Avaliação do efeito da cafeína no teste vestibular

Effects of 12 weeks of caffeine supplementation and Zumba training on postural balance and cognitive performances in middle-aged women

The researchers aimed to examine the effect of 12-week supplementing (100 mg/day) caffeine with Zumba training on postural and cognitive performances in middle-aged women. Fifty-six middle-aged women who participated in this study, were randomized into; a caffeine-Zumba (CZG), Zumba (ZG) and control groups. In two-testing sessions, postural balance was evaluated using a stabilometric platform, and for cognitive performances, Simple Reaction Time and Corsi Block-Tapping Task tests were used. We found that ZG and CZG showed a significant improvement in postural balance on the firm surface condition (p < .05) in the post- compared to pretest session. Whereas, ZG showed no significant improvement in postural performance on the foam surface condition. Only CZG revealed significant enhancements (p < .05) in cognitive and postural, in the foam surface condition, performances. In conclusion, supplementing caffeine with 12-week Zumba training was effective in improving both cognitive and postural balance, even in challenging conditions, performances in middle-aged women.

Mental tasking and rotary Chair-Induced vestibular nystagmus utilizing Video-Oculography

Objective: To investigate whether the use of mental tasking, when compared to no mental task, affects measurement of nystagmus response with regard to gain, phase & symmetry, and artefact when utilising video-oculography (VOG) as the measurement technique in rotary chair testing (RCT).Design: A within-subject repeated-measures design was utilised.Study samples: Seventeen (17) healthy adults were evaluated (age 22-25 years). Each participant underwent slow harmonic acceleration (SHA) testing for 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, and 0.16 Hz using RCT at two separate counterbalanced visits. At one visit mental tasking was utilised while the other visit did not utilise mental tasking. The following outcomes were measured for each visit: gain, phase, symmetry, and artefact.Results: No significant difference between the tasking conditions with regard to gain, phase, symmetry, or artefact. Significant frequency affects were noted, as expected, for gain, phase, and artefact. Analysis of individual subject data did, however, describe significant effects of tasking with regard to gain, phase, symmetry, and artefact.Conclusion: These results suggest that the use of mental tasking during RCT using VOG had no significant group effect on SHA gain, phase, symmetry, and artefact. However, individual subject effects were observed indicating variability in the effects of mental tasking during RCT.

Triagem otoneurológica em operários da construção civil que executam trabalho em altura

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a prevalência de sinais e sintomas otoneurológicos em operários da construção civil do campus saúde da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) que trabalham expostos à altura. Métodos: estudo observacional transversal constituído por 33 trabalhadores da construção civil. Foi utilizado o Protocolo Ofício de Gestão de Diagnóstico Otoneurológico composto por anamnese, provas vestibulares realizadas por meio de Dix-Hallpike e nistagmo de posição, avaliação da dinâmica vestibular utilizando a prova de Head Shaking, provas de equilíbrio estático, dinâmico, cerebelares, investigação complementar dos pares cranianos, conclusão/conduta e orientação. Os dados foram lançados em planilha do programa SPSS versão 13.0, sendo consideradas significantes as diferenças que apresentaram nível de significância de até 5%. Resultados: todos os participantes eram do gênero masculino. A média de idade foi de 38,1 anos, variando de 21 a 65 anos. Um terço dos participantes apresentaram alteração na triagem devido a queixa de equilíbrio e/ou zumbido. Por meio do teste Qui-Quadrado foi possível observar diferença estatisticamente significante entre o grupo com queixa de equilíbrio para as variáveis de distúrbios circulatórios, cefaleia e uso de medicamentos, sendo que este último estatisticamente significante também no grupo com queixa de zumbido. Conclusão: um terço dos trabalhadores da construção civil que executam trabalho em altura apresentou triagem otoneurológica sugestiva de alteração.

Effects of cigarette smoke inhalation and coffee consumption on bone formation and osseous integration of hydroxyapatite implant

The present study aims to assess the effects of cigarette smoke inhalation and/or coffee consumption on bone formation and osseous integration of a dense hydroxyapatite (DHA) implant in rats. For this study, 20 male rats were divided into four groups (n = 5): CT (control) group, CE (coffee) group, CI (cigarette) group and CC (coffee + cigarette) group. During 16 weeks, animals in the CI group were exposed to cigarette smoke inhalation equivalent to 6 cigarettes per day; specimens in the CE group drank coffee as liquid diet; and rats in the CC group were submitted to both substances. In the 6th week a 5 mm slit in the parietal bone and a 4 mm slit in the tibia were performed on the left side: the former was left open while the latter received a DHA implant. As soon as surgeries were finished, the animals returned to their original protocols and after 10 weeks of exposure they were euthanised (ethically sacrificed) and the mentioned bones collected for histological processing. Data showed that exposure to cigarette smoke inhalation and coffee consumption did not interfere in weight gain and that solid and liquid diet consumption was satisfactory. Rats in the CC group showed a decrease in bone neoformation around the tibial DHA implant (31.8 ± 2.8) as well as in bone formation in the parietal slit (28.6 ± 2.2). On their own, cigarette smoke inhalation or coffee consumption also led to diminished bone neoformation around the implant and delayed the bone repair process in relation to the CT group. However, reduction in the bone repair process was accentuated with exposure to both cigarette smoke inhalation and coffee consumption in this study.

Interpretation and use of caloric testing

Caloric testing is an otoneurologic evaluation of the status of the vestibular-ocular reflex; it allows an evaluation of each labyrinth separately. The main aspects on the use and interpretation of caloric testing are reviewed.

Method

A systematic review of papers published in the past one hundred years on caloric testing was undertaken. The inclusion criteria were: cross-sectional, longitudinal, original articles, reviews and meta-analyses. Reviews of patient charts, case reports and editorials were excluded. The key-words were: caloric testing, nystagmus, vestibular system, directional preponderance, labyrinth predominance, monothermal caloric test, ice water caloric testing, Bell´s phenomenon. The databases were: COCHRAINE, MEDLINE, LILACS, CAPES.

Results

Ninety-three of 818 abstracts fulfilled the inclusion criteria. After reading these articles, 55 were selected for this study. These papers discussed the basics of caloric testing, the types of stimulation, the interpretation of results, variables, artifacts, and the monothermal and ice water caloric test.

Final comments

Caloric testing reference values may vary according to each unit; the the cutoff point is defined based on local studies. Attention to the technique is essential to maximize test sensitivity.

Interpretação e utilidade da prova calórica

A prova calórica é o teste da avaliação otoneurológica que verifica a integridade do reflexo vestíbulo-ocular e possibilita avaliar cada labirinto separadamente. Os principais aspectos relacionados à realização, interpretação e utilidade da prova calórica foram revistos. MÉTODOS: Realizou-se revisão sistemática sobre as publicações ocorridas nos últimos cem anos sobre o assunto. Incluíram-se artigos originais transversais e longitudinais, de revisão e meta-análise. Excluíram-se revisões de papeleta, relatos de caso e editoriais. Os descritores utilizados foram: prova calórica, nistagmo, sistema vestibular, preponderância direcional, predomínio labiríntico, teste calórico monotermal, teste calórico com água gelada, fenômeno de Bell. Pesquisou-se as bases de dados COCHRAINE, MEDLINE, LILACS, CAPES. RESULTADOS: De 818 resumos de artigos, selecionou-se inicialmente 93 que preenchiam os critérios de inclusão. A leitura dos artigos resultou na seleção final de 55. Na análise dos artigos, enfatizou-se na discussão fundamentos da prova calórica, tipos de estimulação utilizados, prova calórica monotermal e com água gelada, questões relacionadas à interpretação dos resultados, variáveis e artefatos. COMENTÁRIOS FINAIS: os valores de referência utilizados na prova calórica podem variar de serviço para serviço, com ponto de corte definido a partir de estudos locais. Semiotécnica cuidadosa é fundamental para elevar a sensibilidade do exame.