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The results of previous cross-section studies suggest that childhood hearing impairment may lead to parental psychosocial stress. The present study investigated whether modifications in parental psychic state can be ascertained in connection with the child's treatment events and the child's hearing and speech status, in a prospective study design. Data were available on 116 fathers and mothers regarding the pre—cochlear implant examination or hearing aid fitting of their child. In the course of the child's treatment, parental quality of life improved from a low to a normal level. Among children who were at the stage of pre-examination for a cochlear implant, better hearing and speech capacity was linked to more severe impairment of the parental state. It is emphasized that the parents whose children showed comparatively good language development at the time of pre-examination for a cochlear implant were especially subjected to stress.

We report the successful treatment of a rhythmic, continuing ear click in a patient with palatal tremor with local injections of botulinum toxin into the tensor veli palatini muscle. We could demonstrate that the ear click occurred during contraction of the tensor veli palatini, which opens the eustachian tube. Therefore, we believe that the clicking noise is due to the sudden breakdown of the surface tension within the eustachian tube. Our observations suggest that the ear click is due to rhythmic discharges of the trigeminal nucleus rather than the ambiguous nucleus.

Zinc supplementation is beneficial in some clinical conditions. Histidine has been shown to improve zinc absorption in animals. To test its influence on zinc absorption in humans, we studied the bioavailability of zinc from zinc-histidine complexes as compared to zinc sulfate in 10 healthy volunteers. Ingestion of zinc complexed with histidine at a ratio of 1:2 or 1:12 increased serum-zinc concentration 25% more than ingestion of zinc sulfate. Calculated uptake was 30-40% increased with zinc histidine over zinc sulfate. Urinary excretion was not different with any preparation. Application of 15 mg zinc as zinc histidine 1:2 gave an identical serum-zinc response as 45 mg zinc taken as zinc sulfate. Zinc histidine complexes are better absorbed than zinc sulfate in humans.