout the entire medical program, spanning eleven terms. The rating process is since 2008 an integral part of a medical program at a Swedish university. The results are, after a screening process, semi-publicly available on-demand, for students and faculty, creating a feedback loop enabling continuous improvement of quality.A thorough literature search of students rating of teaching found no other corresponding weekly group rating system spanning all educational items. Quality improvement systems based on similar principles as SKURT can uncover problem areas that are difficult to find using other rating systems and has the potential to circumvent several biases, risks and shortcomings of traditional rating systems in current use.
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| 7. |
- Zarenoe, Reza, et al.
(författare)
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Motivational Interviewing as an Adjunct to Hearing Rehabilitation for Patients with Tinnitus : A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. - Reston : American Academy of Audiology. - 2157-3107 .- 1050-0545. ; 27:8, s. 669--676
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To test the effects of a brief motivational interviewing (MI) program as an adjunct to hearing aid rehabilitation for patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss.RESEARCH DESIGN: This was a pilot randomized controlled trial.STUDY SAMPLE: The sample consisted of 50 patients aged between 40 and 82 yr with both tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss and a pure-tone average (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) < 70 dB HL. All patients were first-time hearing aid users.INTERVENTION: A brief MI program was used during hearing aid fitting in 25 patients, whereas the remainder received standard practice (SP), with conventional hearing rehabilitation.DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: A total of 46 patients (N = 23 + 23) with tinnitus were included for further analysis. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) were administered before and after rehabilitation. THI was used to investigate changes in tinnitus annoyance, and the IOI-HA was used to determine the effect of hearing aid treatment.RESULTS: Self-reported tinnitus disability (THI) decreased significantly in the MI group (p < 0.001) and in the SP group (p < 0.006). However, there was greater improvement in the MI group (p < 0.013). Furthermore, the findings showed a significant improvement in patients' satisfaction concerning the hearing aids (IOI-HA, within both groups; MI group, p < 0.038; and SP group, p < 0.026), with no difference between the groups (p < 0.99).CONCLUSION: Tinnitus handicap scores decrease to a greater extent following brief MI than following SP. Future research on the value of incorporating MI into audiological rehabilitation using randomized controlled designs is required.
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| 8. |
- Zarenoe, Reza, et al.
(författare)
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Multidisciplinary group information for patients with tinnitus: an open trial
- 2018
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Ingår i: Hearing, Balance and Communication. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2169-5717 .- 2169-5725.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a multidisciplinary group information as a part of a Stepped Care tinnitus management model. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered before and after the group information to evaluate the effects.Method: In total, 627 patients participated in half-day tinnitus information meetings from 2004 to 2011 in our clinic. We retrieved 426 patients for analysis with complete scores on the THI, HADS, and a questionnaire covering background information. These three questionnaires were used before the information meeting, and the THI and HADS at a 1-month follow-up.Results: Significant decreases were found in scores on the THI (p < .001) and the HADS-A (p < .05), pre- and post-information session. However, no significant changes were observed on the HADS-D.Conclusion: An information meeting as a part of multidisciplinary Stepped Care model can be an effective initial approach to manage tinnitus, and serve as a filter for patients who need additional treatment.
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| 9. |
- Zarenoe, Reza, 1969-
(författare)
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Tinnitus in Patients with Sensorineural Hearing Loss : Management, Quality of Life and Treatment Strategies
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Approximately 15% of Swedish people experience tinnitus, but only 2.4% experience severe problems. Treatment modalities for tinnitus vary, but the most common treatment is counseling. The majority of patients with tinnitus report some degree of hearing loss, and hearing aids have been used for many years in patients who suffer from both tinnitus and hearing impairment. The aim of the present thesis was to investigate disease management, determine quality of life and identify treatment strategies for patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss.The first two studies described here are retrospective, descriptive studies of patients who sought care for tinnitus and hearing loss at two Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) clinics in Östergötland County, Sweden, during the years 2004 - 2007. Study I showed that 70% of the cohort had tinnitus; however, many did not initially receive a diagnosis of tinnitus. Information about vertigo, heredity for hearing loss and tinnitus, diabetes history, cardiovascular disease history and other factors related to health was often missing from the patients’ medical records. The results could show that the overall scores using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were higher in female patients than in male patients. Although it is likely that hearing aids would be beneficial for the majority of these patients, 314 (44%) of the 714 total patients had hearing aids. Furthermore, the outcomes from study II demonstrated that a majority of the patients (61%) who were dissatisfied with the care they had obtained had no hearing aids. This finding may indicate that the fitting of hearing aids is an important treatment for patients with both tinnitus and hearing loss.Studies III and IV were prospective studies. Data collection was based on patients who sought care for tinnitus and/or hearing loss at the ENT clinic in Linköping during 2012-2013. In study III, 92 patients were divided into two groups: one group contained individuals with both tinnitus and hearing loss, and the other group contained patients with only hearing loss. The patients were assessed using the Reading Span test, the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) and three questionnaires (the THI, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index) at baseline and follow-up. The results from the age-matched subgroups (n=30+30) generated from the full clinical groups (46+46) showed significantly improved Reading Span test performance and sleep quality in patients with both tinnitus and hearing loss. Similar results were observed in our full clinical population (n=46+46). However, the interpretation of this finding is difficult due to age differences between the groups. In conclusion, hearing aid fitting had a significantly positive impact on working memory capacity and sleep quality in patients with both tinnitus and hearing loss compared with patients with only hearing loss.In study IV, a brief Motivational Interviewing (MI) guide was integrated into the hearing rehabilitation process for 23 patients with both tinnitus and hearing loss, and they were compared against a control group (n=23) of patients with both tinnitus and hearing loss who underwent traditional hearing rehabilitation. The results showed that the patients who received the brief MI guide required fewer visits to complete their hearing rehabilitation compared with the patients in the control group. In addition, there was a significant difference in THI scores between the groups, which indicated that the intervention reduced tinnitus annoyance more in the MI group. Furthermore, both groups showed higher scores at follow-up compared with baseline on the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) scale, which indicated that both approaches showed a positive effect on hearing aid satisfaction.Study V was a retrospective, descriptive study that focused on a part of a Stepped Care model and included patients who participated in half-day tinnitus information meetings from 2004 to 2011 in the audiology clinic at Linköping University Hospital. A total of 426 tinnitus patients with complete questionnaires (the THI and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) were included in the study. The results showed significant decreases in scores on the THI and the anxiety module of the HADS before and after the information session. However, there were no statistically significant changes in the depression module of the HADS.In conclusion, this thesis underscores the importance of hearing impairment, cognitive variables and motivational procedures in the management of tinnitus. Multidisciplinary group information needs to be further validated.
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| 10. |
- Zarenoe, Reza, et al.
(författare)
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Working Memory, Sleep, and Hearing Problems in Patients with Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Fitted with Hearing Aids
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. - : American Academy of Audiology. - 1050-0545 .- 2157-3107. ; 28:2, s. 141-151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Tinnitus is a common condition and there is a need to evaluate effects of tinnitus management in relation to moderating factors such as degree of hearing loss. As it is possible that tinnitus influences concentration, and thus is likely to disturb cognitive processing, the role of cognitive functioning also needs to be investigated.Purpose: To compare a group of patients with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus to a control group with only sensorineural hearing loss (and no tinnitus). To investigate working memory, sleep, and hearing problems measured before and after hearing rehabilitation.Research Design: A prospective study.Study Sample: The sample consisted of 100 patients, 50 with hearing loss and tinnitus, and 50 controls with hearing loss but no tinnitus. All patients were between 40 and 82 yr old and had a pure-tone average (PTA; average of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) ,70 dB HL.Intervention: Patients were tested before and after rehabilitation with hearing aids with regard to their working memory capacity, sleep quality, hearing problems, speech recognition, and tinnitus annoyance.Data Collection and Analysis: Eight patients dropped out of the study. Thus, a total of 92 patients were included for analysis, with 46 in each group. As a consequence of unplanned age and PTA differences between the groups, an age-matched subsample (n 5 30 1 30) was selected for further analysis. Tests including the Reading Span, Hearing-in-Noise Test (HINT), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were administered before and after hearing aid rehabilitation.Results: There were no between-group differences at baseline in the full sample (n 5 92), with the exception of the THI (p , 0.001) and the PSQI (p , 0.002), on which the hearing loss and tinnitus group had significantly higher scores. Pre/post changes were significant for both groups on the Reading Span, and HHIE. However, these improvements were significantly larger for the patients in the hearing loss and tinnitus group on the Reading Span test (p , 0.001) and the PSQI (p , 0.001). Patients with tinnitus and hearing loss also exhibited significantly improved THI scores at follow-up, compared to baseline ( p, 0.001). We conducted the same analyses for the age-matched subsample (n 5 30 1 30). For the baseline data, only the THI (p , 0.001) and the PSQI (p , 0.015) difference remained significant. With regard to the pre/post changes, we found the same differences in improvement in Reading Span ( p , 0.001) and the PSQI (p , 0.015) as in the full sample.Conclusions: Patients with tinnitus benefited from hearing aid rehabilitation. The observed differences in cognitive function were unexpected, and there were larger score improvements on the Reading Span test in the hearing loss and tinnitus group than in the hearing loss group. Patients with tinnitus and hearing loss may receive extra benefit in terms of cognitive function following hearing aid rehabilitation.
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