Survival and Long-Term Biochemical Cure in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma in Denmark 1997–2014: A Nationwide Study

Thyroid, Ahead of Print.


http://bit.ly/2DLIeeV

Survival and Long-Term Biochemical Cure in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma in Denmark 1997–2014: A Nationwide Study

Thyroid, Ahead of Print.


from ! ORL Sfakianakis via paythelady.61 on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2DLIeeV
via IFTTT

The antimicrobial protein S100A12 identified as a potential autoantigen in a subgroup of atopic dermatitis patients

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex heterogeneous chronic inflammatory skin disease. Specific IgE antibodies against autoantigens have been observed in a subgroup of AD patients, however, little is known about...

from ! ORL Sfakianakis via paythelady.61 on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2RZw2Qz
via IFTTT

The antimicrobial protein S100A12 identified as a potential autoantigen in a subgroup of atopic dermatitis patients

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex heterogeneous chronic inflammatory skin disease. Specific IgE antibodies against autoantigens have been observed in a subgroup of AD patients, however, little is known about...

http://bit.ly/2RZw2Qz

Bilingual Children with Hearing Loss Learn Words Better with Bilingual Instruction

A new study conducted by a team from Vanderbilt University found that bilingual children with hearing loss learned new vocabulary better when taught using bilingual instruction. The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of bilingual and monolingual teaching practices to identify which method would work best with these children who face unique but under-investigated challenges in language learning.

The idea for the study was sparked when Ana Soares, a teacher of the deaf, and Andrea Vargas, a speech-language pathologist, from Mama Lere Hearing School at Vanderbilt noticed challenges that affected Spanish-speaking families when helping their children with hearing loss learn a language. 

"There are many different ideas on how to teach children learning more than one language, and this debate includes children with hearing loss who are bilingual," explained the study's lead author Jena C. McDaniel. "An ongoing difference in opinion is whether new vocabulary should be taught in the native language, the new language, or both. More importantly, some have argued that teaching in the native language harms the ability to learn words in the new language."

Surprised with the dearth of research into this important issue, the team set out to investigate for themselves. "We recognized the need for more evidence on how to meet the language needs of children with hearing loss who are bilingual, including the language used for intervention and instruction, and wanted to be a part of generating and disseminating that knowledge," McDaniel told The Hearing Journal. "Thus, we created a clinician-researcher team with the goal of optimizing intervention services and language outcomes for children with hearing loss who are bilingual." 

The study, which involved giving alternating bilingual or monolingual language instructions to three Spanish–English-speaking children with hearing loss, provided evidence that put to question a prevalent belief in language teaching.

"When we counted words said in both languages (i.e., conceptual vocabulary), bilingual children with hearing loss showed more effective word learning when they received instruction in Spanish and English compared with being taught in English alone. We did not find any evidence of an inhibitory effect of instruction in Spanish on the children's word learning in English," noted McDaniel. "That is, there was no harmful effect when children were taught in their native language."

"These findings do not support the widespread, but understudied, recommendation to teach bilingual children with hearing loss or other disabilities exclusively in English," she added. "Our data suggest that there is no benefit to decreasing these learning opportunities by recommending that these children be taught the new language exclusively (i.e., English only)."     

This study also helps the case of families who want to stay connected with their culture and native language. McDaniel noted, "We believe these findings are important because teaching children with hearing loss in their native language maximizes opportunities to learn new words from parents, siblings, and other community members who speak the child's native language."

Moving forward, the team hopes to replicate the study with participants with more diverse hearing loss profiles and language levels. "We would also like to focus on conceptual vocabulary as the primary dependent variable, vary the details of the bilingual intervention systematically to optimize its effectiveness, and target language skills other than vocabulary," shared McDaniel.

Published: 1/30/2019 11:09:00 AM

http://bit.ly/2G1tMC3

Hearing Loss Research Five Times More Likely to Address Children than Older Adults

​The volume of hearing loss research on older adults lags significantly behind that on children even though hearing loss is three times as prevalent in the geriatric population, a new study found (JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019 Jan 17. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2018.3889. [Epub ahead of print]). Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine conducted an advanced literature search on PubMed databases to quantify studies on hearing loss in older adults and children from 1946 to 2017 using specific keywords. They found that publications were five times more likely to address hearing loss in children (9.743) than older adults (1,880). Approximately 137 articles on children and 26 articles on older adults were published per year over 71 years. The number of publications for both groups increased throughout the study period, but more so for the young. The greatest discrepancy in publication by age was for articles related to cochlear implants and language, which were 22 times and 15 times more likely in children than older adults, respectively. The study authors said their hope in describing these disparities is not to discourage hearing loss research in children but to call attention to areas in which significant progress can be made in older adults. 

Published: 1/25/2019 8:55:00 AM

http://bit.ly/2GdETa7

New Study Suggests Memory Loss Could be Linked to Hearing Problems, Not Alzheimer’s

Findings of a new study suggest that older adults being evaluated for memory and cognitive issues including Alzheimer's disease should also get a hearing test. After examining patients between 41 and 88 years old at Baycrest's neuropsychology clinic, researchers found that majority had mild to severe hearing loss but only about 20 percent used hearing aids

Hearing loss, the third most common chronic health condition in older adults, has been linked with cognitive issues. This study makes a case for addressing hearing loss, which often seems like a memory issue in this patient population.

When asked about the motivation behind the study, lead author Kate Dupuis, PhD, explained that the research team has been well aware of the growing literature highlighting the key role of hearing loss in the development of dementia. In fact, members of the team were studying the connection between hearing loss and cognition in individuals living with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

"Of particular interest was how/whether the neuropsychologists at Baycrest Health Sciences were taking hearing loss into account when working with their clients," Dr. Dupuis told The Hearing Journal.

"The Hearing Services team had previously conducted an analogous study in which they investigated how aware audiologists were of a client's cognitive status, and whether they considered conditions such as memory loss or attentional difficulties when recommending interventions. This research project capitalized on the close existing relationship between Baycrest Hearing Services and the hospital's Neuropsychology and Cognitive Health program."

Admittedly, hearing status is not always addressed in neuropsychology evaluations, noted study co-author Susan Vandermorris, PhD, in a press release. In the study, the neuropsychologists were not aware of the participants' hearing test results at the initial assessment and later modified their clinical recommendations to address hearing concerns.

Recognizing hearing loss as a modifiable risk factor for dementia, Dr. Dupuis stressed the role of interdisciplinary health care teams in promoting awareness and management of hearing-related issues among older adults.

"Neuropsychologists and physicians can improve patient care by including standardized questions about hearing loss and hearing care into their interview/assessment techniques with all older clients," she noted. "It may be particularly important to also ask questions of the loved ones/caregivers who accompany the clients, as there can often be a high level of denial on the part of the clients about the existence of hearing loss. Educational materials about the strong connection between hearing loss and brain health should be provided, and recommendations and/or referrals for hearing assessment should be made as part of standard practice when working with an older population." 

Published: 1/22/2019 3:56:00 PM

http://bit.ly/2FXbPV2