In August, we posted an “In the News” article that posed the question “What would/have you done in a situation where a patient has expressed significant functional hearing impairment with normal pure tone thresholds (0-25dBHL)?”  Eighty-eight (88) members responded to the query with the following results below. Please note more than one option could be chosen, hence the percentage total greater than 100%.

Understanding and reducing falls in the elderly is an important cornerstone in vestibular and balance rehabilitation, and there may be a new tool on the horizon that could change the way our patients achieve this, namely, exoskeleton technology. Previously, the use of exoskeletons assistance has been limited. Initial prototypes were cumbersome and designed for those with significant motor-control impairment, which left most of the control to the device itself. 

Douglas L. Beck, AuD, spoke with Justin about The Children's Miracle Network, The Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, The Osmond Foundation, Bringing Music to your Ears, and his 250-mile run to benefit 25 kids, May 2–9, 2015.

Academy: Good morning, Justin! It's always a joy to speak with you.

Osmond: Hi, Doug. Always great to speak and catch up with you, too.

Ching et al (2015) report on prescribed and measured gain, as prescribed by NAL-NL1 and DSL v5, using the Phonak Naida V SP hearing aid. Sixteen children (aged 7 to 17 years) with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) participated. The Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) and estimated loudness of the fittings were calculated with input loudness levels of 50 (low), 65 (medium), and 80 dB (high) SPL. Of note, NAL aims to maximize speech intelligibility, whereas DSL aims to normalize loudness.