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The changing landscape of thyroid and parathyroid surgery

How has clinical practice in the management of thyroid and parathyroid disease has evolved in recent years? I perform very few head & neck operations where the patient tells me just one week following surgery that they ‘feel much better’....

Biologic therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a new paradigm

Surgery for nasal polyposis has evolved significantly in the last 30 years, and now the medical management may be on the cusp of a revolution. Biologics using monoclonal antibodies to target specific immune pathways have introduced a paradigm shift in...

The integration of targeted therapy and surgery in advanced thyroid cancer clinical trials

One of the headline speakers, Mark Zafereo, will be talking at IFOS about thyroid cancer. We hear from his team about some of the areas they will be discussing. Locally advanced thyroid cancer generally refers to patients who have significant...

Developmental stuttering: a speech-motor impairment with sensory aspects

In treating patients who stutter, understanding the effects of sensory input (i.e. auditory input) can help to direct therapeutic approaches. Sensory processing has been identified as a contributory factor in several diagnoses, notably autism and ADHD [1], however it has...

The impact of vocal care and oral health on laryngeal function and voice

Maintenance of epithelial health relies on a number of measures. We hear about hydration, irritants and biofilms from a team in Helsinki. Oropharyngeal health Vocal hygiene is a commonly used term that refers to the personal daily habits contributing to...

Music and single-sided deafness: challenges and solutions

Music is an integral part of many of our lives, providing entertainment, relaxation and a backing track to our past experiences. In this overview, Gemma Crundwell and David Baguley examine the impact of SSD on the perception of music and...

What’s new in genetic testing for hearing impairment?

Often the first question following the diagnosis of a hearing loss is ‘why?’ In this article Ali Danesh explores the advances made in uncovering ‘why’ from a genetics perspective. Ali describes the panel of genetic tests now commercially available to...

A place for everything and everything in its place: the practicalities of randomised clinical trials

Will this pill cure tinnitus? Bonnie Millar describes one trial that has investigated the possibility whilst describing the path of drug trials in the UK. Background In the last quarter of 2014, a clinical trial (QUIET-1; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02315508) commenced...

Otoacoustic emissions in the diagnostic test battery for hearing loss

So, they are great for screening, but how can otoacoustic emissions be integrated into the diagnostic test battery? Beth Prieve examines the role of diagnostic OAEs by asking three simple questions. Audiologists and otolaryngologists are familiar with otoacoustic emissions (OAEs)...

Diagnosing and managing somatic tinnitus

Interactions between auditory and somatosensory pathways can lead to interesting tinnitus experiences which can be very bothersome. Dr Sarah Michiels describes her pioneering work in this area, and the possibilities of physiotherapy based therapy. Background Somatic (also called somatosensory) tinnitus...

Privacy and security in connected hearing healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced audiology services across the globe to find new ways of working. This has resulted in a rapid increase in the uptake of remote care and, with it, some new privacy and security considerations. Connected hearing...

Can the audiology clinic benefit from advances in virtual reality?

François Patou discusses how the recent advances in virtual reality technologies can be used to support people living with hearing loss. He outlines some of the novel virtual reality tools that are emerging as resources to support delivery of audiology...