Search

Improving cochlear-implant performance in the short- and medium-term

Can bespoke cochlear implant programming strategies reduce the variability seen in patient performance with an implant? Bob Carlyon reviews the current situation and gives us a glimpse of the future. Although many cochlear implant (CI) patients understand speech well in...

Tone deafness and perfect pitch

If you think you are tone deaf, do not despair. Singing tuition should help but it is probably too late to hope to develop perfect pitch. Consultant otolaryngologist and keen musician, Chris Aldren, discusses the complex and fascinating subject of...

Thyroid ultrasound elastography: does nodule stiffness predict malignancy?

Approximately 50% of the general population has a thyroid nodule while 5-15% of these are malignant [1]. A major challenge, therefore, is how to detect the malignant nodules for appropriate, timely treatment and avoid unnecessary, costly investigations for the remainder....

Endoscopic middle ear surgery for cholesteatoma treatment

A critical question when any new technique is proposed is ‘does it work?’ In this article Daniele Marchioni and Davide Soloperto discuss the success rates of endoscopic ear surgery for cholesteatoma. Introduction Surgical management of cholesteatoma is still a controversial...

Auditory brainstem implant results in adults and children

Background The auditory brainstem implant (ABI) has been developed from cochlear implant (CI) technology and is indicated for people who have anatomical abnormalities of the cochlea or dysfunction of the auditory nerve. The majority of people who have received an...

The connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline: current perspectives

Editorial clarification This article reviews research exploring associations between hearing impairment, cognitive decline and dementia. While evidence shows a dose-dependent relationship, it is important to note that association does not prove causation, and current research does not definitively show if...

Hearing conservation in military operations

Navy audiologists protect service members’ hearing, ensuring situational awareness, safety and mission readiness in noisy military operations. Active-duty navy audiologists are naval officers who apply their specialised skill sets and serve as subject matter experts in hearing conservation and communication...

PLUM: using parent observations to identify persistent otitis media

Can parent observations help identify persistent otitis media sooner? PLUM uses everyday listening behaviours to flag children who may need urgent specialist care. Otitis media (OM) remains one of the most persistent health inequities facing Indigenous children globally. While prevalence...

Discovery in the genetics of complex disease: Otitis media

Otitis media (OM), a common disease of childhood, is considered to be a complex trait with multiple genetic and environmental factors expected to contribute to a child’s risk of developing recurrent acute OM (rAOM; ≥3 episodes in 6 months or...

Genetic research on hereditary hearing loss and clinical application in the Chinese population

Congenital deafness in China affects more people than the entire population of Australia. Prof Wang give us a comprehensive insight into one of the main congenital disabilities in China, looking into the causes of deafness and the benefits of genetic...

Aetiology, investigation and acute management of sudden sensorineural hearing loss

The cause of a single sided sensorineural hearing loss has a wide variety of aetiologies. This review, by Edwin Halliday, looks specifically at the differential diagnostic causes of a sudden sensorineural hearing loss, the relevant investigations and the management should...