Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus is the most prevalent endocrine disease. It causes several complications, such as retinopathy and nephropathy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus on sensory-neuron auditory impairment.       Materials and Methods: We conducted this case - control study during the years of 2006-2008 with the collaboration of Mashhad Diabetes Center and the Audiometric Clinic at Ghaem Hospital. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 300 diabetic patients, as the case group and 300 persons as the control group entered this study. These two groups were matched by sex and age. Audiometric examinations, consisting of Pure Tone Audiometric Test, Diapason Tests and Autoscopy were administered on the participants in the present study.Results: There was a significant difference between control and case groups in sensory-neuron auditory impairment at high and low-median frequencies. Also, there was not any association between the duration of the disease and the level of sensory-neuron auditory impairment (P>0.05). In addition, the findings indicate a significant relationship between the complicated and uncomplicated groups in terms of the level of sensory-neuron auditory impairment at high frequencies. Patients with type II Diabetes Mellitus showed prominent sensory-neuron auditory impairment at high and low-median frequencies, as compared to the control group (P<0.05). There was not such association in Type I Diabetes Mellitus (P>0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between two types of Diabetes Mellitus in the level of sensory-neuron auditory impairment. which was prominent in high frequencies (P<0.05). Also, this study showed that there was not any sex difference in the sensory-neuron auditory impairment (P>0.05).Conclusion: We propose the necessity of administrating regular audiometric examinations for the patients with diabetes mellitus. Early detection of sensory-neuron auditory impairment can decrease its progression due to better glycemic control.

Background and Aim: Historically, the prevailing view about hearing impaired people may focus primarily on their disability, which leads to a sense of inadequacy and failure in these individuals. But recent views about hearing impaired people focuses on positive psychology, mental health issues, and their ability and competence to manage their independent living, which all are linked to the concept of resilience. This study provided an overview of resilience in the hearing impaired.Material and Methods: In order to review the concept of resilience in the hearing impaired patients, we used PubMed, Elsevier, ProQuest and Google scholar database and text books in the field of hearing impairment between years of 1979 to 2013, Using “resilience”, “hearing impairment” and “deaf” as keywords.Results: Resilience is a dynamic process in human development which is interaction with one’s personality and environmental factors. This process is not a fixed feature and can change and be improved. Protective factors of resilience are individual, familial or environmeal which can be used as starting points to design and implement clinical interventions for impaired hearing people and their families.

Background and Aim: Children with sensory impairments can bring stress to their parents. The purpose of this study was to compare per-ceived social support in mothers of children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, and typically developing children in Shiraz City, Iran. Methods: The study sample consisted of 139 mothers of normal children and children with sensory impairment (50 mothers of children with hearing impairment, 39 mothers of children with visual impairment, and 50 mothers of typ-ically developing children). The Multidimensio-nal Scale of Perceived Social Support was used to measure perceived social support. One-way ANOVA and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were respectively used for analy-zing the total score of perceived social support and the scores of its subscales. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between perceived social support and its subscales among mothers of chi-ldren with hearing impairment, mothers of chi-ldren with visual impairment and mothers of typically developing children. So, perceived social support and its subscales in mothers of children with hearing impairment and mothers of children with visual impairment are signifi-cantly lower than mothers of typically develop-ing children (p < 0. 01). It should be noted that there was no significant difference in perceived social support between mothers of children with hearing impairment and mothers of children with visual impairment. Conclusion: The provision of counseling servi-ces and the implementation of appropriate inter-ventions for mothers of children with hearing impairment and mothers of children with visual impairment is necessary.

Introduction: Hearing impairment is a type of children's sensory disorder that cause problems in the daily life of children and parents. This research aimed to determine the effect of sensory-motor training on fine motor skills and the psychological well-being of children with hearing impairment.Methods: This applied research was a quasi-experimental type with a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population included children with a hearing impairment from the elementary exceptional student education center in Ardabil City. To participate in this research, the hearing threshold of each student was measured using an audiometer. By using the convenience sampling method, 20 samples were selected and assigned to two control (N=10) and experimental (N=10) groups. The measurement tools included Peabody Developmental Motor Scale (PDMS) for fine motor skills and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for psychological well-being assessment. No training was given to the groups before the intervention. The experimental group performed 45-minute sessions of sensory-motor integration training for eight weeks and six days a week, by imitating the coach's movements and trying to coordinate with the group at the same time. The control group participated in daily activities. The analysis of the covariance (ANCOVA) test was used for statistical analysis.Results: sensory-motor integration training had a significant effect on improving children's fine motor skills and well-being and cause improvement in the levels of both factors.Conclusion: Participating in sensory-motor training can be of great help in reducing motor and psychological problems of children with hearing impairment.

Despite the prevalence of hearing disorders in human, contemporary therapeutic measures are limited to rehabilitation with amplification or implantable electronic prosthesis. Without a period of learning and adaptation, available therapeutics for hearing-impaired patients do not provide perfect and sufficient hearing. In other words, hearing aids and cochlear implants which are considered as the best solutions are not a panacea. Recently, gene transfer as a form of therapeutic procedure has received significant attention as it offers a hope of reversing or curing deafness of genetic and non-genetic origin. In contrast to conventional treatment, the gene therapy approach offers the advantage to restore hearing by normal physiology of hearing system and it has a wide range of therapeutic benefits in curing hearing disorders. This article describes a summary of the first experiments developing gene therapy to cure hearing loss and some of the obstacles that must be overcome if this approach is succeed full.

Background & Aim: Consanguineous marriage is strongly favored in many large human populations. In most parts of South Asia, consanguineous marriage accounts for 20-50% of the total present generation. The effect of consanguinity on hereditary deafness has been well studied and documented. Many authors have suggested that approximately one half of sensory neural hearing loss in children can be attributed to hereditary causes. The aim of this research is to evaluate the prevalence of consanguineous marriage in children with SNHL.Patients & Method: This research was carried out in rehabilitation centers of welfare organization in seven provinces of Iran. 1352 infants and preschool children with SNHL participated in this study. To collect data, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires including personal history, medical history, and hearing loss history. Results: Consanguinity was found among 45.7% of children whose parents were first cousins and 17.2% of children whose parents were second cousins. Hereditary factors were thought to be the cause of bilateral SNHL in 863 children (62.9%). Conclusion: The incidence of hereditary hearing impairment is very high in developing countries compared to developed ones. Prevention seems essential to reduce the incidence of genetic hearing loss. Consanguinity should be discouraged and genetic counseling is to be applied at least for those at risk of developing genetic diseases including hearing impairment.

Objective: Thyroid hormone is necessary for normal development of the auditory system. The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of hearing impairment in congenitally hypothyroid (CH) patients, and its relation with factors such as CH severity and age at starting treatment, during CH screening program in Isfahan.Methods: Hearing acuity was assessed in two groups of children with (94 patients aged 4 months- 3 years) and without CH (450), between 2000-2006. Otoacostic emission (OAE) was performed by a two step method.After two tests without OAE signals bilaterally, they were referred for auditory brainstem response (ABR) test. Subjects with both OAE and ABR abnormal test results were considered to have hearing problem.Obtained data was compared in case and control group and also CH patients with and without hearing impairment.Findings: Three (3.2%) of patients and 1 of control group (0.2%) were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss. The rate of hearing loss was not different significantly in two studied groups (P>0.05). There was no difference between age of starting treatment and first T4 and TSH level in CH patients with and without hearing loss (P>0.05). CH neonates with hearing impairment had thyroid dyshormonogenesis according to the follow up results.Conclusion: The rate of hearing loss was low among our studied CH patients. It may be due to proper management of CH patients. In view of the fact that all CH neonates were dyshormonogentic and considering the relation between certain gene mutations and hearing impairment in CH patients, further studies with larger sample size, with regard to different etiologies of CH should be investigated to indicate the possible gene mutations related to hearing loss in CH.