Hearing News Watch

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

WASHINGTON, DC — The International Hearing Society (IHS) announced today that the US Senate unanimously passed H.R. 3471, commonly referred to as the “Fit to Serve” bill, on November 17, 2016.  The bill was backed in the Senate by S. 564 sponsors, Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT). H.R. 3471 cleared the US House of Representatives in September of this year, following

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — Valencell, a wearable and hearable biometric sensor technology company, announced this week that it is filing a patent infringement lawsuit against German hearable startup, Bragi. The company accuses Bragi and its subsidiaries of patent infringement over the Bragi Dash. The lawsuit comes nearly one year following patent infrignment suits filed by Valencell against Apple and Fitbit.      Valencell

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — Over the past few years untreated hearing loss in older adults has been linked to a growing list of conditions, including cognitive decline, depression and heart disease. Now research is beginning to surface that healthier lifestyle choices could stave off the effects of hearing loss. Although most of the research in this area has been confined to

WASHINGTON, DC — Prominent US Senators, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), announced today that they will introduce the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2016 when the US Senate returns to session. Citing recommendations from the recent PCAST and NAS reports on hearing aid accessibility and affordability, the bipartisan legislation would make certain types of hearing aids available over the counter (OTC) and

Sound systems are an important selling point in luxury cars – without high fidelity audio some buyers are simply uninterested in other performance traits and likely to buy a different model. Audi, one of the leading luxury car brands, has recognized this growing demand for high fidelity audio in luxury vehicles. They have partnered with Bang & Olufsen to map