Audiology Today: We are here with Kathleen Arnos, PhD, who is chair of the upcoming Academy Research Conference (ARC) 2018 on genetics and hearing loss, which is being held on April 18, 2018, the first day of the AAA 2018 Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Arnos, thanks for taking the time to chat today; please tell us a little bit about why you choose this topic.
Topic(s): Academy Research Conference (ARC), genetics, Hearing Loss
The Academy Research Conference (ARC) 2018 provided an overview of progress in the field of genetics and hearing loss from both research and clinical perspectives. As chair of ARC 2018, I was joined by several knowledgeable individuals on the organizing committee, including Dr. Zarin Mehta from A.T. Sill University, Dr. Wendy Hanks from Pacific University, and Dr. Jonathan Whitton from Decibel Therapeutics. My thanks to them for their expert guidance.
Topic(s): Academy Research Conference (ARC), genetics, Hearing Loss, Age-Related, Counseling, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, vestibular disorders, Unilateral
A growing body of research confirms a connection between hearing loss and a variety of chronic diseases and disorders (for reviews see Abrams, 2017; Besser et al, 2018). The medical term “comorbidities” is appearing increasingly in the audiological literature and also in clinical conversations about patient diagnosis and management. Audiologists have long known that specific often acute disease processes are related directly to different types of hearing loss.
Topic(s): Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE), comorbidity, Hearing Loss
Hearing-care professionals (HCPs) and hearing aid wearers report the chief complaint secondary to hearing loss and to wearing traditional hearing aids, is the inability to understand speech-in-noise (SIN; see Beck et al, 2019). Beck et al (2018) reported that, in addition to the 37 million Americans with audiometric hearing loss, 26 million have hearing difficulty and/or difficulty understanding SIN, despite clinically normal thresholds. As such, helping people hear (i.e., to perceive sound) and helping people listen (i.e., to comprehend, or apply meaning to sound) remains paramount.
Topic(s): speech-in-noise, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Noise Reduction, Audiometric Test
"So what do you do?" I paused and thought of several different responses that were possible. I responded with a smile and three simple words, "I change lives."
Over the course of our careers, we are asked many times why we do what we do—sometimes we even ask ourselves that question. While there is a myriad of answers, some individuals have a personal experience with audiology that brought them to this profession. More and more students are entering the profession with hearing loss, and are excited for what the future has in store.
Topic(s): Audiologist, Hearing Loss, SAA - Student Academy of Audiology
Did you know that there are nearly 20 journals that publish articles related to hearing aid technology, signal processing, and fitting? And that each year, more than 200 articles are published related to hearing aids? In the words of the great philosopher Frank Zappa, “So much to read, so little time.” Well, we’re here to help!
Topic(s): Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Pediatric, Audiologist, Practice Management, Patient care, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid devices
