TOP ONLINE HEADLINES in February

• Phonak Close to Closing GN Deal
• Stem Cell Transport Explored as Treatment for Hearing Loss
• Sonic Innovations Sells Auditory Testing (Tympany) Division
• NIDCD Hosts Outcomes Research on Children with Hearing Loss
• CareCredit Commemorates 20th Anniversary
• Low-Pitch Treatment Reported to Alleviate Tinnitus
• Tax Benefits for Families of Children with Disabilities
• ARO Conference Showcases Wide Range of Research
• MedRx Appoints Ingrao as Director of Audiology
• AG Bell Executive Director Steps Down
• Perception of Tinnitus Linked to Perception of Loudness
• Sonic Innovations & Amplifon Sign Supply Agreement

• Parents don't have to rush to make a decision about whether or not to have ventilating tubes placed in the ears of a child who suffers from persistent fluid in the ear, according to a new study in the January 18 New England Journal of Medicine. It found no significant or lasting hearing-linked developmental delays in affected children who did not have ear tubes inserted right away.
• In its first three months (September-November), a 10-minute mini-documentary on hearing loss and hearing loss treatment, which was submitted by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) to 348 PBS affiliates, aired on 71 stations, 204 times to an estimated (Nielsen) audience of 1,049,300.
• Clinical characteristics of tinnitus—such as duration, consistency and other factors—influence the way individuals perceive loudness and annoyance associated with the condition, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
• NIDCD-funded researchers from Northwestern University are investigating the development of a cochlear implant that uses light, not electrodes, to stimulate the auditory nerve. Although their work is still being conducted on laboratory animals, the goal is to develop a more precise implant that helps people who have profound hearing loss to distinguish speech in noisy environments.
• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has produced and disseminated nationwide television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) about the importance of safeguarding one's hearing when listening to personal listening devices. Set in a fictionalized tattoo parlor, 15- and 30-second TV spots depict humorous unintended consequences from listening to an MP3 player at high volume. In one, a young man receives the wrong tattoo due to miscommunication between him and the tattoo artist. The whole time, both are listening to MP3 players set at high volume.
• Outcomes following surgically implanted hearing aids that are anchored to bone appear comparable for children younger than 5 years and those older than 5 years, according to research published in the January issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.

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