Journal Reviews
Hearing loss is a social experience too
Stigma is something audiologists see every day, and this narrative review draws the evidence together. The authors searched PubMed for papers from 2018 to 2025, screened 77 and analysed 25. They describe stigma in public life, schools, workplaces and healthcare....
The upside-down bucket
This is a subject that has been covered before, that of hearing and ageing. It has long been debated exactly what changes as we age. Is it just the hair cell nerve damage impacting most of our higher frequencies, or...
Environmental sounds and hearing disability in auditory neuropathy
This cross-sectional study examined whether environmental sound perception contributes to self-perceived hearing abilities in individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). In total, 42 participants with ANSD completed the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), alongside measures of...
When availability does not mean accessibility: inequalities in aural rehabilitation
The authors examine how social and structural factors influence access to rehabilitation services in Denmark’s healthcare system. Adults with hearing loss who choose to seek or not seek additional aural rehabilitation after receiving hearing aids, cochlear implants or bone-anchored devices...
Why are we here?
This small study, based on 10 semi-structured interviews, clearly highlights the importance of the audiologist’s role at a pivotal stage of educational and social transition. The interviews explored themes including deaf identity and connections, self-acceptance, preparation for further education and...
To question or not to question
Misophonia is a complex condition in which individuals experience a strong negative emotional response to specific sounds, such as chewing, breathing, swallowing or foot tapping. These reactions are not primarily determined by the volume of the sound. Although relatively few...
Environmental sounds matter too
Individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) frequently report major listening difficulties despite hearing thresholds that may not fully explain their functional impairment. Most audiological assessment batteries focus heavily on speech perception, yet this paper argues that environmental sound perception...
Quicker than reading the BNF
It has long struck me that it might be helpful to search medication-induced side effects by symptom, rather than having to look up each individual drug. For many years, there have also been regularly cited categories of medications to be...
A dizzying response to the silent killer
In this recent case control report by Kandemir and colleagues, we are asked to consider the association between hypertensive disease and hearing impairment, tinnitus and dizziness. A 200-strong cohort of normotensive and newly-diagnosed hypertensive patients underwent pure tone audiometry, Tinnitus...
How do you know what you don’t know?
Auditory processing disorder (APD) has been a subject for discussion for the last 20 years. Though the body of research is growing, it still lacks cohesive diagnostic and management criteria. Similar surveys on APD have taken place in other countries....
Where is that sound? Not every hot tub is a jacuzzi
Evidence suggests that the incidence of sound sensitivity and general noise intolerance is increasing. Studies have suggested that the incidence of hyperacusis is between 8% and 15.2% of the adult population. There is a correlation between the prevalence of hyperacusis...
Are you a man or a mouse?
Ok so the phrase is about bravery – however, this paper considers the differences in auditory cortex connectivity, cognition and emotion between humans and mice. The study began with 21 mice, but usable data were obtained from only 16. Notably,...
