Publications (23) View all
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Article: Prevalence and risk factors for mild and high-frequency bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at age 11 years old: a UK prospective cohort study.
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ABSTRACT: This study aimed to assess prevalence and risk factors for mild/high-frequency bilateral sensorineural hearing loss within a UK population of children at age 11 years. Prospective birth cohort study. Repeat hearing thresholds were measured in 5032 children, as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at age 7, 9, and 11 years. Pregnancy, birth, and early medical history were obtained prospectively through parental questionnaires and medical records. Twenty children had mild and seven had high-frequency bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, giving a combined prevalence of 0.5% (95% CI 0.4-0.8%). These children were more likely than the rest of the study sample to have been admitted to hospital at 6-18 months (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.00-7.30). Parents of these children were more likely to have suspected a hearing problem when the children were 3 years old (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.05-5.60). This is the first UK prospective cohort study to investigate the prevalence of mild and high-frequency hearing loss. This study, which has the advantage of a large sample size and repeat hearing measures over a four year period, reports lower prevalence values than US cross-sectional studies.International journal of audiology 11/2011; 50(11):809-14. · 1.34 Impact Factor -
Article: Gabapentin for tinnitus: a systematic review.
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ABSTRACT: The main aim of this study was to assess the effect of gabapentin on tinnitus via a systematic review. An electronic search of literature as well as a hand search were conducted. Only double-blind randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met all of the inclusion criteria were included in this review. The Cochrane Collaboration tool for risk of bias assessment was used to investigate the validity of the included studies. Meta-analysis was not appropriate due to inadequate details in reporting the data in the included studies. Hence, qualitative synthesis and interpretation of the data were carried out. Two studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Fourteen studies were excluded. There were substantive within-study clinical heterogeneities with regard to the baseline tinnitus handicap scores, duration of tinnitus, and severity of hearing loss in the included double-blind RCTs. The authors of both studies reported that gabapentin was not superior to placebo in their primary outcomes. However, following the assessment of risk of bias and within-study clinical heterogeneities, this review concludes that there is insufficient evidence regarding the effect of gabapentin on tinnitus.American Journal of Audiology 09/2011; 20(2):151-8. · 0.87 Impact Factor -
Article: Balance ability of 7 and 10 year old children in the population: results from a large UK birth cohort study.
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ABSTRACT: The literature contains many reports of balance function in children, but these are often on atypical samples taken from hospital-based clinics and may not be generalisable to the population as a whole. The purpose of the present study is to describe balance test results from a large UK-based birth cohort study. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were analysed. A total of 5402 children completed the heel-to-toe walking test at age 7 years. At age 10 years, 6915 children underwent clinical tests of balance including beam-walking, standing heel-to-toe on a beam and standing on one leg. A proportion of the children returned to the clinic for retesting within 3 months allowing test-retest agreement to be measured. Frequency distributions for each of the balance tests are given. Correlations between measures of dynamic balance at ages 7 and 10 years were weak. The static balance of 10 year old children was found to be poorer with eyes closed than with eyes open, and poorer in boys than in girls for all measures. Balance on one leg was poorer than heel-to-toe balance on a beam. A significant learning effect was found when first and second attempts of the tests were compared. Measures of static and dynamic balance appeared independent. Consistent with previous reports in the literature, test-retest reliability was found to be low. This study provides information about the balance ability of children aged 7 and 10 years and provides clinicians with reference data for balance tests commonly used in the paediatric clinic.International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology 11/2010; 75(1):106-13. · 0.85 Impact Factor -
Article: Prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood balance: a systematic review.
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ABSTRACT: Balance problems in childhood have known adverse psychosocial associations such as poorer quality of life and lower educational achievement. Previous longitudinal studies have documented an adverse effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on a variety of neurodevelopmental outcomes and so an effect on balance would seem plausible. This is supported by a previous laboratory study that found that rats exposed to ethanol in utero have dysfunctional balance and gait. The present study is a systematic review of the current evidence on the effects of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy on offspring balance in childhood. A search strategy was devised and applied in the CENTRAL database (Cochrane Collaboration). Prospective longitudinal studies were then sought using databases including Medline, EMBASE, PsychInfo, CINAHL and AMED. In addition, citations in relevant published papers and books were followed up and experts in the field were contacted. No relevant human experimental studies were found. Four longitudinal studies were found to have assessed balance in preschool children. Only one of these studies suggested strong or substantial effects of alcohol exposure on balance-related outcomes. However, this study appeared the most methodologically robust. In conclusion, at present, there is limited evidence on the possible effects of alcohol exposure on childhood balance.Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 03/2010; 24(2):156-65. · 2.31 Impact Factor -
Article: Dizziness in 10 year old children: an epidemiological study.
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ABSTRACT: Current data about the prevalence and characteristics of dizziness in the paediatric population is very limited and the generalisability of extant studies to the UK population has not been explored. Our study aims to provide a robust estimate of the prevalence of dizziness in 10 year old children in the UK, to describe the characteristics of this dizziness and to explore whether this dizziness is socially patterned. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) was analysed (N=13,988). A total of 6965 of these children attended for a balance assessment session at age 10. Those who reported rotary vertigo were interviewed about their symptoms. Logistic regression was used to explore whether dizziness at age 10 is socially patterned. A total of 400 children reported rotary vertigo, giving a prevalence estimate of 5.7% [CI 5.2, 6.3%]. 13.1-20.6% of children reported experiencing their dizziness between 1 and 4 times a week (depending on the symptom). 51.5% of children had to stop what they were doing because of the dizziness making them feel unwell. A total of 60% of children reported headache as an accompanying symptom, tentatively suggesting a diagnosis of migraine, although there was no association between reports of headache and a maternal family history of migraine. 20.3% of children with dizziness also reported tinnitus and 17.3% reported that their hearing changed when they were dizzy. Dizziness in 10 year old children is not uncommon and in about half limits current activities. Rotary vertigo is commonly accompanied by dizziness of another description and also by headache. There is no evidence that dizziness at this age is socially patterned.International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology 03/2011; 75(3):395-400. · 0.85 Impact Factor
