| CODE | CSD5041 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Diagnostic Audiology 1 | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Human Communication Sciences and Disorders | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will include lectures to introduce and provide in depth theoretical knowledge transferrable to clinical skills in Audiology. Audiological clinical science and technology, involving the study of hearing and balance, in assessment, management and therapeutic re/habilitation of people with hearing and balance problems and associated disorders, are discussed. The anatomy and physiology of the audio-vestibular system is provided in extensive detail. Lectures will also include the physics and analysis of sound transmission, speech perception, psychology of hearing, and developmental aspects related to hearing acuity and vestibular function. The unit content will also cover the pathology of the human ear, cochlear and cochlear nerve, and auditory pathways as well as other pathological conditions. The prevalence, incidence and causes of hearing loss and vestibular disorders are also discussed in great detail. Behavioural and physiological assessment procedures relevant to the developmental age are discussed in relation to the screening for hearing impairment as well as diagnostic procedures. The students will be given an overview of the re/habilitation of the individual with hearing impairment and/or vestibular challenges and their management in an interdisciplinary context. Study-unit Aims: This unit aims to familiarize the students with the principles of diagnostic audiology. Emphasis is given to the knowledge and skills required for assessment and differential diagnosis of auditory and vestibular disorders, such as interpretation of test results and referral decisions. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate in depth knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the audio-vestibular system; - discuss the underlying principles necessary for decision making in relation to the selection of assessment, diagnosis and management of individuals with all types and degrees of auditory and vestibular disorders (including auditory processing difficulties); - have a clear understanding of the methodological procedures relevant to the various assessments and management procedures in audiology; - evaluate recent and relevant scientific publications relevant to audio-vestibular testing, differential diagnosis and management (particularly, systematic reviews and articles reporting meta-analysis); - define the principles of teamwork in speech and hearing science; - plan and manage re/habilitation programmes for individuals with hearing impairment and their significant others; - take a leading role in the prevention and early intervention across the age span, while considering the current scientific evidence and trends in this field, in line with the updated WHO recommendations and guidelines; - problem solve when faced with a complex controversial issue in the diagnostic and or management setting. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - administer and interpret results of basic audiological and vestibular tests; - differentiate between types and degrees of hearing loss; - consider speech and language acquisition, developmental milestones, cognitive skills as well as social interaction in differential diagnosis and management of children with hearing impairment and related disorders; - Identify comorbidity and provide adequate management. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Text - Katz, J. (Ed.) (2015). Handbook of Clinical Audiology. (7th ed.). US: Wolters Kluwer Health. Supplementary Texts - Babu, S., (Editor), Schutt, C. & Bojrab, D. (Eds)(2022). Diagnosis and Treatment of Vestibular Disorders. US: Springer. - DeConde Johnson, C. & Seaton, J.C. (2021). Educational Audiology Handbook (3rd Ed.). US: Plural Pub. - Graham, J. & Baguley, D. (Eds.). (2009). Ballantyne鈥檚 Deafness. (7th ed.). UK: Wiley-Blackwell. - Kraus, N. (2022). Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World. First MIT Press. - Madel, J., Flexer,C.. Wolfe, J. & Schafer, E. (2019). Paediatric Audiology (3rd ed.). US: Thieme. - Martin, M. (Ed.) (2006). Speech Audiometry. (2nd ed.). UK: Wiley. Lucker, J. R ., & Fayyadh, M. H. (2020). Understanding Auditory Processing Disorders in Children. Nova Science Publishers. - Rivera, H. (2022). Clinical Audiology. Barnes and Noble. - Tyler, R. & Perreau, A. (2022). Tinnitus Treatment: Clinical Protocols (2nd edition). Thieme. - Welling, D., & Ukstinses, C. (2022). Fundamentals of Audiology for the Speech-Language Pathologist (3rd edition). Jones and Hartlett Learning. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite qualifications: An undergraduate degree (minimum 2nd class) in a human science subject | ||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Group Learning, Independent Study & Lectures | ||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Amanda Bartolo Moussa Imed Ben Jacqueline Busuttil Nicholas Desira Bhajan Kaur Bassi Pauline Miggiani Elania Pace Balzan Martha Pace Nadine Tabone |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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