Hearing News Watch

Twenty-sixteen is shaping up to be a remarkable year in the evolution of wireless audio technology, sometimes called hearables.  Last January, Starkey Hearing Technology announced a strategic partnership with the hearable company, Bragi. During the year we saw a slew of wireless earphones enter the market, including one from Resound’s sister company, Jabra, the Here One from Doppler Labs and

In a move that perhaps caught some in the audiology community by surprise, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) announced its support of S.9, the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2016. In a statement released by ADA, it said that the organization “commends Senators Warren and Grassley for their foresight in introducing and advancing this legislation, which if enacted,

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today during the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Dissemination Meeting, Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability, Eric Mann, Chief, Ear, Nose and Throat Devices Branch of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it does not intend to enforce the requirement for adults to obtain a medical evaluation

While the Hearing Industries Association (HIA) of America agrees with the basic idea of increasing accessibility and affordability of hearing aids, in a December 3rd press release, they expressed concerns about the recently proposed Warren-Grassley legislation intended to create a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. The primary concerns expressed in the HIA statement pertain to requirements in the

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — According to a new study, investigators at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and 37 other Children’s Oncology Group hospitals in the U.S. and Canada have found that sodium thiosulfate helps prevent cisplatin-induced hearing loss in children with cancer. Results of the randomized, controlled, phase 3 study, were published in this month’s online edition of Lancet Oncology.

Many audiologists who work with patients experiencing equilibrium problems are keenly aware of the relationship between aging and balance. This observation was recently confirmed in a study published online in Frontiers in Neurology. This study, conducted by researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, found vestibular thresholds begin to double every 10 years above the age of 40. Results of their

Editor’s Note: Following the Hearing News Watch story last week, Department of Labor Withdraws Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Instrument Specialists, we received a number of comments. We wanted to share one of those comments today with our readers. The content of today’s post was received from Richard Giles, President-Elect of the International Hearing Society (IHS). According to Mr. Giles, the

Audiologists have touted the virtues of auditory training, but for decades numerous attempts at popularizing these programs have been plagued with low patient uptake. A St. Louis company, using an NIH grant, hopes to make inroads by using gaming technology. Washington University-based start-up venture clEAR™ (customized learning: Exercises for Aural Rehabilitation), LLC has officially released a new online customized hearing

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE — French biotech firm Sensorion announced promising new preclinical results obtained with its investigational drug SENS-401, which is currently under development to treat acute sensorineural hearing loss. The results were presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in San Diego, California, last week. Sensorion’s investigational drug, SENS-401 (R-azasetron besylate), aims to protect and preserve inner ear tissue,

As announced on November 18, the US Congress passed the Fit to Serve bill, allowing hearing instrument specialists to work directly with American veterans. Although the Fit to Serve legislation passed, it was not without substantial modifications. The bill, which is expected to be signed in the near future by President Obama, contains considerable patient protections and maintains the important