Validation of the University of Washington Quality of Life Chinese Version (UWQOL-C) for head and neck cancer patients in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The purposes of this three-phase study were to: (1) translate and evaluate the burden, content, and face validity of the Chinese version of the University of Washington Quality of Life Scale, version 4 (UWQOL-v4-C); and (2) examine the psychometric properties of the UWQOL-v4-C in oral cancer and laryngeal cancer patients in Taiwan. METHODS: This instrument translation and validation study was part of a major research project. The first phase of this study developed and validated the content of the UWQOL-v4-C. The second phase sought to validate the internal consistency, reliability, and construct and discriminant validity in two major groups of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients: oral cavity cancers (n=109) and laryngeal cancer (n=102). Construct validity was measured using theoretically supported correlations between the UWQOL and related constructs. Discriminant validity was also assessed. In the third phase, test-retest reliability of UWQOL-v4-C was examined through the 1-week interval in another group of HNC patients (n=50). RESULTS: The translated UWQOL-v4-C demonstrated satisfactory face validity, content validity, and minimal patient burden. Additionally, the UWQOL-v4-C showed excellent construct validity in patient testing, supported by significant correlations between the UWQOL-v4-C and hypothesized constructs, including generic measures of QOL and performance status. The developed scale correlated inversely with symptom severity and psychological distress. Discriminant validity was seen in patients with different cancer diagnoses, stages, and treatments. Finally, excellent stability was supported by a 1-week test-retest reliability of 0.88. CONCLUSION: The UWQOL-v4-C was a brief, low-burden, and valid instrument to measure the QOL in Chinese-speaking HNC patients in Taiwan.

Treatment and survival in 10,429 patients with localized laryngeal cancer: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to identify factors associated with treatment differences, characterize changes in treatment patterns over time, and compare survival across treatment types in patients who received treatment for localized laryngeal cancer. METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of patients who were treated from 1995 to 2009 for localized laryngeal cancer. Four treatment groups were defined: (1) radiation only, (2) local surgery only, (3) local surgery and radiation, and (4) open surgery with or without radiation. Variations in treatment rates between these groups were evaluated according to demographic factors, and differences in treatment rates across time were calculated. Associations between treatment and mortality were assessed using Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to adjust for potential confounding covariates. RESULTS: In total, 10,429 patients with localized laryngeal cancer were identified. Most patients (57%) were treated with radiation only; 25% with local surgery and radiation, 9% with local surgery only, and 9% with open surgery with or without radiation. Race, age, and registry were associated with differences in treatment. Receipt of single-modality treatment increased and receipt of combined-modality treatment decreased over the study period. Better survival was observed with white race, younger age, and treatment with local surgery. Survival differences associated with treatment type were observed within 3 years of diagnosis and persisted beyond 5 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Although treatment patterns became more adherent to treatment guidelines over time, we identified survival differences associated with treatment type that warrant further investigation into treatment decision-making for patients with localized laryngeal cancer.

Multifocal Desmoid-Type Fibromatosis: Case Series and Potential Relationship to Neuronal Spread.

Multifocal desmoid-type fibromatosis (DTF) is very rare and usually regional. We report three cases that initially appeared to be multifocal, but subsequent detailed imaging revealed unsuspected tracking along nerves in two cases. This neural spread is reminiscent of neuromuscular choristoma (NMC), a rare developmental lesion in which mature skeletal muscle cells, or rarely smooth muscle cells, infiltrate and enlarge peripheral nerves. NMC is frequently associated with DTF. These two cases suggest that DTF spread along nerves and appeared as distinct multifocal lesions while actually being contiguous. The third case was felt to represent true multifocal tumor development, possibly due to tumor seeding at the time of chest surgery. The relationship of DTF to NMC is discussed.

The RVU Compensation Model and Head and Neck Surgical Education.

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to quantify the opportunity cost of training residents and fellows for head and neck surgery. METHODS: A 2005-2015 review of ablative head and neck surgical procedures was performed using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Work relative value units (wRVU) generated per hour were compared among procedures performed by attendings alone, attendings with residents, and attendings with fellows. RESULTS: Among 34,078 ablative procedures, the rate of wRVU generation per hour was greatest for attendings alone (10.3), followed by attendings with residents (8.9) and attendings with fellows (7.0, p < 0.001). Resident and fellow involvement was associated with opportunity costs of $60.44 per hour (95% CI: $50.21-$70.66/h) and $78.98 per hour ($63.10-$94.87/h, 95% CI), respectively. CONCLUSION: wRVU-based physician reimbursement does not consider or adjust for the extra effort involved in training future head and neck surgeons. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 134:113-119, 2024.

Normative Values for the Inner EAR Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To determine normative values for the Inner Effectiveness of Auditory Rehabilitation (Inner EAR) scale, a validated instrument utilized to study the impact of hearing loss and potential treatments. STUDY DESIGN: Observational outcomes study. SETTING: Academic medical center and community care sites. METHODS: We included patients who were at least 18 years of age and completed the Inner EAR scale, pure-tone audiometry, and word recognition score assessment. Based on audiometry results, patients were categorized as having: (1) normal bilateral hearing, (2) unilateral hearing loss, and (3) bilateral hearing loss. The distributions of Inner EAR scale scores were assessed within each category. Fisher's exact test was utilized to determine whether data-driven threshold values could discriminate among the 3 clinical groups. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-two consecutive patients with hearing-related complaints met inclusion criteria. Mean Inner EAR scores for patients with bilateral hearing loss (29.2, interquartile range [IQR] 10-41.5), unilateral hearing loss (38.9, IQR 23-49), and normal hearing (46.6, IQR 31-62) were significantly different (analysis of variance F < 0.0001). An Inner EAR score threshold of 50 supported the ability to statistically significantly discriminate between bilateral hearing loss and normal hearing (p = .003), as well as between unilateral hearing loss and normal hearing (p = .015). CONCLUSION: An Inner EAR score normative threshold value of 50 provides significant discriminatory ability between normal hearing and unilateral or bilateral hearing loss on audiometry. Normative values provide useful, frequently referenced data when assessing responses to treatment. Based on these data, this threshold may help distinguish patients with and without perceived functional impact from hearing loss.

InCISE: Instrument for Comprehensive Incisional and Surgical Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: The evaluation of healing after head and neck surgery is currently qualitative and non-standardized, limiting the quality of surgical healing assessments in clinical and research settings. We sought to develop an objective, standardized wound assessment score, and hypothesize that a reliable instrument can be developed to evaluate head and neck surgical wounds. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary-care, academic head and neck surgery practice. Patients undergoing head and neck surgery were enrolled. A digital photograph protocol was developed for evaluating healing surgical wounds. A panel of experts developed and refined a wound healing score and established reliability, reproducibility, internal consistency, and validity of the score. RESULTS: InCISE: Instrument for comprehensive incisional and surgical evaluation was created. The utility of our wound healing score was assessed using classical test theory. We performed the major steps of establishing reliability in head and neck surgeons: (1) internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.81), (2) inter-observer reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.76), and (3) intra-rater reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.87), and content validity (through focus groups). Our composite measure was found to have strong internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and intra-rater reliability. Preliminary work suggests criterion validity via associations with physical health related quality of life (SF-12). CONCLUSION: A wound healing score for head and neck surgery, InCISE, has been developed and is reliable, reproducible, and consistent. Although content validity is present and criterion validity is suggested, work continues to establish validity in this instrument to allow for expanded clinical and research use. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 133:2166-2173, 2023.

The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire for patients with head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: The University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL) is an English-language survey used to assess the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer. The present study aimed to translate this widely used questionnaire into Turkish according to international guidelines and to statistically determine its validity and reliability by administering it to native Turkish-speaking patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study was performed at Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Turkey. The study included patients newly diagnosed as having head and neck cancer. Translation and cultural adaptation of the questionnaire were performed first. Then, the translated version was tested on a consecutive series of patients seen in the department of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery and the department of radiation oncology between September 2006 and February 2008. The patients were asked to complete 3 sets of questionnaires. The first set was completed 1 day before the beginning of treatment, the second 3 months after the completion of treatment, and the third 10 days after the second questionnaire was completed. The first and second sets included the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire-Turkish version and UW-QOL-Turkish version. The third set included the Turkish UW-QOL only. Performance status was assessed and rated by a physician using the Karnofsky and ZEW (Zubrod/The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)/World Health Organization) performance scales, synchronous with the first and second sets of questionnaires. RESULTS: The original English version of UW-QOL was carefully translated into Turkish, and a final Turkish version of UW-QOL was developed in an iterative fashion. To determine its validity and reliability, 67 patients were included in the study. Internal consistency (Cronbach α = .757) was adequate, and test-retest reliability (interclass correlation coefficient, 0.941) was excellent. The composite scores of the translated UW-QOL were compared statistically with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire scores, Karnofsky and ZEW performance scales, T stage of the disease, and UW-QOL global questions scores to support the scale's construct validity, and statistically significant associations were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish UW-QOL appears to be a valid and reliable tool for use with Turkish patients with head and neck cancer; it can also be used in clinical investigations and routine clinical practice in Turkey.

Hearing deficits in the older patient: "I didn't notice anything".

Hearing loss is common in older adults. Patients, clinicians, and health care staff often do not recognize hearing loss, particularly in its early stages, and it is undertreated. Age-related hearing loss or presbycusis, the most common type of hearing loss in older adults, is a multifactorial sensorineural loss that frequently includes a component of impaired speech discrimination. Simple office-based screening and evaluation procedures can identify potential hearing disorders, which should prompt audiologic referral to confirm the diagnosis with audiometric testing. The mainstay of treatment is amplification. For many older adults, accepting the need for amplification, selecting and purchasing a hearing aid, and getting accustomed to its use is a daunting and often frustrating process. There are numerous barriers to hearing aid use, the most common of which is dissatisfaction with its performance across a range of sonic environments. Newer digital hearing aids have many features that improve performance, making them potentially more acceptable to users, but they are expensive and are not covered by Medicare. Hearing aids have been demonstrated to improve hearing function and hearing-related quality of life (QOL), but evidence is less robust for improving overall QOL. Depending upon the etiology of the hearing loss, other medical and surgical procedures, including cochlear implantation, may benefit older adults. Older adults with multiple morbidities and who are frail pose specific challenges for the management of hearing loss. These patients may require integration of hearing assessment and treatment as part of functional assessment in an interdisciplinary, team-based approach to care.

Chemoradiation therapy alters the PD-L1 score in locoregional recurrent squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

PD-L1 testing guides therapeutic decision-making for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We sought to understand whether chemoradiation therapy (CRT) influences the PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) and other biomarkers of response to immunotherapy. PD-L1 expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry, and bulk RNA sequencing was performed on 146 HNSCC patients (65 primary sites, 50 paired local recurrences, and 31 paired regional recurrences). PD-L1 was scored using the CPS of ≥1, ≥20, and ≥50. Overall, 98 %, 54 %, and 17 % of HNSCCs had a CPS ≥1, ≥20, and ≥50, respectively. When using a cut-off of ≥1, CRT did not significantly change CPS at the locoregional recurrent site. However, there were significant changes when using CPS ≥20 or ≥50. The CPS changed for 32 % of patients when using a CPS ≥20 (p < 0.001). When using a CPS ≥50, there was a 20-23 % (p = 0.0058-0.00067) discordance rate at the site of locoregional recurrence. Oral cavity cancers had a significantly higher discordant rate than other primary sites for CPS ≥50, 44 % (8/18, p = 0.0058) and 58 % (7/12, p = 0.00067) discordance at the site of local and regional recurrence, respectively. When evaluating the 18 gene IFN-É£ signature predictive of response to anti-PD-1 blockade, there was a statistically significant increase in the IFN-É£ signature in recurrent larynx cancer (p = 0.02). Our study demonstrates that when using a higher cut-off of CPS ≥20 and ≥50, a repeat biopsy may be warranted after CRT for local and regional recurrent HNSCCs.

Controversies in the Workup and Surgical Management of Parotid Neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: Parotid neoplasms are a rare heterogeneous group of tumors with varied clinical presentation and behavior. Here we provide an evidence-based review of the contemporary approach to evaluation and surgical management of parotid tumors. DATA SOURCE: PubMed and Web of Science Databases. REVIEW METHODS: Searches of the PubMed and Web of Science databases were performed on subjects related to the diagnosis and surgical management of parotid neoplasms. Particular emphasis was placed on the following areas: evaluation of parotid tumors, including imaging workup and the utility of fine-needle aspiration; extent of surgery of the primary lesion, including the extent of parotidectomy as well as oncologic management of the facial nerve; the extent of surgery of involved and at-risk cervical lymphatics; and parotid bed reconstruction. Articles published from 2014 to the present were prioritized, supplementing with information from prior studies in areas where data are lacking. CONCLUSION: A summary of the literature in these areas is outlined to provide an evidence-based approach to evaluation and management of parotid neoplasms. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: While data are available to help guide many aspects of workup and management of parotid neoplasms, further research is needed to refine protocols for this heterogeneous group of diseases.

Hearing Health Care Utilization Following Automated Hearing Screening.

BACKGROUND: The study examined follow-up rates for pursuing hearing health care (HHC) 6 to 8 months after participants self-administered one of three hearing screening methods: an automated method for testing of auditory sensitivity (AMTAS), a four-frequency pure-tone screener (FFS), or a digits-in-noise test (DIN), with and without the presentation of a 2-minute educational video about hearing. PURPOSE: The study aims to determine if the type of self-administered hearing screening method (with or without an educational video) affects HHC follow-up rates. RESEARCH DESIGN: The study is a randomized controlled trial of three automated hearing screening methods, plus control group, with and without an educational video. The control group completed questionnaires and provided follow-up data but did not undergo a hearing screening test. STUDY SAMPLE: The study sample includes 1,665 participants (mean age 50.8 years; 935 males) at two VA Medical Centers and at university and community centers in Portland, OR; Bay Pines, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Mauston, WI; and Columbus, OH. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: HHC follow-up data at 6 to 8 months were obtained by contacting participants by phone or mail. Screening methods and participant characteristics were compared in relation to the probability of participants pursuing HHC during the follow-up period. RESULTS: The 2-minute educational video did not have a significant effect on HHC follow-up rates. When all participants who provided follow-up data are considered (n = 1012), the FFS was the only test that resulted in a significantly greater percentage of HHC follow-up (24.6%) compared with the control group (16.8%); p = 0.03. However, for participants who failed a hearing screening (n = 467), follow-up results for all screening methods were significantly greater than for controls. The FFS resulted in a greater probability for HHC follow-up overall than the other two screening methods. Moreover, veterans had higher follow-up rates for all screening methods than non-veterans. CONCLUSION: The FFS resulted in a greater HHC follow-up rate compared with the other screening methods. This self-administered test may be more motivational for HHC follow-up because participants who fail the screening are aware of sounds they could not hear which does not occur with adaptive assessments like AMTAS or the DIN test. It is likely that access to and reduced personal cost of audiological services for veterans contributed to higher HHC follow-up rates in this group compared with non-veteran participants.

A genetic expression profile associated with oral cancer identifies a group of patients at high risk of poor survival.

PURPOSE: To determine if gene expression signature of invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) can subclassify OSCC based on survival. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We analyzed the expression of 131 genes in 119 OSCC, 35 normal, and 17 dysplastic mucosa to identify cluster-defined subgroups. Multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the association between gene expression and survival. By stepwise Cox regression, the top predictive models of OSCC-specific survival were determined and compared by receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: The 3-year overall mean+/-SE survival for a cluster of 45 OSCC patients was 38.7+/-0.09% compared with 69.1+/-0.08% for the remaining patients. Multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and stage showed that the 45 OSCC patient cluster had worse overall and OSCC-specific survival (hazard ratio, 3.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.66-6.58 and hazard ratio, 5.43; 95% confidence interval, 2.32-12.73, respectively). Stepwise Cox regression on the 131 probe sets revealed that a model with a term for LAMC2 (laminin gamma2) gene expression best identified patients with worst OSCC-specific survival. We fit a Cox model with a term for a principal component analysis-derived risk score marker and two other models that combined stage with either LAMC2 or PCA. The area under the curve for models combining stage with either LAMC2 or PCA was 0.80 or 0.82, respectively, compared with 0.70 for stage alone (P=0.013 and 0.008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Gene expression and stage combined predict survival of OSCC patients better than stage alone.

Dysphagia, stricture, and pneumonia in head and neck cancer patients: does treatment modality matter?

OBJECTIVES: Dysphagia-related sequelae are common after head and neck cancer treatment. Our aims were 1) to document overall and site-specific dysphagia, stricture, and pneumonia rates in a Medicare population, 2) to calculate treatment-specific rates and adjusted odds of developing these complications, and 3) to track changes in rates between 1992 and 1999. METHODS: Head and neck cancer patients between 1992 and 1999 were identified in combined Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry and Medicare databases. Multivariate analyses determined odds of dysphagia, stricture, and pneumonia based on modality. RESULTS: Of 8,002 patients, 40% of experienced dysphagia, 7% stricture, and 10% pneumonia within 3 years of treatment. In adjusted analyses, patients treated with chemoradiation had more than 2.5-times-greater odds of dysphagia than did those treated with surgery alone. Combined therapy was associated with increased odds of stricture (p<0.05). The odds of pneumonia were increased in patients treated with radiation with or without chemotherapy. Temporally, the dysphagia rates increased 10% during this period (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sequelae of head and neck cancer treatment are common and differ by treatment regimen. Those treated with chemoradiation had higher odds of experiencing dysphagia and pneumonia, whereas patients treated with any combined therapy more commonly experienced stricture. These sequelae represent major sources of morbidity and mortality in this population.

Clinician Use and Payments by Medical Specialty for Audiometric and Vestibular Testing Among US Medicare Beneficiaries.

Importance: Variations in diagnostic test use may indicate that there are opportunities for quality improvement in vestibular health care. To date, the extent to which clinician acquisition of tests varies nationwide by region and specialty of the clinician is unknown. Objective: To quantify variation in clinician use and payments for audiograms and vestibular tests across all geographic regions of the United States and by specialty of practice. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used a population-based sample of 1 307 887 audiovestibular test claims from fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older in the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Public Use File from January 1 through December 31, 2014. The analysis was completed from January 2 through June 1, 2019. Exposures: Diagnostic audiograms, caloric testing, and rotary chair testing. Main Outcomes and Measures: Test utilization was analyzed by hospital referral region, medical specialty, and total payments. Results: In 2014, clinicians performed 1 213 328 audiograms, 317 880 caloric tests (ie, single caloric irrigations), and 62 779 rotary chair tests, for a total of $38 647 350.21 in Medicare payments from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. No patient or clinician demographic characteristics were available. Across health care referral regions, rates of testing per 100 000 beneficiaries varied from 166 to 12 021 for audiograms, 15 to 4271 for caloric tests, and 13 to 3556 for rotary chair tests between the lowest-use and highest-use regions. Most audiograms and caloric tests were billed by audiologists (797 957 audiograms [65.8%]; 112 485 caloric tests [35.4%]) and otolaryngologists (376 728 audiograms [31.0%]; 70 567 caloric tests [22.2%]). In contrast, primary care physicians (18 933 [30.2%]) and neurologists (15 254 [24.3%]) billed the largest proportion of rotary chair tests compared with other specialists, including audiologists (7253 [11.6%]) and otolaryngologists (6464 [10.3%]). Conclusions and Relevance: Substantial geographic and clinician-level variation may have been observed in use of audiovestibular tests. Quality improvement efforts in vestibular health care may need to target a range of clinicians, including primary care physicians to be successful.

Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Osteosarcomatous Differentiation and Involvement of Thyroid Cartilage Mimicking Sarcoma Arising from Thyroid Cartilage.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) with a spindle cell component of the head and neck is an uncommon entity. In this case, we present a radiology-pathology correlation of a rare laryngeal BSCC with sarcomatous transformation and osteosarcomatous differentiation involving the laryngeal cartilage, which thus mimicked clinically and radiographically osteosarcoma or chondrosarcoma with calcification. Microscopic examination revealed predominantly BSCC with extensive osseous metaplasia among sheets and nests of basaloid tumor cells. There were also small foci of osteosarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, and spindle cell carcinoma. The presence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in-situ, small areas of conventional SCC and diffuse positivity of p40 in conventional and basaloid squamous components confirmed that this tumor was indeed derived from surface squamous epithelium. Awareness of the broad differentiation potentials of SCC can avoid misdiagnosis of SCCs as sarcoma. This case emphasizes the importance of radiologic-pathologic correlation in definitive diagnosis and clinical management of laryngeal malignancies.

Pilot randomized phase II study of celecoxib in oral premalignant lesions.

PURPOSE: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-specific inhibition suppresses carcinogenesis in preclinical models and is a promising strategy for preventing oral cancer. In this pilot randomized phase II study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in patients with oral premalignant lesions (OPL). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients were randomly assigned to placebo (n=18), celecoxib 100 mg twice daily (n=17), or celecoxib 200 mg twice daily (n=15) for 12 weeks. Six additional patients received celecoxib (400 mg twice daily) in an unblinded extension of the study. Biopsies were obtained at baseline and week 12. All patients entering the study were required to have at least one histologically confirmed early (atypical hyperplasia, atypical hyperkeratosis, or mild dysplasia) or advanced (moderate to severe dysplasia) OPL. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (46 of 50 randomized and 3 of 6 open label) were evaluable for efficacy analyses. There were no statistically significant differences between the response rates of the randomly assigned arms: placebo, 33.3% (6 of 18); celecoxib 100 mg twice daily, 41.2% (7 of 17); and celecoxib 200 mg twice daily, 20.0% (3 of 15). Two patients responded on celecoxib 400 mg twice daily. Celecoxib was generally well tolerated. Patients with higher baseline COX-2 mRNA levels had an increased risk of disease progression within 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Celecoxib at 100 or 200 mg twice daily was ineffective in controlling OPLs in this randomized controlled trial. This result and cardiovascular toxicity results of other (large scale) randomized controlled trials of selective COX-2 inhibitors have discouraged the continued investigation of these agents in oral cancer chemoprevention. Better methods for identifying high-risk patients and more active interventions are needed for future oral cancer chemoprevention trials.

Development and validation of the University of Washington Clinical Assessment of Music Perception test.

OBJECTIVES: Assessment of cochlear implant outcomes centers around speech discrimination. Despite dramatic improvements in speech perception, music perception remains a challenge for most cochlear implant users. No standardized test exists to quantify music perception in a clinically practical manner. This study presents the University of Washington Clinical Assessment of Music Perception (CAMP) test as a reliable and valid music perception test for English-speaking, adult cochlear implant users. DESIGN: Forty-two cochlear implant subjects were recruited from the University of Washington Medical Center cochlear implant program and referred by two implant manufacturers. Ten normal-hearing volunteers were drawn from the University of Washington Medical Center and associated campuses. A computer-driven, self-administered test was developed to examine three specific aspects of music perception: pitch direction discrimination, melody recognition, and timbre recognition. The pitch subtest used an adaptive procedure to determine just-noticeable differences for complex tone pitch direction discrimination within the range of 1 to 12 semitones. The melody and timbre subtests assessed recognition of 12 commonly known melodies played with complex tones in an isochronous manner and eight musical instruments playing an identical five-note sequence, respectively. Testing was repeated for cochlear implant subjects to evaluate test-retest reliability. Normal-hearing volunteers were also tested to demonstrate differences in performance in the two populations. RESULTS: For cochlear implant subjects, pitch direction discrimination just-noticeable differences ranged from 1 to 8.0 semitones (Mean = 3.0, SD = 2.3). Melody and timbre recognition ranged from 0 to 94.4% correct (mean = 25.1, SD = 22.2) and 20.8 to 87.5% (mean = 45.3, SD = 16.2), respectively. Each subtest significantly correlated at least moderately with both Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) word recognition scores and spondee recognition thresholds in steady state noise and two-talker babble. Intraclass coefficients demonstrating test-retest correlations for pitch, melody, and timbre were 0.85, 0.92, and 0.69, respectively. Normal-hearing volunteers had a mean pitch direction discrimination threshold of 1.0 semitone, the smallest interval tested, and mean melody and timbre recognition scores of 87.5 and 94.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The CAMP test discriminates a wide range of music perceptual ability in cochlear implant users. Moderate correlations were seen between music test results and both Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant word recognition scores and spondee recognition thresholds in background noise. Test-retest reliability was moderate to strong. The CAMP test provides a reliable and valid metric for a clinically practical, standardized evaluation of music perception in adult cochlear implant users.

Hearing aid effectiveness after aural rehabilitation - individual versus group (HEARING) trial: RCT design and baseline characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Hearing impairment is the most common body system disability in veterans. In 2008, nearly 520,000 veterans had a disability for hearing loss through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Changes in eligibility for hearing aid services, along with the aging population, contributed to a greater than 300% increase in the number of hearing aids dispensed from 1996 to 2006. In 2006, the VA committed to having no wait times for patient visits while providing quality clinically-appropriate care. One approach to achieving this goal is the use of group visits as an alternative to individual visits. We sought to determine: 1) if group hearing aid fitting and follow-up visits were at least as effective as individual visits, and 2) whether group visits lead to cost savings through the six month period after the hearing aid fitting. We describe the rationale, design, and characteristics of the baseline cohort of the first randomized clinical trial to study the impact of group versus individual hearing aid fitting and follow-up visits. METHODS: Participants were recruited from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System Audiology Clinic. Eligible patients had no previous hearing aid use and monaural or binaural air-conduction hearing aids were ordered at the evaluation visit. Participants were randomized to receive the hearing aid fitting and the hearing aid follow-up in an individual or group visit. The primary outcomes were hearing-related function, measured with the first module of the Effectiveness of Aural Rehabilitation (Inner EAR), and hearing aid adherence. We tracked the total cost of planned and unplanned audiology visits over the 6-month interval after the hearing aid fitting. DISCUSSION: A cohort of 659 participants was randomized to receive group or individual hearing aid fitting and follow-up visits. Baseline demographic and self-reported health status and hearing-related measures were evenly distributed across the treatment arms.Outcomes after the 6-month follow-up period are needed to determine if group visits were as least as good as those for individual visits and will be reported in subsequent publication. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00260663.

Outcomes of Adopting Endoscopic Tympanoplasty in an Academic Teaching Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcomes of endoscopic versus microscopic tympanoplasty during the initial period of a surgeon adopting the new endoscopic technique and teaching the surgical approach to residents assisting in surgery. METHODS: Retrospective medical chart review of 60 consecutive operations for repair of isolated tympanic membrane perforations from 2011 to 2016 performed by a single surgeon assisted by residents in an academic teaching hospital. The outcomes of 20 ears repaired microscopically before the senior author adopted endoscopic ear surgery (Group A) were compared with the outcomes of the first 20 ears that were attempted with endoscopic surgery (Group B) and the next 20 ears performed endoscopically (Group C). Sixty ear operations were performed on 52 patients as 8 patients had bilateral ear surgery. RESULTS: The tympanic membrane closure rate was 80% for Group A, 80% for Group B, and 95% for Group C. Mean air-bone gap improvement was 12.8 dB in Group A, 8.3 dB in Group B, and 12.1 dB in Group C. Mean duration of surgery was 99.2 minutes in Group A, 91.3 minutes in Group B, and 90.5 minutes in Group C. In Group B, 20% of the ears (4/20) were converted to a microscopic approach; in Group C, none required conversion. CONCLUSIONS: Maintenance of good outcomes and similar results can be maintained during a surgeon's transition to adopting endoscopic tympanoplasty and teaching it to residents.