First Study of Its Kind Outlines Symptoms and Uncovers Proactive Steps Patients Can Take to Get Treatment

Auditory Processing Institute
logo for Auditory Processing Institute

SUNSHINE COAST, Australia, April 5, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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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 www.APDsupport.com/apdmap.

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.  

Contact: 
Angela Alexander 
hello@auditoryprocessinginstitute.com 

Contact Information:

Bob DiSogra

Audiologist Consultant

bobdisogra@gmail.com

Angela Alexander

Director of Education

hello@auditoryprocessinginstitute.com

+61403700643

Related Files
COVID 19 Brain Fog – final cut.mp4
Long COVID Brain Fog Could Be Auditory Processing Disorder DRAFT.docx

Original Source:

Auditory Processing Institute Study Finds Long COVID ‘Brain Fog’ Linked to Auditory Processing Disorder, an Underdiagnosed Neurological Disorder

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Clinical investigator and regenerative medicine pioneer Don Buford, MD, is leading the charge to bring the latest advances in mechanobiology and regenerative medicine to 32.5 million knee arthritis sufferers across the United States in a National Institutes of Health-funded study aimed at reducing opioids and surgery.

Dr. Don Buford, MD
Dr. Don Buford, MD, applying a sam 2.0 device to a patient’s knee for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis pain for NIH-funded clinical study.

DALLAS, April 5, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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The Texas Orthobiologics regenerative medicine and sports orthopedics center located in Dallas, Texas, is conducting innovative clinical research on sustained acoustic medicine (sam®) in a randomized controlled trial on knee osteoarthritis. The pivotal confirmation study expands the use of sam ultrasound treatment across a diverse population of ethnicities, minorities, and patients with health disparities to effectively treat knee osteoarthritis without the need for surgical intervention.  

“I am excited to be a clinical investigator in this important study to expand access to new patient populations in the United States needing safe and effective treatment of knee OA,” clinical investigator and regenerative medicine pioneer Don Buford, MD, said. 

The active clinical study is evaluating the effectiveness of sam ultrasound for improving function, soft tissue healing, and reducing pain in the knee joint. The study expands on the results of prior 2021 research on sam ultrasound for knee osteoarthritis and injury healing, including a recent 2023 pragmatic clinical study on sam ultrasound for restoring patient function after an injury. 

“The use of drugs and surgery are mainstay treatments for most patients, and sam ultrasound is a unique noninvasive therapy for healing and pain control,” Dr. Buford said. “At our Dallas center, we provide a concierge medicine for patients with joint pain, sports injuries, and back pain using regenerative medicine approaches and, if necessary advanced surgical techniques, to help our patients with a better quality of life.” 

Knee osteoarthritis is a major public health issue, with treatments including oral medication, joint injections, or knee replacement. Sustained acoustic medicine is the first class of FDA-cleared multi-hour home-use pain relief ultrasound devices that promote soft tissue healing and joint circulation. 

“The interest in sam ultrasound treatment from our patients has been overwhelming, and our office research staff have had excellent enrollment of patients,” Dr. Buford said. “Our team is excited to offer this new mechanobiological treatment to our patients and better understand implementation of this noninvasive treatment to a diverse population of knee osteoarthritis patients.”

According to the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in four people, roughly 54.4 million U.S. adults, have some form of arthritis with osteoarthritis being the most common form affecting 32.5 million adults. Out of those 32.5 million, 43% of people are 65 or older and 88% of people are 45 or older. It is projected that 78 million adults will have some type of arthritis by the year 2040.

“We are measuring the reduction in knee arthritis pain and improvement in function that patients get with the sam® wearable ultrasound-based device,” Dr. Buford said. “This study will give yet another FDA on-label indication (we hope) for the sam® technology that is already FDA-cleared and in widespread use across the USA. sam ultrasound is a great biology-based noninvasive therapy for pain control and healing.” 

The cost associated with osteoarthritis is $136 billion annually, the third most rapidly rising condition associated with disability, after diabetes and dementia. Medical expenditures are estimated at $65 billion. Osteoarthritis increases the risk of developing heart disease by 50%. 

“On a daily basis, people suffer pain with greater fatigue, levels of disability, and activity limitations,” Dr. Buford said. “Severe joint pain can be quite common and have an impact on the quality of life.” 

Osteoarthritis can lead to depression and social isolation as the pain can cause fatigue and result in loneliness. Regular pain also causes activity and work limitations, with some people unable to bend or kneel without difficulty. 

About ZetrOZ Systems 

ZetrOZ Systems is leading healing innovations in sports medicine, developing wearable bioelectronic devices for the delivery of sustained acoustic medicine (sam®). Researched and funded by the federal government, ZetrOZ is built on the proprietary medical technology of +46 patents and is the exclusive manufacturer and developer of the sam® product line, which is designed for the treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions. 

To learn more about ZetrOZ, visit zetroz.com. 

Contact Information:

Maria Penaloza

maria.penaloza@newswire.com

Original Source:

America’s #1 Regenerative Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery Practice in Dallas, Texas, Leads NIH-Funded Clinical Research Study on Sustained Acoustic Medicine for Knee OA

Paramount A6 Series Medical Surgical Bed with 15.7\” low deck
Available from US Med-Equip

HOUSTON, April 5, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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PARAMOUNT BED, known around the world for its durable and safety-first hospital beds and assistive mobility devices, chose US Med-Equip (USME) to become the exclusive U.S. distributor of its medical equipment. 

USME now offers thousands of hospitals and clinicians around the country PARAMOUNT’s beds, built stronger for a lifespan surpassing many others in the industry. The bed’s Japanese-engineered design helps accelerate early mobility and makes preventative maintenance and repairs simple and easy. 

The portfolio of top-quality PARAMOUNT equipment for sale includes the A6 Series Medical Surgical Bed and ALiUS™ Medical Surgical/ICU Bed, a sought-after low-height bed with an early mobilization tool. Both have a 562 lbs. capacity and include advanced patient features such as simple controls and buttons for ease of use, grip assists for patients to hold on to support mobility and help keep them safe, stable, and balanced when standing, and built-in USB ports to charge their phones. 

Other available mobility equipment for rent includes the Sittan™ Rehabilitation Table, which promotes early, upright ambulation by helping patients balance when sitting on the side of their bed, and PARAMOUNT’s walking aid, which comes with two sets of brakes for enhanced safety and an adjustable height to suit most patients. All overbed tables come with an auto or a manual-locking brake to reduce the risk of patient falls when they lean on them while getting out of the bed. 

“We chose USME as our partner because of their proven record providing the best service to top clinicians and staff seeking the best equipment for their patients,” PARAMOUNT BED USA President Kazuya Takahashi said. “We are excited to work with a dedicated team working from more than 90 locations, USME has the best resources and processes to best serve hospital partners nationwide.”

US Med-Equip partners with thousands of hospitals across the nation for the rental, sale, service and asset management of medical equipment—diagnostic and clinical devices ranging from ventilators to therapeutic patient beds. In 2022, US Med-Equip acquired Freedom Medical, known for its beds and therapeutic mattresses with WAVE™ technology, which helps protect patients’ skin from pressure injuries.

“We continue to align ourselves with the best partners in the industry to bolster support for hospital partners focused on their patients’ healing,” said US Med-Equip CEO Greg Salario. “As a leader in patient bed safety, quality and durability, we share with PARAMOUNT an unwavering commitment to helping healthcare heroes.”

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Contact Information:

Matthew Stanford

Communications Specialist

news@usme.com

877-677-7767

Original Source:

PARAMOUNT BED Chooses US Med-Equip as Exclusive Distributor of Patient Beds and Assistive Mobility Equipment for Hospitals Across the Nation