Hearing News Watch

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA–Cochlear Limited, the world’s dominant manufacturer of cochlear implants, announced today (September 12) that it is voluntarily recalling unimplanted devices in the Nucleus CI500 range after learning of an increased incidence of failures in its Nucleus CI512 implants. According to the Australian-based company, fewer than 1% of the CI512s implanted since the product’s introduction in 2009 have failed. However,

LAS VEGAS—Former President Bill Clinton will be a keynote speaker at Hearing Innovation Expo 2012, being held here January 4-7 at the Cosmopolitan. Organized by Starkey Laboratories, the largest American hearing aid manufacturer, the unprecedented event is expected to draw 3000 attendees from the hearing care industry. Clinton, who is founding chairman of the Clinton Global Initiative, was a featured

NEW YORK—This week, as New York City and the rest of the nation are commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a Manhattan audiologist is doing his part to pay tribute to the thousands of first responders who risked their lives at Ground Zero. Dominick Servedio, AuD, is partnering with the hearing aid manufacturer Unitron, and the Feal Good Foundation to

WASHINGTON, DC–According to a nationwide survey, 59% of the people with hearing loss who have chosen not to purchase hearing aids say they have made that decision because, in their opinion, hearing aids don’t work. However, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) has recently released data from a national survey of more than 2000 hearing aid wearers, demonstrating that in the

BETHESDA, MD—The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has revised www.hearingloss.org, its web site, which offers authoritative information for 36 million Americans with hearing loss. The HLAA site underwent a major redesign that makes it more intuitive, provides better navigation, and makes it easier to find specific content in the vast collection of hearing loss resources available to visitors. Brenda

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA—Every dollar invested in early intervention services for children with hearing loss reaps $2 in benefits to the community. So states First Voice, a coalition of non-profit centers in Australia that help children with hearing loss, in a report issued on August 22. Until recently, children born with severe hearing loss often faced long odds against being well educated

PHILADELPHIA—Scientists have found further evidence that there’s truth to the old saying, “Use it or lose it.” A group of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has reported that when hearing loss causes auditory areas of the brain to be deprived of sound, the brain cells begin to atrophy. And, as a result, people

BOSTON—An elected official who is a leading advocate for people with hearing loss in Massachusetts will welcome International Hearing Society (IHS) members to his state when the organization holds its 60th Annual Convention & Expo in Boston from September 14-17. State Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley) will participate in the opening Keynote Lunch on Thursday, September 15. Massachusetts Governor Deval

DENVER—Azithromycin, a drug that is used in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also causes hearing loss in a small percentage of patients to whom it is prescribed. So reported scientists from Denver Health and from the COPD Clinical Research Network writing in the August 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Their randomized controlled trial found that

WASHINGTON, DC—Having trouble finding a cell phone that you—or your hearing aid patients–can use with hearing aids? If so, the Better Hearing Institute may be able to help you out. As a service to hearing aid owners and hearing healthcare professionals, the Washington-based non-profit organization has created a permanent page (betterhearing.org/hearing_loss_treatment/cellphones.cfm) on its web site listing all compatible cell phones