In this article, taken from his blog, ENT surgeon John McGarva reminds us that while we can’t fix everything, we may still be able to help. It was a long time ago. I was a scarily young Houseman, barely 22,...
Audiologists are calling for more research into the impact of noise-cancelling headphones on auditory processing, particularly among children and young people. The issue has been receiving media attention recently after a BBC News report asked whether headphones are to blame...
Dr Lentz’s Psychoacoustics: Auditory Perception of Listeners with Normal Hearing and Hearing Loss, Second Edition is a 287-page introduction to the eponymous field that fills some (like myself) with great interest, though I have recognised the soporific effect of even...
In this article, the authors describe three key challenges faced in developing hearing therapeutics. Collaboration between companies, sectors and disciplines will be key to finding solutions. The unmet need for therapies for hearing loss grows apace, with prevalence rising across...
The NAL-NL3 system marks a transformative step in hearing aid fitting, shifting from a one-size-fits-most prescription to a modular, patient-centred approach. Developed by the National Acoustic Laboratories, this new system integrates a core audiogram-based prescription with targeted modules to address...
The British Laryngological Association's popular podcast, BLA Connections: A Clear Voice, is now a year old and continues to go from strength to strength. In May 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BLA launched its first...
This review explores the significance of extended high-frequency hearing loss (above 8 kHz) and why it may be worth doing clinically more frequently. There are many conditions that may hide underneath a normal audiogram, and one of the easiest to...
Cognitive Psychologist, Boaz M Ben-David, provides insights into the import of considering cognitive factors when assessing speech perception ability to maximise intervention success. Failing to do so, he suggests, is “ageist”, a predisposition healthcare professionals must avoid. Cognitive performance is...
The association of degraded binaural processing in adults with clinically defined ‘slight’ or ‘hidden’ high frequency hearing loss is of great interest to clinicians if it can be measured. Leslie R Bernstein and Constantine Trahiotis share their findings in measurements...
The human central auditory nervous system (CANS) is complex and highly dependent upon attention and cognitive brain regions. Profs David Moore and Harvey Dillon discuss novel assessment approaches to clarify auditory contributions to listening difficulties in children. How can we...
Hearing aid + accessory + smartphone app = a ‘synching’ feeling? Marshall Chasin explains why patients might be losing the rhythm. The historical literature (at least going back to some of the classic texts in the 1960s) is full of...
Working memory is used everyday by individuals of all ages. The authors of this study sought to compare the effect of background noise on the memory of either young adults or middle aged adults. They did this by recruiting 10...