Treatment

Cognitive Enhancement Through Pharmaceuticals

Greely (2008) and colleagues (see references) present interesting and thought-provoking ideas regarding cognitive enhancing pharmaceuticals for use among the "normal" population.

They report that some 7 percent of USA-based college students have used prescription-based stimulants for cognitive enhancement purposes and on some campuses, 25 percent of students have done so in the past 12 months.

Ear Candles and Candling: Ineffective and Dangerous

This article is an opinion editorial by Jackie Clark, PhD, Douglas L. Beck AuD, and Walter Kutz, MD.

Ear candles are hollow tapered cones made of cloth and soaked in beeswax or paraffin; the narrow funnel is placed into the ear and the opposite side of the cone is ignited in flame. Upon reading the previous sentence, many people will immediately say, “you’re kidding?” Clearly, ear candling is not reasonable, rational, safe, or effective, and indeed, it should simply never be done.

fMRI 2008: Review and Update

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is less than 20 years old, yet has provided unique insight into auditory, language, and cognitive processing. fMRI is non-invasive and measures hemodynamic (blood flow and circulation) changes associated with enhanced neural activity (Logothetis, 2008).In essence, the fMRI compares brain activity with and without specific stimulation.

Audiology in the United Kingdom 2008: Interview with British Academy of Audiology President

Interview with Mark Lutman, PhD, President, British Academy of Audiology (BAA), and Professor, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

By Douglas L. Beck, AuD

Board Certified in Audiology

Web Content Editor

American Academy of Audiology

July 22, 2008

Academy/Beck: Good morning, Mark. Thanks for your time.

Pediatric Audiology: Interview with Jane R. Madell, PhD

Interview with Jane R. Madell, PhD

Director Hearing Learning Center, Co-Director Cochlear Implant Center, The Ear Institute at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary

Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

New York City, New York

Co-Author of Pediatric Audiology: Diagnosis, Technology and Management

By: Jane R. Madell and Carol Flexer

2008, www.thieme.com ISBN978-1-60406-001-0

Brain Implants & Motor Paralysis: An Interview with Chet Moritz, PhD

Get a glimpse of Dr. Moritz’s research with brain activity and how it relates to fMRI studies, motor paralysis, and more.

By Douglas L. Beck, AuD

Academy/Beck: Good Morning, Chet. Thanks for meeting with me.

Moritz: Hi, Doug. Thank you, too, for your interest in our work.

Academy/Beck: My pleasure. Where and when did you get your doctorate?

Moritz: I earned my doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley in 2003.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Update 2008—An Interview with Pawel Jastreboff, PhD, ScD

The Academy’s Web Content Editor, Douglas L. Beck, AuD, sat down with Dr. Jastreboff, to discuss the uses and best scenarios for TRT and more.

Academy: Good Morning, Pawel. Thanks for meeting with me once again.

Jastreboff: Hi, Doug. Thank you for the kind invitation.

Academy: Pawel, if you don’t mind, may I ask where you earned your doctorate?

From Cochlear Implants to Retinal Implants: An Interview with Brian Mech, Vice President of Business Development, Second Sight Medical Products

Advances in design and technology have allowed Second Sight Medical Products to create retinal implants for blind people. Although the first generation of visual implants were based on cochlear implant technology and provided limited visual sensations to blind people, the new generation or retinal implants are smaller and have a significantly improved electrode array. In this interview, the American Academy of Audiology Web Content Editor, Douglas L. Beck, AuD, speaks with Brian Mech, VP at Second Sight.

Academy: Hi, Brian. Thanks for your time.

DSL, RECD, and Pediatric Amplification: Interview with Richard C. Seewald, PhD

Douglas L. Beck, AuD, Web content editor, speak with Dr. Seewald about desired sensation level (DSL), real ear to coupler difference (RECD), SPLograms, and more.

Academy: Good morning, Richard. Thanks for your time.

Seewald: Hi, Doug. Good to talk with you again.

Academy: Richard, where and when did you get your doctorate?

Counseling, Aural Rehabilitation, and the CARE Project: Interview with Johnnie Sexton, MS

Douglas L. Beck, AuD, speaks with Sexton about the CARE Project (training in Counseling, Aural Rehabilitation and Education), the seven stages of grieving related to hearing loss, and more.

Academy: Hi, Johnnie. Thanks for your time today.

Sexton: Hi, Doug. My pleasure, it’s nice to speak with you again!

Academy: Thanks, Johnnie. Would you please tell me about the CARE Project?