Brian Taylor

Brian Taylor, AuD, is the Senior Director of Audiology for Signia. He is a veteran of the hearing industry with more than 25 years of experience. Brian is a prolific and respected contributor to the industry with more than 25 publications and numerous speaking engagements both domestically and internationally. He is also the editor of Audiology Practices, a quarterly journal of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, Editor-at-Large for Hearing Health and Technology Matters and adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin.

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“Just Good Enough” Wireless Audio All the Rage at IFA 2017

BERLIN, GERMANY — The demise of the smartphone headphone jack has seemingly prompted a wave of interest in wireless audio products. According to audiophiles who attended the recently concluded European consumer electronics show (IFA) in Berlin, the advent of the Bragi Dash in 2014 sparked a flurry of activities at several other consumer electronic companies. Because of the perceived market

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Expert Weighs in on Recent Acoustic Attack in Cuba

On August 10, HHTM reported several Americans at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba began suffering from unexplained medical symptoms late last year. That report cited a Washington Post article, which described the situation as an “acoustic attack” on Americans at the Embassy in Havana. According to several subsequent follow up reports in the press, victims described several ear-related symptoms,

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JAMA Report Indicates Communication Breakdowns in the Clinic are Cause for Concern

For individuals aged 60 and older, spending time at the doctor’s office is a common occurrence. And, considering the prevalence of hearing loss in older people, it’s not too surprising hearing loss gets in the way of effective communication between the older individual and their healthcare provider during these routine encounters. A recent study, published online by JAMA-Otolaryngology on August

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Clementine Wear Wins National Science Foundation’s Hearable Challenge

On August 17, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NineSigma announced that Samplified Audio and Clementine Wear were the winners of their Hearables Challenge. The Hearables Challenge was announced in April 2017 with the primary goal to showcase audio solutions that improve speech understanding in noise that can be applied to consumer audio products. The submissions were judged by a

Featured image for “DNA Fingerprint Linked to Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts Found”

DNA Fingerprint Linked to Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts Found

National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have uncovered the DNA “fingerprint,” associated with enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA). Clinical audiologists know EVA to be an inherited form of hearing impairment that often has a progressive form of sensorineural hearing loss. Most children with EVA pass newborn hearing tests, but begin to lose their hearing in the first few months or years

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Burdens of Hearing Loss and Dementia Expected to Put Pressure on Current System

If you’re a newly minted Doctor of Audiology, chances are good that by the end of your career you will see a near doubling of the number of people with hearing loss in the United States. Fueled mainly by a steady shift toward older adults, a recent report in JAMA-Otolaryngology, indicated that by 2060 more than 73 million Americans will

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Burden of Hearing Loss Continues to Rise

Researchers at Duke University and Nottingham University in the UK issued a comprehensive report summarizing the “growing, and alarmingly high” burden of hearing loss around the world. The report, written by Blake Wilson, Debara Tucci, Michael Merson and Gerard O”Donahue was published in the Lancet on July 10. The Lancet article reviewed the most recent Global Burden of Disease (GBD)

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Hearing Restoration, PSAPs Among Hot Topics at JAMA

This year, 2017, marks the peak number of baby-boomers reaching the age of 60. So it’s no coincidence that researchers and public health officials have turned their attention to the plethora of chronic conditions, including hearing loss, that are linked to aging. The Journal of the American Medical Association, one of the most widely circulated peer-reviewed journals in the world,

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Policy Experts Float Idea of Medicare Coverage for Hearing Services

Since the inception of the program, some 50 years ago, Medicare has excluded coverage for dental, vision and hearing services. The program has directly contributed to sharp declines in mortality and longer life expectancy for those aged 65 and older. Today, however, given the linkage between increased costs and poorer overall health and disorders related to these three conditions, policy

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National Science Foundation Conducts Hearable Challenge

The National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency created in 1950, is conducting a National Hearable Challenge. The objective of the Challenge, which was announced in mid-May, is to find solutions that enhance or augment speech recognition in noisy environments. Participants have until June 26 to submit an algorithm that enhances or improves a recorded audio file containing spoken conversation