OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to compare the magnitude of gender difference in speech-evoked auditory brainstem response results between monaural and binaural stimulations.
METHODS: A total of 34 healthy Asian adults aged 19-30 years participated in this comparative study. Eighteen of them were females (mean age=23.6±2.3 years) and the remaining sixteen were males (mean age=22.0±2.3 years). For each subject, speech-evoked auditory brainstem response was recorded with the synthesized syllable /da/ presented monaurally and binaurally.
RESULTS: While latencies were not affected (p>0.05), the binaural stimulation produced statistically higher speech-evoked auditory brainstem response amplitudes than the monaural stimulation (p<0.05). As revealed by large effect sizes (d>0.80), substantive gender differences were noted in most of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response peaks for both stimulation modes.
CONCLUSION: The magnitude of gender difference between the two stimulation modes revealed some distinct patterns. Based on these clinically significant results, gender-specific normative data are highly recommended when using speech-evoked auditory brainstem response for clinical and future applications. The preliminary normative data provided in the present study can serve as the reference for future studies on this test among Asian adults.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this observational study was to measure the prevalence of the presence of the anterior loop and to estimate sex and ethnicity-related variations in anterior loop length in the Malaysian population.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 100 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files were selected from a pool of 810 ongoing or completed patients in 3 different ethnic groups: Malay (33), Indian (33), and Chinese (34). The DICOM data were imported into commercial software. The IAN was traced with software along with the anterior loop and part of the incisive nerve. The vertical length of the nerve was estimated from the canal to the opening of the mental foramen from the cross-sectional view and translated to the panoramic view. Measurement was made from this point to the most anterior point of the anterior loop by following the trajectory of the nerve and was repeated on the opposite side. A 2-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was carried out to evaluate the sex- and ethnicity-related variations (α=.05).
RESULTS: The anterior loop was present in 94% of the 100 participants. Overall anterior loop length (AnLL) ranged between 0.73 and 7.99 mm with a mean length of 3.69 ±1.75 mm on the left side and 3.85 ±1.73 mm on the right side. Among all participants, no statistically significant differences were found between the left and right sides of the mandible (P=.379). Overall, no significant main effect of ethnicity (P=.869) or sex (P=.576) was found on AnLL measurements. Also, with multiple comparisons, no significant effect was found between each pair of ethnic groups. Men in all 3 ethnic groups had greater AnLL than women.
CONCLUSIONS: The anterior loop was present in 94% of the 100 participants among the 3 major ethnic groups of Malaysia. Overall AnLL ranged between 0.73 and 7.99 mm and mean lengths of 3.69 ±1.75 mm on the left side and 3.85 ±1.73 mm on the right side, with no significant ethnicity- or sex-related variations.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This study was conducted using the motion analysis technique with the reflex responses measured in terms of knee angles. Forty healthy subjects were selected and categorized into three different age groups. Patellar reflexes were elicited from both the left and right patellar tendons of each subject at three different tapping angles and using the Jendrassik maneuver. The findings suggested that age has a significant effect on the magnitude of the reflex response. An angle of 45° may be the ideal tapping angle at which the reflex can be elicited to detect age-related differences in reflex response. The reflex responses were also not influenced by gender and were observed to be fairly symmetrical.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Neurologically normal individuals will experience an age-dependent decline in patellar reflex response.
METHODS: In the Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team (MyHEART) study, 1071 healthy secondary school students, aged 13 years old, participated in the step test. Parameters for body composition measures were body mass index z-score, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist height ratio. The step test was conducted by using a modified Harvard step test. Heart rate recovery of 1 minute (HRR1min) and heart rate recovery of 2 minutes (HRR2min) were calculated by the difference between the peak pulse rate during exercise and the resting pulse rate at 1 and 2 minutes, respectively. Analysis was done separately based on gender. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the association between the HRR parameters with body composition measures, while multiple regression analysis was used to determine which body composition measures was the strongest predictor for HRR.
RESULTS: For both gender groups, all body composition measures were inversely correlated with HRR1min. In girls, all body composition measures were inversely correlated with HRR2min, while in boys all body composition measures, except BMI z-score, were associated with HRR2min. In multiple regression, only waist circumference was inversely associated with HRR2min (p=0.024) in boys, while in girls it was body fat percentage for HRR2min (p=0.008).
CONCLUSION: There was an inverse association between body composition measurements and HRR among apparently healthy adolescents. Therefore, it is important to identify cardio-metabolic risk factors in adolescent as an early prevention of consequent adulthood morbidity. This reiterates the importance of healthy living which should start from young.