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Detecting cancer margins during robotic head and neck cancer surgery using ambient mass spectrometry

We have known about altered metabolism in cancer cells since Otto Warburg described it 97 years ago. But can we take advantage of this knowledge in curing cancer? Jim Higginson explains the value of smoke generated during cancer surgery. The...

Setting up a robotic surgical practice: view from India

Transoral robotic surgery has an established role in head and neck cancer surgery. But how easy is it to set up a service in a resource-constrained environment? Gouri Pantvaidya and Ameya Pai give us a view from the Indian subcontinent....

European funding for the tinnitus research network TINNET

Over 70 million people in Europe experience tinnitus, and for seven million it creates a debilitating condition. Severe tinnitus is often associated with depression, anxiety and insomnia, resulting in an enormous socio-economic impact [1]. It has been estimated that 13...

Access to and uptake of cochlear implants in the UK

Assessing demands on cochlear implant (CI) services is very important for both commissioners and clinicians in anticipating clinical need and funding requirements. Commercial CI’s were introduced in the late 1980s. Initial funding was from charitable sources. The first major advance...

Screening for hearing loss in primary care

Hearing impairment is one physical disability that is increasing in prevalence in society in general, and in older adults in particular. Approximately 34 to 36 million Americans report suffering from some degree of hearing impairment with the number rising to...

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...

Prudent audiology

Introduction In January 2014, Professor Mark Drakeford, Minister for Health and Social Services, defined Prudent Healthcare as, “Healthcare that fits the needs and circumstances of patients and actively avoids wasteful care that is not to the patient’s benefit.” ‘Prudent’ healthcare...

Tinnitus in middle-age: prevalence and incidence

Population-based studies of tinnitus provide crucial underpinning evidence which highlights the need for further research on the effective diagnosis and clinical management of this heterogenous condition. Furthermore, such studies provide evidence of the burden of this condition both on the...

Scientific advances in mapping syndromic hearing loss

From more than 22000 genes that we humans have, approximately 3000 genes are associated with human communication. There are tens of syndromes which have been identified to be accompanied by hearing loss. Disorders of almost every organ of the body...

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...

Using psychological behaviour change theory in vestibular practice

Fiona Barker explains the importance of recognising and understanding how habitual behaviours in vestibular patients can affect treatment outcomes, and how we as audiologists can support and encourage patients to modify these behaviours and perhaps address our own professional behaviours...

The European TINNET COST Action BM1306

Winfried Schlee describes how a major European funding award is bringing together experts who are committed to collectively developing a better understanding of tinnitus. This work is vital if we are to pioneer effective treatments for the condition in its...