Robert Traynor

Robert M. Traynor, Ed.D., is a hearing industry consultant, trainer, professor, conference speaker, practice manager and author. He is a founding member of HHTM and had previously written a regular weekly column for the site for many years. He has decades of experience teaching courses and training clinicians within the field of audiology with specific emphasis in hearing and tinnitus rehabilitation. He serves as Adjunct Faculty in Audiology at the University of Florida, University of Northern Colorado, University of Colorado and The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Featured image for “The Stapedius of Muscle Cars”

The Stapedius of Muscle Cars

A 2012 blog on air bags at Hearing International ended with the statement, “Sensorineural hearing loss due to air bag deployment is rare, and there have been only a few reports in the English literature. Audiologists know, however, that 140 dB of intensity is the threshold of pain and these intensities can cause hearing loss under some conditions. At Hearing International we

Featured image for “The “Ear in a Dish” Project”

The “Ear in a Dish” Project

There are specialized cells in the inner ear called sensory hair cells that detect sound. As most audiologists and otolaryngologists know, these hair cells are susceptible to damage by loud noise, ototoxic drugs, genetic mutations or aging, which can cause profound hearing loss. Since these hair cells do not regrow after being damaged, intense research efforts have been made into discovering how they develop and

Featured image for “ABA’s CH-AP™ Training Certificate for Preceptors: Shaping the Future of Audiology”

ABA’s CH-AP™ Training Certificate for Preceptors: Shaping the Future of Audiology

Some countries have chosen to educate audiologists in a physician model. In this model audiologists become physicians first then do a residency in the field of audiology. Hinchcliff (2005) describes the audiological physician as a medical, non-surgical specialty entrusted with the investigation, care and management of patients with hearing and balance disorders. In these countries, the relationship of the audiological physician to an ear, nose, throat surgeon is analogous to

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The Shorthanded Giant

Historically, shorthand or “short writing” dates back to the ancient Egyptians and many forms have developed over the centuries. It is basically a system that, depending upon the language and culture, uses phonetics and symbols or abbreviations for words and common phrases, which can allow a well-trained person to write as quickly as people speak. At one time, shorthand was considered an essential portion of secretarial training

Featured image for “A New Look at Cochlear Physiology”

A New Look at Cochlear Physiology

Those of us who taught anatomy and physiology of the auditory mechanism in the 1970s have changed our lectures on auditory physiology a number times in the past 40 years or so. As new research is conducted, new procedures invented, and knowledge becomes greater, it’s more evident that our theories of how things work require modification. Such is the lot of the scientist and especially

Featured image for “Electrical Stimulation of Hearing”

Electrical Stimulation of Hearing

Cochlear implants are surgically implanted electronic devices that provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing in both ears. Most otologists and audiologists know that these devices bypass the normal hearing process by the use of a microphone and some behind the ear electronics that are outside the skin. These electronics digest an acoustic signal into the electrical stimulation of an

Featured image for “Psoriasis and Hearing Loss”

Psoriasis and Hearing Loss

There is now evidence that those with psoriasis are more likely to develop a mild sudden sensori-neural hearing loss (SSNHL). According to a Taiwanese study by Yen and colleagues (2015) at Chi Mei Medical Center in Tainan, sudden sensori-neural hearing loss (SSNHL) might be a manifestation of systemic vascular involvement in autoimmune disease, possibly changing the overall treatment of this

Featured image for “The Mysterious Case of Vincent Van Gogh’s Pinna – Revisited”

The Mysterious Case of Vincent Van Gogh’s Pinna – Revisited

A few years ago at Hearing International we reviewed the case of van Gogh’s missing pinna. At the time, we made the case that Van Gogh’s mental state was really caused by bouts with Meniere’s Disease and that he did not really cut off his own ear. After an argument it was cut off by his lover, Paul Gaugin who was visiting

Featured image for “Living with Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome”

Living with Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome

Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS) is a rare condition compared to other causes of dizziness. Hain (2016) has diagnosed 46 patients compared to several thousand with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Thus, SCDS is much less prevalent than BPPV which is known to affect 2% of the population. As it is known that about 2% of the population has

Featured image for “7th Coalition for Global Hearing Health Conference, Manila”

7th Coalition for Global Hearing Health Conference, Manila

From the Editor: This week’s Hearing International was prepared by the President-Elect of the American Academy of Audiology, Dr. Jackie Clark. Dr. Clark, a Director and Founder of the Coalition for Global Health discusses the organization and its 7th International Conference to be held in Manila this Fall. This 7th Coalition for Global Hearing Health Conference will be hosted