Different bimodal neuromodulation settings reduce tinnitus symptoms in a large randomized trial.

More than 10% of the population suffers from tinnitus, which is a phantom auditory condition that is coded within the brain. A new neuromodulation approach to treat tinnitus has emerged that combines sound with electrical stimulation of somatosensory pathways, supported by multiple animal studies demonstrating that bimodal stimulation can elicit extensive neural plasticity within the auditory brain. More recently, in a large-scale clinical trial, bimodal neuromodulation combining sound and tongue stimulation drove significant reductions in tinnitus symptom severity during the first 6 weeks of treatment, followed by diminishing improvements during the second 6 weeks of treatment.

A national survey of workplace-related musculoskeletal disorder and ergonomic practices amongst Irish otolaryngologists.

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMD) is a rising concern for surgeons, particularly those involved in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Severe WRMD can adversely affect surgeon's health and foreshorten their careers if not appropriately managed.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of WRMD among Irish otolaryngologists and determine their knowledge of the best ergonomic principles.

Bimodal neuromodulation combining sound and tongue stimulation reduces tinnitus symptoms in a large randomized clinical study.

Tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception coded in the brain that can be bothersome or debilitating, affecting 10 to 15% of the population. Currently, there is no clinically recommended drug or device treatment for this major health condition. Animal research has revealed that sound paired with electrical somatosensory stimulation can drive extensive plasticity within the brain for tinnitus treatment.

Noninvasive Bimodal Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Tinnitus: Protocol for a Second Large-Scale Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial to Optimize Stimulation Parameters.

Background: There is increasing evidence from animal and human studies that bimodal neuromodulation combining sound and electrical somatosensory stimulation of the tongue can induce extensive brain changes and treat tinnitus.

Objective: The main objectives of the proposed clinical study are to confirm the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of treatment demonstrated in a previous large-scale study of bimodal auditory and trigeminal nerve (tongue) stimulation (Treatment Evaluation of Neuromodulation for Tinnitus - Stage A1); evaluate the therapeutic effects of adjusting stimulation parameters over time; and determine the contribution of different features of bimodal stimulation in improving tinnitus outcomes.

Methods: This study will be a prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm, comparative clinical trial of a 12-week treatment for tinnitus using a Conformité Européenne (CE)-marked device with a pre-post and 12-month follow-up design.

Bi-modal stimulation in the treatment of tinnitus: a study protocol for an exploratory trial to optimise stimulation parameters and patient subtyping.

Introduction: Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding external acoustic stimulus. Bimodal neuromodulation is emerging as a promising treatment for this condition. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the relevance of interstimulus timing and the choices of acoustic and tongue stimuli for a proprietary bimodal (auditory and somatosensory) neuromodulation device, as well as to explore whether specific subtypes of patients are differentially responsive to this novel intervention for reducing the symptoms of chronic tinnitus.

An Investigation of Feasibility and Safety of Bi-Modal Stimulation for the Treatment of Tinnitus: An Open-Label Pilot Study.

Objectives: Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus. It is widely believed that tinnitus, in patients with associated hearing loss, is a neurological phenomenon primarily affecting the central auditory structures. However, there is growing evidence for the involvement of the somatosensory system in this form of tinnitus.

Spontaneous retropharyngeal and cervical emphysema: a rare singer's injury.

Spontaneous retropharyngeal and cervical emphysema is rare. We describe a case that was unusual in its etiology: the result of singing. Although this condition is usually benign, hospital admission for close observation and supportive therapy is prudent.

Detection of bone marrow micrometastases in the rib marrow of head and neck cancer patients: a prospective pilot study.

Flow cytometry has been validated as an objective method of demonstrating and quantifying micrometastases. Micrometastases within bone marrow indicate a poor prognosis in patients with upper gastrointestinal, colorectal and breast epithelial tumours. We prospectively sought to assess the feasibility of testing rib marrow for bone marrow micrometastases in head and neck cancer and to report their frequency in a cohort of patients.

Paratracheal lymph node involvement in advanced cancer of the larynx, hypopharynx, and cervical esophagus.

Objectives/hypothesis: The presence of nodal metastatic disease in head and neck cancer is the foremost prognostic factor. Although neck dissection is the surgical gold standard for the treatment of cervical lymphatic spread, the paratracheal nodal group is not routinely included in the dissection. The study determined the nodal yield, presence of metastases, and prognostic importance of paratracheal nodes in patients with advanced carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract.