OBJECTIVES:The Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) was culturally adapted and validated in Greek to examine the impacts of voice problems on a singer's everyday life. METHODS:The translated version was administered to 120 singers in total, along with the translated version of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), a sort voice history questionnaire, two Self-Rating Dysphonia Severity Scales (SRDSSs), and two visual analog scales. A week after the original completion of the Greek version of SVHI, a second copy of the SVHI was administered to 50% of the participants. RESULTS:The results showed high test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC): 0.859, P = 0.000) and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.960). A significant difference between healthy and voice disordered singers emerged (18.01 ± 13.213, 43.26 ± 20.196; K-W: P = 0.000; ROC: Area = 0.863, Std. = 0.041, P = 0.000). Also, high concurrent (Spearman's rho 0.55, P = 0.000) and face (Spearman's rho: SRDSS1 0.481, P = 0.000; SRDSS2 0.504, P = 0.000) validity scores were observed. Regarding the relation of the demographic variables or habits that could relate to voice disorders, only the years of experience (PCC: -0.240, P = 0.008) and singing lessons (Spearman's rho: -0.286, P = 0.002) had a strong correlation with SVHI. CONCLUSIONS:In conclusion, the Greek version of the SVHI questionnaire was validated successfully as a reliable tool with proper internal consistency. It will serve as a suitable and valuable instrument for self-evaluation of a vocal difficulty's effects on a singer's day-to-day life.

Effective management of hearing loss through the use of modern hearing aids significantly improves communication and the quality of life for individuals experiencing auditory impairment. Complementary counselling of patients with hearing loss who will be fitted with hearing aids for the first time should be evidence-based and adapted to their individual needs. To date, several counselling protocols and tools have been developed. The aim of this randomised controlled trial study was to investigate the efficacy of the application of the IDA’s “Living Well” counselling tool in first-time hearing aid users in terms of the degree of their hearing related handicap (using the Hearing Handicap Inventory (HHI)), their communication coping strategies (using the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI)) and their overall satisfaction of the hearing aids (using a Likert scale). Both groups (the IDA and the control group) were fitted with hearing aids and received counselling for their hearing aids by the same audiologist. The IDA group attended an additional counselling session about communication coping strategies with the use of the “Living Well” tool. Both groups’ participants were seen for their hearing aid fittings 4–6 weeks, 3 and 6 months after their fitting when the HHI and the CPHI were measured. Although there was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups for the primary and secondary outcomes, the IDA group did show a more consistent improvement of their HHI score and less frequent use of maladaptive strategies. The “Living Well” counselling tool proved to be a favourably received and helpful counselling tool in first-time hearing aid users.

Objectives:To determine if blood prestin level changes after exposure to music at high sound pressure levels, and if this change is associated with temporary threshold shift (TTS) and/or changes in distortion product (DP) amplitude.Design:Participants were exposed to pop-rock music at 100 dBA for 15 min monaurally through headphones. Pure-tone audiometry, DP amplitude, and blood prestin level were measured before and after exposure.Results:Fourteen adults (9 women; age range: 20 to 54 years, median age = 31 [Interquartile ratio = 6.75]) with normal hearing were included in the study. Mean prestin level increased shortly after exposure to music, then returned to baseline within 1 week, although this trend was not observed in all participants. All participants presented TTS or a decrease in DP amplitude in at least one frequency after music exposure. There was a statistically significant average threshold elevation at 4 min postexposure. Statistically significant DP amplitude shifts were observed at 4 and 6 kHz, 2 min following exposure. Mean baseline serum prestin level (mean: 140.00 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval (CI): 125.92 to 154.07) progressively increased following music exposure, reaching a maximum at 2 hr (mean: 158.29 pg/mL, 95% CI: 130.42 to 186.66) and returned to preexposure level at 1 week (mean: 139.18 pg/mL, 95% CI: 114.69 to 163.68). However, after correction for multiple comparisons, mean prestin level showed no statistically significant increase from baseline at any timepoint. No correlation between maximum blood prestin level change and average TTS or distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitude shift was found. However, in an exploratory analysis, TTS at 6 kHz (the frequency at which maximum TTS occurred) decreased significantly as baseline blood prestin level increased.Conclusions:The results suggest that blood prestin level may change after exposure to music at high sound pressure levels, although statistical significance was not reached in this relatively small sample after correction. Baseline serum prestin level may also predict the degree of TTS. These findings thus suggest that the role of baseline serum prestin level as a proxy marker of cochlear susceptibility to intense music exposure should be further explored.

Inhibition of Notch signalling with a gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI) induces mammalian hair cell regeneration and partial hearing restoration. In this proof-of-concept Phase I/IIa multiple-ascending dose open-label trial (ISRCTN59733689), adults with mild-moderate sensorineural hearing loss received 3 intratympanic injections of GSI LY3056480, in 1 ear over 2 weeks. Phase I primary outcome was safety and tolerability. Phase lla primary outcome was change from baseline to 12 weeks in average pure-tone air conduction threshold across 2,4,8 kHz. Secondary outcomes included this outcome at 6 weeks and change from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks in pure-tone thresholds at individual frequencies, speech reception thresholds (SRTs), Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) amplitudes, Signal to Noise Ratios (SNRs) and distribution of categories normal, present-abnormal, absent and Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults/Elderly (HHIA/E). In Phase I ( N = 15, 1 site) there were no severe nor serious adverse events. In Phase IIa ( N = 44, 3 sites) the average pure-tone threshold across 2,4,8 kHz did not change from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks (estimated change −0.87 dB; 95% CI −2.37 to 0.63; P = 0.252 and −0.46 dB; 95% CI −1.94 to 1.03; P = 0.545, respectively), nor did the means of secondary measures. DPOAE amplitudes, SNRs and distribution of categories did not change from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks, nor did SRTs and HHIA/E scores. Intratympanic delivery of LY3056480 is safe and well-tolerated; the trial’s primary endpoint was not met.

Background: Use of noise or music in experimental human studies requires balancing the need to avoid subjecting participants to potentially harmful noise levels while still reaching levels that will produce a measurable change in the primary outcome. Several methodological and ethical aspects must be considered. This study aims to summarize ethical and methodological aspects, and reported outcomes, of previously published experimental paradigms using loud noise/music. Methods and materials: Four databases (Medline, Central, Web of Science, and Scopus) and two trials registries (Clinicaltrials.gov and EU Clinical Trials) were searched. Extracted items had the details of author and year of publication, study design and purpose, population, setting timeline and material, selected battery test, and effect of noise/music on participants’ hearing. Results: Thirty-four studies were included. Exposure safety considerations were reported in five studies. Eleven studies assessing hearing loss used white or narrow-band noise [(NBN (0.5–4 kHz), up to 115 dBA, duration range: 3′–24 hours)], and 10 used pop music (up to 106 dBA, duration range: 10′–4 hours). Experimental setting varied significantly. Temporary thresholds shift (TTS) and reduction in distortion product otoacoustic emissions were found at 1–8 kHz, with maximum average TTS∼21.5 dB at 4 kHz after NBN and ∼11.5 dB at 6 kHz after music exposure. All participants recovered their hearing, except for one participant in one study. In the 13 non-hearing loss studies, no hearing testing was performed after exposure, but loud noise was associated with temporary stress, bradygastria, and cardiovascular changes. Noise-induced subjective stress may be higher for participants with tinnitus. Loud noise (100 dBA, 10′) increased diastolic and mean blood pressure only in participants with hypertension. Conclusion: Experimental exposure paradigms can produce temporary changes to hearing without measurable long-term health consequences. Methodological and ethical aspects identified in this review should be considered for the development of future paradigms.

BACKGROUND:Falls have high socioeconomic costs. Information and communication technologies may support provision and monitoring of multisensory (MSR) physiotherapy programmes. The HOLOBalance platform used augmented reality holograms to provide patient-centred, individualised MSR. OBJECTIVES:To determine the platform's safety, acceptability and feasibility, investigate functional gait and dynamic balance benefits and provide data for a definitive trial. DESIGN AND SETTING:Single-blinded pilot randomised controlled feasibility study. Interventions were conducted at clinical sites or participants' homes in three European countries. PARTICIPANTS:Community-dwelling older adults (median age 73 years; 64.2% female) at risk of falls were enrolled (May 2020-August 2021). METHODS:Participants were randomised to an 8-week clinic or home-based telerehabilitation MSR or OTAGO (control group) programme. Compliance, satisfaction, and adverse events determined feasibility. Clinical outcomes, assessed (blinded) within one-week prior to and post-intervention, included functional gait assessment (FGA), Mini BESTest and cognitive function. RESULTS:Randomisation to completion rate was 76.15% with 109 participants recruited (n = 289 screened). Drop-out rate was similar between groups. Adverse events were reported (n = 3) in the control group. Sixty-nine percent would recommend the HOLOBalance intervention. Findings were similar for the home and clinic-based arms of each intervention; data was combined for analysis. FGA (95%CI [1.63, 4.19]) and Mini-BESTest (95%CI [1.46, 3.93]) showed greater improvement in the HOLOBalance group with a clinically meaningful change of 4/30 noted for the FGA. CONCLUSIONS:HOLObalance was feasible to implement and acceptable to older adults at risk of falls, with FGA and Mini-BEST improvements exceeding those for the OTAGO programme. A definitive trial is warranted.

Purpose:The aim of this paper is to present and describe the development and validation of new Words in the Babble test in modern Greek.Materials and Methods:Four 50-word phonemically balanced lists in babble noise were administered to 44 normal hearing subjects and 53 patients with hearing loss (HL) ears with mild and moderate sensorineural HL (SNHL). The word lists were monoaurally presented (i.e., separately for the right and left ears) at 11 signal-to-noise (babble) intensity levels, from -12 to +12 dB. The signal remained constant at 65 dB for all participants with normal hearing and at 20 dB SL for participants with SNHL, whereas the multitalker babble stimulus varied according to the desired signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).Results:The results showed that word recognition scores were negatively affected by HL and were negatively related to the degree of HL. There was a statistically significant difference for all scores in all SNRs, both between participants with normal hearing and those with mild HL as well as between participants with mild and moderate HL, except for -3 dB SNR and -6 dB SNR between mild and moderate HL. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between the right and left ears in any of the SNRs.Conclusions:The existing literature suggests that the use of monosyllabic words produces recognition performance in multitalker babble tests, as observed in languages such as Spanish, Estonian, and Arabic, whereas the present study provides evidence that a similar effect is produced when disyllabic words are used.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a time-efficient music exposure and testing paradigm that safely creates temporary cochlear dysfunction that could be used in future temporary threshold shift (TTS) studies. Method: A 30-min audio compilation of pop rock music tracks was created. Adult volunteers with normal hearing were then exposed to this music material monaurally through headphones for 30 min at 97 dBA or 15 min at 100 dBA. Levels were measured from the ear of a manikin and are considered to provide an equivalent daily noise dose based on a 3-dB exchange. We assessed the changes in their hearing, by means of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) testing, and standard and extended high-frequency pure-tone audiometry before and after exposure. There were 17 volunteers in total. In the first trial, eight volunteers (four females; Mdn age = 31 years [interquartile range, IQR = 4.25]) were included. Although TTS was observed in all eight participants for at least one frequency, a large variation in affected frequencies was observed. To address this issue, the audio material was further remastered to adjust levels across the different frequency bands. Fourteen adults (nine newly recruited and five from the first trial; seven females; Mdn age = 31 years [IQR = 5]) were exposed to the new material. Results: All but two of 17 participants presented clinically significant TTS or decrease in DPOAE amplitude in at least one frequency. Statistically significant average TTS of 7.43 dB was observed at 6 kHz. There were statistically significant average DPOAE amplitude shifts of −2.55 dB at 4 kHz, −4.97 dB at 6 kHz, and −3.14 dB at 8 kHz. No participant presented permanent threshold shift. Conclusions: A monaural music paradigm was developed and shown to induce statistically significant TTS and DPOAE amplitude shifts, without evidence of permanent loss. This realistic and time-efficient paradigm may be considered a viable option for experimental studies of temporary music-induced hearing loss. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25016471

Objectives:Vestibular rehabilitation clinical guidelines document the additional benefit offered by the Mixed Reality environments in the reduction of symptoms and the improvement of balance in peripheral vestibular hypofunction. The HOLOBalance platform offers vestibular rehabilitation exercises, in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment, projecting them using a low- cost Head Mounted Display. The effect of the AR equipment on the performance in three of the commonest vestibular rehabilitation exercises is investigated in this pilot study.Methods:Twenty-five healthy adults (12/25 women) participated, executing the predetermined exercises with or without the use of the AR equipment.Results:Statistically significant difference was obtained only in the frequency of head movements in the yaw plane during the execution of a vestibular adaptation exercise by healthy adults (0.97 Hz; 95% CI=(0.56, 1.39), p<0.001). In terms of difficulty in exercise execution, the use of the equipment led to statistically significant differences at the vestibular-oculomotor adaptation exercise in the pitch plane (OR=3.64, 95% CI (-0.22, 7.50), p=0.049), and in the standing exercise (OR=28.28. 95% CI (23.6, 32.96), p=0.0001).Conclusion:Τhe use of AR equipment in vestibular rehabilitation protocols should be adapted to the clinicians' needs.

Exposure to high- and moderate-intensity sound is inevitable for professional singers during their working day, the majority of which is spent in rehearsal, preparing for a performance. The impact of self-produced sound exposure on singers’ hearing within the rehearsal setting has not been examined. Objectives: This original pilot field study investigates the feasibility of data collection and hypothesis testing of singers’ hearing within the rehearsal environment. Methods: 18 professional choir singers are examined for hearing threshold changes following routine rehearsal sound exposure. Pure Tone Audiometry is measured before, immediately after, and approximately 24 hours after rehearsal. Results: This study does not identify definitive Temporary Threshold Shift in this population under these conditions. That said, mean temporary threshold shift was found 3.61 dB higher than the recovery threshold shift in the right ear at 3000 Hz (P = 0.06), and this may be important to look at for future studies. Conclusions: Methodological challenges of this field study include dynamic experimental conditions intrinsic to the rehearsal process, environmental and musical influence on Pure Tone Audiometry results and estimation of sound intensity exposure.

OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to investigate the vocal health literacy level and attitudes of professional and amateur performing artists in Greece and identify possible gaps and limitations that should be addressed in the future.METHODS:This mixed-methods study took place in two successive stages. The first stage involved 4 focus groups with professional and amateur actors and singers. The focused discussions of this stage, which were moderated by one otolaryngologist and one speech and language therapist, provided necessary information for the design of the structured questionnaire used during the second stage of the study (online survey). The online questionnaire included questions about responders' knowledge and attitudes of vocal health. Although not compulsory, the Greek version of the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) was also part of the online survey.RESULTS:The online questionnaire was validly answered by 305 respondents during a 10-month period (May 2020 to March 2021). Considerable knowledge gaps were observed regarding anatomy, physiology, and vocal disorders management. The vast majority of participants (94.1%) had at some point experienced problems with their voice. Gastroesophageal reflux (21.6%), vocal nodules (12.5%), and vocal polyps (3.9%) were the most frequently mentioned diagnoses in our sample. A small proportion of participants (9.5%) stated that they have never visited an ENT, while 84.3% have never seen a speech and language therapist. The total scores on the SVHI in our sample were compatible to the ones in previous studies targeting healthy professional and amateur artists (range 0-116, mean 32, SD 24.7).CONCLUSIONS:This study provides insights into Greek performing artists' knowledge and attitudes regarding vocal health and may pave the way towards improving vocal health awareness among performing artists.

BackgroundHearing loss is a major public health challenge. Audiology services need to utilise a range of rehabilitative services and maximise innovative practice afforded by technology to actively promote personalized, participatory, preventative and predictive care if they are to cope with the social and economic burden placed on the population by the rapidly rising prevalence of hearing loss. Digital interventions and teleaudiology could be a key part of providing high quality, cost-effective, patient-centred management. There is currently very limited evidence that assesses the hearing impaired patient perspective on the acceptance and usability of this type of technology.AimThis study aims to identify patient perceptions of the use of a hearing support system including a mobile smartphone app when used with Bluetooth-connected hearing aids across the everyday life of users, as part of the EVOTION project.MethodsWe applied a questionnaire to 564 participants in three countries across Europe and analysed the following topics: connectivity, hearing aid controls, instructional videos, audiological tests and auditory training.Key FindingsOlder users were just as satisfied as younger users when operating this type of technology. Technical problems such as Bluetooth connectivity need to be minimised as this issue is highly critical for user satisfaction, engagement and uptake. A system that promotes user-controllability of hearing aids that is more accessible and easier to use is highly valued. Participants are happy to utilise monitoring tests and auditory training on a mobile phone out of the clinic but in order to have value the test battery needs to be relevant and tailored to each user, easy to understand and use. Such functions can elicit a negative as well as positive experience for each user.ConclusionOlder and younger adults can utilise an eHealth mobile app to complement their rehabilitation and health care. If the technology works well, is tailored to the individual and in-depth personalised guidance and support is provided, it could assist maximisation of hearing aid uptake, promotion of self-management and improving outcomes.

Physical inactivity and sedentary time are associated with all-cause mortality, chronic non-communicable diseases and falls in the elderly. Objective of this review is to assess and summarize recommendations from clinical guidelines for physical activity (PA) of older adults in general and related to falls. A scoping review of the existing clinical guidelines was conducted. The included studies should have been developed under the auspices of a health organization and their methodology should be described in detail. Nine clinical guidelines providing specific recommendations for the elderly were identified. There was a strong agreement across the guidelines regarding goals, activities parameters, adverse effects of PA, in addition to reference for preventing falls. Keeping even the minimum of physical activity, introducing balance exercises and strengthening exercises for preventing falls, avoiding unexpected accelerations in the intensity of the activities, applying the necessary precautions and consulting a health professional are the main pillars of recommendations. Despite any deficiencies in definitions, monitoring and optimal dosage consistency of recommendations, is an ideal incentive for countries and organizations to adopt and enhance physical activity as an antidote to the degeneration of human's health and quality of life.

Objectives: Recently, it has been hypothesized that blood prestin concentration levels may reflect cochlear damage and thus serve as an easily measurable, early sensorineural hearing loss (HL) biomarker. This is a scoping review aiming to identify and critically appraise current evidence on prestin blood levels and their temporal variation in rodents and humans with normal hearing and with sensorineural HL. Design: This study was designed and held according to PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. With no limitation with regards to study type, animal and human studies focusing on prestin blood levels in normal hearing and in sensorineural HL were sought in major databases such as Medline, Central Scopus, PROSPERO, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Results were then hand-searched. A data charting form was developed including the parameters of interest. Results: Seven studies focusing on measuring prestin blood levels by means of ELISA in rodents and human subjects with normal hearing and noise-induced, drug-induced, or idiopathic sudden HL were found eligible and were included in the analysis. According to these proof-of-concept studies, prestin can be detected in the circulation of subjects with no HL; however, normal ranges remain unclear. After cochlear damage, blood prestin levels seem to initially rise and then return to near or below baseline. The degree of their change relates with subjects’ degree of HL, damaged cochlear region and recovery. Prestin blood levels and their temporal variation seem to correlate with cochlear damage; however, methodological weaknesses, such as small sample size, lack of detailed phenotyping, insufficient exclusion of confounding factors, and short follow-up, do not allow for robust conclusions. Conclusions: Current findings support the value of studying blood prestin levels in normal hearing and HL and highlight a need for larger-scale longitudinal research.

Falls are a major health concern. The HOLOBALANCE tele-rehabilitation system was developed to deliver an evidence based, multi-sensory balance rehabilitation programme, to the elderly at risk of falls. The system delivers a series of balance physiotherapy exercises and cognitive and auditory training tasks prescribed by an expert balance physiotherapist following an initial balance assessment. The HOLOBALANCE system uses augmented reality (AR) to deliver exercises and games, and records task performance via a combination of body worn sensors and a depth camera. The HOLOBALANCE tele-rehabilitation system provides feedback to the supervising clinical team regarding task performance, participant usage and user feedback. Herewith we present the findings from the first 25 study participants regarding the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed system. The results of the clinical study indicate that the system is acceptable by the end users and also feasible for using in hospital and home environments.

Background: Residual Inhibition is considered as tinnitus alteration immediately after exposure to sound. Its clinical significance and correlation with the pathophysiology and treatment prognosis of tinnitus remain enigmatic. The objective of this review is to critically appraise scientific evidence regarding the residual inhibition prevalence and how it is correlated with different sound stimuli. Methods: A systematic review of tinnitus Residual Inhibition (RI) studies was performed, focusing on prevalence, methods used, stimuli presented and responses obtained. A literature search (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, MEDLINE) was conducted. Seventeen studies involving 1066 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Sound stimulation was performed using pure tones, customized sounds, narrow- and broadband noises, and modulated sounds. Results: Sound stimuli exposure produced complete RI of tinnitus in 34.5% of patients (range 5.6-72%), with higher RI rates after stimulation with pure tones and narrowband noise centered to the tinnitus perceived pitch. RI duration tends to increase when stimuli duration increases. Conclusions: RI is frequent and can be induced by narrow-band noise (NBN), broadband noise (BBN), pure tones, customized sounds and modulated sounds. Adequate evidence to support the use of RI as a tool for tinnitus phenotyping or as a management option is pending. Further clinical research exploring the profile of patients with RI and its potential use as prognostic factor should be conducted.

Professional musicians are at high risk of developing tinnitus due to their over-exposure to music at both occupational and recreational level. This is a 5-year long prospective case series study performed in the Musicians/Performing Arts Medicine Clinic of the 1st Otorhinolaryngology Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. A total of 274 professional musicians underwent thorough medical history, history of music exposure, assessment of the impact their hearing status has on their professional life (Musicians Hearing Handicap Index), behavioral (Pure Tone Audiometry, standard and extended high frequency) and objective audiometric tests (TEOAE and DPOAE). Standard pure tone audiometry thresholds were correlated with the presence of tinnitus only at high frequencies. Musicians with tinnitus had a clinical and significant higher MHHI score and the incidence of tinnitus was significantly higher in participants suffering from musculoskeletal disease and those with abnormal PTA. Participants' hours of practice were similar in those with tinnitus and those without. The tinnitus group (and in order of descending effect size) had significantly worse thresholds in high frequency audiometry (≥3000Hz) as well as lower signal to noise ratios in DPOAE at almost all frequencies and in TEOAE at high frequencies (2.8 and 4kHz). A subgroup analysis of the musicians with normal PTA, showed that those with tinnitus showed elevated thresholds in the extended high frequency. In conclusion, tinnitus occurrence in musicians with normal audiogram is potentially correlated with high frequency hearing loss and impaired otoacoustic emissions and these two examinations should be considered in this group.

Tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound and the patient's reaction to it. Although much progress has been made, tinnitus remains a scientific and clinical enigma of high prevalence and high economic burden, with an estimated prevalence of 10%-20% among the adult population. The EU is funding a new collaborative project entitled "Unification of Treatments and Interventions for Tinnitus Patients" (UNITI, grant no. 848261) under its Horizon 2020 framework. The main goal of the UNITI project is to set the ground for a predictive computational model based on existing and longitudinal data attempting to address the question of which treatment or combination of treatments is optimal for a specific patient group based on certain parameters. Clinical, epidemiological, genetic and audiological data, including signals reflecting ear-brain communication, as well as patients' medical history, will be analyzed making use of existing databases. Predictive factors for different patient groups will be extracted and their prognostic relevance validated through a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) in which different patient groups will undergo a combination of tinnitus therapies targeting both auditory and central nervous systems. From a scientific point of view, the UNITI project can be summarized into the following research goals: (1) Analysis of existing data: Results of existing clinical studies will be analyzed to identify subgroups of patients with specific treatment responses and to identify systematic differences between the patient groups at the participating clinical centers. (2) Genetic and blood biomarker analysis: High throughput Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) will be performed in well-characterized chronic tinnitus cases, together with Proximity Extension Assays (PEA) for the identification of blood biomarkers for tinnitus. (3) RCT: A total of 500 patients will be recruited at five clinical centers across Europe comparing single treatments against combinational treatments. The four main treatments are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), hearing aids, sound stimulation, and structured counseling. The consortium will also make use of e/m-health applications for the treatment and assessment of tinnitus. (4) Decision Support System: An innovative Decision Support System will be implemented, integrating all available parameters (epidemiological, clinical, audiometry, genetics, socioeconomic and medical history) to suggest specific examinations and the optimal intervention strategy based on the collected data. (5) Financial estimation analysis: A cost-effectiveness analysis for the respective interventions will be calculated to investigate the economic effects of the interventions based on quality-adjusted life years. In this paper, we will present the UNITI project, the scientific questions that it aims to address, the research consortium, and the organizational structure.

In this study, we propose a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN)-based approach to behavioral modelling of community dwelling older adults at risk for falls during the daily sessions of a hologram-enabled vestibular rehabilitation therapy programme. The component of human behavior being modelled is the level of frustration experienced by the user at each exercise, as it is assessed by the NASA Task Load Index. Herein, we present the topology of the DBN and test its inference performance on real-patient data.