AIISH adds five more wings to cater to health needs

Centralised data bank to identify communication disorders

On its 48th anniversary, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing  (AIISH) added five more facilities to address the growing issues on the health front.

Human Genetics unit, epidemiology unit, newborn screening program, electrophysiology and neuropsychology labs were dedicated by former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde at the institute, on Friday.

The genetics unit aims to construct pedigrees to determine the pattern of genetic inheritance in persons with communication disorders in the Indian population, research on phenotype and genotype by maintaining data base on communication disorders, to create a database of DNA sequence analyses of persons with communication disorders, and to increase awareness among the professionals and general public on the genetically transmitted syndromes and disorders related to communication. 

AIISH plans to establish a centralised data bank at the epidemiology wing to help in prevention and early identification of communication disorders. It will also promote research in the realm, while the intended data base would help identify the distribution or patterns of factors causing communication disorders.

Newborn screening program (NBS) helps detect the condition in early stages of a child development. Apart from the institute in Mysore, NBS activities is spread across the country, including Ajmer in Rajasthan, Cuttack in Odhisha and Imphal in Manipur.

The electrophysiology lab is one of its kind in the country. It aims at pursuing research and applied research in the area of auditory electrophysiology, to promote quality in human resource management and to facilitate database development in the area of electrophysiology. The lab houses state of the art multichannel EEQ equipment, with hi-resolution equipment capable of recording up to 70 points on the scalp.

The neuropsychology lab is again a first, with the state of the art infrastructure and instrumentation, to cater to persons with brain damage or communication disorders. It is the only super speciality nodal center for development standardisation, periodic revalidation, bench marking and recalibration of neurophysiological assessment and interventional tools or devices applicable for a wide range of clinical population of persons with brain damage or dysfunction having communication disorders such as aphasia, cerbrovascular accidents (Stroke), learning disability (LD), cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, parkinson’s disease, dementias and other progressive or non-progressive neurological disorders.