This Week in Hearing

How are hearing loss and musicality connected? In a recent conversation, Brian Taylor spoke with Dr. Srishti Nayak, a researcher at the Vanderbilt Music Cognition Lab, to explore the relationship between hearing and musical abilities. Dr. Nayak discussed emerging research on how musical engagement may support hearing health and introduced the MAPLE framework, which suggests that musical skills, la...

With auditory training gaining renewed attention, Neurotone’s revitalized LACE AI Pro is emerging as a powerful tool for improving hearing outcomes. In this discussion, Dr. Miles Aron, COO of Neurotone, explores how the company is modernizing auditory training through AI technology, gamification, and an expansive library of customizable exercises. LACE focuses on synthetic auditory training, helpi...

Can cell therapy revolutionize hearing loss treatment? In this follow-up discussion, Brian Culley, CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, shares exciting updates on the ReSonance™ (ANP1) program, a pioneering preclinical study exploring auditory neuron cell transplantation. Culley explains how lab-grown auditory neurons are being delivered to the inner ear to potentially restore damaged auditory pathwa...

Neuroimaging is an essential tool in diagnosing and managing complex auditory and vestibular conditions, and the new textbook 'Neuroimaging of the Auditory and Vestibular Systems: A Clinician’s Guide' is designed to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge needed to excel in this field. In this discussion, Dr. Matthew Bush, otolaryngologist and department chair at the University of Kentuc...

Can a unified network of patients, clinicians, and researchers finally transform tinnitus care? The team at Stop The Ring presents an ambitious plan to do just that with the creation of a Tinnitus Learning Health Network. Originally presented at the 'InFocus: Rethinking Tinnitus Symposium' and moderated by Dr. David Holcomb, this discussion brings together Jeffery Reagan, a tinnitus patient and fo...

Shyam Gollakota, a professor at the University of Washington and digital health innovator, is pioneering a revolutionary solution to the 'cocktail party problem,' a longstanding challenge in hearing technology. His team has created a groundbreaking "sound bubble" device that enables users to amplify voices within a specific range while minimizing external noise and distractions. Designed to adapt...

The integration of hearing health into mainstream consumer audio technology is gaining momentum, driven by innovative collaborations like that of Mimi Hearing Technologies and Knowles Corp. Florian Schneidmodel and Mehul Kochar explore how Mimi’s personalization technology and Knowles’ balanced armature receivers are transforming devices like true wireless earbuds, making tailored audio experience...

This week, host Amyn Amlani sits down with Professor Marcus Atlas, founder of the Ear Science Institute Australia, to discuss the institute's groundbreaking work, particularly the development of ClearDrum. ClearDrum is an innovative biosynthetic prosthetic designed to reconstruct the human tympanic membrane using silk fibroin. Unlike traditional graft materials like cartilage, ClearDrum offers tra...

In this thought-provoking presentation from the InFocus: Rethinking Tinnitus Symposium , Dr. James Jackson explores the gap between what tinnitus patients expect and the care they actually receive. Drawing on his extensive research and expertise, Dr. Jackson delves into the Primary Patient Pathway in the United Kingdom, highlighting the challenges faced by patients and healthcare providers alike....

Can we standardize tinnitus care to improve outcomes? In this insightful presentation, Dr. James A. Henry introduces the Tinnitus Stepped-Care model—a groundbreaking framework designed to standardize clinical services for tinnitus. This six-step approach aims to ensure that patients receive the right level of care at the right time, from initial triage to advanced treatment options. Dr. Henry emph...

How has tinnitus care evolved over the decades, and what does the future hold for its management? In this presentation from the 2024 'InFocus: Rethinking Tinnitus Symposium', Dr. James A. Henry, a renowned expert in tinnitus research, offers a comprehensive overview of tinnitus clinical management. He explores the evolution of care from the 1970s to today, emphasizing evidence-based approaches lik...

The hearing aid market is undergoing a transformative period, marked by the convergence of traditional hearing aids and consumer audio devices. This week, Brian Taylor takes the guest seat to discuss these trends with Shari Eberts. Taylor highlights the evolution of artificial intelligence in hearing aids, noting its long-standing role in the industry and its growing sophistication. Major hearing...

For audiologists like Glynnis Tidball, managing tinnitus effectively involves more than just therapy—it’s about empowering patients with personalized and compassionate care. In this episode, Gael Hannan interviews her personal audiologist, who works at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, Canada, specializing in both cochlear implants and tinnitus management. Glynnis shares how her journey into tinni...

ELEHEAR is positioning itself as a forward-thinking player in the OTC hearing aid market, evolving from an OEM supplier to a direct-to-consumer brand focused on accessibility and innovation. Shari Eberts talks with Jalene Nadeau, Chief Audiologist & Director of Customer Support at ELEHEAR, about the company’s strategic shift and their efforts to make high-quality hearing technology widely avai...

How can AI make the journey to better hearing smoother for OTC hearing aid users? In this episode from the EUHA show floor, Tuned co-founders Omri Gavish and Ron Ganot, joined by Board Advisor Delain Wright, discuss their recent collaboration with JVC to introduce hearing aids equipped with streaming and rechargeability. More importantly, they reveal Tuned’s AI-based care model, which helps users...

Rally Caps is not just another baseball movie—it's a powerful story about overcoming adversity, friendship, and authentic representation of hearing loss. In this episode, Shari Eberts speaks with Jodi Cutler, co-author of the book that inspired the film, and Lee Cipolla, the film’s director. Rally Caps follows Jordy, a young baseball player with cochlear implants, and Lucas, his teammate and mento...

What will audiology look like in 2050? In this insightful discussion, Doctors Amyn Amlani and Jason Leyendecker sit down with Dave Kemp to explore the Audiology 2050 initiative, a visionary roadmap from the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) aiming to elevate the profession to meet future challenges. Born from a thorough review of audiology's history and current challenges, Audiology 2050 seeks...

OTOPLAN©, a specialized tool for surgeons and audiologists, enables 3D reconstructions of patients' cochleas using CT and MRI scans. This capability optimizes electrode array selection before surgery and enhances implant programming afterward. Since achieving FDA clearance in the U.S., OTOPLAN has been adopted by over 225 clinical centers, processing more than 3,200 scans and providing clinicians...

How does audiology intersect with the legal system? Dr. Robert Traynor, an expert in forensic audiology, delves into this unique area where audiologists apply their knowledge to assist in legal cases involving hearing loss, tinnitus, and injury claims. Dr. Traynor, inspired by Marc Kramer’s 1982 book Forensic Audiology, explains how forensic audiologists help attorneys and courts understand comple...

What if we could dramatically accelerate the process of turning tinnitus research into real-world clinical solutions? In this discussion, Jeffery Reagan and Dr. James Henry introduce the idea of a Tinnitus Learning Health Network, a collaborative model aimed at bridging the gap between research, clinical practice, and patient experiences. By fostering open communication and collaboration among the...

Starkey's Dave Fabry and Achin Bhowmik delve into the advanced capabilities of the Edge AI hearing aids, discussing the improvements over the previous Genesis AI model. They highlight the always-on deep neural network (DNN), which continuously adapts to different sound environments, offering a seamless experience for users. The Edge mode feature has been enhanced, allowing users to boost speech cl...

Building on their reputation as a direct-to-consumer innovator, Eargo is now entering the prescriptive hearing aid market, offering patients and audiologists a new level of control and care with their cutting-edge devices. CEO Bill Brownie reflects on Eargo's journey, highlighting how their invisible, rechargeable devices have evolved to meet the demands of patients who want both cutting-edge tech...

Jian Zuo, CEO of Ting Therapeutics, discusses the latest updates on otoprotective agents for three conditions: antibiotic-induced hearing loss, cisplatin-induced hearing loss, and noise-induced hearing loss. Dr. Zuo explains the science behind the company's innovative drug candidates and how they aim to address the unmet need for hearing protection. Zuo provides an overview of Ting Therapeutics’ p...

How do we communicate the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline without misleading patients? In this keynote session from the 2024 Academy of Doctors of Audiology conference, Dr. Jan Blustein dives deep into the challenge of delivering clear and ethical messages about hearing health. She addresses the common pitfalls in public health communication, such as headlines that claim "hearing a...

Host Bob Traynor continues his conversation with Renee Lefrancois, Director of Audiology at Shoebox, on the vital role of ototoxicity monitoring. Renee explains the different types of ototoxicity, including cochleotoxicity, vestibulotoxicity, and neurotoxicity, and how early signs like hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance issues can indicate ototoxic damage. The conversation emphasizes the global n...