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Optimists and dreamers predicted the replacement of hearing aids and cochlear implants by “regenerative medicine” methods. The future of clinical audiology (in its present state) and the hearing instruments industry could be forever changed. Please CLICK on the following link: Current Research

A two-question screening process can help identify cancer survivors with true hearing loss.  Cancer survivors exhibit higher rates of multiple forms of hearing loss compared with the general population. Please CLICK on the following link: Cancer Survivors And Hearing Loss

A new study from the University of Iowa uncovers some intriguing data about how well adults across the life span process spoken language. Please CLICK on the following link: Language Recognition

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed a shape-changing smart speaker, which uses self-deploying microphones to divide rooms into speech zones and track the positions of individual speakers. Please CLICK on the following link: Current Research

Researchers have developed a non-invasive method for mapping the human auditory pathway, which could potentially be used as a tool to help clinicians decide the best surgical strategy for patients with profound hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Current Research

A novel gel delivery system that employs nanowires and is inspired by the effectiveness of bleach targets bacterial ear infections. Please CLICK on the following link: Promising Solution For Pediatric Ear Infections And Related Antibiotic Resistance

A new study in 'The Lancet' shows that hearing loss is associated with a significantly greater risk for increases in hospitalization rates, long-term care placement, emergency visits, adverse drug events, and falls. Please CLICK on the following link: Current Research

The findings show that, in a subgroup of older adults with hearing loss who were at higher risk of cognitive decline, using hearing aids for three years cut cognitive decline in half. Please CLICK on the following link: Current Research

A double-blinded study from researchers at the University of Michigan’s Kresge Hearing Research Institute suggests tinnitus relief may be possible with treatment that involves Auricle Inc's timed bisensory (auditory plus somatosensory) stimulation. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

A recent study characterized the physiological changes a common environmental chemical, polychlorinated biphenyls, induces on the developing brain and auditory systems. In contrast to the mechanisms that drive most hearing loss, PCBs are capable of restructuring parts of the central nervous system. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

 

Researchers report in the 'Journal of Neuroscience' that they observed mild hearing loss and defects in auditory nerve function in patients with autism spectrum disorder. “Hearing impairment may have an impact on the higher-level auditory system and, eventually, cognitive function,” says study co-author Hainan Lang, MD, PhD. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

The researchers conclude: "Early detection of hearing loss, holistic assessment, and interdisciplinary intervention and collaboration remain the key recommendations in promoting social participation for older adults with hearing loss...As social participation is a key determinant of well-being and health and the prevalence of hearing loss is increasingly important in aging societies, it is necessary to better assess and intervene accordingly.” Please CLICK on the following link: Research

An international team of researchers has discovered previously unknown genetic causes of three rare conditions, including congenital deafness, primary lymphedema (characterized by tissue swelling), and thoracic aortic aneurysm disease. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

For more details, please CLICK on the following link: A New DNA Test

Quantitative analysis of EEG responses to auditory stimuli can provide a window into neural functions in coma and information about patients’ chances of awakening. Please CLICK on the following link: Current Research

A team who led the research for a world-first genetic test that can identify in 26 minutes whether a critically ill baby has a gene that could result in permanent hearing loss if treated with Gentamicin has won the New Statesman Positive Impact in Healthcare Award 2022. Please CLICK on the following link: Genetic Test Wins Major Award

This retrospective analysis of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) documents significant associations between atherosclerosis factors and higher thresholds of PTA on the patients’ healthy hearing side as well as on their affected side. It also found numerous factors that affect the chances for hearing recovery in ISSNHL patients. Please CLICK on the following link: A Retrospective Chart Analysis

Newborns born with mutations in the otoferlin gene have fully developed structures within the inner ear. However, these newborns have profound hearing loss because signaling between the ear and the brain is disrupted. DB-OTO uses a proprietary, cell-selective promoter to express the otoferlin transgene in hair cells, with the goal of enabling the ear to transmit sound to the brain and provide hearing. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

Many patients that we work with initially come to us with similar questions regarding the permanence of tinnitus. Please CLICK on the following link: When Does Tinnitus Become Permanent?

They are designing tympanometers that are cheap enough and small enough to find their way into the hands of nearly any provider who needs one. In a preliminary new study, published last month in Communications Medicine, the researchers report that their smartphone-based device performed nearly as well as commercially available tympanometers that can cost thousands of dollars. Please CLICK on the following link: Tympanometer

Auracast™ broadcast audio is a new Bluetooth® capability that will deliver life-changing audio experiences. It will let you share your audio, unmute your world, and hear your best, enhancing the way you engage with others and the world around you. Please CLICK on the following link: What Is Auracast?

KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the trade association that oversees Bluetooth® technology, today announced a new consumer brand for an upcoming audio broadcasting capability based on Bluetooth technology. This new capability, previously known as Audio Sharing, is now Auracast™ broadcast audio. Auracast™ broadcast audio enables an audio transmitter, such as a smartphone, laptop, television, or public address system to broadcast audio to an unlimited number of nearby Bluetooth audio receivers, including speakers, earbuds, or hearing devices. Please CLICK on the following link: Auracast Announcement

Self-adjustment during daily use may produce equivalent (or better) outcomes than an audiogram-based prescription. The quality of evidence for the outcomes ranged from low to very low. This review has highlighted the dearth of high-quality studies on which to make evidence-based decisions on hearing aid fitting methods. Please CLICK on the following link: A Systematic Review

Older adults are more likely to have chronic conditions including hearing loss, and dementia or cognitive decline. Since the number of older adults is rising globally in the next few decades, we expect to see a growing number of individuals with hearing loss and dementia. Please CLICK on the following link: Does Hearing Loss Cause Dementia?

Automatic speech recognition (ASR), when combined with hearing-aid (HA) and hearing-loss (HL) simulations, can predict aided speech-identification performances of persons with age-related hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

Today, it well documented that if you have diabetes, you are also at greater risk of a hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

Unlike conventional remote microphones, the proposed system works with multiple talkers at once, and it uses earpiece microphones to preserve the spatial cues that humans use to localize and separate sound. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

Researchers from Uppsala University have been able to document and visualize hearing loss-associated genes in the human inner ear, in a unique collaboration study between otosurgeons and geneticists. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

Findings suggest several FDA-approved drugs, such as a common diabetes medication and anesthetics, could protect from noise-induced hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

This review article summarizes our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying acquired hearing loss from hospital-prescribed medications that affects as many as 1 million people each year in Western Europe and North America. Yet, there are currently no federally approved drugs to prevent or treat the debilitating and permanent hearing loss caused by the life-saving platinum-based anticancer drugs or the bactericidal aminoglycoside antibiotics. Hearing loss has long-term impacts on quality-of-life measures, especially in young children and older adults. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

The prevalence of hearing loss and its consequences is increasing as the elderly population grows. As the guidelines for cochlear implantation (CI) expand, the number of elderly CI recipients is also increasing. Please CLICK on the following link:Cochlear Implantation In Elderly Patients

A 3D-printed graft developed by researchers at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Harvard’s Wyss Institute, and Mass Eye and Ear will be commercialized by Desktop Health. Please CLICK on the following link: Harvard's Eardrum-Restoring PhonoGraft

This study evaluated the effectiveness of gabapentin in treating chronic tinnitus in two populations: participants with tinnitus with associated acoustic trauma and participants with tinnitus without associated acoustic trauma. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

The ability to selectively attend to what is important and relevant is essential for us as listeners to navigate through the complexities of sound environments throughout the day. This ability is important for successful speech communication and social participation and is restricted in individuals with a hearing impairment. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

A gene called GAS2 plays a key role in normal hearing, and its absence causes severe hearing loss, according to a study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Please CLICK on the following link: How The Inner Ear Works

This article describes how hearing-impaired persons and their partners experience and manage hearing loss in the context of their conjugal relationships. Based on in-depth interviews and being together with hearing-impaired persons and their partners, it argues that the social implications of hearing loss are associated with the temporal aspects of conversational exchange. A more nuanced understanding of the strategies hearing-impaired people and their partners employ to manage interactional complications can help to improve care and support for people affected by hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Hearing Loss As A Social Problem

This webinar presentation reviews how digital therapeutics can help people with hearing loss improve word discrimination, familiarity with everyday words, listening confidence, and auditory cognitive skills, including auditory processing speed, auditory word memory, and auditory attention. Please CLICK on the following link: New Developments In Treating Hearing Loss

For people with hearing loss, the family physician (aka, general practitioner or primary care doctor) can be key to early detection and guiding appropriate and timely treatment choices. But how can hearing care professionals work with family physicians to get hearing loss front and center on their agenda? Please CLICK on the following link: GPs And Age-Related Hearing Loss

Both more severe and prolonged age-related hearing loss is associated with a higher prevalence of cognitive disorder, a study finds. Please CLICK on the following link: Results Of Study

In the first installment of Hearing Health Hour, 2014 Emerging Research Grants (ERG) scientist Samira Anderson, Au.D., Ph.D., reviews how hearing loss changes the way our brains respond to speech and how it may affect cognitive functions, such as working memory, and how hearing aid amplification can reverse these changes. Please CLICK on the following link: Recorded Webinar

Opioid receptors in the inner ear can cause partial or full hearing loss, says Rutgers study. Please CLICK on the following link: Opioid Use Can Trigger Deafness

Cochlear implants are a treatment option for individuals with severe, profound, or moderate sloping to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) who receive little or no benefit from hearing aids; however, cochlear implantation in adults is still not routine. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

While it is well known that hearing loss degrades speech perception, especially in noisy environments, less is understood as to why some individuals with typical hearing may also struggle with speech perception in noise (SPiN). Please CLICK on the following link: Speech Perception In Noise

This report highlights that COVID-19 infection could have deleterious effects on cochlear hair cell functions despite being asymptomatic. The mechanism of these effects requires further research. Please CLICK on the following link: Report

Hearing Health Foundation has been the ultimate consumer resource on hearing loss and tinnitus for more than three decades. The organization educates individuals about the effects of hearing loss and tinnitus on health and quality of life and aims to provide real-world solutions based on the latest research and technology. Subscribe to their free magazine! Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) funds groundbreaking science to prevent, treat, and cure hearing loss. We think that everyone should know the answers to the following seven questions. How many can you answer correctly on your first try? Please CLICK on the following link: Quiz

Recognizing emotional state of a talker is an important part of social interaction.  Previous research has shown that older hearing adults do not recognize social cues as well as younger adults; but little is known about how older adults with hearing loss perceive vocal emotions.  This study investigated how hearing aid use affected the perception of emotion in speech and the recognition of speech spoken with emotion. Please CLICK on the following link: Perception Of Emotional Speech By Listeners With Hearing Aids

Hearing aids and implants are the most common options for rehabilitation. Scientists and doctors all over the world are thus conducting various research to discover the reasons behind the condition and cure for this ailment. Most modern research is based on gene therapy and stem cells. Please CLICK on the following link: Gene Therapy And Stem Cells

Mashudu Tshifularo, a South African doctor, and his medical team became the first in the world to claim to cure a 35-year-old patient’s deafness by using 3D printing technology. Tshifularo, who is also a professor at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Health Sciences, was able to replace the damaged bones of the patient’s ear by recreating the anvil, hammer, stirrup, and ossicles, which make up the inner ear, with similarly-shaped titanium pieces produced on a 3D printer. Please CLICK on the following link: Middle Ear Transplant

Older adults are more likely to have hearing loss and to spend time in healthcare settings. Taken together, these factors can present serious challenges. Please CLICK on the following link: Having A Hearing Loss, In The Hospital?

There is a great deal of research on people with moderate to profound hearing loss, but very little on the experiences of people with mild hearing loss. This video shows the research into the experiences of people with mild hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Video

The Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia University is one of three centers in the world conducting a clinical trial in which cellular regeneration is being used to treat hearing loss. Most causes of hearing loss are due to the death of so-called inner ear hair cells. These hair cells (named because they have tiny endings that look like hairs) detect sound waves and then send this information on to the brain. As a person's inner ear loses hair cells—due to aging or certain genetic conditions—he or she loses hearing. The video within this article explains the research that is taking place. Please CLICK on the following link: Gene Therapy Trial For Hearing Loss

Our educational system is based on the assumption that students in the classroom will perceive, and therefore understand, all of what the teacher is saying. When much information received in school is fragmented because of hearing loss, learning consequences are likely. Even with the latest hearing technology, normal hearing ability is not restored by hearing devices. Please CLICK on the following link: The Cascading Impact Of Hearing Loss

A new proof-of-concept study provides the first evidence that a speech-to-touch sensory substitution device can improve hearing in the hearing-impaired without any training, scientists report. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Hearing Through Your Fingers

Hearing loss impacts 15% of Americans. For many of them, it touches every aspect of their life, including sleep. Please CLICK on the following link for details: Hearing Loss, Deafness and Sleep

Are children and teens being exposed to more loud noise now than in the past? Is there a growing trend of teens with hearing damage from noise? Please CLICK on the following link: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Teens

Tinnitus is a condition in which one hears a ringing and/or buzzing sound in the ear without an external sound source, and as a chronic condition it can be associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Tinnitus has been linked to hearing loss, with the majority of tinnitus cases occurring in the presence of hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Disrupted Nerve Cell Function And Tinnitus

A few years ago Pat Dobbs started to wonder to what extent her personal experiences with hearing loss were similar to those of other folks. Eventually, the idea blossomed into her first-ever, semi-scientific survey. Please CLICK on the following link: Results From Survey

The product is in its early stages, but it is exciting to see hearing loss taking center stage in this innovative and important technology project. Part of the reason is due to the project’s leader, Christopher Caulfield, a second-year graduate student at Cornell Tech who is deaf. Please CLICK on the following link: Reading Glasses With Captions?

In a survey, 2000+ consumers were asked about the price of their hearing aids.  For the results, please CLICK on the following link: Survey Results

Looking to understand the available hearing aid features? Check out Hearing Tracker’s hearing aid matching engine. This survey engine asks questions important to your hearing loss and lifestyle. What are the needs/features important to you? It then recommends an aid and explains why. Please CLICK on the following link: Hearing Aid Matching Engine

Researchers have developed a new approach to repair cells deep inside the ear — a potential remedy that could restore hearing for millions of elderly people and others who suffer hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Hearing Loss Study

Currently, over-the-counter (OTC) devices advertised as “amplifiers” are not subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation. The Academy believes that this absence of regulation could lead to unsafe, careless, and ill-advised use of such devices, which could result in a detriment to the consumer’s overall hearing health. Please CLICK on the following link: FDA Regulation Of Hearing Aid Devices And PSAPS

Age-related hearing loss is highly prevalent and often untreated. Use of hearing aids has been associated with improvements in communication and quality of life, but such treatment is unaffordable or inaccessible for many adults. The purpose of this review is to provide a practical guide for physicians who work with older adults who are experiencing hearing and communication difficulties. Specifically, we review direct-to-consumer amplification products that can be used to address hearing loss in adults. Helping adults with hearing loss navigate hearing loss treatment options ranging from being professionally fitted with hearing aids to using direct-to-consumer amplification options is important for primary care clinicians to understand given our increasing understanding of the impact of hearing loss on cognitive, social, and physical functioning. Please CLICK on the following link: PSAPs For Adults With Hearing Loss

Children learn language and language skill far earlier than traditionally thought. We need to give HHD children input as soon as possible. Please CLICK on the following link: Research

Research continues to link hearing loss to depression, loneliness, and many other chronic diseases. It would seem logical that hearing loss might lead to social isolation, then to loneliness, depression, and an erosion in quality of life. However, as this webinar by Victor Bray, PhD, of Salus University points out, the problem may be much more complicated. Please CLICK on the following link: Webinar

From cocktail parties to public transit, there are competing sound sources in many everyday environments. If you want to listen to one specific sound, say a friend’s question, in a complex auditory setting, you have to distinguish between the sounds around you and focus on the one of interest. This situation is known as “the cocktail party problem”. Understanding how humans solve this problem can lead to advancements in hearing aid designs. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Cocktail Party Problem

Starkey Hearing Technologies is the only American partner, and the only member of the hearing industry, to participate in an ambitious 6.5€ million European project that aims to improve the mental well-being of numerous elderly Europeans. Please CLICK on the following link for details: Hearing Technologies For Europeans

Mammals including humans cannot regenerate hair cells, but other species such as birds and fish readily regenerate hair cells after damage to restore auditory function. Please CLICK on the following link to read this research article by Rebecca M. Lewis, Au.D., Ph.D., and Jennifer Stone, Ph.D. : Research

2000+ consumers were surveyed about the cost of their hearing aids. Please CLICK on the following link to view the results: Survey Results

This article talks about hearing preservation with cochlear implants. In the past, the implantation destroyed the residual hearing. This research focuses on maintaining the residual hearing during implantation. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Effects Of Hearing Preservation For Cochlear Implant Outcomes

Have you ever entered a restaurant, business etc. only to become overwhelmed by the noise? Pull out your i-phone and check it out. (Not available for android phones) The NIOSH Sound Level Meter mobile application is a tool to measure sound levels in the workplace and provide noise exposure parameters to help reduce occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link for details: NIOSH Sound Level Meter Mobile App

Researchers at USC and Harvard have developed a new approach to repair cells deep inside the ear  -  a potential remedy that could restore hearing for millions of elderly people and others who suffer hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Repair of Cells Deep Inside The Ear

For the last 20 years, Dr. Formby has conducted two parallel lines of research: hyperacusis studies and clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, which uses counseling and sound therapy to help those with tinnitus to habituate to the condition. The American Tinnitus Association presents the following video on the Effectiveness of Hyperacusis Treatment. Please CLICK on the following link: The Effectiveness of Hyperacusis Treatment

Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Laser Light As A Sound Conducting Hearing Aid

A study conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that older adults who used a hearing aid performed significantly better on cognitive tests than those who did not use a hearing aid, despite having poorer hearing. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Hearing Aid Use And Cognitive Function

Hearing loss affects about 17 percent of Americans, but screening and referral for evaluation is rarely done. Here is how an electronic intervention may help. Please CLICK on the following link: Offsetting Long-Term Consequences

The Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies completed a survey of HLAA/NAD/ and the general population of people with hearing loss. From that information, they made presentations to the FCC. Please CLICK on the following link to read their newsletter. Advocate for yourself by participating in their ongoing surveys: Newsletter

Hearing loss is common in the United States. More people have hearing loss than diabetes, cancer or vision trouble.Occupational hearing loss, which is caused by exposure to loud noise or chemicals that damage hearing, is the most common work-related illness. It is also permanent. Hearing loss can have a profound impact on quality of life. The effects begin small and progress as hearing loss worsens. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Measuring The Impact Of Hearing Loss On Quality Of Life

Please CLICK on the following link to read about research that is being carried out to acquire a better understanding of the workings of neural networks: Understanding Neural Networks

Untreated hearing loss is linked to a lower quality of life, physical functionality, and communicative ability. The most common type of hearing loss, sensorineural, is often a result of damage to the delicate sensory hair cells in the inner ear. Because hair cell loss is irreversible, and hearing impairment therefore permanent, new treatment strategies are a welcome sign. This article describes the field of emerging therapies for sensorineural hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: Therapies For Hearing Loss

If you live with an untreated hearing loss, you may suffer from a series of negative impacts that can reduce your quality of life. This article outlines the issues. Please CLICK on the following link: Effects Of Untreated Hearing Loss

An effective human being is an effective communicator; optimized hearing is critical to effective communication. Modern hearing aids improve speech intelligibility and therefore communication. The benefits of hearing aids (audiologically defined as improved speech intelligibility) have been demonstrated in rigorous scientific research. It would seem that if one could improve speech intelligibility by correcting for impaired hearing, that one should observe improvements in the social, psychological and physical functioning of the person with the hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link: The Impact Of Treated Hearing Loss On Quality Of Life

The skill of the audiologist in communicating with a patient can significantly impact rehabilitative outcomes. Nowhere is this more evident than when an audiologist in engaged in managing a hearing device fitting. Studies have suggested a lack of patient-centeredness behavior by audiologists in audiologist-patient interactions, including domination of speaking time, a tendency to overemphasize the technical aspects of device care, interruptions of the patient, an inability to deal with emotion-laden aspects of rehabilitation, expressing empathy, and not actively listening. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Effective Communication Behavior During Hearing Aid Appointments

It is not uncommon for older adults to report mishearing a physician or nurse in a primary care or hospital setting, according to a study published by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.The prevalence of medical errors is higher among older patients. Failures in clinical communication are considered to be the leading cause of medical errors. A previous study reported that improved communication between the medical teams and families could have prevented 36 percent of medical errors. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Age-Related Hearing Loss And Failures In Clinical Communication

Doctors believe that communication with their patients is important, but most studies of physician/elderly patient communication do not mention that hearing loss may affect this interaction. Please CLICK on the following link: Research Findings On Physician/Patient Communication

Clinicians and researchers have realized that the standard audiogram hearing test is not a reliable indicator of hearing ability. There are many cases where patients have “normal” audiograms but poor speech understanding, especially in noise. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: The Standard Audiogram And Hearing Ability

Auditory processing disorder (APD), also known as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), is an auditory deficit affecting how the central nervous system interprets verbal information. Those living with APD show impairments in sound localization, specifically their ability to isolate a sound source in social environments. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: APD

The development of the auditory system begins in the womb and culminates in a newborn’s ability to hear upon entering the world. While the age at which hearing begins varies across mammals, the sensory structures of the inner ears are active before the onset of hearing. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: A Balancing Act Before The Onset Of Hearing

In his News and Views essay, “Hearing in the mouse of Usher,” John V. Brigande, Ph.D., provides commentary on two studies in the issue that report important progress in research on gene therapy for the inner ear. Please CLICK on the following link: Commentary

In this study, scientists measured brain activity that originates from the cortex, known as alpha rhythms. Previous research has linked these rhythms to sensory processes involving working memory and attention, two crucial tasks for listening to speech in noise. However, no previous research has studied alpha rhythms directly during a clinical speech in noise perception task. The purpose of this study was to measure alpha rhythms during attentive listening in a commonly used speech-in-noise task, known as digits-in-nose (DiN), to better understand the neural processes associated with speech hearing in noise. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Research Study

The profession of audiology has its roots in the aural rehabilitation (A/R) programs organized by the US military during WW II. Their purpose was to respond to the needs of servicemen who lost hearing as a result of war service. The medical authorities brought together a number of specialists and asked them to create an optimal A/R program. With little financial restrictions and full access to personnel and available technology, these professionals were able to create what they considered to be an ideal program. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Home-Based Auditory And Speechreading Training

Hearing-impaired people wear hearing aids because they want to hear better. Even with hearing aids, however, many if not most, of them will still have problems understanding speech, particularly in noisy surroundings. Additional help is available for these people if they are able to use their eyes to supplement the information obtained through the ears, that is, by speech-reading. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Speechreading

Loss of hearing represents more than just difficulty hearing sounds. It can lead to social isolation and depression. A new study suggests that hearing loss may also be linked to loss of memory and thinking skills. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Hearing Loss And Mental Decline

For scientists who study the genetics of hearing and deafness, finding the exact genetic machinery in the inner ear that responds to sound waves and converts them into electrical impulses, the language of the brain, has been something of a holy grail. Now this quest has come to fruition. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Research

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered how one gene is essential to hearing, uncovering a cause of deafness and suggesting new avenues for therapies. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Research

Motivations and implementation efforts vary when it comes to captioning videos at higher education institutions, new research from Oregon State University shows. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Research Study

The aim of this study was to assess the benefit of having preserved acoustic hearing in the implanted ear for speech recognition in complex listening environments. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Research Study

Otitis media or middle ear infection is a common disease in childhood; in the United States, it is the most frequent reason for antibiotic use in children and pediatric office visits. Typically when children have otitis media it is usually acute. This means the duration of infection since the start of symptoms is under two weeks, and there is inflammation such as redness of the eardrum and pus in the middle ear, with or without the perforation of the eardrum (a hole in the eardrum). In such cases, what causes the infection is usually a common bacterium such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (“strep”) or Haemophilus influenzae (including type B, or Hib). The infection can become chronic, so there is a persistent perforation that may not heal and a chronic or recurrent ear discharge. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Can A Mutation Predict Ear Infections?

The most common assistive listening device for the hearing impaired person is the hearing aid instrument. State of the art analog and digital hearing aids provide tremendous benefit to the hearing impaired. Users and researchers agree, however, that because wanted and unwanted sounds are often amplified together, comprehension of amplified speech continues to suffer in difficult listening situations involving distance, indirect sound, reverberation, and noise. The following article relates to a study carried out on Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs). Please CLICK on the following link: Assistive Listening Study

Despite successful preservation of low-frequency hearing in patients undergoing cochlear implantation (CI) with shorter electrode lengths, there is still controversy regarding which electrodes maximize hearing preservation (HP). The thin straight electrode array (TSEA) has been suggested as a full cochlear coverage option for HP. However, very little is known regarding its HP potential. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Hearing Preservation Amoung CI Patients

Researchers exploring the ways in which the human brain responds to hearing loss have identified patterns of brain 'reorganization' that may be related to a widely reported link between age-related hearing loss and dementia. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: How Does The Brain Respond To Heating Loss?

Subjective ratings of fatigue and vigor in adults with hearing loss are driven by perceived hearing difficulties, not degree of hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more:  Hearing Loss And Fatigue

Tomorrow, technological advances will undoubtedly give rise to improved prosthetic devices (hearing aids and implant), which will remain, in the short-term at least, the major mode of rehabilitation. However, one can predict the development of local pharmacology (across the eardrum) to protect hair cells and neurons, and to treat tinnitus. And after that? Regeneration? Cell-based or gene therapies? Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Future Cures?

Please CLICK on the following link: A Factor Affecting Hearing

Have you ever had a cold and suffered some hearing loss? Learn about this simple 10 second test called the hum test. The hum test was designed by an otologist to instantly help doctors determine what the underlying problem is. It is a test you can do yourself at any time in order to know whether you have a clogged ear or whether you have an ear emergency on your hands. The test assumes that only one ear feels “blocked” which was your complaint. If both ears are equally blocked, then this test won’t work. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: The Hum Test

One of the most common health conditions in the country, tinnitus affects nearly 45 million Americans. People with this audiological and neurological condition hear a persistent sound -- that can range from ringing or buzzing to a hissing or white noise hum -- when there is no external sound source. The distraction can impair people's ability to sleep or concentrate and is sometimes disabling. 

In the largest U.S. clinical trial of its kind funded by the Veterans Affairs (VA) Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, researchers at the VA Portland Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University found that transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly improved tinnitus symptoms for more than half of study participants.  Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Lasting Relief For Tinnitus Sufferers

The ability to understand conversational speech in everyday situations is affected by many obstacles. Though understanding speech in noise poses difficulty for hearing-impaired individuals of all ages, several studies have indicated that in the absence of hearing loss, older adults face increased challenges in noisy environments ; some reports suggest that middle-aged adults have significantly poorer speech recognition in noise compared to young adults. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Listening Gets More Effortful In Your Forties

Typically hearing loss is a problem we associate with the elderly, or perhaps with long-time operators of heavy machinery. Rarely do we think of it in conjunction with children and teens, and even when we do, we tend to assume that the disability has existed since birth. Please CLICK on the following link to read more: Hearing Loss in Teens

Though the ways in which hearing loss is related to cognition and memory deficits are not fully understood, recent evidence suggests that hearing loss may have a meaningful relationship to increased risk of cognitive decline. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Hearing Aid Use and Cognitive Decline

In 1861, the French physician Prosper Meniere described a condition which now bears his name. Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes episodes of vertigo, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, and fluctuating hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Meniere's Disease

Please CLICK on the following link to learn about volunteering to take part in the Meniere's Disease Research Study: Research Study

Currently, over-the-counter (OTC) devices advertised as “amplifiers” are not subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation. The Academy believes that this absence of regulation could lead to unsafe, careless, and ill-advised use of such devices, which could result in a detriment to the consumer’s overall hearing health. Please CLICK on the following link for details: FDA Regulation Of Hearing Aid Devices And PSAPs

Army Medicine audiology researchers are studying how hearing loss affects the performance of soldiers on the battlefield. Their findings are intended to give commanders a better understanding of real-world limitations, and help create more realistic hearing standards for active-duty soldiers. Please CLICK on the following link: Effects Of Hearing Loss On Soldiers

Wireless hearing aids have made remote microphones more accessible, affordable, and easier to use. As a result, use of these systems has become more common. Please CLICK on the following link for more information: Modern Remote Microphones

A major challenge in hearing research is to understand how structures known as ‘hair bundles’ are formed in the cochlea. Hair bundles have a crucial role in the detection of sound and the conversion of mechanical signals (that is, sound waves) into electrical signals. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: It Takes Two!

Conventional wisdom has long blamed age-related hearing loss almost entirely on the death of sensory hair cells in the inner ear, but research from neuroscientists has provided new information about the workings of nerve cells that suggests otherwise. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: A Likely New Contributor

In a National Council on Aging study of 2,304 people with hearing loss, those who didn't wear hearing aids were 50 percent more likely to suffer from sadness or depression than people who did wear them. Additionally, hearing aid users were much more likely to participate in social activities regularly. Please CLICK on the following link for more details: Effects of Silently Suffering From Hearing Loss

The older we get, the less likely we are to hear well, as our inner ear sensory hair cells succumb to age or injury. Intriguingly, humans are one-upped by fish here. Similar hair cells in a fish sensory system that dots their bodies and forms the lateral line, by which they discern water movement, are readily regenerated if damage or death occurs. A new study zeros in on an important component of this secret weapon in fish. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Hair Cell Regeneration

Recent evidence has suggested that cognitive decline and hearing impairment may have more of a connection beyond simple co-occurrence in the older population. To learn more, please CLICK on the following link: Cognitive Decline

Loss of cochlear hair cells leads to permanent hearing loss. Hair cells may degenerate due to hereditary or environmental causes, or a combination of the two. Cochlear supporting cells actively participate in the process of hair cell elimination and scar formation by rapidly expanding and sealing the reticular lamina, the barrier between endolymph and perilymph. This scarring process helps preserve the remaining hair cells and hearing. Anti-apoptotic agents, anti-oxidants and several growth factors have been shown to protect hair cells and hearing against environmental insults. Characterization of the genes that regulate the development of the inner ear and its response to trauma has been helpful in designing strategies for enhancing protection of the inner ear and for inducing hair cell regeneration. This article discusses the potential for some of these approaches. Please CLICK on the following link: Cell Death and Regeneration

Have you ever heard of a Mondegreen? In simple terms, it is defined as a misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase, mostly experienced by people with hearing loss but also occurs with people who have normal hearing, where our brains take what we have already heard and understood, and rework the “gibberish” with similar-sounding words to come up with a plausible rendition of what we missed. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Mondegreens and Hearing Loss

This research study proposes that working memory and cognitive processing may have more of an impact on speech recognition for new hearing aid users than for experienced hearing aid users. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Listening is More Effortful

Hearing aid success can generally be defined as an outcome in which the patient wears the instruments regularly and reports benefit from them. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more about the findings of a recent research study on this subject: Factors Leading to Successful Hearing Aid Use

Please CLICK on the following link to learn about recent technological developments with Cochlear Implant Devices: Cochlear Implant Device Developments

Read about one of the latest systems designed to provide cochlear implant recipients with natural and effortless hearing. Please CLICK on the following link: System for Cochlear Implant Recipients

In 2003, Advanced Bionics released HiResolution® Sound (HiRes®), a family of strategies that doubled the number of spectral bands and increased temporal rates tenfold over conventional sound processing strategies. Clinical trial results revealed that adult subjects demonstrated significant improvement on all speech recognition tests with HiRes compared to their performance with conventional strategies. Please CLICK on the following link to find out more: Clinical Studies Summary

Experiencing a hearing loss sets the foundation for potentially untold anxiety-producing situations, even sometimes among people who use hearing aids or assistive listening devices. Please CLICK on the following link to learn more: Hearing Loss and Anxiety

This article relates to a recent study to investigate the relationships among noise reduction, listening effort and speech recognition in middle-aged to older adults with hearing loss. Please CLICK on the following link to find out more: Cognitive Benefits of Digital Noise Reduction

How does what you hear affect your pain receptors and perception of pain?  We are starting to understand that all aspects of perception are linked together, and hearing is linked in many ways to other things that we do and how we live our lives.  It is because of the complex interaction within the cognitive system.  This is where we are starting to focus our effort to understand that relationship.To learn more, please CLICK on the following link: Hearing Loss & Cognitive Ability

Patients with similar hearing losses often display differing degrees of communication problems. It has been demonstrated that even mild hearing losses in an elderly person may result in reduced personal satisfaction because of loss of independence, reduction in emotional well-being, and other limitations that are not seen in normal hearing elderly persons. Therefore, it is likely that even some elderly patients who deny their hearing impairment may experience the same limitations but do not seek intervention.To learn more, please CLICK on the following link: Effect on the Significant Other

Although the brain becomes smaller with age, the shrinkage seems to be fast-tracked in older adults with hearing loss, according to the results of a study by researchers from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging. The findings add to a growing list of health consequences associated with hearing loss, including increased risk of dementia, falls, hospitalizations, and diminished physical and mental health overall. To learn more, please CLICK on the following link: Link to Brain Tissue Loss

Using genetic tools in mice, researchers say they have identified a pair of proteins that precisely control when sound-detecting cells, known as hair cells, are born in the mammalian inner ear.  Please CLICK on the following link: Research

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