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Inner ear immunity

There is much speculation regarding the ear’s immune response. The environment in which we live and breathe is getting ever more complex; aspects such as the percentage of the population with autoimmune conditions are on the rise and, therefore, it...

Small but significant

These authors try to circumnavigate the conundrum of what is influenced by what. For something so small, the impact of the Stria Vascularis cannot be understated. The difficulty in reviewing the influence of loop diuretics or aminoglycosides on the Stria...

What is in the Fountain of Youth?

Does the auditory system have to age? Can we become more like turtles or jellyfish and keep our internals running without degradation? This essay considers the theoretical underpinnings of biological processes in the cochlear, in particular the role of the...

Higher risk and a tailored need

Historically, in audiology there is almost an unspoken understanding that when presented with a musician, a nuanced approach is likely to be required. Previous research has already shown there is a higher risk of noise exposure and accompanying signal distortion...

What type of sensitivity?

It is true that the different types of decreased sound tolerance conditions are, in general, poorly defined and the lines between them blurry. Hyperacusis? Loudness recruitment? Misophonia? Phonophobia? Sensory overload in noise? This paper aims to provide reference data for...

Where is it?

Humans’ ability to process sound is a multi-faceted phenomenon. It is a marvel which likely changes through our ageing process and is influenced by a myriad of factors. This paper examines the particulars of the dimensions of sound processing –...

Are they just ignoring you?

The clarity of hearing in background noise, which is influenced by the signal-to-noise ratio, has been a much-debated topic over many years from various angles. This study looks at anaesthetised cats and, as cats are not commonly known for their...

Back to the Future

Normally my objective for this column is to highlight an innovation that is already fully realised and on the market. Sometimes it can be fun instead to look forward to what innovations are coming down the pipeline. With that in...

DrawMD ENT

In the era of patient-centred care, one of the greatest challenges for healthcare professionals is communication with patients. Distilling years of medical / graduate school education down to a few minutes of explanation is no easy feat. DrawMD ENT is...

Diana Deutsch

Audiologists think about sound a lot. In fact, it is a bit of an occupational hazard. The majority of that time is usually devoted to thinking about sound in a purely functional sense (for example, adjusting a hearing aid to...

Communication in the age of universal masking: speech-to-text apps to the rescue

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has touched nearly every aspect of our lives, including how we interact with patients. At this point, it is almost hard to remember a time when we didn’t have to wear masks during clinical encounters. Though...