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Gail Murray, PhD, CCC-A, tests a three-year-old boy's hearing in one of the center's spacious sound booths, where child-friendly design details minimize stress for even the youngest of patients. cochlear implantation, for these and other hearing disorders in adults, children and infants. Advanced Diagnostics The Audiology and Cochlear Implant Center initially began as a part of pedi- atric neurology in 1979. Recently, this Center of Excellence has expanded under the auspices of the UH ENT Institute to include patients at every age and stage of life. The Center's team of highly- trained audiologists, neurotologists and other ENT specialists has the expertise and advanced diagnostic equipment to evaluate even the most complex cases and develop individualized treatment plans that not only restore hearing, but improve lives. Audiology services director Gail Murray, PhD, CCC-A, who is also clinical director of the UH Cochlear Implant Program, leads a team of 10 audiologists, all of whom hold clinical doctorates. This team is the first point of contact for people seeking answers for their own or their child's hearing impairment. "Because audiologists are trained to recognize underlying medical problems that may influence hearing health, each audiology evaluation at UH begins with a thorough case history," she says. "This is followed by testing with some of the most sophisticated equipment available for hearing assessment. We don't skimp when it comes to investing in the equip- ment that might be necessary for all types of hearing testing." Audiologic testing is an evaluation process during which audiologists work their way from the outer to the middle ear. It includes Immittance and Stapedial Acoustic Reflex Testing, which helps determine the health of the middle ear and the auditory pathway. A signal is sent into the ear canal with a probe and muscular contractions in the ear can be seen on a screen. For patients with other symptoms such as dizziness or tinnitus, the UH audiologists may perform more in-depth testing such as Reflex Decay. This test measures the ability of muscles in the ear to hold a contraction for the length of a tone. Beyond the outer and middle ear, sensitive Otoacoustic Emission Testing is used to determine the status of the cochlea (the inner ear). This objective test looks specifically at the function 26 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS s MDNEWS.COM s NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 of the tiny hair cells that line the cochlea and send signals of sounds to the auditory nerve. It is particularly helpful for young children or patients with developmental disabilities who may not be able to give valid behavioral test responses. Audiology testing at UH typically also includes a session in one of the center's spacious sound booths, where child-friendly design details minimize stress for even the youngest of patients. The booth allows for measurement of a patient's hearing threshold as well as his or her ability to understand and recognize words. Pure tone air and bone conduction testing produces an audiogram, which is a visual representa- tion of the patient's ability to hear at various frequencies. "One of the biggest reasons to come to a program like ours for hearing testing is that we have been trained on the anatomy and physiology of the audiology and balance systems," says Dr. Piper. "We are focused on overall hearing healthcare." UH also offers a range of diagnos- tic tests and equipment not found in many audiology programs or ENT offices including PHOTOS © JOE SMITHBERGER, SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON