Long-term voice outcomes of medialization thyroplasty with adjustable implant for unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Objectives: Medialization thyroplasty (MT) using various implants has been employed as a corrective procedure for unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). A newly developed APrevent vocal implant system (VOIS) offers an innovative solution with a finely adjustable design. This study aimed to investigate the long-term functional voice outcomes and benefits of postoperative adjustments in patients receiving MT using the VOIS-implant.

Pre-clinical evaluation of APrevent® VOIS for unilateral vocal fold paralysis medialization.

Objective: To evaluate the concept and efficacy of an adjustable implant (Prototype SH30: porcine implant and APrevent® VOIS: human concept) for treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) via in vivo mini-pig studies, human computed tomographic (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) image analysis, ex-vivo aerodynamic and acoustic analysis.

Methods: Feasibility testing and prototype implantation were performed using in-vivo UVFP porcine model ( = 8), followed by a dimensional finding study using CT and MR scans of larynges ( = 75) for modification of the implant prototypes. Acoustic and aerodynamic measurements were recorded on excised canine ( = 7) larynges with simulated UVFP before and after medialization with VOIS-Implant.

Enhancing the Performance of Pathological Voice Quality Assessment System Through the Attention-Mechanism Based Neural Network.

Objective: Doctors, nowadays, primarily use auditory-perceptual evaluation, such as the grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain scale, to evaluate voice quality and determine the treatment. However, the results predicted by individual physicians often differ, because of subjective perceptions, and diagnosis time interval, if the patient's symptoms are hard to judge. Therefore, an accurate computerized pathological voice quality assessment system will improve the quality of assessment.

Preliminary Clinical Outcomes of VOIS-Implant in Patients With Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis.

Objectives/hypothesis: Evaluation of the clinical outcomes after 6 months of treatment with a novel adjustable implant, the APrevent® Vocal-Implant-System (VOIS), in conjunction with medialization thyroplasty (MT) in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Study Design: Prospective case series study at single tertiary referral center.

Methods: Preoperative and 1 week, 7 weeks, and 6 months postoperative glottal efficiency (maximum phonation time [MPT]), voice quality (including GRBAS-scores and acoustic parameters) and self-perceived voice-related handicap (voice handicap index [VHI-30]) were measured and analyzed, whereas type of vocal fold closure was evaluated and determined by flexible videolaryngoscopy based on Södersten and Lindestad classification (Wilcoxon signed-rank test).

A novel mutation in the WFS1 gene identified in a Taiwanese family with low-frequency hearing impairment.

Background: Wolfram syndrome gene 1 (WFS1) accounts for most of the familial nonsyndromic low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (LFSNHL) which is characterized by sensorineural hearing losses equal to and below 2000 Hz. The current study aimed to contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis of LFSNHL in an affected Taiwanese family.

Methods: The Taiwanese family with LFSNHL was phenotypically characterized using audiologic examination and pedigree analysis.

Comparison of hearing screening programs between one step with transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and two steps with TEOAE and automated auditory brainstem response.

Objective: To compare the efficacy between one step with transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and two steps with TEOAE and automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) in a newborn hearing screening program. We investigated their differences in referral rate, the accurate identification rate of congenital hearing loss (HL), and cost effectiveness.

Method: From November 1998 to December 2004, a total of 21,273 healthy newborns were screened for HL in Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei.