A research report from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute (MEEI) and Harvard Medical School, outlines the ear and hearing problems suffered by surviving victims of the bomb explosions at the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon. The research report describes the types of otologic injuries people sustained in the tragedy, and the outcomes of the patients undergoing continued otologic treatment.
Read More
A University of Melbourne study finds that children who suffered middle ear disease (otitis media) in early childhood were found to have binaural speech perception deficits that persist for years after. Spatial listening difficulties can lead to poor understanding of a teacher’s voice in a noisy classroom, so children should be assessed upon school entry to make early intervention possible.
Read More
The National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) in Australia has developed an online noise risk calculator that is featured on the “Know Your Noise” website, a primary feature of HEARsmart, an initiative from the HEARing CRC aimed at promoting smarter hearing habits and reducing the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Read More
A fourth edition of the otology book, Clinical Otology, has been released this month, according to an announcement from Thieme Publishing Group. The newest edition features more than 150 color illustrations that clarify key concepts presented in the text, and includes new chapters on current clinical applications of genetics, contemporary hearing loss testing and management of external and internal hearing devices, and vestibular and audiologic neuro diagnostics.
Read More
Audina Hearing Instruments has released a Super 70 option for all custom digital hearing instruments with a feedback canceller. This new option is an advancement on the company’s Super 60 high power ITE hearing aids.
Read More
New research shows that harnessing the regenerative power of early supporting cells of the inner ear could lead to new strategies to combat many causes of deafness.
Read More
Being bilingual or speaking multiple languages routinely exercises the brain, making it better at processing auditory stimuli and cognitive information. The study suggests that a bilingual brain is constantly activating both languages and choosing which language to use and which to ignore.
Read More
Researchers in Canada find that beat-deafness, or the inability to keep time to music or other rhythm, may reveal a problem with how people synchronize the sounds they hear. The research team found that deficits in sound synchronizing can help scientists ascertain fundamental properties of human neural function, such as how auditory and motor systems are integrated in neural networks.
Read More
Audiology clinicians who have incorporated portable electronic equipment into their practices may appreciate a new lab coat with 16 pockets designed to hold smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices.
Read More
Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have published findings from two studies of EEG testing, showing that certain types of EEG tests may help clinicians understand and treat schizophrenia with new approaches related to auditory processing.
Read More
Vanderbilt University researchers have found that a child’s capacity for understanding musical rhythm is related to the capacity for understanding grammar.
Read More
EarQ sponsored the ADA Student Business Plan Competition at the ADA 2014 Convention in Vegas, awarding $5,000 to audiology students with the winning plan. Business plans submitted by the audiology students were judged by a panel of industry experts, and were evaluated for creativity, feasibility, completeness, cohesiveness, professionalism and polish.
Read More
As part of a daylong session at the ADA 2014 Convention that covered different aspects of “Taking Care of Business,” consultant and business coach Steve Woodward gave a talk titled “Meat and Potatoes.” Woodward’s dynamic presentation covered business strategies designed to help private audiology practices work more effectively in a relatively small and competitive marketplace.
Read More
At the 168th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), held October 27-31 in Indianapolis, researchers from the University of Maryland presented findings from their work on a system of digital speech analysis that assesses depression through changes in speech patterns. Acoustic changes in speech of people with depression could be used to help monitor mental health via a digital app in future.
Read More
In the General Session of the 2014 Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) Convention held November 6-9, 2014 in Las Vegas, Kathleen Campbell, PhD, of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, gave an interesting and lively talk on ototoxicity and the role of pharmaceutical agents in hearing loss management and prevention.
Read More