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• Blue Mountains Hearing Study

The department is presently involved in a major research project known as the Blue Mountains Hearing Study . The study is being conducted in conjunction with colleagues from Sydney University, University of Western Sydney and University of Newcastle. This is an epidemiological study of hearing impairment in an older Australian population. This project is funded by Department of Health and Human Services & the NH & MRC. 

Principal Researchers:
Associate Professor Paul Mitchell	University of Sydney
Professor Philip Newall	Macquarie University
Co researchers:
Ms Maryanne Golding	Macquarie University
Dr Wayne Smith	Australian National University
Professor Stephen Leeder	University of Sydney
Professor John McCallum	University of Western Sydney
Professor William Gibson	University of Sydney

Research Students (completed)

Wigney, D.J. "Tinnitus in the Elderly".  (Submitted for Master of Audiology degree, 1999, Macquarie University.)

Cristoloveanu, C.  "Otoscopic Findings in the Older Population." (Submitted for Master of Clinical Audiology degree, 1999, Macquarie University.)

Treganza, K.  "Ototoxic effects of inhaled solvents."  (Submitted for Master of Clinical Audiology degree, Macquarie University.)

Sindhusake, D. "The Epidemiology of Tinnitus in an older population."  (Submitted for Ph.D degree, Sydney University.)

Research Students (continuing)

Hartley, D. "Hearing and Usage in an older population." (Ph.D degree, Sydney University.)

Golding, M.  "Central Auditory Processing in an older population." (Ph.D degree, Macquarie University.)

Research Grants Associated with the Blue Mountains Hearing Study

2003 NM&MRC Capacity Building Grant in Population Health Research Sensory Impairment: Causes, Impacts and Interventions. (Mitchell, Smith, Cumming, Leeder, Wang, Rochtchina, Rose, Blyth, Flood, Sindhusake, Foran, Golding) $2.23 million over 5 years

2002 NH&MRC Grant (Project ID 211069) Blue Mountains Cohort Study: Incidence of Eye Disease, Hearing Loss and Other Health Outcomes (Mitchell, Smith, Cumming, Leeder, Wang, Newall, Golding, Klein,R., Klein, B., Cruickshanks, Rochtchina, Webb) $809,000

1999 Macquarie University (MU) Research Grant The Epidemiology of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Older Individuals (Newall, Golding, Mitchell) $7,000

1999 NH&MRC Grant (Project ID 991407) Blue Mountains Eye and Hearing Extension Study (Mitchell, Cumming, Golding, Smith, Newall, Leeder ) $178,280

1997 RADGAC Dept of Health and Family Services "Blue Mountains Hearing Study" (Mitchell, Newall, Golding, Smith, Leeder, McCallum, Gibson, Birtles, Harricks) $196,000

Publications associated with the Blue Mountains Hearing Study

Sindhusake,D., Golding,M., Newall,P., Rubin,G., Jakobsen,K., Mitchell,P. Risk factors for Tinnitus in a Population of Older Australians: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study . Ear and Hearing (in press).

Sindhusake,D., Golding,M., Wigney,D., Newall,P., Jakobsen,K., Mitchell,P. Factors Predicting the Severity of Tinnitus: A Population-Based Study . Journal of the American Academy of Audiology (in press).

Sindhusake,D., Mitchell,P., Newall,P., Golding,M., Rochtchina,E., Rubin,G. (2003) Prevalence and Characteristics of Tinnitus in Older Adults: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study . International Journal of Audiology July; 42 (5) 289 - 294

Mitchell,P., Rochtchina,E., Golding,M., Smith,W., Cumming,R.G., Leeder,S.R., Wang,J.J., Foran,S., Hartley,D. (2002) The 2002 Libby Harricks Memorial Oration: The Prevalence, Risk Factors and Impacts of Hearing Impairment in an Older Australian Community: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study . ISBN 0 957861524. Deafness Forum.

Golding,M. (2001) The Development of Two Speech Based tests of Central Auditory Function for Australian Use Journal of the Audiological Society of Australia and New Zealand 23 (1) 1-9
Golding,M., Birtles,G. (2001) The Macquarie University Speech Tests kit ( CD and User's Manual) Produced by The Speech Hearing and Language Research Centre, Macquarie University. ISBN 1 86408 628 9

Newall,P., Mitchell,P., Sindhusake,D., Golding,M., Wigney,D., Hartley,D., Smith,D., Birtles,G. (2001) Tinnitus in Older People - A Widespread Problem The Hearing Journal 54 (11) 14 - 18

Sindhusake,D., Mitchell,P., Smith,W., Golding,M., Newall,P., Hartley,D., Rubin,G. (2001)
Validation of Self-Reported Hearing Loss International Journal of Epidemiology 30 (6) 1371 - 1378

Wigney,D., Mitchell,P., Golding,M., Hartley,D. (1999) The Audiological Profile of Tinnitus in Elderly Australians: Preliminary Findings Proceedings of the Sixth International Tinnitus Seminar, Cambridge UK pg 418 423

Submitted Papers

Sindhusake,D., Chia,E., Golding,M., Newall,P., Jakobsen,K., Mitchell,P. The Impact of Tinnitus on Health Related Quality of Life: the Blue Mountains Hearing Study Submitted to the International Journal of Epidemiology

Golding,M., Carter,N., Mitchell,P., Hood,L.J. The Prevalence of Central Auditory Processing (CAP) Changes in an Older Australian Population: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study Submitted to the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology

Chia,E., Mitchell,P., Foran,S., Rochtchina,E., Golding,M., Wang,J.J. Relationship Between Sensory Impairments and Their Combined Impact on Quality of Life Submitted to the Archives of Ophthalmology, July 2003

Mitchell,P., Golding,M., Rochtchina,E., Smith,W., Cumming,R.G., Boyages,S.C., Newall,P. Relationship Between Type 2 Diabetes and Age-Related Hearing Loss: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study . Submitted to the Journal of Diabetes and its Complications

Conference Abstracts associated with the Blue Mountains Hearing Study

Hood,L.J., Golding,M., Mitchell,P., Smith,D., Hartley,D., Li,L. (2003) Aging and Suppression of Otoacoustic Emissions: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study Abstracts of the 26th Annual Mid Winter Research Meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology ARO Abstracts Volume 26, 2003 pg 185

Cristoloveanu,C., Golding,M., Mitchell,P., Rochtchina,E. (2001) An Analysis of Video Otoscopy Findings in an Older Population The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 23 (2) pg 81

Golding,M., Newall,P., Mitchell,P., Hartley,D. (2001) The Prevalence of Central Auditory Processing Dysfunction in an Older Population: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study (BMHS) The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 23 (2) pg 97

Mitchell,P., Rochtchina,E., Foran,S., Newall,P., Golding,M., Wang,J.J. (2001) Relationship between Vision and Hearing Impairments: the Blue Mountains Eye Study . Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 42(4): S710. Abstract no. 3823.

Newall,P., Mitchell,P., Golding,M., Hartley,D., Wigney,D., Birtles,G. (2001) Audiometric Asymmetry in an Elderly Population The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 23 (2) pg 126

Newall,P., Mitchell,P., Sindusake,D., Golding,M., Wigney,D., Hartley,D. (2001) Tinnitus in the Elderly: A Lot are Suffering, but not in Silence The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 23 (2) pg 127

Smith,W., Mitchell,P., Newall,P., Golding,M., Cumming,R., Leeder,S.R. (2001) Come Fill the Cup A Protective Association Between Alcohol and Hearing Loss The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 23 (2) pg 147

Wigney,D., Mitchell,P., Golding,M., Newall,P., Hartley,D., Sindhusake,D. (2001) Investigating Models of Tinnitus with Audiometric Data from the Blue Mountains Hearing Study The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 23 (2) pg 164

Hartley,D., Mitchell,P., Newall,P., Golding,M., Smith,D., Wigney,D. (2000) Aspects of Amplification Usage in an Elderly Australian Population: Some Preliminary Results from the Blue Mountains hearing Study Australian Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 22 pg 69

Wigney,D., Mitchell,P., Golding,M., Newall,P., et al. (2000) A Preliminary Investigation of Otoacoustic Emission Data in Elderly Australians with Tinnitus Australian Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 22, pg 49

Sindhusake,D., Mitchell,P., Golding,M., Newall,P., Wigney,D., Rubin,G. (1999) Tinnitus in Elderly Australians . The XV International Scientific Meeting of the International Epidemiological Association, Florence Italy

Golding M., Mitchell P., et al. (1998) Is There Method in This Madness? The Blue Mountains Hearing Study - A Review of Methodology Australian Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 20, p60

Newall P., Golding M., Mitchell P., Hartley D. (1998) Beyond Boothroyd? Initial Impressions of Two Tests of Central Auditory Function (SSI-ICM and DSI) Australian Journal of Audiology Suppl Vol 20, p67

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