Piotr H. Skarzynski

By Milaine Dominici Sanfins, Piotr Henryk Skarzynski and Maria Francisca Colella-Santos

For speech and language to develop, an intact and active auditory system is of fundamental importance. The central auditory nervous system (CANS) can be hampered by several occurrences, including otitis media (OM) originating from inflammation in the middle ear and which is often associated with the accumulation of infected (or sometimes noninfected) fluid. OM can have a diffuse effect on cognitive and linguistic abilities, affecting both speech and phoneme perception through a failure to discriminate, store, and reproduce the acoustic contrasts necessary for comprehension. It is especially common in the first years of school. In addition, OM can generate internal noise from the presence of middle ear fluid near the cochlea, which can lead to changes in speech perception, distortion in acoustic images, and a reduction in the speed and accuracy of decoding speech. Evaluating the effectiveness of the CANS is recommended in cases where there have been repeated episodes of OM. Very useful information can be gained from behavioral and electrophysiological tests. The tests allow functional diagnoses to be made and can also reveal clinical and subclinical changes. In this way, they allow information to be collected, which can help in making a prognosis and planning intervention strategies.

Part of the book: The Human Auditory System

By Magdalena B. Skarzynska and Piotr H. Skarzynski

This paper aims to present the role of the therapy of corticosteroids in otorhinolaryngological diseases such as Meniere’s disease, partial deafness, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The effectiveness of treatment depends on many factors, for instance, the duration of the therapy, occurrence or not of adverse reactions, especially in those patients with additional risk factors as comorbidities. Additionally, the optimal way of administration has been widely discussed.

Part of the book: Corticosteroids

By Andrea Ciorba, Piotr H. Skarzynski and Stavros Hatzopoulos

Part of the book: Latest Advances in Cochlear Implant Technologies and Related Clinical Applications