Cochlear Hearing Loss

Since the first edition was published in 1998, considerable advances have been made in the fields of pitch perception and speech perception. In addition, there have been major changes in the way that hearing aids work, and the features they offer. This book will provide an understanding of the changes in perception that take place when a person has cochlear hearing loss so the reader understands not only what does happen, but why it happens. It interrelates physiological and perceptual data and presents both this and basic concepts in an integrated manner. The goal is to convey an understanding of the perceptual changes associated with cochlear hearing loss, of the difficulties faced by the hearing-impaired person, and the limitations of current hearing aids.

Millions of Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. The Social Security Administration (SSA) operates programs that provide cash disability benefits to people with permanent impairments like hearing loss, if they can show that their impairments meet stringent SSA criteria and their earnings are below an SSA threshold. The National Research Council convened an expert committee at the request of the SSA to study the issues related to disability determination for people with hearing loss. This volume is the product of that study. Hearing Loss: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits reviews current knowledge about hearing loss and its measurement and treatment, and provides an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes and criteria. It recommends changes to strengthen the disability determination process and ensure its reliability and fairness. The book addresses criteria for selection of pure tone and speech tests, guidelines for test administration, testing of hearing in noise, special issues related to testing children, and the difficulty of predicting work capacity from clinical hearing test results. It should be useful to audiologists, otolaryngologists, disability advocates, and others who are concerned with people who have hearing loss.

Hearing Loss: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment covers hearing loss, causes and prevention, treatments, and future directions in the field, also looking at the cognitive problems that can develop. To avoid the “silent epidemic of hearing loss, it is necessary to promote early screening, use hearing protection, and change public attitudes toward noise. Successful treatments of hearing loss deal with restoring hearing sensitivity via hearing aids, including cochlear, brainstem, or midbrain implants. Both the technical aspects and effects on the quality of life of these devices are discussed. The integration of all aspects of hearing, hearing loss, prevention, and treatment make this a perfect one-volume course in audiology at the graduate student level. However, it is also a great reference for established audiologists, ear surgeons, neurologists, and pediatric and geriatric professionals. Presents an in-depth overview of hearing loss, causes and prevention, treatments, and future directions in the field Written for researchers and clinicians, such as auditory neuroscientists, audiologists, neurologists, speech pathologists, pediatricians, and geriatricians Presents the benefits and problems with hearing aids and cochlear implants Includes important quality of life issues

The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.

Update on Hearing Loss encompasses both the theoretical background on the different forms of hearing loss and a detailed knowledge on state-of-the-art treatment for hearing loss, written for clinicians by specialists and researchers. Realizing the complexity of hearing loss has highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary research. Therefore, all the authors contributing to this book were chosen from many different specialties of medicine, including surgery, psychology, and neuroscience, and came from diverse areas of expertise, such as neurology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, and clinical and experimental audiology.

2015 BMA Medical Book Awards Highly Commended in Surgical Specialties Category! Now in its 6th edition, Cummings Otolaryngology remains the world's most detailed and trusted source for superb guidance on all facets of head and neck surgery. Completely updated with the latest minimally invasive procedures, new clinical photographs, line drawings, and new surgical videos, this latest edition equips you to implement all the newest discoveries, techniques, and technologies that are shaping patient outcomes. Be certain with expert, dependable, accurate answers for every stage of your career from the most comprehensive, multi-disciplinary text in the field! Overcome virtually any clinical challenge with detailed, expert coverage of every area of head and neck surgery, authored by hundreds of leading luminaries in the field. Experience clinical scenarios with vivid clarity through a heavily illustrated, full-color format which includes approximately 3,200 images and over 40 high quality procedural videos. Get truly diverse perspectives and worldwide best practices from a multi-disciplinary team of contributors and editors comprised of the world's leading experts. Glean all essential, up-to-date, need-to-know information. All chapters have been meticulously updated; several extensively revised with new images, references, and content. Stay at the forefront of your field with the most updated information on minimally-invasive surgical approaches to the entire skull base, vestibular implants and vestibular management involving intratympanic and physical therapy-based approaches, radiosurgical treatment of posterior fossa and skull base neoplasms, and intraoperative monitoring of cranial nerve and CNS function. Apply the latest treatment options in pediatric care with new chapters on pediatric sleep disorders, pediatric infectious disease, and evaluation and management of the infant airway. Find what you need faster through a streamlined format, reorganized chapters, and a color design that expedites reference. Manage many of the most common disorders with treatment options derived from their genetic basis. Assess real-world effectiveness and costs associated with emergent technologies and surgical approaches introduced to OHNS over the past 10 years. Incorporate recent findings about endoscopic, microscopic, laser, surgically-implantable, radiosurgical, neurophysiological monitoring, MR- and CT-imaging, and other timely topics that now define contemporary operative OHNS. Take it with you anywhere! With Expert Consult, you'll have access the full text, video clips, and more online, and as an eBook - at no additional cost!

In the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress declared that its purpose was to assure, so far as possible, safe and healthful working conditions for every working man and woman and to preserve our human resources. In this Act, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is charged with recommending occupational safety and health standards and describing exposure concentrations that are safe for various periods of employment-including but not limited to concentrations at which no worker will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his or her work experience. By means of criteria documents, NIOSH communicates these recommended standards to regulatory agencies (including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]) and to others in the occupational safety and health community. Criteria documents provide the scientific basis for new occupational safety and health standards. These documents generally contain a critical review of the scientific and technical information available on the prevalence of hazards, the existence of safety and health risks, and the adequacy of control methods. In addition to transmitting these documents to the Department of Labor, NIOSH also distributes them to health professionals in academic institutions, industry, organized labor, public interest groups, and other government agencies. In 1972, NIOSH published Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Noise, which provided the basis for a recommended standard to reduce the risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of occupational noise exposure [NIOSH 1972]. NIOSH has now evaluated the latest scientific information and has revised some of its previous recommendations. The 1998 recommendations go beyond attempting to conserve hearing by focusing on preventing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This criteria document reevaluates and reaffirms the recommended exposure limit (REL) for occupational noise exposure established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1972. The REL is 85 decibels, A-weighted, as an 8-hr time-weighted average (85 dBA as an 8-hr TWA). Exposures at or above this level are hazardous. By incorporating the 4000-Hz audiometric frequency into the definition of hearing impairment in the risk assessment, NIOSH has found an 8% excess risk of developing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) during a 40-year lifetime exposure at the 85-dBA REL. NIOSH has also found that scientific evidence supports the use of a 3-dB exchange rate for the calculation of TWA exposures to noise. The recommendations in this document go beyond attempts to conserve hearing by focusing on prevention of occupational NIHL. For workers whose noise exposures equal or exceed 85 dBA, NIOSH recommends a hearing loss prevention program (HLPP) that includes exposure assessment, engineering and administrative controls, proper use of hearing protectors, audiometric evaluation, education and motivation, recordkeeping, and program audits and evaluations. Audiometric evaluation is an important component of an HLPP. To provide early identification of workers with increasing hearing loss, NIOSH has revised the criterion for significant threshold shift to an increase of 15 dB in the hearing threshold level (HTL) at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 6000 Hz in either ear, as determined by two consecutive tests. To permit timely intervention and prevent further hearing losses in workers whose HTLs have increased because of occupational noise exposure, NIOSH no longer recommends age correction on individual audiograms.

Implantable Hearing Devices is written for ear, nose, and throat surgeons in training who must know about implantable hearing devices as they advance in otologic surgery. It is also a resource for otologic surgeons desiring to know more about the devices available. The technology is evolving rapidly along with the criteria for candidacy, and this text covers the entire spectrum of implantable hearing devices that are available, including but not limited to cochlear implants. Complex issues are presented in an easy to understand format by a host of internationally well-respected authors. Many practitioners have to refer to multiple resources for answers to their questions because the discipline is changing so rapidly. Implantable Hearing Devices is a clear, concise, but comprehensive book that offers answers to the universal problems that otologic surgeons face. Disclaimer: Please note that ancillary content (such as documents, audio, and video, etc.) may not be included as published in the original print version of this book.