Auditory Perceptual Disorders

A new audio recognition system in Japan that was initially developed for business record keeping is now assisting people with difficulty in hearing using generative AI. Aisin Corporation, a manufacturer of automotive components under Toyota, developed the YYProbe mobile app during the pandemic as a speech-to-text tool for employees to keep business records. When employees with hearing impairments later found it useful in their communication, the company expanded the technology and built the YYSystem, which is now being offered to the wider society, particularly people with hearing difficulties, the elderly, and foreigners, to help overcome barriers in communication. Aisin worked with Microsoft to enhance the summarisation and translation feature of the tool, leveraging Microsoft OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology and Azure AI Translator. The YYSystem is now being used on countertop screens at government departments and retail stores across Japan and is slated to be deployed at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo. The free-to-download YYProbe app has now more than 10,000 active monthly users. It also has an enterprise version. Using generative AI, Aisin plans to further enhance the audio recognition system to allow users to input and generate pictures, videos, and graphs to communicate. THE LARGER TREND Generative AI has seen expanded use cases in healthcare over the past few months. Healthcare providers have started adopting the technology mostly to assist clinicians in assessing patient history and records to make a diagnosis. Beyond raising clinical productivity, it is also being tested to complement aged care. Now valued at $1 billion, the healthcare generative AI market is projected to grow to $22 billion by 2032. ON THE RECORD Hiromi Soeda, a user of the YYProbe app, is diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), which is a lesser-known listening difficulty where the brain cannot process the words that one is hearing. She shared with Microsoft Asia an instance when she used the app to understand what doctors were telling her about her mother's condition when she got hospitalised due to COVID-19. "It’s much better to read [the text] to follow and help my understanding. And if I’m listening and I misunderstand, I can go back and read it again," she said. Soeda, who now runs an online support group for parents dealing with APD and listening difficulties themselves or in their families, is using YYProbe for their seminars.

First Study of Its Kind Outlines Symptoms and Uncovers Proactive Steps Patients Can Take to Get Treatment SUNSHINE COAST, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 5, 2023 / Long COVID "brain fog" symptoms are linked to auditory processing disorder (APD), an underdiagnosed neurological disorder, suggests a new study from the Auditory Processing Institute of Queensland, Australia, published today in The Hearing Journal. Authored by renowned audiologists Dr. Robert DiSogra and Dr. Angela Loucks Alexander, whose recent TEDx Talk generated more than one million views, the study found that patients can be treated effectively with existing interventions. Unfortunately, APD symptoms can easily be confused with other hearing or neurological issues, so people with these symptoms should proactively talk to their doctors about getting APD testing. APD occurs when a patient's brain has trouble understanding what they hear into usable information, making it difficult to understand and communicate with others. Untreated patients can quickly suffer serious consequences, including an inability to connect with others, strained relationships, poor job performance, and depression. "We've seen an uptick in patients whose symptoms started after a COVID-19 diagnosis but testing for an auditory processing disorder is rarely recommended. As a result of this study, we can confidently tell people with "brain fog" symptoms to get tested for APD," says Dr. Angela Loucks Alexander, Director of the Auditory Processing Institute. "Early testing is a simple step that would have saved many of our patients a lot of distress and provided them with treatment much sooner." Because "brain fog" symptoms may be caused by a wide variety of neurological and other medical conditions, APD can be overlooked. For patients searching for answers, APD testing could open a new pathway to recovery. APD patients may experience trouble understanding people when there is background noise, often find that they need information repeated multiple times, and might have trouble remembering what was said to them. The good news is that while it is not widely known to the public, auditory processing disorder is both easy to test for and highly treatable. "This is the first end-to-end scientific case study of its kind evaluating a patient's diagnosis and progress - providing a road map from diagnosis to recovery. It tells us that existing treatments can have excellent results for patients who are experiencing APD symptoms after COVID-19," said Dr. Robert DiSogra, an Audiology consultant in Millstone, New Jersey. "We hope to see more research as a result of this study." Study Summary Patients who have experienced COVID-19 and are now complaining of "brain fog" may suffer from an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). The Auditory Processing Institute in Queensland, Australia, reported a case study involving a physician without hearing complaints before COVID-19 infection. After tests were administered, it was found that the patient had a significantly impaired ability to understand speech in noise in both ears. Through systematic auditory training, the patient showed significant improvement on all tests after just 12 sessions and resolved his chief complaint of difficulty hearing in noise in a crowded environment. These results suggest that current techniques used in these test batteries can help diagnose an APD related to post-COVID-19 "brain fog" and manage those patients as effectively as non-COVID-19 sufferers. The authors recommend that people with post-COVID-19 "brain fog" should have an audiologist evaluate their hearing and listening abilities. People experiencing "brain fog" symptoms should take this survey and talk to their doctor about APD if any of these scenarios seem familiar: Does any difficulty with your hearing or listening limit your personal or social life? Does a hearing or listening problem cause you difficulty when in a restaurant with relatives or friends? Does a hearing or listening problem cause you to feel left out when you are with a group of people? Do you have difficulty understanding people who speak quickly or with foreign dialects? Do you feel disadvantaged by one or more of the above problems? About Dr. Angela Loucks Alexander Dr. Angela Loucks Alexander, Audiologist, specializes in diagnosing and treating Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). Angela's TEDx Talk "Escaping the Hidden Prison of Auditory Processing Disorder" was the most-watched TEDx worldwide in September 2021 and has more than one million views. She directs the Auditory Processing Institute, where she trains audiologists and speech-language pathologists to provide APD services. She has also created an online, searchable map to help clients find the help they need at . About Dr. Robert DiSogra Dr. Robert DiSogra, AuD, is a widely recognized pioneer in audiology. He is a well-known national and international lecturer, teacher, and author on various audiology topics, especially pharmaceutical side effects on hearing and balance and COVID-19 topics. About Auditory Processing Institute Auditory Processing Institute trains audiologists and speech-language pathologists to help people with auditory processing disorder. We offer person-centered care and use the latest research and technology to provide effective treatments. We are proud to be a leading authority of clinical auditory processing services and are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of those we serve. Please see additional photos and content here. Related Files COVID 19 Brain Fog - final cut.mp4 Long COVID Brain Fog Could Be Auditory Processing Disorder DRAFT.docx Contact: Angela Alexander hello@auditoryprocessinginstitute.com Contact Information: Angela Alexander Director of Education hello@auditoryprocessinginstitute.com +61403700643 Bob DiSogra Audiologist Consultant bobdisogra@gmail.com SOURCE: Auditory Processing Institute View source version on accesswire.com:

MONDAY, April 3, 2023 – After six weeks of in-patient treatment at Walter Reed National MIlitary Medical Center, Sen. John Fetterman is back home in western Pennsylvania and in remission from depression. Fetterman will return to the Senate when Congress reconvenes April 17 after a recess. The Pennsylvania senator had been hospitalized since Feb. 15. “I am so happy to be home. I’m excited to be the father and husband I want to be, and the senator Pennsylvania deserves. Pennsylvanians have always had my back, and I will always have theirs,” Fetterman said in a statement on Twitter. The 53-year-old senator has a wife and three school-age children. Fetterman suffered a stroke that almost killed him while campaigning last May, followed by surgery to implant a pacemaker to manage the heart conditions atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathy. Depression is a common post-stroke symptom. Since then, he has also been dealing with an auditory processing disorder, which can affect a person’s ability to speak fluidly and quickly process spoken conversation. He uses devices to transcribe words in real time, the Associated Press reported. Fetterman was supplied with hearing aids while at Walter Reed. Fetterman spoke on Sunday about the symptoms he had been experiencing prior to being admitted to the hospital. During a “CBS Sunday Morning” interview, Fetterman said that “[I] had stopped leaving my bed, I’d stopped eating, I was dropping weight, I’d stopped engaging in some of the most — things that I love in my life.” His aides added he had become withdrawn, without the usual banter, the AP reported. He had “severe symptoms of depression with low energy and motivation, minimal speech, poor sleep, slowed thinking, slowed movement, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, but no suicidal ideation,” a statement attributed to Dr. David Williamson , a neuropsychiatrist who led his treatment team said, the AP reported. While his symptoms worsened and he wasn’t eating or drinking as he should have been, his blood pressure became low, according to the statement. “His depression, now resolved, may have been a barrier to engagement,” it noted. Remission from depression is defined as when a patient makes a return to normal social function, the AP reported. “The whole thing about depression,” Fetterman said during his CBS interview, “is that objectively you may have won, but depression can absolutely convince you that you actually lost and that’s exactly what happened, and that was the start of a downward spiral.” Sources Associated Press Posted April 2023