Hearing Care Professionals

From the chronicles

LACE AI Pro Coaching Notes #6

Some people with hearing loss (PWHL) have vastly different word discrimination scores (WDS) between ears. If one ear is significantly poorer for WDS, I recommend initially training with the poorer ear only when using LACE AI. After 12-15 hours of training (roughly a month) with the poorer ear only, is there any improvement in Speech […]

LACE AI Pro Coaching Notes #5

The default training activity in LACE AI is Speech in Noise. Unless it is changed, it will stay that way. To change the training activity from Speech in Noise to Rapid Speech or Working Memory, tap Train > Lesson and select one of Rapid Speech or Working Memory by tapping on it. This selection will […]

LACE AI Coaching Notes #3

With LACE AI Pro, there is no notification about an upcoming change in topic, which is the way conversations typically unfold in real life! For Rapid Speech and Speech in Noise activities, training will be easier if you keep an eye on the topic and when it is about to change. Conversely, you can make […]

LACE AI Pro Coaching Notes #2

I recommend setting up the familiar voice feature in LACE AI as soon as possible. It’s easy to do — see below. Training with a familiar voice changes the experience for me. For example, my nephew lives 3,000 km away and I see him but once a year. We often talk about words and language. […]

LACE AI Coaching Notes #1

I recommend hitting the “Replay” button every time you miss the target sentence (just so you know, “Replay” only shows up after you see the answer). For the best results, do this every single time. Nobody’s watching. Press Replay again (and again) until you hear the target sentence. This is where learning happens! A research […]

Why hearing screening is important in children

In Canada and the U.S., the newborn hearing screening process has screened almost all births each year. So why do children need a hearing screening? After reviewing the medical records of 326 children who had hearing loss, a study found that not all children with hearing loss were detected by newborn hearing screening. First, not […]

One grey-blue penguin amongst brown penguins

Let’s not focus solely on hearing aids in reducing dementia risk

It is important not to focus solely on hearing loss or hearing aids because dementia risk may be attributable to many other health factors that intersect with hearing loss and communication. There is still no evidence based on randomized, controlled trial (RCT) studies that treating hearing loss reduces the risk of dementia. ACHIEVE is the […]

Why walking through doorways makes you forget

It’s a common experience—entering a room, only to realize you’ve forgotten what you went there to do. It’s been documented in research studies, too. Memory is worse after passing through a doorway than after walking the same distance within a single room. Did you know that the “doorway effect” is actually a good strategy to optimize memory? […]

Do hearing aids prevent dementia?

The short answer is that there is no evidence. The ACHIEVE trial results published in 2023 provide evidence that comprehensive aural rehab, with hearing aid use, effectively improves communication outcomes. However, there was no significant overall effect of aural rehab on the rate of cognitive decline. A reduction in the rate of cognitive decline was […]

Addressing cognitive dissonance is a huge part of an audiologist’s job! Part 2

Cognitive dissonance happens when you hold two conflicting thoughts in your mind simultaneously–like denying hearing loss while still being aware of communication difficulties. Canadian Audiologist published an article by Bill Hodgetts, PhD, called “Psychological Dimensions of Hearing Healthcare: Audiology is More Than Just Diagnoses and Devices” in Canadian Audiologist (Vol 11, Issue 3, 2024). I […]