There are a lot of things that might be changed in hearing assessment, treatment, and hearing aid fittings. Here are opinions from 5 long-time hearing care professionals who address some of their pet peeves…frequency lowering, speech in noise, the value of the audiogram and first fits, and more. Read the rants from Marshall Chasin, Laurel Christensen, Doug Beck, Calvin Staples, and Wayne Staab.
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The Speech Intelligibility Index (or SII) shows some interesting characteristics. The difference between 340 Hz and 3,400 Hz (coincidentally the bandwidth of the telephone) is fairly similar for continuous discourse, whereas there is a high frequency bias for nonsense syllables. That is, whenever there is a context to speech, there is a greater reliance on lower frequency sounds.
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Researchers at the University of Illinois found that some patients who suffer from tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, use different brain regions when processing emotional information. While many tinnitus patients are forced to limit daily activities as a result of debilitating symptoms, others adapt to the condition. Why?
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Dr Steve Aiken joins Dr Marshall Chasin in a discussion of differing definitions of sound. Together they explore the scientific facts that help to answer the philosophical question: If a tree falls in the forest, but there is no one there to hear it, does it produce a sound?
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Dr Chasin discusses how most audiologists (himself included) tend to sweat upon hearing the word “impedance.” Although “admittance” is a much less nuanced word, it can be just as scary. Most audiologists and hearing care professionals would rather hear about the phrase “equivalent volume.”
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Penn State acoustical engineers have used functional MRI scans, which measure brain activity by sensing changes in blood flow in the brain, to better understand our emotional responses to sound reverberation and room acoustics.
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The authors take issue with recent reports about the performance of Musicians Earplugs, and show that the ways in which data were graphically displayed explain the differences in interpretation.
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In the last several years, technologies have become available that have shifted up the maximum input that can be digitized through an A/D converter to over 110 dB SPL. One element—the final element—remains when optimizing a hearing aid for music, and it is surprisingly very “low tech” — a single-channel hearing aid. Dr Chasin discusses its merits for music.
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Dr Chasin explains that most of our training regarding hearing aids is based on the characteristics of speech, but for people who need amplification to play music, or to listen to music on occasion, we must consider other factors for programming hearing aids.
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Dr Chasin uses a cat analogy to explain why it is an error to assume that the in-ear monitor needs to be aimed at the eardrum.
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With the wealth of exciting research findings in the areas of neuroplasticity and music training, it increasingly appears likely that concepts related to music training can be applied to aural rehabilitation for numerous clinical populations.
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Many hearing professionals have run into situations where a recent hearing technology innovation should work, but doesn’t. Dr Chasin suggests that it may be time for hearing care professionals to retry what didn’t work last year.
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According to musician Rob Swire, his recent bout with hearing loss may be due to the propylene glycol (PG) contained in the vapor of his e-cigarettes.
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Eros Ramazzotti, one of Italy’s most successful musicians, is now championing the cause of the non-profit Hear the World Foundation as an ambassador to help bring hearing treatments to disadvantaged people with hearing loss around the world.
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Dr Chasin discusses how the clarinet and wind instruments compare as musical instruments for people who are hard of hearing.
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