During COVID-19 pandemic, protective measures such as social distancing and face masks posed a challenge in daily communication, in this context the elderly are one of the most at risk categories as widely exposed to hearing loss. This article focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected verbal communication, especially on those people that even in normal conditions present an increased difficulty in speech perception. Special attention has been paid to hearing aids and cochlear implant users, these devices indeed can be affected by a speech intelligibility reduction and could be uncomfortable if used together with face masks. Possible alternatives and solutions will be proposed to reduce the negative impacts of face coverings on communication, to enhance speech intelligibility and to manage wearability of hearing rehabilitation devices.

Objective: The aim of this observational retrospective study was to report quality of life (QoL) in patients with postoperative facial nerve (FN) palsy after vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery, investigating clinical factors related to functional outcomes. Methods: Forty-eight consecutive patients (M:F 25:23; median age: 52.5 years) with facial palsy following surgery for sporadic VS were considered retrospectively. FN palsy was graded by using the Sunnybrook facial grading system (SBFGS), while postoperative QoL and subjective functional aspects were assessed by using the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life (PANQOL) Scale, the Synkinesis Assessment Questionnaire, and questions on eating and drinking. Results: A significant correlation emerged between all Sunnybrook scores and median PANQOL domain regarding facial function. Increasing overall SBFGS scores were associated with reduced risk of slow chewing on the affected side (p = 0.004), lack of masticatory strength (p = 0.025), masticatory fatigue (p < 0.001), accumulation of food in the oral vestibule (p < 0.001), difficulty in drinking from a glass (p = 0.019), and fluid spillage while drinking (p = 0.016). Conclusions: This study suggests that the clinical evaluation of patients with FN palsy after VS surgery should be integrated with patient reports about functional outcomes and perceived QoL to help clinicians guide rehabilitation choices.

Purpose: Unilateral cochlear implants (CIs) can restore binaural hearing in single-sided deafness (SSD). Direct stimulation of the CI can be obtained via the Bluetooth connection of a device to the CI, thus excluding the typical-hearing ear. This study aims to investigate the use of CI connectivity features as a rehabilitative strategy in a small cohort of children affected by SSD. Method: A newly developed training protocol was presented to children with SSD who have less than 2 years of experience with CI. We developed a user-friendly and short-term (six sessions within 20 days) training protocol for speech perception that patients themselves can manage independently at home using CI connectivity systems. Children were telematically tested before and after the training by trained speech and language therapists. Results: Four patients met the inclusion criteria. They all showed better results in the final online assessment, when compared with the initial one. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first clinical focus article presenting an auditory training protocol for SSD patients with CI using the Bluetooth connectivity systems for teletherapy. The results, although preliminary, support the efficacy of this rehabilitative strategy. Further research is needed to support our findings.

Children with onco-hematological diseases require intensive medical treatments that can affect various aspects of their development. In addition to the disease itself, what influences the course of development most are the neurotoxic effects of therapies and frequent hospitalizations, especially if they occur in the first three years of the child’s life. Among these challenges there is the potential for language delay, a condition that can impact their communication abilities and overall development. Background/Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine communicative and linguistic development in a small group of young children diagnosed with different forms of leukemia, rhabdomyosarcoma, and CNS tumors, recruited through the Hematology–Oncology Clinic of the Department of Child and Woman Health (University of Padova). Methods: Child direct (Griffiths III, PinG, PCGO) and parent indirect assessments (PVB, ABAS-II, ASCB) were provided. Results: Griffiths communication subscale scores in children were mainly below average (55.6%), and 44.4% attested at the clinical level in ABAS-II, with the ability to understand being significantly higher than the production of words. However, the two levels of assertiveness–responsiveness obtained balance in 66.7% of cases, and using the Griffiths personal subscale, only 22.2% of children attested below average. Conclusions: Understanding and addressing children’s communication needs is crucial to improve the quality of life of these young patients and foster optimal communicative and linguistic development despite the obstacles they face in order to implement interventions designed specifically for this type of population and their respective families, if necessary.

Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Science, Research, and Practice [1], written by expert practitioners in the field of Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT), is a complex and accurate manual for everyone who is int...

Background and Objectives: Facial nerve palsy (FNP) remains a clinically relevant complication after vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection. Recovery trajectories vary according to the severity of neural injury and early postoperative facial function. This study aimed to characterize the temporal pattern of facial nerve recovery during the first postoperative year and to explore factors associated with favorable long-term function. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 51 adult patients who developed FNP after VS surgery between 2020 and 2023. Facial nerve function was assessed using the House–Brackmann (HB) grading system and the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SBFGS) at discharge and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Longitudinal changes were analyzed using non-parametric repeated-measures methods with effect-size estimation. Favorable 12-month facial nerve function was defined as HB grade I–II. Given the limited number of unfavorable outcomes, associations with 12-month recovery were explored using parsimonious Firth-penalized logistic regression models. Results: At discharge, 45.1% of patients had HB II, 29.4% HB III–IV, and 25.5% HB V–VI. Facial function improved significantly during follow-up. Median SBFGS total score increased from 58.0 at discharge to 99.0 at 12 months (Friedman χ² = 118.78, df = 4, p < 0.001; Kendall’s W = 0.58), while HB grade also improved significantly (χ² = 107.48, df = 4, p < 0.001; W = 0.53). At 12 months, 37/51 patients (72.5%) achieved HB I–II and none remained in the HB V–VI category. Synkinesis, defined as an SBFGS synkinesis subscore > 0, was observed in 10/51 patients (19.6%) at 6 months and 19/51 (37.3%) at 12 months. HB grade and SBFGS score at discharge were strongly inversely correlated (Spearman ρ = −0.943, p < 0.001) and were therefore evaluated in separate models. After adjustment for age and tumor size, each one-grade increase in discharge HB was associated with lower odds of favorable 12-month function (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11–0.58; p < 0.001), whereas each 10-point increase in discharge SBFGS was associated with higher odds of favorable function (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.32–3.53; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Facial nerve function showed substantial longitudinal improvement during the first year after VS surgery. Early postoperative facial function was independently associated with 12-month outcome in exploratory penalized regression analyses. Recovery may continue over several months, supporting prolonged functional surveillance, while the independent contribution of rehabilitation and the effect of nerve grafting require evaluation in larger prospective cohorts.