Research priorities / current or planned projects of the Section of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology
1. voice disorders
Evaluation of phonosurgical therapy procedures: Long-term effect of vocal fold augmentation in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis
Project management: Prof Dr R. Reiter
In the presence of glottic closure insufficiency as a result of vocal fold paralysis, conservative voice therapy often reaches its therapeutic limits, so that phonosurgical (i.e. voice-improving) intervention to enable complete glottic closure may be indicated as a prerequisite for physiological phonation.
The aim of this project is to evaluate an early voice-improving operation (phonosurgical procedure) in the form of vocal fold augmentation to bridge the glottis gap in cases of unilateral vocal fold paresis using e.g. autologous abdominal fat, hyaluronic acid or Ca-hydroxyapatite. These 3 substances will be compared with regard to their efficacy and long-term effect in a prospective study.
Literature: Reiter R, Brosch S: Laryngoplasty with hyaluronic acid in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. J Voice 2012
Bicentre study to determine the effectiveness of adjuvant therapies (immunisation with Gardasil® or application of the antiviral substance Cidofovir®) in patients with recurrent papillomatosis of the larynx
Project management: Prof. Dr R. Reiter / Prof. Dr A. Olthoff (University Hospital Göttingen)
Papillomas are benign tumours of the vocal folds that are caused by human papilloma viruses and tend to recur frequently. Both immunisation with Gardasil® and local injection of the antiviral drug Cidofovir® have been described as having positive effects on the course of laryngeal papillomatosis. As part of a cooperation with the University Medical Centre Göttingen (Prof. A. Dr. Olthoff, Dr. A. Heyduck), the frequency of recurrences and laser microsurgical interventions is to be investigated in a study taking these adjuvant therapies into account.
Literature: Mauz PS, Schäfer FA, Iftner T, Gonser P. HPV vaccination as preventive approach for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis- a 22-year retrosprective clinical analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2018.
2. hearing disorders
Planned projects/promotions
Investigation into the wearing behaviour of an FM system for the rehabilitation of peripheral hearing disorders or an auditory processing and perception disorder (AVWS)
Project management: Prof Dr R. Reiter
For patients with a peripheral hearing impairment, a wireless transmission system, i.e. a so-called FM system (frequency modulation system) for noise cancellation, is available as an aid in addition to the hearing aid.
For patients with an auditory processing and perception disorder (AVWS) with an auditory filter weakness in background noise, an FM system can also be prescribed. However, clinical experience shows that an FM system that has already been prescribed is unfortunately often not used. In order to be able to make statements about the likelihood of wearing an FM system, it is planned to use a questionnaire to investigate the influence of various parameters (e.g. audiological data, early hearing education, etc.) on the wearing behaviour of an FM system. In addition, a possible improvement in hearing ability with the FM system is to be investigated depending on the situation.
Literature: S1 guideline (Auditory Processing and Perception Disorders (AVWS), as of 26 August 2021)