CEU Courses Text/Transcript

This article reviews the definition and purpose of outcome measures in audiology. In an engaging Q & A format, the author discusses the development and clinical use of a new outcome measure assessing hearing aid benefit, and explains the value it has brought to his practice.

This text is an engaging Q & A discussion of teleaudiology applications and outcomes, with examples from the Veterans Administration.

This course provides data from surveys sent to youth and young adults with hearing loss who participated in High School and College athletics as well as audiologists who work with this age group. Data provide motivation for the need for a resource providing guidance related to the rules surrounding technology use in sports, the laws promoting accessibility, and strategies for assisting high school athletes with the transition to college level sports and a link to a resource is provided.

This course covers basic concepts regarding the selection of hearing aid gain and output, verification, and potential negative consequences when verification is not performed. It also reviews recent changes in the US hearing aid market and makes the case as to why hearing aid verification is more important than ever. This text-based course is written in an engaging Q & A format.

A Q & A discussion that reviews current knowledge of hyperacusis. Topics covered include definition, symptoms, prevalence, and suspected pathophysiology, as well as clinical assessment and treatment, based on the latest research in this area.

This practical session offers guidance for creating an individualized diagnostic test battery for each patient to enhance efficient and accurate assessment of auditory function. The presentation stresses the importance of selecting test procedures that add value to the diagnosis and management of hearing loss and related disorders.

This course provides a discussion of common comorbidities with hearing loss, with implications for audiology clinical practice. This text-based course is written in an engaging Q & A format.

New insights from animal studies of noise-induced and age-related hearing loss suggest that the most vulnerable elements in the inner ear are the synaptic connections between the sensory inner hair cells (IHCs) and the afferent neurons that communicate the information they receive to higher centers. When less than total, IHC synapse loss does not elevate thresholds. This means that it can be widespread in ears with intact hair cell populations and normal audiograms, where it has been called “hidden hearing loss”. Cochlear synapse loss is a likely contributor to difficulties understanding speech in a noisy environment and may be an instigating factor in the generation of tinnitus and hyperacusis, even when thresholds are normal. Beyond noise and aging, cochlear synaptopathy may be widespread in acquired sensorineural hearing loss of other etiologies and degrees of hair cell damage and loss. Normal thresholds or not, this loss of IHC – neural communication is expected to have significant perceptual consequences.

This course provides an overview of the advancements in hybrid cochlear implant systems, which combine electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS). This course is written in an engaging Q & A format.

This course provides an overview of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), its relevance to audiology research and practice, a review of key studies using this methodology, and a look at potential future applications. This course is written in an engaging Q & A format.