The brain receives information from the ear in a surprisingly orderly
fashion, according to a University at Buffalo study scheduled to appear
June 6 in the Journal of Neuroscience. The research focuses on a section
of the brain called the cochlear
nucleus, the first way-station in the brain for information coming from
the ear. In particular, the study examined tiny biological structures
called synapses that transmit signals from the auditory nerve to the
cochlear nucleus.

The major finding: The synapses in question
are not grouped randomly. Instead, like orchestra musicians sitting in
their own sections, the synapses are bundled together by a key trait:
plasticity. Read and learn more by following the link to this
interesting article.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120605175256.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine%2Fhearing_loss+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News+--+Hearing+Loss%29

For all Stephanie Conner knew, her daughter would be born deaf, blind
and with organ damage — the result of an often symptomless virus
Stephanie had passed to her unborn child. So when the girl, Madeline,
was finally delivered at a Miami hospital,
Stephanie and her husband considered it a major blessing that the
girl’s biggest problem was her inability to hear. Now, the LaBelle
family hopes medical science will deliver another round of news verging
on the miraculous: a stem cell cure or partial cure. Madeline, who is
nearly 2 years old, is the first person in the nation to take part in a
new FDA-approved study of stem cell treatment of sensorineural hearing
loss.

Link: http://www.news-press.com/article/20120605/HEALTH/306050018/Stem-cells-may-help-LaBelle-toddler-hear

Two-year-old Cooper gasps and laughs as mom says, “Hi Cooper!” No
wonder–he’s hearing her voice for the very first time. “Cooper was born
with profound hearing loss,” said mom Lauren LaScala, a third grade teacher
from Pennsylvania. Cooper received cochlear implants in September 2011. This video shows his absolute first response to any sound whatsoever. Read more about this article and watch the video!

Link: http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/cooper-hears-mom-8217-voice-first-time-viral-195100068.html

Doctors can now get a peek behind the eardrum to better diagnose and
treat chronic ear infections, thanks to a new medical imaging device.
The device could usher in a new suite of non-invasive, 3-D diagnostic
imaging tools for primary-care physicians.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120529182748.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine%2Fhearing_loss+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News+--+Hearing+Loss%29

The Hearing Aid Listening Check video previously available in English is now available in Spanish as well. See Featured Videos on our website or follow the read more link.

Young children who use hearing aids are not able to tell their parents
and other caregivers when the hearing aids are not working correctly.
This video provides instructions for parents, teachers, and early
interventionists about how to check and monitor hearing aid function.
There is also a written handout [PDF] that can be printed to have
available in both English & Spanish.

Link: http://infanthearing.org/videos/featured/hearing_aid_listening_check.html

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in partnership with Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, won the Mobile Health University Challenge with software that screens for hearing impairment.

With an estimated 588 million people worldwide and 5.7 million Brazilians afflicted by some level of hearing loss, the technology – dubbed the Sana AudioPulse – aims to make testing easier for hearing-impaired populations in rural and poverty-stricken areas that may not have access to medical care. Laws in Brazil mandate that newborns be screened for hearing loss; however, the implementation process has been stymied by funding limitations and shortages of staff and proper equipment. This AudioPulse technology could help overcome these obstacles.

Link: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/hearing-loss-technology-wins-global-mhealth-competition

Vivosonic has received regulatory approval from the
State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of the People’s Republic of
China to sell Integrity V500 System for hearing diagnostic testing in
China. Vivosonic products will be marketed and sold through KAM
Healthcare Group.

Link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9553074.htm

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an article in the June issue of Pediatrics on the significant increase in pediatric button battery ingestion and resulting serious complications.

The button batteries of greatest concern are the batteries containing
lithium. Batteries with lithium can cause severe burns and even death
if swallowed. Lithium batteries are often found in remote controls,
cameras and other household electronic devices. Two studies highlighted
in the article report devastating injuries such as destruction of the
wall of the esophagus and trachea and vocal paralysis. Ingested
batteries need to be removed within two hours to prevent these medical
emergencies.

While hearing aid batteries do not contain lithium, precautions still
need to be taken to prevent accidental ingestion. Audiologists should
be educating patients and families on battery safety.

Link: http://blog.asha.org/2012/05/29/hearing-aid-battery-precautions-for-audiologists/

Chances are you or someone you know is affected by hearing loss. It’s time to STEP UP!

Hundreds
of people of all ages, across the hearing loss spectrum, will be
walking to raise awareness of hearing loss and to raise funds to provide
information and support for people with hearing loss on Sunday, June 3,
2012 at Marina Green Park (between Shoreline Village Drive and Linden Avenue) Long Beach, CA. Check-in is at 9:00 a.m. and the walk starts at 10:00 a.m. for a 5K (3.1 miles) walk.

The Hearing Loss Association
of America’s Walk4Hearing is a nationally coordinated effort to
increase awareness about the causes and consequences of hearing loss.
Since 2006, the Walk4Hearing has become the largest series of walks of
its kind, with walks taking place in cities across the United States.
Nationwide goal is a cool $1,300,000.

Link: http://www.everythinglongbeach.com/walk4hearing-support-people-with-hearing-loss/

Register and take this CME Course for Credit: Childhood Hearing: A Sound Foundation in the Medical Home: designed for practicing pediatricians and other health professionals
who see infants and children. This module focuses on the early
identification of hearing loss, and promotes the integration of
developmental screening and public health screening into the medical
home.

Link: http://pedialink.aap.org/visitor/cme/cme-detail?guid=3a3ea997-77e5-4a1b-83d0-bf7441b0aed8&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token