House Lecturer Reveals Groundbreaking Advances in Technology

[neuro]

House Lecturer Reveals Groundbreaking Advances in Technology
AAO-HNSF Daily

 

[jillio]

Yep. He says advances are being made. No one disputes that.

"From discussions with knowledgeable researchers, everyone's best guess is sometime in the next 20 years," Dr. Glasscock said

BTW, this was my son's doctor when we lived in Tennessee. He was also my father's ENT.

 

[neuro]

[QUOTE = jillio; 1436774] Sí. Él dice que se está avanzando. Nadie discute eso.

"De las conversaciones con los investigadores conocedores, la mejor estimación de todo el mundo es en algún momento en los próximos 20 años", dijo el Dr. Glasscock [/ B]

BTW, este era el médico de mi hijo cuando vivíamos en Tennessee. También fue ENT mi padre. [/ QUOTE]


is an opinion, there are many researchers and estimates.
In Beike for example being applied in humans (in the absence of further information and experiences that are novel itself).
In Cord Blood Registry is doing a study of children with their own stem cells saved.
"The CBR Center for Regenerative Medicine is collaborating with two leading medical institutions to initiate a research study that would evaluate using a child's own cord blood stem cells to help restore or improve hearing that's been damaged from injury or sickness".
CBR Center for Regenerative Medicine - Hearing Loss - Cord Blood Stem Cells from Cord Blood Registry

 

[deafdude1]

Let me comment using quotes from the article.

Of the 30 million hearing-impaired individuals in the U.S., the vast majority are sensorineural in nature, with current state-of-the-art treatment including hearing aids, middle-ear implants, and cochlear implants, he said. Hearing aids present the real drawbacks of appearance stigmas, acoustic feedback, frequent battery changes, and discomfort and irritation. Also, hearing aids generally fall under the increasingly exclusive purview of audiology.

How do they define "hearing impaired" and even those who show a mild or high freq. loss on the audiogram, if they function like a hearing person, should they be considered hearing? It's silly to be ashamed of HAs, no one will make fun of you. I point out im hearing impaired and they don't care, I am treated with respect just like the rest. As for feedback, this is a thing of the past unless you are so vain to try CICs which suck. My batteries only need to be changed twice a month, big deal. CIs need daily battery changes. My HAs and molds fit properly so there's no real discomfort/irritation.

"Otolaryngologists and otologists will need an edge to compete in the hearing aid market, and that edge will be middle-ear implants because audiologists cannot perform surgical procedures," Dr. Glasscock said. "It's the middle-ear implants that represent the greatest unmet medical need."

MEI's are as much of a "medical need" as refractive surgery for the eyes. Glasses do the job fine, so do HAs and for those who are so deaf that HAs don't work then CIs offer a chance but even CI isn't a "medical need" because there's nothing wrong with being deaf and CIs won't cure your deafness anyway.

Patients not faring well with conventional hearing aids will respond much better with either partial or total-device middle-ear implants, a technology considered "beyond" hearing aids and "before" cochlear implants, he said. Two partial middle-ear transplants (Med-El Vibrant Soundbridge and Ototronix Maxum) have been approved by the FDA, and two midde-ear devices are under FDA review (Otologics Carina TIMED Implant and Envoy Medical's ESTEEM Implant).

MEI's don't give better hearing than HAs, but CIs do have the potental for better hearing vs. HAs for those with little or no residual hearing.

The most sophisticated technology to date, the cochlear implant, depends upon the brain to achieve success. In the future, they will be totally implanted with no outside microphone or sound processor, he said. Amazing advances are also occurring in implanting cochlear devices, including the percutaneous cochlear access using a microstereotactic frame, as well as robotics.
Worldwide, 125,000 patients have received cochlear implants, and future goals for those devices call for total implantation and a reduction in price points to make them available for millions of people worldwide.

The future is stem cells, not CI.

"In children, the most important thing to remember is that the current cochlear devices destroy residual hearing," Dr. Glasscock said. "Children being implanted today may well see a time in their lifetimes when hair cell regeneration is possible, and we should strive for preservation of residual hearing."

This, among other reasons is why I don't believe in forcing CI on children unless they had no residual hearing to begin with. Adults can make their own choice if they gotta have instant gratification and a chance to possibly hear better now with CI vs. HAs or make do with HAs and save their residual hearing till they can get hair cell regeneration. I am getting stem cells experimentally either by clinical trials or will travel overseas.

In fact, he called the potential for ear hair cell regeneration the Holy Grail in otology.

This will replace all other technologies except HAs only because those with mild to moderate losses(and in some cases, severe) may decide it's not worth the huge cost(could be $100,000 in America) for a very small improvement. Ive been reading about this and it's been shown that up to a 60db loss, properly fitted HAs can aid you to normal for sounds and very near normal for speech.

Other species (birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians) experience vigorous ear hair cell regeneration throughout their lives, so researchers are seeking to unlock this mystery and make hair cell regeneration a reality through stem cell therapy, gene therapy, or molecular modulation (drug therapy).

It's true there's no deaf animals within those species, but it was shown in chickens that the best possible hearing they could recover down to was 23db HL after having their hearing damaged. Also the more damaged their hearing was, the worse their hearing was after recovery.

"There are important safety considerations in hair cell regeneration work," Dr. Glasscock said. "Transplanted stem cells may form tumors or attack the host.

Not umbilical cord stem cells, they have never caused tumors or serious side effects.

He also offered a prediction about when mid-21st century otologists would be able to cure both conductive and sensory forms of hearing loss.
"From discussions with knowledgeable researchers, everyone's best guess is sometime in the next 20 years," Dr. Glasscock said.

Some forms of conductive losses can be cured today but studies have shown that conductive losses can be aided to normal because there's no damage to the nerves/hair cells. Stem cells can improve(but not cure) SNHL today! I am getting stem cells in the near future so I can attain a 30db improvement in my hearing. Ill decide in 20 years from now if it's worth the huge cost to improve further and end up with a mild unaided hearing loss. Id be able to hear quite well aided with 30db improvement and still benefit from blissful silence by removing my HAs(that's a small reason) I have no conflicts with myself being hearing or mildly HOH, the biggest reason would be the huge cost(possibly $100,000!) for a small improvement over what HAs could aid me down to after I get my initial 30db improvement which would be the biggest improvement by a mile.

 

[jillio]

Why doesn't it surprise me that you 2 are attempting to contradict one of this country's most respected ENTs who is affiliated with a hospital and med school that does cutting edge research and is involved with numerous clinical trials?:roll:

 

[vallee]

Michael E. Glasscock is the same doctor that 16 years ago told me to pick another field that I should not go into early childhood/elementary education. So he may be a great leading in this field, but he has sorry bedside manner.

 

[jillio]

Michael E. Glasscock is the same doctor that 16 years ago told me to pick another field that I should not go into early childhood/elementary education. So he may be a great leading in this field, but he has sorry bedside manner.

I would call it outspoken. I appreciate his up front manner, personally. But, his opinion regarding your career choice has virtually nothing to do with the research topic of the thread. And, he is an educator himself. He teaches in the med school, so it isn't as if he doesn''t have a clue regarding what it is to be in a classroom.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

All I can say is... I trust a hobbyist who collect Southeast Asian newts (and he identified a few new species himself) with stem cells more than I trust the two people that are spearheading the propaganda spewed out by the biotech industry.

And think that is saying a lot? Not really, the guy I am referring to know how to at least read scientific papers and press releases.

Trying to downplay Glasscock's statements doesn't means squat.

 

[vallee]

I would call it outspoken. I appreciate his up front manner, personally. But, his opinion regarding your career choice has virtually nothing to do with the research topic of the thread. And, he is an educator himself. He teaches in the med school, so it isn't as if he doesn''t have a clue regarding what it is to be in a classroom.

thanks for showing I was right not to post anymore on this site. He doesn't have a clue about my teaching experiences and my job as an educator. I guess it would have been different if a comment was made about your son.

 

[jillio]

thanks for showing I was right not to post anymore on this site. He doesn't have a clue about my teaching experiences and my job as an educator. I guess it would have been different if a comment was made about your son.

So, if you made a decision not to post any more on this site, then why are you posting here?

Any educator that has spent time in a classroom knows what it takes to teach in a classroom environment.

Frankly, he always told my son he could do anything he wanted to. Perhaps his advice wasn't based on hearing status alone.

 

[rick48]

Michael E. Glasscock is the same doctor that 16 years ago told me to pick another field that I should not go into early childhood/elementary education. So he may be a great leading in this field, but he has sorry bedside manner.

Seems like Dr. Glasscock has a set of brass balls!

Good thing you did not listen to his "advice"!
Rick

 

[shel90]

So, if you made a decision not to post any more on this site, then why are you posting here?

Any educator that has spent time in a classroom knows what it takes to teach in a classroom environment.

Frankly, he always told my son he could do anything he wanted to. Perhaps his advice wasn't based on hearing status alone.

Was he very supportive of ASL and the Deaf community?

 

[rick48]

So, if you made a decision not to post any more on this site, then why are you posting here?

Any educator that has spent time in a classroom knows what it takes to teach in a classroom environment.

Frankly, he always told my son he could do anything he wanted to. Perhaps his advice wasn't based on hearing status alone.

You missed the point Vallee was making.

Also your statement about any educator knowing what it takes to teach is both an over simplified generalization and a failed attempt to state a truism that does not exist. Even Dr. Glasscock himself admits that he did not fit well in the academic arena thus doubtful he concurs with your statement. Also, the skill set necessary to effective teach children in an elementary school setting are far different from those needed to teach highly motivated, intelligent college educated adults in medical school.

Unfortunately there are indeed teachers who have spent years in the classroom who have no idea what it takes to teach in a classroom environment.

 

[jillio]

Was he very supportive of ASL and the Deaf community?

Yes, he was. He encouraged me always to use ASL with my son, and that was at a time when the speech and hearing center associated with Vanderbilt operated from a very oral philosophy.

 

[jillio]

You missed the point Vallee was making.

Also your statement about any educator knowing what it takes to teach is both an over simplified generalization and a failed attempt to state a truism that does not exist. Even Dr. Glasscock himself admits that he did not fit well in the academic arena thus doubtful he concurs with your statement. Also, the skill set necessary to effective teach children in an elementary school setting are far different from those needed to teach highly motivated, intelligent college educated adults in medical school.

Unfortunately there are indeed teachers who have spent years in the classroom who have no idea what it takes to teach in a classroom environment.

Nope, I didn't miss the point vallee was making at all. And since you know virtually nothing about Dr. Glascock or the situation, I'd suggest you refrain from passing judgement in any form.

Funny, isn't it, that vallee was implanted at the very hospital with which Dr. Glascock is affiliated and that she was part of a clinical trial in which his dept. was involved.

Did not fit well in the academic arena. Odd that he is still a full professor at Vanderbilt University, then, isn't it? Perhaps he was talking about his own academic career. He is not one to jump through the hoops that others set up for him, nor is he one to mince words. His honesty perhaps offends the more sensitive. Personally, I find his honesty refreshing.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

I thought this is about stem-cells.... not whether one or not can teach?

That comment about Glasscock was completely random and popped out of nowhere for seemingly no reason except to plug in dissent about the person.

 

[jillio]

I thought this is about stem-cells.... not whether one or not can teach?

That comment about Glasscock was completely random and popped out of nowhere for seemingly no reason except to plug in dissent about the person.

Exactly. Which is why I stated that Dr. Glascock's impression of her ability to teach has virtually nothing to do with the topic of the thread.
But perhaps it wasn't as random as it would first appear. Odd that 2 posters of the oral school suddenly show up after extended absence to post in this thread, and this thread only.

 

[deafdude1]

Let's get back on topic for this thread. I have alot of good comments and questions in my post #4

 

[jillio]

Let's get back on topic for this thread. I have alot of good comments and questions in my post #4

We've already noted those comments, and responded to the fact that you feel qualified to contradict an expert on the topic who is engaged in the actual research process.

 

[deafdude1]

We've already noted those comments, and responded to the fact that you feel qualified to contradict an expert on the topic who is engaged in the actual research process.

Point out where I contradicted him. I may be able to back up my comments with links/sources by other experts who would agree with me.