Hearing News and Research

RSS

Research links low-frequency hearing to shape of the cochlea

Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea - the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers - which proves to be surprisingly important.

27 Apr 2008

3D view of neurons provided by new technique

A new technique that marries a fast-moving laser beam with a special microscope that look at tissues in different optical planes will enable scientists to get a three-dimensional view of neurons or nerve cells as they interact, said Baylor College of Medicine scientists in a report that appears in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

27 Apr 2008

FDA official says agency cannot ensure safety of all medications sold in U.S.

Janet Woodcock, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at FDA, on Thursday at a Senate hearing said that the number of medication ingredients manufactured abroad limits the ability of the agency to ensure the safety of all treatments sold in the U.S., CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 4/24).

26 Apr 2008

Latona acquires patent rights and orphan drug status to drug compound for rheumatoid arthritis

Latona Life Sciences Inc. announced today that it has entered into two agreements for the acquisition of patent rights and orphan drug status to a novel late-stage drug, trademarked "Oralgam," for the treatment of Juvenile and Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis.

24 Apr 2008

FDA cannot properly inspect foreign companies that manufacture medications, medication ingredients, report finds

FDA does not have adequate resources to inspect foreign companies that manufacture medications or medication ingredients, and current funding levels for the agency will not address the issue, according to a Government Accountability Office report presented on Tuesday at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

23 Apr 2008

Number of HIV-positive state and federal inmates drops

Between 2005 and 2006 the number of state and federal prisoners who were HIV-positive decreased 3.1 percent -- from 22,676 to 21,980 inmates, according to a report by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Another BJS report estimated that 44 percent of state inmates and 39 percent of federal inmates reported a current medical problem other than a cold or a virus.

22 Apr 2008

Simple blood test screens for susceptibilty to meningococcal

A breakthrough in the fight against meningitis and meningococcal disease is apparently already proving to be a lifesaver.

20 Apr 2008

Study shows factors influencing premature infant survival, disability

Based on observations of more than 4,000 infants, researchers in an NIH newborn research network have identified several factors that influence an extremely low birth weight infant's chances for survival and disability. The findings offer new information to physicians and families considering the most appropriate treatment options for this category of infants.

17 Apr 2008

New hybrid hearing aid/cochlear implant device

A new hybrid hearing aid/cochlear implant device designed for patients who can benefit from both is being evaluated by UT Southwestern Medical Center otolaryngologists, as part of a multisite, national study.

17 Apr 2008

How many hospital infections? New facts discredit CDC's official number

On Wednesday, April 16th the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform will hold a hearing on whether the federal government is doing enough to prevent hospital infections.

15 Apr 2008

Team of health blitz ENT specialists on the ground in Alice

A health blitz which has begun to tackle some of the health issues suffered by Aboriginal children in remote communities, is already proving to be effective.

15 Apr 2008

Torres Strait nurses go back to work

A special industrial relations meeting to try and resolve the crisis in the Torres Strait has had some success.

3 Apr 2008

Do humans hear better than animals?

It is known that various species of land and water-based living creatures are capable of hearing some lower and higher frequencies than humans are capable of detecting.

2 Apr 2008

No end in sight for Torres Strait island nurses dispute

A meeting between the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) and Queensland Health has failed to deter nurses in the Torres Strait from withdrawing their labour.

31 Mar 2008

Study confirms link between colds and ear infections

A new five-year study at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston confirms the suspected close link between the two most common diseases of young children: colds and ear infections.

14 Mar 2008

Study shows how nerve cells in visual cortex adapt to changing images

Neuroscientists studying the mind's ability to process images have completed the first empirical study to demonstrate, using animal models, how populations of nerve cells in visual cortex adapt to changing images.

13 Mar 2008

Shocking list of complaints against deregistered doctor date back to 1990

As the shocking list of complaints against deregistered doctor Graeme Reeves continues to grow, a catalogue of events from as far back as 1990 has been revealed.

9 Mar 2008

New system improves hearing in patients with cochlear implants

The doctoral thesis of Isaac Manuel Álvarez Ruiz has been developed in the Departments of Department of Signal Theory, Telematics, and Communication, and Department of Surgery and its Specialties of the University of Granada, and directed by Professors Ángel de la Torre Vega and Manuel Sainz Quevedo.

6 Mar 2008

Cochlear implants improve quality of life

Cochlear implant recipients experience a significant improvement in their quality of life, and have improved speech recognition, according to new research published in the March 2008 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

6 Mar 2008