Patients with tinnitus often have poor quality of life, as well as severe anxiety and depression. New approaches to treat tinnitus are needed. Evaluate the effects of non-invasive neuromodulation on tinnitus through a metaanalysis and modeling study. The main hypothesis was that real as compared to sham neuromodulation that decreases tinnitus will modulate regions in line with the neurobiological models of tinnitus. The systematic review, conducted from Pubmed, Cochrane and PsycINFO databases, showed that active as compared to sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) reduced tinnitus, but active and sham transcranial direct current stimulation did not significantly differ. Further, rTMS over the auditory cortex was the most effective protocol. The modeling results indicate that this rTMS protocol elicited the strongest electric fields in the insula. Also, rTMS was particularly beneficial in women. Finally, the placebo effects were highly variable, highlighting the importance of conducting sham-controlled trials. In sum, neuromodulation protocols that target the auditory cortex and the insula may hold clinical potential to treat tinnitus.

A large number of drugs are administered on different mucosal surfaces. However, due to the poor mucoadhesion of the current formulations, their bioavailability is often very low. The development of efficient mucoadhesive drug delivery systems is thus crucial for improving the performance of these drugs. The mucoadhesive properties of gold nanoparticles were investigated. First, two types of gold nanoparticles were synthesized: AuNP1 and AuNP2. AuNP1 only contain internal thiol groups on their metallic core, and AuNP2 contain both internal and peripheral thiol groups. Different protocols based on an adapted quantitative colorimetric method, UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopies were then developed to gather information on their mucoadhesive properties. Moreover, a global correction factor for the inner filter effect in spectrofluorimetry was proposed, and the data obtained were compared to those commonly used in the literature. Mucins deeply interact with AuNP1, perturbing their core, whereas they remain at the periphery of AuNP2. The quantitative method suggests that a larger number of mucins interact with AuNP2. The establishment of this protocol could be applied to assess the mucoadhesive properties of other stable molecules. This mucoadhesive property of gold nanoparticles could be combined with their drug delivery ability in order to improve the medication administered on mucosa.

This article consists of a scoping review completed to describe the impacts of refurbished hearing aids (HAs) for people with hearing loss, and to identify existing HA refurbishing programs around the world. In this review, JBI methodological guidance for scoping reviews was followed. All types of sources of evidence were considered. Thirty-six sources of evidence were included, 11 articles and 25 web pages. Results suggest that refurbished HAs may improve communication and social participation for individuals with hearing loss and provide monetary savings to them and to governmental agencies. Twenty-five HA refurbishing programs were identified, all based in developed countries and distributing refurbished HAs mostly locally, but also in developing countries. Issues related to refurbished HAs were highlighted, such as potential cross-contamination, quick obsolescence, and repairing problems. Some facilitators for the success of this intervention are to offer accessible and affordable follow-up services, repairs, and batteries, and to ensure awareness and participation of hearing healthcare professionals and citizens with hearing loss. In conclusion, the use of refurbished HAs appears to be a valuable option for low-income people with hearing loss, but it should be included in a more global intervention program to ensure its sustainability.