Impact of Cochlear Implant Electrode Array Design on Post-Op Speech Perception.

Objective: Electrode array design may impact hearing outcomes in patients who receive cochlear implants. The goal of this work was to assess differences in post operative speech perception among patients who received cochlear implants of differing designs and lengths.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

A comparison of confocal and epifluorescence microscopy for quantification of RNAScope and immunohistochemistry fluorescent images.

Background: Quantification of RNA expression and protein production in fluorescent stainings provides critical information concerning neurodevelopment. A trustable independent quantification technique requires acquisition of reliable images prior to image processing. There is uncertainty in existing literature regarding the use of confocal microscopy compared to standard epifluorescence microscopy, especially in the context of RNA in situ hybridization protocols.

Development and Application of Automated Vocal Fold Tracking Software in a Rat Surgical Model.

Objective: The rat is a widely used model for studying vocal fold (VF) function after recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, but common techniques for evaluating rat VF motion remain subjective and imprecise. To address this, we developed a software package, called RatVocalTracker1.0 (RVT1.

Temporal Expression of Hox Genes and Phox2b in the Rat Nucleus Ambiguus During Development: Implications on Laryngeal Innervation.

Objectives: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury results in synkinetic reinnervation and vocal fold paralysis. Investigation of cues expressed in the developing brainstem that influence correct selective targeting of intrinsic laryngeal muscles may elucidate post-injury abnormalities contributing to non-functional reinnervation. Primary targets of interest were Hoxb1 and Hoxb2, members of the Hox family that create overlapping gradients in the developing brain, and their target Phox2b, a transcription factor necessary for cranial nerve branchio- and visceromotoneuron survival.

Pharmacological management of cerebral ischemia in the elderly.

: For elderly adults in the United States, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death of which ischemic strokes comprise a vast majority. Optimal pharmacological management of elderly ischemic stroke patients involves both reperfusion and supportive care. Recent research into pharmacological management has focused on vascular, immunomodulatory, cytoprotective, and alternative agents, some of which have shown limited success in clinical trials.