Evaluating the effectiveness of learning ear anatomy using holographic models

Abstract Background Computer-assisted learning has been shown to be an effective means of teaching anatomy, with 3-D visualization technology more successfully improving participants’ factual and spatial knowledge in comparison to traditional methods. To date, however, the effectiveness of teaching ear anatomy using 3-D holographic technology has not been studied. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of learning ear anatomy using a holographic (HG) anatomic model in comparison to didactic lecture (DL) and a computer module (CM). Methods A 3-D anatomic model of the middle and inner ear was created and displayed using presentation slides in a lecture, computer module, or via the Microsoft HoloLens. Twenty-nine medical students were randomized to one of the three interventions. All participants underwent assessment of baseline knowledge of ear anatomy. Immediately following each intervention, testing was repeated along with completion of a satisfaction survey. Results Baseline test scores did not differ across intervention groups. All groups showed an improvement in anatomic knowledge post-intervention (p < 0.001); the improvement was equal across all interventions (p = 0.06). Participants rated the interventions equally for delivery of factual content (p = 0.96), but rated the HG higher than the DL and CM for overall effectiveness, ability to convey spatial relationships, and for learner engagement and motivation (p < 0.001). Conclusions These results suggest that 3-D holographic technology is an effective method of teaching ear anatomy as compared to DLs and CMs. Furthermore, it is better at engaging and motivating learners compared to traditional methods, meriting its inclusion as a tool in undergraduate medical education curriculum

Stimulation from Cochlear Implant Electrodes Assists with Recovery from Asymmetric Perceptual Tilt: Evidence from the Subjective Visual Vertical Test

Vestibular end organ impairment is highly prevalent in children who have sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) rehabilitated with cochlear implants (CIs). As a result, spatial perception is likely to be impacted in this population. Of particular interest is the perception of visual vertical because it reflects a perceptual tilt in the roll axis and is sensitive to an imbalance in otolith function. The objectives of the present study were thus to identify abnormalities in perception of the vertical plane in children with SNHL and determine whether such abnormalities could be resolved with stimulation from the CI. Participants included 53 children (15.2±4.0 years of age) with SNHL and vestibular loss, confirmed with vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing. Testing protocol was validated in a sample of 9 young adults with normal hearing (28.8±7.7 years). Perception of visual vertical was assessed using the static Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV) test performed with and without stimulation in the participants with cochleovestibular loss. Trains of electrical pulses were delivered by an electrode in the left and/or right ear. Asymmetric spatial orientation deficits were found in nearly half of the participants with CIs (24/53 [45%]). The abnormal perception in this cohort was exacerbated by visual tilts in the direction of their deficit. Electric pulse trains delivered using the CI shifted this abnormal perception towards centre (i.e., normal) [p = 0.007]. Importantly, this benefit was realized regardless of which ear was stimulated. These results suggest a role for CI stimulation beyond the auditory system, in particular, for improving vestibular/balance function