Hello and welcome to this episode of Hearing Review TV
your all-access pass to all things hearing.
We begin this episode with research news...
Question- Can people with partial hearing loss benefit
from hybrid cochlear implants?
Well, the people at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
think the answer might be yes.
Northwestern is one of nine centers in the United States
that is participating in a study investigating the effectiveness
of a new cochlear implant device that aims to restore
hearing loss for individuals with high-frequency
hearing loss and functional low-frequency hearing.
It should be noted that,
while the patient group doesn't meet the criteria for conventional cochlear implants,
their hearing in high pitches is also so poor that a hearing aid is not helpful,
making them ideally suited for
the hybrid implant that addresses these issues.
The hybrid works in the same way
traditional cochlear implants work,
stimulating nerve endings in the cochlea
so that high-pitched sounds can be heard.
In addition,
it also involves amplification for low-pitched sounds,
similar to a hearing aid.
Like traditional cochlear implants,
the hybrid's processor is worn outside the ear.
And in more research news...
Promising results from the most recent clinical study
evaluating Neramexane as a treatment for tinnitus.
The study was a randomized, double blind,
placebo controlled clinical trial to determine
the efficacy and safety of Neramexane
in patients with moderate to severe tinnitus.
Neramexane is a substance that exhibits antagonistic properties
at two specific neuro-receptors that suggest a
potential efficacy in the treatment of tinnitus.
The most common adverse effect was dizziness,
and the study showed a clear dose-dependence.
However the researchers expressed optimism
that their work marks a big step forward
in the fight against tinnitus.
Resound has announced that it will be
the exclusive provider for Help America Hear.
Resound has partnered with the Foundation for Sight and Sound
to provide hearing aids to Americans in need
through its "Help America Hear" program.
The program was created in 2009
to help hearing impaired individuals with
limited financial resources
afford the hearing care they need.
Since then,
130 patients have reportedly received
hearing aids through the program.
For more information on how you can support
Help America Hear,
visit www.gnresound.com/helpamericahear
or talk to your resound representative.
If you know someone looking for a career,
why not recommend that they become an audiologist?
In its annual best and worst jobs report,
Careercast.com has ranked audiologist
number nine in the best jobs of 2011.
Among other jobs listed,
the best job is software engineer,
while the worst-rated job goes to roustabout positions
a dirty dangerous, low paying
and often stressful job in the oil industry.
To see a full list of rankings,
visit the careercast website
at www.careercast.com
And in management news,
Paul R. Rao has taken office as the newly elected president
of the American Speech-language Hearing Association
on January 1, 2011.
In a press release, Rao
stated that his goal is to better position
ASHA members
to serve their clients
and improve reimbursement and access for all.
In other industry personnel news,
Sonic Innovations has announced a new president
and new headquarters as a result of
William Demant Holding's recent purchase of Otix Global
- Sonic Innovation's parent company earlier this year.
Long-time industry veteran Joseph Lugara
has been named president and COO
of the company, after serving most recently
as an executive in the WDH Group.
Sonic Innovations will relocate its corporate offices
from Salt Lake City to a new world headquarters in New Jersey.
In Canadian operations,
Sonic's sales team will be led by Marco di Manno,
and Marcel Vernik will manage
the continued development of the sonic brand internationally.
And finally,
The Starkey group has recently hosted
its implementation science conference.
The goal of the conference was to consider solutions
to more immediate acceptance and adoption
of new hearing related technologies
as required standards of care.
While it seems new technology is released constantly,
there is often a long delay
between the development of a new technology
or research and its implementation.
The group plans to proceed with deliberations
to generate ideas,
encouraging widespread adoption
of innovative hearing and science technologies.
That concludes this episode of Hearing Review TV;
we hope you enjoyed this broadcast.