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Neural plasticity and aural rehabilitation

Neural plasticity refers to an ability of the brain and central nervous system to change their structure and function or their reorganisation in response to environmental cues, experience, learning, behaviour, injury and / or diseases and treatments. Neural plasticity is...

Secrets of the listening brain: what measuring the brain can tell us about hearing aid use and more

In a typical audiology clinic, on any given day, a person is waiting to see an audiologist to get a hearing aid (HA). It might have taken over 10 years to get to this point of considering a hearing aid(s)...

Fifteen years of vestibular implant research in humans

Implants: it’s all in the balance! Prof Guyot and his team give us an update on their research in addressing bilateral vestibular deficits via an implant. Doctors are often unaware that people, even young, may lose vestibular function on both...

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...

Clinical and financial success by providing specialised audiological tinnitus management

Diagnosis and management of a patient with chronic subjective tinnitus is one of the most labour-intensive areas of hearing healthcare. This is one reason some hearing care providers opt to exclude specialised tinnitus care from their practice: it may not...

How neuroimaging has changed our understanding of tinnitus

Brain imaging advances are revealing tinnitus-related neural networks, shedding light on its pathophysiology, heterogeneity and potential therapeutic targets. Tinnitus is a highly common but poorly understood disorder [1]. Its subjective nature and the fact that its treatment may span multiple...

Persistent dizziness, PPPD and time-domain dissociation

PPPD is a vital diagnostic framework for chronic dizziness. But a normal vHIT does not always mean that the vestibular system has finished telling its story. The patient who is still dizzy A patient returns after an episode of vertigo....

The MACRO Trial: defining best management of chronic rhinosinusitis

A major UK trial in The Lancet finds ESS provides greater symptom relief than long-term macrolides for adults with CRS, supporting earlier surgery and fewer antibiotics. The MACRO Programme was established in 2016 when the UK National Institute of Health...

Hearing, tinnitus and hyperacusis in the arts

Hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis are discussed by David Baguley from the unique perspective of their depictions in literature, music, film and paintings. This article provides unusual and invaluable reflective opportunities for the patient-centred clinician! Audiologists and otologists understand hearing...

Developments in diagnostic approaches for acutely dizzy patients

The acutely dizzy patient can be a diagnostic and management dilemma for emergency departments and general practitioners, with many patients consequently having delayed access to specialised assessment and treatment. David Jay tells us about HINTS, a bedside test that can...

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome

In this article, Hannah North and Simon Lloyd give us an overview of the complex condition of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) syndrome, including diagnosis, treatment and management. Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) is a bony defect of the otic...