Protocol for olfactory training in persisting COVID-19-associated loss of smell (SMELL): a monocentric randomised controlled trial conducted in Innsbruck.

Introduction: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) following COVID-19 affected up to 70% of patients, with more than 30% still reporting lingering symptoms a year later. Treatment is essential, as previous research has linked (postviral) OD to depression, impaired quality of life (QoL) and even heightened mortality rates.

Methods And Analysis: We designed a monocentric, single-blinded randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of olfactory training (OT) in individuals with persisting COVID-19-associated loss of smell.

Optimizing Factors in Murine Whole-Organ Cochlea Culture.

In 2008, Hahn et al. presented a method for cultivating a 3D organ culture of the cochlea. Although this method is well established, it is currently only applied to early postnatal animals.

[Pre-implementation of electronic patient-reported outcomes at reference centers for head and neck oncology : A roadmap towards patient-centered digitalization].

Background: Electronically captured patient reports (electronic patient-reported outcomes, ePROs) are digital questionnaires filled out by cancer patients. Despite indications of improved clinical care, the integration of ePROs into clinical head and neck oncology is uncharted territory.

Objective: This work outlines the implementation process for ePROs at the University Hospital for Otorhinolaryngology at the Medical University of Innsbruck (ENT Innsbruck).

The Neck-Persistency-Net: a three-dimensional, convolution, deep neural network aids in distinguishing vital from non-vital persistent cervical lymph nodes in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after primary concurrent radiochemotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance (DP) of the high-resolution contrast computed tomography (HR-contrast-CT) based Neck-Persistency-Net in distinguishing vital from non-vital persistent cervical lymph nodes (pcLNs) in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) following primary concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and high-resolution contrast-enhanced computed tomography ([18F]FDG-PET-CT). Furthermore, the Neck-Persistency-Net's potential to justify omitting post-CRT neck dissection (ND) without risking treatment delays or preventing unnecessary surgery was explored.

Methods: All HNSCC patients undergoing primary CRT followed by post-CRT-ND for pcLNs recorded in the institutional HNSCC registry were analyzed.

Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process.

Measuring the electrically evoked stapedius reflex during the fitting of cochlear implants (CIs) provides a reliable estimation of maximum comfort levels, resulting in the programming of the CI with high hearing comfort and good speech understanding. Detection of the stapedius reflex and the required stimulation level on each implant channel is already being performed during surgery, whereby intraoperative stapedius reflexes are observed through the surgical microscope. Intraoperative stapedius reflex detection is both an indicator that the auditory nerve is responding to electrical stimulation up to the brainstem and a test for the ability to perform postoperative stapedius reflex measurements.

Evaluation of an impedance-based method to monitor the insertion of the electrode array during cochlear implantation.

Purpose: Cochlear implantation is a prevalent remedy for severe-to-profound hearing loss. Optimising outcomes and hearing preservation, and minimising insertion trauma, require precise electrode placement. Objective monitoring during the insertion process can provide valuable insights and enhance surgical precision.

Radiomic Assessment of Radiation-Induced Alterations of Skeletal Muscle Composition in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma within the Currently Clinically Defined Optimal Time Window for Salvage Surgery-A Pilot Study.

Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) frequently require primary radiochemotherapy (RCT). Despite intensity modulation, the desired radiation-induced effects observed in HNSCC may also be observed as side effects in healthy tissue, e.g.

The influence of intraoperative auditory brainstem responses on vibroplasty coupling-quality and analysis of the impact of different fixation steps on the coupling.

Purpose: The Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) is an established active-middle-ear-implant for patients with moderate-to-profound hearing-loss. This surgery is referred to as "Vibroplasty". Sufficient transfer of the VSB's floating-mass-transducers (FMT) energy to the inner ear is a crucial factor influencing the coupling-quality (CQ).

Viral infection in chronic otitis media with effusion in children.

Background: The role of respiratory viruses in chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) in children is not clearly defined. In our study we aimed to investigate the detection of respiratory viruses in middle ear effusions (MEE) as well as the association with local bacteria, respiratory viruses in the nasopharynx and cellular immune response of children with COME.

Methods: This 2017-2019 cross-sectional study included 69 children aged 2-6 undergoing myringotomy for COME.

The effects of mild hypothermia on the electrode insertion trauma in a murine whole organ cochlea culture.

Introduction: Local therapeutic hypothermia (32°C) has been linked experimentally to an otoprotective effect in the electrode insertion trauma. The pathomechanism of the electrode insertion trauma is connected to the activation of apoptosis and necrosis pathways, pro-inflammatory and fibrotic mechanisms. In a whole organ cochlea culture setting the effect of therapeutic hypothermia in an electrode insertion trauma model is evaluated.

Evaluation of sleeping parameters with peripheral arterial tonometry in childhood sleep apnea and snoring: a clinical feasibility study.

Purpose: The influence of adenoidectomy ± tonsillotomy/tonsillectomy on objective sleep parameters in children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) was determined with the help of ambulatory polygraphy (WatchPat300, Neucomed Ltd., Vienna, Austria). These results were compared with the findings of the OSA-18 questionnaire.

Patient-derived head and neck tumor slice cultures: a versatile tool to study oncolytic virus action.

Head and neck cancer etiology and architecture is quite diverse and complex, impeding the prediction whether a patient could respond to a particular cancer immunotherapy or combination treatment. A concomitantly arising caveat is obviously the translation from pre-clinical, cell based in vitro systems as well as syngeneic murine tumor models towards the heterogeneous architecture of the human tumor ecosystems. To bridge this gap, we have established and employed a patient-derived HNSCC (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) slice culturing system to assess immunomodulatory effects as well as permissivity and oncolytic virus (OV) action.

Dimensions and forms of artefacts in 1.5 T and 3 T MRI caused by cochlear implants.

Cochlear implantation is a standard treatment option due to expanding indications. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) has become a widespread diagnostic tool. Therefore, an increased number of cochlear implant (CI) users are undergoing cMRI scans.