Friday 18 May 2012

BSHAA 2012

Bshaa conference 2012, Nottingham. Prof. Harvey Dillon via webcast, interesting study on Spatial Processing Disorder, not evidenced by hearing loss, but px experiencing issues with noise at 90 degrees to a forward facing sound source. The prof didn't seem to get that Unitron moxi pro is already doing fully binaural mic combination. Study on proper broadband hearing aids, power in 8-10 kHz very beneficial to improve the fidelity of sound. Practical application is going to be hard as the suggestion is to seal the canal to provide sufficient HF drive without feedback. More to follow..... Mead killion, two lectures on different aspects of hearing. First fit: lack of response on first fit levels; px are sometimes worse with the first fit levels than without aids at all. Also significant noise damage amongst musicians and the general public, with the appropriate level of protection. 20dB reduction allows 100 times longer safe exposure time. Identification of susceptibility: not all users suffer equally with the same levels of sound. Interesting talk on echolocation, fully blind individuals who can use a series of clicks to determine size, texture, shape and distance of items and their environment.