You searched for "assistive"
Do personal listening devices cause cochlear synaptopathy?
Cochlear synaptopathy is a condition in which noise interrupts the synaptic communication between sensory inner hair cells and low spontaneous rate cochlear nerve fibres. Since these nerve fibres are associated with signal coding in noisy backgrounds, their disruption leads to...
Gastrostomy tube dependence following TORS
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is now a well-established treatment modality for early (T1-T2) disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that one of its main benefits relative to conventional chemoradiotherapy is superior long-term functional outcome, especially with...
Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty – is it time to start doing it in children?
Given the potential applications for balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) in children, its uptake in most centres has been slow. The reasons for this are multifactorial. There are technical issues – the feasibility of obtaining the correct size balloon and manoeuvring...
How do objective ratings of swallowing compare with patient-reported dysphagia QOL measures in the head and neck cancer population?
Swallowing may be assessed by a comprehensive battery of tools including instrumental/objective assessments, clinician-rated measures and patient-reported measures. The authors of this paper use secondary analysis to explore concordance between videofluoroscopy and a patient-reported dysphagia quality of life (QOL) measure....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...
PPPD - the problem with the label
The recently described diagnostic entity of persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD) has its merits regarding guiding intervention and treatment, but the label itself can be problematic for patients. This study was designed to determine the views of patients of the...
An inherited platelet disorder in a post- tonsillectomy haemorrhage
Unexplained bleeding after any surgery is least desirable and to identify a cause for this preoperatively can be a very useful safeguarding measure. By looking for inherited platelet disorders in patients who bled after tonsillectomy, the authors of this publication...
Can we get some satisfaction (in aphasia therapy)?
Patient satisfaction is associated with improved health outcomes, yet using surveys to collate information on satisfaction is limited by the types of questions asked. Satisfaction remains a broad concept but asking respondents more open questions allows service users to define...
Is flexible nasendoscopy really aerosol generating?
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety of office-based laryngoscopy has been a source of considerable concern, speculation and debate. Flexible nasendoscopy is a key diagnostic tool in the assessment of the ENT patient, however most healthcare providers consider this to...
RCT: tongue retaining devices vs CPAP for OSA
This study compared the effect of a tongue retaining device versus the use of CPAP in 27 patients within a crossover RCT design. Tongue retaining devices (also known as tongue stabilising devices), are similar in appearance to a plastic tongue-sized...
A predictor of successful treatment of posterior canal BPPV
Reversal of nystagmus on returning to the upright sitting position from the Hallpike position is a common observation. However, its relevance as a predictor of a successful canal repositioning manoeuvre (CRM) is not known, hence this study. The retrospective study...
