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UrduThe Acoustical Society of America will host a virtual conference from Nov. 18-22.
Tag: Hearing
Infants hear significantly more speech than music at home, UW study finds
A new University of Washington study, published May 21 in Developmental Science, is the first to compare the amount of music and speech that children hear in infancy. Results showed that infants hear more spoken language than music, with the gap widening as the babies get older.
ASA Invites Media to Acoustics Meeting in Ottawa, May 13-17
The Acoustical Society of America and the Canadian Acoustical Association are co-hosting a joint meeting May 13-17 at the Shaw Centre/Westin Ottawa Hotel.
Newsmakers: Basic Research Findings by Johns Hopkins Scientists Focus on Gene Sequencing, Hearing Loss and a Brain Disorder
Basic Research Findings by Johns Hopkins Scientists Focus on Gene Sequencing, Hearing Loss and a Brain Disorder
Loud Noise Risk For Children
Dominic Lucia, MD, at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center, answers common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research. How do loud noises impact children? (SOT@ :14, TRT :43) How do we know if something is…
Hard-of-Hearing Music Fans Prefer a Different Sound
In JASA, researchers from the University of Oldenburg study the impact of hearing loss on subjects’ enjoyment of different music mixes.
Upping Your Intake of Omega-3s May Help Protect Your Hearing
Researchers report that blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were inversely correlated with hearing difficulty in a new population-based cross-sectional study.
American Tinnitus Association elects Wayne State researcher as new chair
The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) has elected Jinsheng Zhang, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Wayne State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as the new chair of its board of directors.
Beyond Necessity, Hearing Aids Bring Enjoyment Through Music #ASA184
At the 184th ASA Meeting, Emily Sandgren and Joshua Alexander of Purdue University will describe experiments to determine the best hearing aids for listening to music. To test and compare, they took over 200 recordings of music samples as processed by hearing aids from seven popular manufacturers. They asked study participants to rate the sound quality of these recordings and found that the hearing aids had lower ratings for music than their control stimuli. The researchers found bigger differences in music quality between hearing aid brands than between speech and music programs.
It’s not as difficult as you think to shout upwind
Researchers unveil and explain a common-sense misunderstanding
Study: Hearing Loss Disproportionately Impacts People of Color
A new study by a researcher at New York Institute of Technology reveals that people of color report a higher incidence of hearing loss. The research, published on April 13 in the journal Safety, highlights hearing loss as a public…
Hairs that help fish feel–and humans hear
Brian McDermott, a Case Western Reserve scientist, is reporting a discovery about unexpected asymmetry on the hair cells of zebrafish that allow them to detect movement with greater sensitivity from the back than the front. “This shows that fish have hair cells that are actually tuned to sense different water directions,” McDermott said. “In humans, our cochleas have hair cells that are similarly tuned to be able to hear different frequencies.” McDermott said the finding also advances our understanding of “the long-sought mechanotransduction (Mec) channel” in living creatures.
Eartest by Eartone Application Detects Dementia Risk by Checking the Hearing of Words in Thai language
The Faculties of Medicine and Science, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with University College London (UCL), the United Kingdom, together with industrial partner have developed Eartest by Eartone Application that examines hearing with Thai words processing that the public can use to screen dementia by themselves before consulting physicians to help prevent and reduce future risk of dementia.
Program That Trains Community Health Workers to Deliver Hearing Care Shows Success Among Low-Income Older Adults
A first-in-kind program that trains trusted older adult community health workers to fit and deliver low-cost hearing technology to peers with hearing loss significantly improved communication function among participants, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers.
Shhhh … Speaking More Quietly in Restaurants Means Everyone Can Be Heard #ASA183
In a crowded restaurant, the sounds of conversations bounce off walls, creating background noise. Each individual wants to be heard, so they end up talking a little bit louder, which increases the overall din. Eventually – barring an interruption – the system gets loud enough to reach the limit of the human voice. Braxton Boren will discuss this cycle, called the Lombard effect, and how it can be disrupted in his presentation, “A game theory model of the Lombard effect in public spaces.”
New study shows spiders use webs to extend their hearing
A newly published study of orb-weaving spiders — has yielded some extraordinary results: The spiders are using their webs as extended auditory arrays to capture sounds, possibly giving spiders advanced warning of incoming prey or predators.
Wetlands case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 3 explained
Among the first cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court for the October 2022 term will be Sackett v. EPA, No. 24-454 (2022). At stake is the definition of “waters of the United States” and the area of…
Telehealth Makes Hearing Health Care More Equitable
In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, scientists explore how digital health solutions can expand audiology services in clinical and research settings. Audiology assessment via telehealth would allow patients to access care while a specialist is located hundreds of miles away and, as a research tool, telehealth would allow for more representative and decentralized data on hearing, without compromising results. The team is currently scaling up several studies they conducted in rural areas of Alaska; their mission is to close the gap on hearing health disparities.
Mayo Clinic expert provides tips for reducing dementia risk
More than 55 million people worldwide are believed to be living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. Ronald Petersen, M.D., a neurologist and director of Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, says you can’t prevent dementia, but you can reduce your risk.
Listening Can Be Exhausting for Older Cochlear Implant Users #ASA182
In her presentation, “Aging effects on listening effort in cochlear-implant users,” Kristina DeRoy Milvae will discuss the results of two experiments that examined impacts on listening effort. The session will take place May 24 at 12:50 p.m. Eastern U.S. at the 182nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel.
Study finds the SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect the inner ear
Many Covid-19 patients have reported symptoms affecting the ears, including hearing loss and tinnitus. Dizziness and balance problems can also occur, suggesting that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may be able to infect the inner ear.
Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center Old Bridge Expands Services with The Center for Hearing
“We are excited to open up this new service to our growing community,” said William DiStanislao, interim president, chief hospital executive, Raritan Bay Medical Center Old Bridge. “Our certified audiologist will work closely with our medical director to interpret findings and recommend appropriate treatment.”
Examining Correlation Between Occupational Noise, Heart Disease
Hearing conservation programs and policies aim to protect workers from noise-induced hearing loss, but it remains unclear whether stress reactions caused by noise exposure might also lead to other negative health outcomes. In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers describe how data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey do not support an association between loud noise exposure and changes in biomarkers for cardiovascular disease or outcomes.
The human ear detects half a millisecond delay in sound
Acoustics researchers at Aalto University, in collaboration with professional monitoring loudspeaker manufacturer Genelec, have investigated just how small of a variation in sound delay the human ear can detect in the most sensitive frequency range for hearing. People normally hear sound in the range of 20 and 20,000 hertz.
Acoustics in Focus: Virtual Press Conference Schedule for 180th Meeting of Acoustical Society of America
Press conferences at the 180th ASA Meeting will cover the latest in acoustical research during the Acoustics in Focus meeting. The virtual press conferences will take place each day of the meeting and offer reporters and outlets the opportunity to hear key presenters talk about their research. To ensure the safety of attendees, volunteers, and ASA staff, Acoustics in Focus will be hosted entirely online.
University of Miami Hearing Professionals Present Latest Research at American Cochlear Implant Alliance Conference
From the impact of COVID-19 on parents, to speech differences between English- and Spanish-learners, and advanced ear surgery techniques, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine hearing professionals presented their latest studies at CI2021, the annual conference of the American Cochlear Implant (ACI) Alliance, from April 28 to May 1.
Translational Hearing Center awarded largest NIH grant in Creighton University history
Researchers will be dedicated to battling hearing loss resulting from numerous causes. They will tackle hearing loss in children whose hearing is compromised by antibiotics or other medical treatments, to persons suffering hearing loss in the wake of cancer therapies, those who suffer deafness due to such infections as meningitis, through to natural hearing loss caused by aging.
Neandertals had the capacity to perceive and produce human speech
Neandertals — the closest ancestor to modern humans — possessed the ability to perceive and produce human speech, according to a new study published by an international multidisciplinary team of researchers including Binghamton University anthropology professor Rolf Quam and graduate student Alex Velez.
How Loud Is Too Loud? Identifying Noise Levels That Deter Older Restaurant Patrons
As restaurants get noisier, the increasing noise levels could deter older patrons, especially those with mild to severe hearing loss. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will discuss their work on investigating acceptable noise levels that won’t cause restaurant visitors to stay away from certain establishments. Identifying acceptable noise levels helps establish truly “age-friendly” communities. The session will take place as part of the 179th ASA Meeting.
How Does Eye Position Affect ‘Cocktail Party’ Listening?
Several acoustic studies have shown that the position of your eyes determines where your visual spatial attention is directed, which automatically influences your auditory spatial attention. Researchers are currently exploring its impact on speech intelligibility. During the 179th ASA Meeting, Virginia Best will describe her work to determine whether there is a measurable effect of eye position within cocktail party listening situations.
Acoustics Virtually Everywhere: 25 Scientists Summarize Research They’re Presenting This Week at ASA’s December Meeting
As part of the 179th ASA Meeting, 25 sound scientists summarize their innovative research into 300-500 words for a general audience and provide helpful video, photos, and audio. These lay language papers are written for everyone, not just the scientific community. Acousticians are doing important work to make hospitals quieter, map the global seafloor, translate musical notes into emotion, and understand how the human voice changes with age.
Stay-at-home orders cut noise exposure nearly in half
People’s exposure to environmental noise dropped nearly in half during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, according to University of Michigan researchers who analyzed data from the Apple Hearing Study.
Patients Need Education About What Tinnitus is and How to Manage it
According to a study by University of Miami researchers published in the Journal of Communication in Healthcare, there are no consistently applied best practices in how to educate patients about what tinnitus is and options for management.
Two molecular handshakes for hearing
Scientists have mapped and simulated filaments in the inner ear at the atomic level, a discovery that shed lights on how the inner ear works and that could help researchers learn more about how and why people lose the ability to hear.
Ultra-Low-Cost Hearing Aid Could Address Age-Related Hearing Loss Worldwide
Using a device that could be built with a dollar’s worth of open-source parts and a 3D-printed case, researchers want to help the hundreds of millions of older people worldwide who can’t afford existing hearing aids to address their age-related hearing loss.
APS Media Tip Sheet: September 2020
Topics in this issue: People with blindness have a refined sense of hearing; First-ever review of gender parity within psychological science; Friendly and open societies supercharged the early spread of COVID-19
Hearing loss linked to neurocognitive deficits in childhood cancer survivors
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are studying how hearing loss can affect the neurocognitive abilities of childhood cancer survivors. Findings show that survivors with severe hearing loss are at a significant increased risk for neurocognitive deficits, independent of what type of therapy they receive.
A simpler way to make sensory hearing cells
USC Stem Cell scientists have pioneered a simpler way to generate the sensory cells of the inner ear. The study was published in the journal eLife.
Essential key to hearing sensitivity discovered in inner ear
New research is shedding light on the biological architecture that lets us hear – and on a genetic disorder that causes both deafness and blindness.
Physicists propose new filter for blocking high-pitched sounds
Need to reduce high-pitched noises? Science may have an answer. In a new study, theoretical physicists report that materials made from tapered chains of spherical beads could help dampen sounds that lie at the upper range of human hearing or just beyond.
Sound Can Directly Affect Balance and Lead to Risk of Falling
Mount Sinai research highlights the need for more hearing checks among groups at high risk for falls
ASA, CDC Plan Revamp of Sound-Related Wikipedia Pages for International Year of Sound 2020
As harmful effects of noise are becoming more widely known, popular internet websites are increasingly being used as resources of information. For the International Year of Sound 2020 (#IYS2020), the Acoustical Society of America and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the CDC, took the lead in designing the online event Wiki4YearOfSound2020. The event will facilitate the improvement of Wikipedia content in topics related to acoustics, communication, music, noise and soundscapes.
The Medical Minute: Eustachian tube dilation offers safer relief from dysfunction
Popping your ears by yawning or chewing gum can help alleviate pressure. But if that doesn’t help, a more permanent solution might be Eustachian tube dilation.
For better research results, let mice be mice
Animal models can serve as gateways for understanding many human communication disorders, but a new study from the University at Buffalo suggests that the established practice of socially isolating mice for such purposes might actually make them poor research models for humans, and a simple shift to a more realistic social environment could greatly improve the utility of the future studies.
EPFL and researchers from Mass. Eye and Ear are developing next-generation hearing implants
Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School and a team of EPFL researchers have developed a conformable electrode implant that will allow people with a dysfunctional inner ear to hear again. This new technology would improve existing auditory brainstem implants, which have a number of shortcomings.