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Listening in noise to predict learning disability

Noise disrupts the neural coding of consonants more than vowels. Listening in noise presents a challenge for everybody, but particularly to children whose language skills are underdeveloped. This team views background noise as a disruption to the necessary neural mechanisms...

Rosemary oil to aid surgical healing?

There are a multitude of ways in which to damage the nasal epithelium, whether iatrogenically through nasal surgery, via injury, allergy, infection or inhalation of an environmental pollutant. This study looks at the role of the herb rosemary, in the...

Neonatal nasal stenosis - conservative approach

The authors retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in neonates with nasal stenosis for this study. Of the six infants included in the study, five had congenital pyriform aperture stenosis. Three of these five also...

Ageing Ears

How do our ears show our age? We are all aware of the concept of presbycusis and a plethora of other events that impact our hearing over the passage of time. We are familiar with the standard subjective testing, though...

An effective treatment for post Covid-19 smell loss?

It is well understood that calcium levels in the nasal mucous affect the ability to smell, with higher levels having a negative impact, and some studies have shown increased calcium levels in patients suffering with Covid-19-related olfactory dysfunction. Calcium chelating...

N-acetylcysteine may have a role in the protection of cochlear hair cells

Gentamycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic which is widely used throughout the world, despite its ototoxic potential. It therefore seems wise to continue the search for accessible otoprotective agents. The aim of this study was to clarify the potential protective role...

3D printed temporal bones for drilling are here!

It was only a matter of time before the 3D printer was used to help us with simulated temporal bone (TB) drilling. This group printed three paediatric TB models and evaluated their quality. They were found to be of ‘high...

A new free flap for the head and neck?

Reconstruction of major defects in the head and neck is usually an area where maxillofacial or plastic surgery colleagues come to assist, with consideration of the size and function any repair has to fulfil. Whilst the radial forearm free flap...

Speech audiometry tests in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment

This paper caught my eye because, with our ageing population, mild cognitive impairment and dementia are a major, growing problem. We know that ageing causes a multitude of medical and social issues. So it seems wise to investigate the effects...

Coblation versus microdebrider submucosal inferior turbinoplasty

This prospective randomised study from Riyadh compares submucosal coblation and submucosal microdebrider inferior turbinate reduction. Seventy patients were recruited who had failed medical treatment and were undergoing isolated inferior turbinate surgery. Outcome measures included the Friedman score and VAS for...