[Medical problems of handedness]

Handedness is one example of many forms of behavioral lateralization seen in humans. In the present review the practical relevance and the problems of left-handedness are discussed. Left-handedness has existed in a small subset of the human population, approximately 8%, since the origin of man. The incidence of left-handedness as usually defined is consistent among human populations. An understanding of handedness may lead to valuables clues as to how the brain becomes organised in the way it does. Several authors suggested a pathological handedness explaining the origin of laterality in man. There is a general agreement that sinistrality can occur as a result of pre- or perinatal damage to the left hemisphere. A disproportionate number of sinistrals is found in clinical populations. The review indicates that there is no sure evidence to suggest that left-handedness is a pathological sign.

[Ear drops--therapeutic aspects and application]

Ear drops are widely used in the topical treatment of inflammatory disorders of the external meatus and the eardrum. This paper gives some aspects of the therapeutic effects and installation of ear drops. The role of topical ear drops as a possible cause of ototoxicity is reviewed. Although experimental data confirm the presence of ototoxicity due to topical ear drops, the clinical relevance still remains debatable. The fact that currently used ear drops may produce a sensorineural hearing loss should not be ignored.

[Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis]

Allergic diseases remains an important problem that affects people of all ages. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis amounts to 10 to 16% in Central Europe with a tendency to be on the rise. Allergic rhinitis constitutes one of the commonest causes for visits to a general practitioner. Correct diagnosis is important for optimal management. A thorough history should be taken, followed by general and endoscopic examinations and confirmatory investigations. Careful examination should reveal obvious alternative causes of symptoms, such as polyps or tumours. If allergy is suspected, this can be confirmed by further tests, particularly the skin-prick test, measurements of serum specific IgE, the nasal provocation test of allergens or zytological examination.

[Rhinitis in old age]

The chronic rhinitis is a frequent problem with age. In the nose, normal physiologic changes of aging include loss of nasal tip support, atrophy of mucus-producing mucosal glands, and decreased olfaction. The fragmentation and weakening of the cartilage of the septum also causes airflow changes contributing to nasal stuffiness. These changes contribute to geriatric rhinitis, the symptoms of which are often attributed by the older patient to "allergies" or "sinus trouble". An understanding of these anatomic changes, linked with a thorough history and physical examination, allows the physician to properly manage geriatric rhinitis. Earnest causes like tumors or mycosis must be excluded. The treatment depends on the etiology of the rhinitis and also the symptoms of the patient. Therapy includes avoidance of all sorts of allergens (dust, fumes, sprays) and appropriate attention to minimizing home environmental and occupational exposures. Pharmacotherapy most often involves liquifying--not drying--nasal secretions with oral and topical preparations. Conservative surgical treatment is occasionally indicated.

[Why 2 ears?]

Having two ears instead of just one is advantageous in several respects. The danger of deafness is decreased, the auditory field is enlarged, spatial perception is possible on the basis of binaural disparities. Auditory deprivation presents as loss of discrimination over time in the unaided ear of individuals with a unilateral hearing loss. Earedness and ear preference ensure the choice of the dominant ear for definite actions like eavesdropping, telephone or listen.

Tonguedness in cats

The present study describes a preferential tongue movement in cats, suggesting a so-called "tonguedness" also in animals. 8 cats (66.7%) showed right-tonguedness and 3 left-tonguedness.

[The importance of tuning forks]

Turning fork tests are used routinely by many otologists. A different group of otologists find the tests inconsistent and unreliable. This controversy has probably developed because the audiometer has replaced the tuning fork in hearing measurement. Some principles of the Weber- and Rinne-tuning fork test are shortly described. The necessary control of pure tone audiometry by tuning forks is pointed out. The value particularly in the diagnosis of conductive hearing loss, and the tuning fork's limitations are discussed.

[Nose drops--therapeutic effects and applications]

Nose drops are widely used in the topical treatment of nasal disorders. This paper gives some aspects of the therapeutic effects and installation of nose drops. Nose drops are only used on the nasal mucosa. Their efficacy depend especially on the position of the head adopted during instillation.

[Reference manager EndNote 4. Further development and new functions]

Bibliography database managers are used to manage information resources: specifically, to maintain a database of references and create bibliographies and reference lists for written works. It should offer tools that let you find and retrieve references quickly, and it should be able to produce the bibliography in the format required for a particular publication. There are many computer programs, but very few stands out as truly useful, time saving, and work enhancing. One of them is EndNote. The reference manager EndNote 4 was recently released in Germany and, as long-time fans of this excellent program, we upgraded from the previous version. The use of the software package EndNote 4 for Windows is described, and we want to report about our own experiences with the new version of this database manager. The main reason for getting EndNote 4 is its clearly improved functions and features: for instance a new library window, a better search functions, an automatic updates and completion of term lists and an improved identification of duplicate references. Altogether EndNote 4 provides also an excellent combination of features and ease of use.

[Employment and communication of hearing disabled patients]

Communicative disorders can remain an uncomfortable, costly, and debilitating factor throughout the lives of millions of children and adults. Deafness is a common problem and no age group is spared. Causes of hearing loss are numerous, and may be multifactorial in an individual. Important causes include trauma, including noise and air pressure changes; genetic hearing loss; infection, including rubella; drug damage, metabolic and neoplasia. Prompt detection and management of hearing loss in children is essential to ensure adequate development of language and associated skills. Untreated hearing loss in adults may cause them to withdraw from social activities. The patient with a hearing loss may represent difficult evaluation and management decisions. While individuals with defective hearing have a wide-ranging choice among absolutely attractive occupations, that choice is likely to be narrowed along with growing severity of the handicap. Hazardous, hearing-related, contact, and noisy occupations are not suitable for them. In handling such persons, due consideration should be given not only to the handicap proper but very much also to psychological aspects.