Cortical determinants of loudness perception and auditory hypersensitivity.

Parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons (PVNs) stabilize cortical network activity, generate gamma rhythms, and regulate experience-dependent plasticity. Here, we observed that activation or inactivation of PVNs functioned like a volume knob in the mouse auditory cortex (ACtx), turning neural and behavioral classification of sound level up or down over a 20dB range. PVN loudness adjustments were "sticky", such that a single bout of 40Hz PVN stimulation sustainably suppressed ACtx sound responsiveness, potentiated feedforward inhibition, and behaviorally desensitized mice to loudness.

Ossicular joint histopathology in cases of age-related hearing loss.

Objectives: Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is a prevalent condition traditionally attributed to inner ear dysfunction. Little is known about age-related changes in the ossicular joints or their contribution to presbycusis. Herein, we performed an otopathologic evaluation of the ossicular joints in cases of presbycusis without a clear sensorineural explanation.

Design of medical tympanostomy conduits with selective fluid transport properties.

Implantable tubes, shunts, and other medical conduits are crucial for treating a wide range of conditions from ears and eyes to brain and liver but often impose serious risks of device infection, obstruction, migration, unreliable function, and tissue damage. Efforts to alleviate these complications remain at an impasse because of fundamentally conflicting design requirements: Millimeter-scale size is required to minimize invasiveness but exacerbates occlusion and malfunction. Here, we present a rational design strategy that reconciles these trade-offs in an implantable tube that is even smaller than the current standard of care.

Educational Quality of YouTube Cholesteatoma Surgery Videos: Areas for Improvement.

Otolaryngology surgical education continues to evolve where trainees increasingly use videos to learn technical skills. Trainees commonly use YouTube, but no study to date has evaluated the educational quality (EQ) of otologic surgical videos on YouTube. We aim to assess the EQ of cholesteatoma surgical videos.

Evaluating the accuracy of speech to text applications for cochlear implant candidates during COVID-19.

Objectives: Universal mask wearing due to COVID-19 has introduced barriers to clear communication. In hearing impaired individuals this can impact informed surgical consent. For cochlear implant candidates, who do not rely on sign language, real-time transcription with a stenographer (CART) is the gold-standard in assistive technologies.

Information scarcity among otolaryngology applicants: A review of the largest database of programs.

Objective: Otolaryngology residency applicants face challenges finding accurate information about training programs. Social media platforms are not verified, and official training program websites are not standardized. Currently, the American Medical Association's Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) is the most comprehensive sanctioned and verified otolaryngology residency program database.

Factors affecting operative autonomy and performance during otolaryngology training: A multicenter trial.

Objective: Surgical education is changing in an era of new regulations and evolving training cultures. We sought to understand the factors that affect operative experiences during otolaryngology residency.

Methods: From December 2019 to December 2020, five otolaryngology training programs used the SIMPL OR smartphone application to evaluate residents after each operation.

Assessment of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss After COVID-19 Vaccination.

Importance: Emerging reports of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) after COVID-19 vaccination within the otolaryngological community and the public have raised concern about a possible association between COVID-19 vaccination and the development of SSNHL.

Objective: To examine the potential association between COVID-19 vaccination and SSNHL.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study and case series involved an up-to-date population-based analysis of 555 incident reports of probable SSNHL in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) over the first 7 months of the US vaccination campaign (December 14, 2020, through July 16, 2021).

A Rare Complication of Chronic Otitis Media: Central Skull Base Osteomyelitis Managed With Combined Endoscopic Transmastoid and Transsphenoidal Debridement.

Objective: This report describes a case of otogenic central skull base osteomyelitis (CSBO) requiring complex surgical intervention and reviews the literature on management of this entity.

Patient: A 76-year-old man presented with a nearly 20-year history of chronic otomastoiditis and cholesteatoma with ultimate progression to severe CSBO with involvement of the petrous apex, clivus, and craniocervical junction.

Interventions: CSBO was managed with culture-directed antibiotic therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, and surgical intervention including serial combined endoscopic transmastoid and transsphenoidal debridements.

"Transcanal view" computed tomography reformat: Applications for transcanal endoscopic ear surgery.

Purpose: Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) is an increasingly used surgical approach for otologic surgeries, but no en face preoperative imaging format currently exists. We aim to assess the utility of a transcanal high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) reformat suitable for TEES preoperative planning.

Materials And Methods: Preoperative HRCTs of patients with middle ear pathologies (cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, and glomus tympanicum) who underwent TEES were obtained.

A Subset of Intracanalicular Vestibular Schwannomas Demonstrates Minimal Growth Over a 10-Year Period.

Objective: Vestibular schwannomas (VS) commonly undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance, but long-term data to support the ideal frequency is limited. Herein, we aim to investigate intracanalicular VS growth predictors and long-term growth rates (GR).

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Intracochlear New Fibro-Ossification and Neuronal Degeneration Following Cochlear Implant Electrode Translocation: Long-Term Histopathological Findings in Humans.

Objective: We aim to assess the histopathology of human temporal bones (TBs) with evidence of cochlear implantation (CI) electrode scalar translocation.

Study Design: Otopathology study.

Setting: Otopathology laboratory.

Association of Pediatric Hearing Quality and Sports Participation: A Population-Based Study.

Sports-related injuries, such as concussion, during childhood may result in considerable morbidity, including a range of negative developmental consequences. Auditory dysfunction is generally recognized to be a possible sequela of sports-related concussion; however, few epidemiologic studies have quantified the association between hearing quality and sports-related activity in the pediatric population. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the 2015-2016 cycle was utilized to determine the association of sports activities and hearing quality.

Autonomy in the Operating Room: A Multicenter Study of Gender Disparities During Surgical Training.

Background: Gender disparities are prevalent in medicine, but their impact on surgical training is not well studied.

Objective: To quantify gender disparities in trainee intraoperative experiences and explore the variables associated with ratings of surgical autonomy and performance.

Methods: From September 2015 to May 2019, attending surgeons and trainees from 71 programs assessed trainee autonomy on a 4-level Zwisch scale and performance on a 5-level modified Dreyfus scale after surgical procedures.

Implementation of Mobile Audiometry During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the utility of portable audiometry became more apparent as elective procedures were deferred in an effort to limit exposure to health care providers. Herein, we retrospectively evaluated mobile-based audiometry in the emergency department and outpatient otology and audiology clinics. Air conduction thresholds with mobile audiometry were within 5 dB in 66% of tests (95% CI, 62.

Multi-institutional Study of Otolaryngology Resident Intraoperative Experiences for Key Indicator Procedures.

Objective: There is concern that current otolaryngology residents may not receive adequate surgical training. We aimed to characterize residents' surgical experiences at 5 academic centers performing the 14 key indicator procedures (KIPs) outlined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Posterior petrous face meningiomas presenting with Ménière's-like syndrome: a case series and review of the literature.

Objective: Ménière's disease is an inner ear disorder classically characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness accompanied by episodic vertigo. While the pathogenesis of Ménière's remains under debate, histopathological analyses implicate endolymphatic sac dysfunction with inner ear fluid homeostatic dysregulation. Little is known about whether external impingement of the endolymphatic sac by tumors may present with Ménière's-like symptoms.

Correction: A Quantitative Analysis of Social Media to Determine Trends in Brain Tumor Care and Treatment.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.11530.

Does stapedotomy improve high frequency conductive hearing?

Objectives: Stapedotomy is performed to address conductive hearing deficits. While hearing thresholds reliably improve at low frequencies (LF), conductive outcomes at high frequencies (HF) are less reliable and have not been well described. Herein, we evaluate post-operative HF air-bone gap (ABG) changes and measure HF air conduction (AC) thresholds changes as a function of frequency.

International Survey of Operative Practices for Otologists and Neurotologists During the COVID-19 Crisis.

Objective: To investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on operative practices of otology and neurotology providers internationally.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: A 78-question survey was distributed to otologists and neurotologists between May 12, 2020 and June 8, 2020 to assess the impact of the pandemic on surgical practices.

Transcanal Computed Tomography Views for Transcanal Endoscopic Lateral Skull Base Surgery: Pilot Cadaveric Study.

 Transcanal endoscopic operative approaches provide for a minimally invasive surgical portal to the lateral skull base. Traditional preoperative imaging evaluation involves computed tomography (CT) acquisition in the axial and coronal planes that are not optimized for the transcanal surgical corridor. Herein, we describe a novel CT-based "transcanal view" for preoperative surgical planning and intraoperative navigation.

Further Research Needed to Understand Relationship Between Tubarial Glands and Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

The pathophysiology of eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) remains poorly characterized, and it may result in significant patient morbidity. A recent study has identified a collection of previously unidentified salivary glands in the nasopharynx that overlay the torus tubarius. While salivary gland tissue has been described in the nasopharynx, the newly discovered salivary gland tissue has been denoted tubarial glands (TGs) and theorized to be a distinct organ.