Archives of Otolaryngology-head & Neck Surgery 

About: Archives of Otolaryngology-head & Neck Surgery is an academic journal published by American Medical Association. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Hearing loss & Middle ear. It has an ISSN identifier of 0886-4470. Over the lifetime, 18311 publications have been published receiving 455690 citations. The journal is also known as: Archives of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery.

Introduction to the Psychology of Hearing

Abstract: The author's stated general approach is to relate the psychological and perceptual aspects of sound to the underlying physiological mechanisms of hearing in a way that the material can be used as a text to accompany an advanced undergraduate- or graduate-level course in auditory perception. The attempt is to provide an account of current trends in auditory research on a level not too technical for the novice. Psychoacoustic studies on humans and physiological studies on animals serve as the primary bases for subject matter presentation, and many practical applications are offered. Among the chapters are the following: the nature of sound and the structure of the auditory system; loudness, adaptation, and fatigue; frequency analysis, masking, and critical bands; pitch perception and auditory pattern perception; space perception; and speech perception. Within these chapter headings special attention is given to a number of topics, including signal detection theory, monaural and binaural hearing,

The Development of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory

Abstract: Conventional vestibulometric techniques are inadequate for quantifying the impact of dizziness on everyday life. The 25-item Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) was developed to evaluate the self-perceived handicapping effects imposed by vestibular system disease. The development of the preliminary (37 items) and final versions (25 items) of the DHI are described. The items were subgrouped into three content domains representing functional, emotional, and physical aspects of dizziness and unsteadiness. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was employed to measure reliability based on consistency of the preliminary version. The final version of the DHI was administered to 106 consecutive patients and demonstrated good internal consistency reliability. With the exception of the physical subscale, the mean values for DHI scale scores increased significantly with increases in the frequency of dizziness episodes. Test-retest reliability was high.

Development of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

Abstract: Objective: To develop a self-report tinnitus handicap measure that is brief, easy to administer and interpret, broad in scope, and psychometrically robust. Design: A standardization study of a self-report tinnitus handicap measure was conducted to determine its internal consistency reliability and convergent and construct validity. Setting: Audiology clinics in tertiary care centers in two sites. Participants: In the first investigation, 84 patients reporting tinnitus as their primary complaint or secondary to hearing loss completed the 45-item alpha version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). In the second investigation, 66 subjects also reporting tinnitus completed the 25-item beta version. Outcome Measures: Convergent validity was assessed using another measure of perceived tinnitus handicap (Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire). Construct validity was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, symptom rating scales (annoyance, sleep disruption, depression, and concentration), and perceived tinnitus pitch and loudness judgments. Results: From the alpha version of the THI, we derived a 25-item beta version with the items grouped into functional, emotional, and catastrophic subscales. The total scale yielded excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.93). No significant age or gender effects were seen. Weak correlations were observed between the THI and the Beck Depression Inventory, Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, and pitch and loudness judgments. Significant correlations were found between the THI and the symptom rating scales. Conclusion: The THI is a self-report measure that can be used in a busy clinical practice to quantify the impact of tinnitus on daily living. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996;122:143-148)

Clinical experience with impedance audiometry.

Abstract: Impedance audiometry was performed as part of the routine clinical examination in a consecutive series of more than 400 patients with various types and degrees of hearing impairment. An electroacoustic bridge (Madsen, ZO 70) was used to carry out the measurement of tympanometry, acoustic impedance, and threshold for the acoustic reflex. Results indicate that, while individual components of the total impedance battery lack diagnostic precision, the overall pattern of results yielded by the complete battery can be of great diagnostic value, especially in the evaluation of young children.

Current Thyroid Cancer Trends in the United States

Abstract: Importance We have previously reported on a doubling of thyroid cancer incidence—largely due to the detection of small papillary cancers. Because they are commonly found in people who have died of other causes, and because thyroid cancer mortality had been stable, we argued that the increased incidence represented overdiagnosis. Objective To determine whether thyroid cancer incidence has stabilized. Design Analysis of secular trends in patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer, 1975 to 2009, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and thyroid cancer mortality from the National Vital Statistics System. Setting Nine SEER areas (SEER 9): Atlanta, Georgia; Connecticut; Detroit, Michigan; Hawaii; Iowa; New Mexico; San Francisco–Oakland, California; Seattle–Puget Sound, Washington; and Utah. Participants Men and women older than 18 years diagnosed as having a thyroid cancer between 1975 and 2009 who lived in the SEER 9 areas. Interventions None. Main Outcomes and Measures Thyroid cancer incidence, histologic type, tumor size, and patient mortality. Results Since 1975, the incidence of thyroid cancer has now nearly tripled, from 4.9 to 14.3 per 100 000 individuals (absolute increase, 9.4 per 100 000; relative rate [RR], 2.9; 95% CI, 2.7-3.1). Virtually the entire increase was attributable to papillary thyroid cancer: from 3.4 to 12.5 per 100 000 (absolute increase, 9.1 per 100 000; RR, 3.7; 95% CI, 3.4-4.0). The absolute increase in thyroid cancer in women (from 6.5 to 21.4 = 14.9 per 100 000 women) was almost 4 times greater than that of men (from 3.1 to 6.9 = 3.8 per 100 000 men). The mortality rate from thyroid cancer was stable between 1975 and 2009 (approximately 0.5 deaths per 100 000). Conclusions and Relevance There is an ongoing epidemic of thyroid cancer in the United States. The epidemiology of the increased incidence, however, suggests that it is not an epidemic of disease but rather an epidemic of diagnosis. The problem is particularly acute for women, who have lower autopsy prevalence of thyroid cancer than men but higher cancer detection rates by a 3:1 ratio.