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Muscle tension dysphagia: an underdiagnosed problem

In this article, the authors introduce the description of swallowing problems which have been recently attributed to muscle tension dysphagia (MTDg). The authors are clear that this is a diagnosis of exclusion, and it is important to rule out other...

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 role of metrics in studies of hearing and cognition

Introduction When perceiving sounds in real-world listening environments, older adults encounter several sources of degradation that can interfere with the perceptual process (Figure 1). Target signals (i.e. the sounds that a listener wants to focus on) have specific acoustic characteristics...

Misophonia – a psychological disorder?

Historically, there has been disagreement regarding misophonia classification, with questions surrounding whether it is a psychological or physiological disorder. Dr Jennifer Jo Brout discusses misophonia classification, research, and guidelines for the role of the psychologist. Photo courtesy of Pexels. What...

Unexplained dizziness in elderly patients

How do we explain unexplained dizziness in elderly patients? How far should we go with investigations? And most importantly, how should we manage this challenging and expanding group of patients whose balance affects their safety? Richard Ibitoye and Diego Kaski...

Global audiology during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected, and in some areas, put a complete hold on, audiology practice around the world. In April 2020, during the peak of the pandemic for many regions, our audiology Global Ambassadors provided their reports from their...

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...

Working with people with hearing loss and dementia

A member of the SENSE-Cog team in the UK, Dr Littlejohn provides an overview of multidisciplinary recommendations for diagnosis, management and care of older adults with hearing loss, vision loss and dementia. She underscores how consideration of hearing status when...

Unpacking the World Health Organization’s World Report on Hearing: what does it say?

The inaugural report on hearing from the World Health Organisation is a tool for advocacy, and for getting hearing loss on government agendas. Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran was 11 months old when her hearing loss was diagnosed. Despite being informed...

Mapping the financial and disease burden of hearing loss and associated interventions

The prevalence and burden of ear and hearing disorders is huge and, historically, has been underappreciated. Globally, unaddressed hearing loss poses a growing public health challenge, requiring urgent attention from policymakers, health professionals and civil society. The recently published World...