Temporal Bone Anatomy and Function
The temporal bone is divided functionally into the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear (Figure 1). As sound enters the ear, it travels through the external auditory canal, vibrates the tympanic membrane and middle ear bones (also called ossicles) (Figure 2), and then is translated into a neural impulse by the inner ear. As…
The Origins of the Cochlear Implant
One of the House Institute’s greatest research accomplishments was the development of the first cochlear implant for clinical trial by William House, MD, DDS, and Engineer Jack Urban. This is William House’s story. Electrical stimulation of the ear dates back to the early 1800s when Physicist Alesandro Volta inserted an electrode in his ear and…
Benefits of Cochlear Implantation for Single-Sided Deafness
Losing hearing in one ear can be more debilitating than many people imagine. Single-sided deafness can significantly reduce sound localization, creating confusion as to where a sound is coming from. People with single-sided deafness also have greater difficulty understanding speech, especially when someone speaks on their deaf side. Many people with single-sided deafness also experience…
AVA-Subtitles to Real-Life Conversations
The House Institute Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) patient Roselle Dyan Rico has bilateral hearing loss. But this does not stop the 26-year-old UC Riverside Biology student from participating in conversations. She uses the app AVA to increase the efficiency of her day-to-day communications. What is AVA? Roselle Dyan Rico: It is an accessibility app for…
Providing Care in a Global Pandemic
By Kevin Peng, MD and Jennifer Derebery, MD The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it numerous changes. As hearing health professionals who work in close proximity to our patients, we immediately began wearing face masks not just to protect ourselves, but our patients as well. With most of our clientele being deaf or hard of…
Hearing Impairment & Social Distancing
It was mid-March. We were nearing spring break, March Madness, festival season, and Easter, when suddenly, the world went quiet. Streets, highways, public transportation, and airports all emptied as millions of people followed safer-at-home orders from their governors. The coronavirus pandemic disrupted life in the United States in a way many thought impossible. A country…
Intraoperative Fluorescence
Intraoperative fluorescence has been studied in various surgical fields to gain a better view of important structures, such as blood vessels and tumors. The House Institute Foundation’s research team used an injectable compound to enhance the identification of the tumor-nerve interface in patients undergoing vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) surgery. This technique uses light in near-infrared…
Tinnitus Drug Trial
The House Institute participated in an industry-sponsored trial for an experimental medication that treats severe tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. The trial required that we recruit patients with severe tinnitus in one ear that had been present no longer than six months. The medication was injected through the eardrum (tympanic membrane), then absorbed into…
Dr. Noonan in Nicaragua
Twenty years ago, a former House Fellow, Dr. James Saunders, established a nonprofit organization with the aim of improving otologic care in Nicaragua. Their mission was to develop a sustainable framework that would provide the necessary infrastructure to improve hearing-health on a national level. I had the opportunity to participate in this undertaking with the…
Global Outreach in Young Medical Professionals
Incorporating neurotology fellows in our humanitarian efforts continues to be an important part of our global health and educational missions. Physicians develop strong humanitarian ideals through personal experience, often in collaboration with a medical team. Acquisition of lifelong appreciation and devotion to humanitarian work can be nurtured through various means. While the opportunity must first…
