The Audiologist Informer

This outline of best practice recommendations for the assessment and rehabilitation of hearing impairment for people living with dementia—written by audiology, psychology, speech-language, and dementia nursing professionals—is geared for hearing care professionals and includes practical recommendations for adapting audiological procedures and processes.

Previous research has demonstrated that systemic or localized hypothermia can protect cochlear cells against noise-induced or iatrogenic damage caused during cochlear implant surgery. The researchers show that localized cooling of the ear canal, what they call Cool OtOprotective ear Lumen (COOL) therapy, in guinea pigs can protect inner ear hair cells from ototoxic drugs. In this recent work, ear cooling was able to reduce cochlear hair cell death by 50% or more in middle and basal turns and preserve hearing function for at least one month after the cessation of cisplatin treatment.

The "cocktail party effect" is not exclusive to human hearing; animals also have to sort through a cacophony of sounds to make sense of their environment. A noted audiological researcher, Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, and her colleagues are study dolphins' impressive echolocation abilities and how these mammals may be forming mental pictures to navigate their surroundings—with possible implications for cognitive mechanisms in human hearing.

Nick Hunn, the analyst who coined the term 'hearable', sits down with Dave Kemp to talk about Auracast™ Bluetooth broadcast audio which enables an audio transmitter, such as a smartphone, laptop, television, or PA system to broadcast audio to an unlimited number of nearby Bluetooth receivers, including speakers, earbuds, or hearing devices.