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Sample records for bone-anchored hearing aid

  1. Understanding the low uptake of bone-anchored hearing aids: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, R; Wearden, A; Pardesi, S M; Green, K

    2017-03-01

    Bone-anchored hearing aids improve hearing for patients for whom conventional behind-the-ear aids are problematic. However, uptake of bone-anchored hearing aids is low and it is important to understand why this is the case. A narrative review was conducted. Studies examining why people accept or decline bone-anchored hearing aids and satisfaction levels of people with bone-anchored hearing aids were reviewed. Reasons for declining bone-anchored hearing aids included limited perceived benefits, concerns about surgery, aesthetic concerns and treatment cost. No studies providing in-depth analysis of the reasons for declining or accepting bone-anchored hearing aids were identified. Studies of patient satisfaction showed that most participants reported benefits with bone-anchored hearing aids. However, most studies used cross-sectional and/or retrospective designs and only included people with bone-anchored hearing aids. Important avenues for further research are in-depth qualitative research designed to fully understand the decision-making process for bone-anchored hearing aids and rigorous quantitative research comparing satisfaction of people who receive bone-anchored hearing aids with those who receive alternative (or no) treatments.

  2. Successful bone-anchored hearing aid implantation in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutinho, M B; Marques, C; Mendes, G J; Gonçalves, C

    2015-11-01

    To report a case of successful bone-anchored hearing aid implantation in an adult patient with type III osteogenesis imperfecta, which is commonly regarded as a contraindication to this procedure. A 45-year-old man with type III osteogenesis imperfecta presented with mixed hearing loss. There was a mild sensorineural component in both ears, with an air-bone gap between 45 and 50 dB HL. He was implanted with a bone-anchored hearing aid. The audiological outcome was good, with no complications and good implant stability (as measured by resonance frequency analysis). To our knowledge, this is the first recorded case of bone-anchored hearing aid implantation in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta.

  3. The bone-anchored hearing aid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foghsgaard, Søren

    2014-01-01

    The bone-anchored hearing aid (Baha) was introduced in 1977 by Tjellström and colleagues and has now been used clinically for over 30 years. Generally, the outcomes are good, and several studies have shown improved audiological- and quality of life outcomes. The principle of the Baha is, that sou...... vibrations are led directly to the inner ear via the mastoid bone, bypassing the middle ear. This is achieved via an osseointegrated implant and a skin-penetrating abutment. Studies report high success rates and a majority of complications as typically minor in nature....

  4. Bone-anchored hearing aids in conductive and mixed hearing losses: why do patients reject them?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siau, Richard T K; Dhillon, Baljeet; Siau, Derrick; Green, Kevin M J

    2016-10-01

    This study aimed to report the bone-anchored hearing aid uptake rate and the reasons for their rejection by patients with conductive and mixed hearing losses. A retrospective review was performed of 113 consecutive patients with unilateral or bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss referred to the Greater Manchester bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) programme between September 2008 and August 2011. 98 (86.7 %) patients were deemed audiologically suitable for BAHA implantation. Of these, 38 (38.8 %) had BAHA implanted; 60 (61.2 %) patients declined. Of those who declined, 27 (45 %) cited anxiety over surgery, 18 (30 %) cited cosmetic reasons, 16 (26.7 %) perceived limited benefit from the device and six (10 %) preferred conventional hearing aids. Our study highlights a 38.8 % BAHA uptake rate in audiologically suitable patients. The main reasons cited for rejection of BAHA were anxiety over surgery and cosmetic concerns. It is important that clinicians address these early during consultation with prospective BAHA recipients and avoid rushing to implant these patients with a bone-anchored hearing aid.

  5. Electromagnetic interference of bone-anchored hearing aids by cellular phones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kompis, M; Negri, S; Häusler, R

    2000-10-01

    We report a case of electromagnetic interference between a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) and a cellular phone. A 54-year-old women was successfully treated for severe mixed conductive and sensorineural hearing loss with a BAHA. Five years after implantation, the patient experienced a sudden feeling of dizziness, accompanied by a loud buzzing sound and by a sensation of head pressure while examining a digital mobile phone. During a subsequent experiment, the buzzing sound could be reproduced and was identified as electromagnetic interference between the BAHA and digital cellular phones. Seventeen adult BAHA users from our clinic participated in a subsequent survey. Of the 13 patients with some experience of digital cellular phones, 11 reported hearing annoying noises elicited by these devices. However, no other sensation, such as dizziness, was described. Owing to the increasing number of users of both hearing aids and cellular phones, the incidence of electromagnetic interference must be expected to increase as well. Although to date there is no evidence that such interference may be harmful or dangerous to users of conventional or bone-anchored hearing aids, unexpected interference can be a frightening experience.

  6. Influence of Loudness Compression on Hearing with Bone Anchored Hearing Implants

    OpenAIRE

    Kurz, Anja; Caversaccio, Marco; Kompis, Martin; Flynn, Marc

    2014-01-01

    Bone Anchored Hearing Implants (BAHI) are routinely used in patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss, e.g. if conventional air conduction hearing aids cannot be used. New sound processors and new fitting software now allow the adjustment of parameters such as loudness compression ratios or maximum power output separately. Today it is unclear, how the choice of these parameters influences aided speech understanding in BAHI users. In this prospective experimental study, the effect ...

  7. A multicenter study on objective and subjective benefits with a transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid device

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hougaard, Dan Dupont; Boldsen, Soren Kjaergaard; Jensen, Anne Marie

    2017-01-01

    Examination of objective as well as subjective outcomes with a new transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid device. The study was designed as a prospective multicenter consecutive case-series study involving tertiary referral centers at two Danish University Hospitals. A total of 23 patients were...... implanted. Three were lost to follow-up. Patients had single-sided deafness, conductive or mixed hearing loss. Intervention: Rehabilitative. Aided and unaided sound field hearing was evaluated objectively using (1) pure warble tone thresholds, (2) pure-tone average (PTA4), (3) speech discrimination score...... (SDS) in quiet, and (4) speech reception threshold 50% at 70 dB SPL noise level (SRT50%). Subjective benefit was evaluated by three validated questionnaires: (1) the IOI-HA, (2) the SSQ-12, and (3) a questionnaire evaluating both the frequency and the duration of hearing aid usage. The mean aided PTA4...

  8. Understanding low uptake of bone anchored hearing ads: A review.

    OpenAIRE

    Powell, Rachael; Wearden, Alison; Pardesi, Sophie M; Green, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    Background: Bone anchored hearing aids (Baha) improve hearing for patients for whom conventional behind-the-ear aids are problematic. However, uptake of Baha is low and it is important to understand why this is the case. Method: A narrative review was conducted. Studies examining why people accept or decline Baha and satisfaction in people with Baha were reviewed. Results: Reasons for declining Baha included limited perceived benefits, concerns about surgery, aesthetic concerns and treatment ...

  9. Bone-anchored hearing devices in children with unilateral conductive hearing loss: a patient-carer perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banga, Rupan; Doshi, Jayesh; Child, Anne; Pendleton, Elizabeth; Reid, Andrew; McDermott, Ann-Louise

    2013-09-01

    We sought to determine the outcome of implantation of a bone-anchored hearing device in children with unilateral conductive hearing loss. A retrospective case note analysis was used in a tertiary referral pediatric hospital to study 17 consecutive cases of pediatric patients with unilateral conductive hearing loss who were fitted with a bone-anchored hearing device between 2005 and 2010. The average age of the patients at the time of bone-anchored hearing device fitting was 10 years 6 months (range, 6 years 3 months to 16 years). Qualitative subjective outcome measures demonstrated benefit. The vast majority of patients reported improved social and physical functioning and improved quality of life. All 17 patients are currently using their bone-anchored hearing device on a daily basis after a follow-up of 6 months. This study has shown improved quality of life in children with unilateral hearing loss after implantation of their bone-anchored hearing device. There was a high degree of patient satisfaction and improvement in health status reported by children and/or carers. Bone-anchored hearing devices have an important role in the management of children with symptomatic unilateral hearing loss. Perhaps earlier consideration of a bone-anchored hearing device would be appropriate in selected cases.

  10. Bone-anchored hearing aids are effective and associated with a high degree of satisfaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gardell, Ida Sofie Kristina; Andresen, Kathrine; Faber, Christian Emil

    2015-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to evaluate patients' satisfaction with bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA). METHODS: This study was retrospective and based on a postal questionnaire. The study sample consisted of patients undergoing surgery at Odense University Hospital in the 1992......-2013-period. The questionnaire was a combination of Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life questions from the Hearing Aid Research Lab at the University of Memphis and questions used in a previous Danish study. We also used data from each patient's medical records. All information was collected...... in a database. RESULTS: The response rate was 80% and the user percentage 88. The majority of the patients used their BAHA seven days a week and most of the day. 88% reported that it was in their best interest that they had received a BAHA. 80% of the respondents were able to communicate better using their BAHA...

  11. Bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA: indications, functional results, and comparison with reconstructive surgery of the ear

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bento, Ricardo Ferreira

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA is a bone conduction hearing device that transmits sound directly into the inner ear. It is mainly used in patients with conductive hearing loss associated with aural atresia, but it is also used in those with mixed and sensorineural hearing loss. Goals: To review the main indications for BAHA, to analyze the audiometric results and its benefits for patients and compare them with other treatment modalities, and to compare the literature data with our sample of 13 patients. Method: The research was performed using a database covering works in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with no limitations in the years when the procedures were performed. We compared the literature data with our results for the 13 patients who underwent BAHA implantation between the years 2000 and 2009. Results: Most of the studies showed that BAHA has great advantages over reconstructive surgery in terms of hearing results, complications, and disease recurrence. The postoperative results for our 13 patients were satisfactory and comparable with the results from the literature, with closure of the air-bone gap in 7 patients and achieving an air-bone gap of 10 dB in 6 patients. No postoperative complications were observed. Conclusion: BAHA is a better treatment option than reconstructive surgery for patients with bilateral deafness. It is a relatively simple surgical procedure with few complications and good hearing results. Recent studies have examined its use in conductive and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

  12. Three-year experience with the Sophono in children with congenital conductive unilateral hearing loss: tolerability, audiometry, and sound localization compared to a bone-anchored hearing aid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelissen, Rik C; Agterberg, Martijn J H; Hol, Myrthe K S; Snik, Ad F M

    2016-10-01

    Bone conduction devices (BCDs) are advocated as an amplification option for patients with congenital conductive unilateral hearing loss (UHL), while other treatment options could also be considered. The current study compared a transcutaneous BCD (Sophono) with a percutaneous BCD (bone-anchored hearing aid, BAHA) in 12 children with congenital conductive UHL. Tolerability, audiometry, and sound localization abilities with both types of BCD were studied retrospectively. The mean follow-up was 3.6 years for the Sophono users (n = 6) and 4.7 years for the BAHA users (n = 6). In each group, two patients had stopped using their BCD. Tolerability was favorable for the Sophono. Aided thresholds with the Sophono were unsatisfactory, as they did not reach under a mean pure tone average of 30 dB HL. Sound localization generally improved with both the Sophono and the BAHA, although localization abilities did not reach the level of normal hearing children. These findings, together with previously reported outcomes, are important to take into account when counseling patients and their caretakers. The selection of a suitable amplification option should always be made deliberately and on individual basis for each patient in this diverse group of children with congenital conductive UHL.

  13. Comparison of two bone anchored hearing instruments: BP100 and Ponto Pro

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Glad, Henrik; Nielsen, Lars Holme

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed at investigating if there were differences in auditory performance, operation, or user preference between the Ponto Pro or the BP100, two bone anchored hearing instruments (BAHI) with modern sound processing technology.......This study aimed at investigating if there were differences in auditory performance, operation, or user preference between the Ponto Pro or the BP100, two bone anchored hearing instruments (BAHI) with modern sound processing technology....

  14. Two Different Percutaneous Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid Abutment Systems: Comparative Clinical Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polat, Beldan; İşeri, Mete; Orhan, Kadir Serkan; Yılmazer, Ayça Başkadem; Enver, Necati; Ceylan, Didem; Kara, Ahmet; Güldiken, Yahya; Çomoğlu, Şenol

    2016-04-01

    To compare two different percutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) abutment systems regarding operation time, scar healing, quality of life, implant stability, audiologic results, and complications. The study involves a prospective multi-center clinical evaluation. Thirty-two consecutive patients who had undergone BAHA surgery from January 2011 to January 2013 in two tertiary centers were included in the study. The Glasgow Inventory Benefit Score was used to assess the patients at least 6 months after surgery. The operation time and complications were recorded. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) values were recorded using resonance frequency analysis. Holger's classification was used to evaluate skin reactions. The mean length of the operation was 39.2±4 min for standard abutment and 18.3±5.7 min for hydroxyapatite-coated abutment. ISQ scores were significantly better for standard abutment in all tests. The mean total Glasgow Inventory Benefit Score was 39.3±19 for the standard abutment and 46.3±24.5 for the hydroxyapatite-coated abutment groups, but there was no statistical significance between the two groups. There was no difference in audiological improvement between the two groups after surgery. Hydroxyapatite-coated abutment provided a shorter operation time that was significantly different from standard abutment. There were no significant differences between standard abutment and hydroxyapatite-coated abutment regarding audiologic improvement, quality of life, loading time, and complications.

  15. Hearing improvement with softband and implanted bone-anchored hearing devices and modified implantation surgery in patients with bilateral microtia-atresia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yibei; Fan, Xinmiao; Wang, Pu; Fan, Yue; Chen, Xiaowei

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate auditory development and hearing improvement in patients with bilateral microtia-atresia using softband and implanted bone-anchored hearing devices and to modify the implantation surgery. The subjects were divided into two groups: the softband group (40 infants, 3 months to 2 years old, Ponto softband) and the implanted group (6 patients, 6-28 years old, Ponto). The Infant-Toddler Meaning Auditory Integration Scale was used conducted to evaluate auditory development at baseline and after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, and visual reinforcement audiometry was used to assess the auditory threshold in the softband group. In the implanted group, bone-anchored hearing devices were implanted combined with the auricular reconstruction surgery, and high-resolution CT was used to assess the deformity preoperatively. Auditory threshold and speech discrimination scores of the patients with implants were measured under the unaided, softband, and implanted conditions. Total Infant-Toddler Meaning Auditory Integration Scale scores in the softband group improved significantly and approached normal levels. The average visual reinforcement audiometry values under the unaided and softband conditions were 76.75 ± 6.05 dB HL and 32.25 ± 6.20 dB HL (P hearing devices is effective for auditory development and hearing improvement in infants with bilateral microtia-atresia. Wearing softband bone-anchored hearing devices before auricle reconstruction and combining bone-anchored hearing device implantation with auricular reconstruction surgery may bethe optimal clinical choice for these patients, and results in more significant hearing improvement and minimal surgical and anesthetic injury. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Comparison of Audiological Results Between a Transcutaneous and a Percutaneous Bone Conduction Instrument in Conductive Hearing Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerdes, Timo; Salcher, Rolf Benedikt; Schwab, Burkard; Lenarz, Thomas; Maier, Hannes

    2016-07-01

    In conductive, mixed hearing losses and single-sided-deafness bone-anchored hearing aids are a well-established treatment. The transcutaneous transmission across the intact skin avoids the percutaneous abutment of a bone-anchored device with the usual risk of infections and requires less care.In this study, the audiological results of the Bonebridge transcutaneous bone conduction implant (MED-EL) are compared to the generally used percutaneous device BP100 (Cochlear Ltd., Sydney, Australia). Ten patients implanted with the transcutaneous hearing implant were compared to 10 matched patients implanted with a percutaneous device. Tests included pure-tone AC and BC thresholds and unaided and aided sound field thresholds. Speech intelligibility was determined in quiet using the Freiburg monosyllable test and in noise with the Oldenburg sentence test (OLSA) in sound field with speech from the front (S0). The subjective benefit was assessed with the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit. In comparison with the unaided condition there was a significant improvement in aided thresholds, word recognition scores (WRS), and speech reception thresholds (SRT) in noise, measured in sound field, for both devices. The comparison of the two devices revealed a minor but not significant difference in functional gain (Bonebridge: PTA = 27.5 dB [mean]; BAHA: PTA = 26.3 dB [mean]). No significant difference between the two devices was found when comparing the improvement in WRSs and SRTs (Bonebridge: improvement WRS = 80% [median], improvement SRT = 6.5 dB SNR [median]; BAHA: improvement WRS = 77.5% [median], BAHA: improvement SRT = 6.9 dB SNR [median]). Our data show that the transcutaneous bone conduction hearing implant is an audiologically equivalent alternative to percutaneous bone-anchored devices in conductive hearing loss with a minor sensorineural hearing loss component.

  17. Vibrant Soundbridge and Bone Conduction Hearing Aid in Patients with Bilateral Malformation of External Ear

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mondelli, Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Hearing loss is the most common clinical finding in patients with malformation of the external ear canal. Among the possibilities of treatment, there is the adaptation of hearing aids by bone conduction and the adaptation of implantable hearing aids. Objective To assess speech perception with the use of Vibrant Soundbridge (VBS - MED-EL, Innsbruck, Austria associated with additional amplification in patients with bilateral craniofacial malformation. Method We evaluated 11 patients with bilateral malformation over 12 years with mixed hearing loss or bilateral conductive. They were using the Softband (Oticon Medical, Sweden and bone conduction hearing aid in the ear opposite the one with the VSB. We performed the evaluation of speech perception using the Hearing in Noise Test. Results Participants were eight men and three women with a mean of 19.5 years. The signal / noise ratio presented significant results in patients fitted with VSB and bone conduction hearing aid. Conclusion The results of speech perception were significantly better with use of VBS combined with bone conduction hearing aids.

  18. Ear malformations, hearing loss and hearing rehabilitation in children with Treacher Collins syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Francisco; Coutinho, Miguel Bebiano; Ferreira, João Pinto; Sousa, Cecilia Almeida

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the main ear malformations, hearing loss and auditory rehabilitation in children with Treacher Collins syndrome. We performed a retrospective study of 9 children with Treacher Collins syndrome treated in a central hospital between January 2003 and January 2013. This study showed a high incidence of malformations of the outer and middle ear, such as microtia, atresia or stenosis of the external auditory canal, hypoplastic middle ear cavity, dysmorphic or missing ossicular chain. Most patients had bilateral hearing loss of moderate or high degree. In the individuals studied, there was functional improvement in patients with bone-anchored hearing aids in relation to conventional hearing aids by bone conduction. Treacher Collins syndrome is characterized by bilateral malformations of the outer and middle ear. Hearing rehabilitation in these children is of utmost importance, and bone-anchored hearing aids is the method of choice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

  19. In vitro assessment of MRI safety at 1.5 T and 3.0 T for bone-anchored hearing aid implant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yeon, Kyoo Jin; KIm, Hyun Soo; Lee, Seung Keun [Dept. of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Tae Soo [Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-03-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate Magnetic Resonance Imaging safety by measuring the translational attraction, torque and susceptibility artifact for Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) implant at 1.5 T and 3.0 T MRI by standard criteria. In vitro assessment tools were made of acrylic-resin by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2052-06 and F2119-07 standard. Translational attraction of BAHA implant was measured by the maximum deflection angle at 96 cm position, where the magnetically induced deflection was the greatest. The torque was assessed by the qualitative criteria of evaluating the alignment and rotation pattern, when the BAHA implant was positioned on a line with 45° intervals inside the circular container in the center of the bore. The susceptibility artifact images were obtained using the hanged test tool, which was filled with CuSO4 solution. And then the artifact size was measured using Susceptibility Artifact Measurement (SAM) software. In results, the translational attraction was 0 mm at both 1.5 T and 3.0 T and the torque was 0(no torque) at 1.5 T, and +1(mild torque) at 3.0 T. The size of susceptibility artifacts was between 13.20 mm and 38.91 mm. Therefore, The BAHA implant was safe for the patient in clinical MR environment.

  20. In vitro assessment of MRI safety at 1.5 T and 3.0 T for bone-anchored hearing aid implant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeon, Kyoo Jin; KIm, Hyun Soo; Lee, Seung Keun; Lee, Tae Soo

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate Magnetic Resonance Imaging safety by measuring the translational attraction, torque and susceptibility artifact for Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) implant at 1.5 T and 3.0 T MRI by standard criteria. In vitro assessment tools were made of acrylic-resin by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2052-06 and F2119-07 standard. Translational attraction of BAHA implant was measured by the maximum deflection angle at 96 cm position, where the magnetically induced deflection was the greatest. The torque was assessed by the qualitative criteria of evaluating the alignment and rotation pattern, when the BAHA implant was positioned on a line with 45° intervals inside the circular container in the center of the bore. The susceptibility artifact images were obtained using the hanged test tool, which was filled with CuSO4 solution. And then the artifact size was measured using Susceptibility Artifact Measurement (SAM) software. In results, the translational attraction was 0 mm at both 1.5 T and 3.0 T and the torque was 0(no torque) at 1.5 T, and +1(mild torque) at 3.0 T. The size of susceptibility artifacts was between 13.20 mm and 38.91 mm. Therefore, The BAHA implant was safe for the patient in clinical MR environment

  1. Innovation in abutment-free bone-anchored hearing devices in children: Updated results and experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Shaun; Centric, Aaron; Chennupati, Sri Kiran

    2015-10-01

    Bone-anchored hearing devices are an accepted treatment option for hearing restoration in various types of hearing loss. Traditional devices have a percutaneous abutment for attachment of the sound processor that contributes to a high complication rate. Previously, our institution reported on the Sophono (Boulder, CO, USA) abutment-free system that produced similar audiologic results to devices with abutments. Recently, Cochlear Americas (Centennial, CO, USA) released an abutment-free bone-anchored hearing device, the BAHA Attract. In contrast to the Sophono implant, the BAHA Attract utilizes an osseointegrated implant. This study aims to demonstrate patient benefit abutment-free devices, compare the results of the two abutment-free devices, and examine complication rates. A retrospective chart review was conducted for the first eleven Sophono implanted patients and for the first six patients implanted with the BAHA Attract at our institution. Subsequently, we analyzed patient demographics, audiometric data, clinical course and outcomes. Average improvement for the BAHA Attract in pure-tone average (PTA) and speech reception threshold (SRT) was 41dB hearing level (dBHL) and 56dBHL, respectively. Considering all frequencies, the BAHA Attract mean improvement was 39dBHL (range 32-45dBHL). The Sophono average improvement in PTA and SRT was 38dBHL and 39dBHL, respectively. The mean improvement with Sophono for all frequencies was 34dBHL (range 24-43dBHL). Significant improvements in both pure-tone averages and speech reception threshold for both devices were achieved. In direct comparison of the two separate devices using the chi-square test, the PTA and SRT data between the two devices do not show a statistically significant difference (p-value 0.68 and 0.56, respectively). The complication rate for these abutment-free devices is lower than that of those featuring the transcutaneous abutment, although more studies are needed to further assess this potential advantage

  2. Binaural Hearing Ability With Bilateral Bone Conduction Stimulation in Subjects With Normal Hearing: Implications for Bone Conduction Hearing Aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeitooni, Mehrnaz; Mäki-Torkko, Elina; Stenfelt, Stefan

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate binaural hearing ability in adults with normal hearing when bone conduction (BC) stimulation is bilaterally applied at the bone conduction hearing aid (BCHA) implant position as well as at the audiometric position on the mastoid. The results with BC stimulation are compared with bilateral air conduction (AC) stimulation through earphones. Binaural hearing ability is investigated with tests of spatial release from masking and binaural intelligibility level difference using sentence material, binaural masking level difference with tonal chirp stimulation, and precedence effect using noise stimulus. In all tests, results with bilateral BC stimulation at the BCHA position illustrate an ability to extract binaural cues similar to BC stimulation at the mastoid position. The binaural benefit is overall greater with AC stimulation than BC stimulation at both positions. The binaural benefit for BC stimulation at the mastoid and BCHA position is approximately half in terms of decibels compared with AC stimulation in the speech based tests (spatial release from masking and binaural intelligibility level difference). For binaural masking level difference, the binaural benefit for the two BC positions with chirp signal phase inversion is approximately twice the benefit with inverted phase of the noise. The precedence effect results with BC stimulation at the mastoid and BCHA position are similar for low frequency noise stimulation but differ with high-frequency noise stimulation. The results confirm that binaural hearing processing with bilateral BC stimulation at the mastoid position is also present at the BCHA implant position. This indicates the ability for binaural hearing in patients with good cochlear function when using bilateral BCHAs.

  3. Estimating the benefit of a second bone anchored hearing implant in unilaterally implanted users with a testband.

    OpenAIRE

    Kompis, Martin; Kurz, Anja; Flynn, Mark; Caversaccio, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Conclusion Using a second bone anchored hearing implant (BAHI) mounted on a testband in unilaterally implanted BAHI users to test its potential advantage pre-operatively under-estimates the advantage of two BAHIs placed on two implants. Objectives To investigate how well speech understanding with a second BAHI mounted on a testband approaches the benefit of bilaterally implanted BAHIs. Method Prospective study with 16 BAHI users. Eight were implanted unilaterally (group A) and eight were impl...

  4. Are open-fit hearing aids a possible alternative to bone-anchored hearing devices in patients with mild to severe hearing loss? A preliminary trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amberley V. Ostevik

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Open-fit hearing aids (OFHAs may be of benefit for some individuals with chronic outer and middle ear conditions for which boneanchored hearing devices (BAHDs are normally recommended. The purpose of this study was to compare performance between OFHAs and BAHDs. A Starkey Destiny 800 OFHA was fit on eight adult BAHD users and speech perception measures in quiet and in background noise were compared under two different test conditions: i BAHD only and ii OFHA only. Equivalent outcome measure performance between these two conditions suggests that the OFHA was able to provide sufficient amplification for mild to moderate degrees of hearing loss (pure-tone averages (PTAs less than 47 dB HL. The improved speech perception performances and increased loudness ratings observed for several of the participants with moderately-severe to severe degrees of hearing loss (PTAs of 47 dB HL or greater in the BAHD only condition suggest that the OFHA did not provide sufficient amplification for these individuals. Therefore, OFHAs may be a successful alternative to the BAHD for individuals with no more than a moderate conductive hearing loss who are unable or unwilling to undergo implant surgery or unable to wear conventional hearing aids due to allergies, irritation, or chronic infection associated with the ear being blocked with a shell or earmold.

  5. Influence of directionality and maximal power output on speech understanding with bone anchored hearing implants in single sided deafness

    OpenAIRE

    Krempaska, Silvia; Koval, Juraj; Schmid, Christoph; Pfiffner, Flurin; Kurz, Anja; Kompis, Martin

    2014-01-01

    Bone-anchored hearing implants (BAHI) are routinely used to alleviate the effects of the acoustic head shadow in single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD). In this study, the influence of the directional microphone setting and the maximum power output of the BAHI sound processor on speech understanding in noise in a laboratory setting were investigated. Eight adult BAHI users with SSD participated in this pilot study. Speech understanding in noise was measured using a new Slovak speech-in-noi...

  6. The role of bone conduction hearing aids in congenital unilateral hearing loss: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, C Carrie; Livingstone, Devon; Yunker, Warren K

    2017-03-01

    To systematically review the literature on the audiological and/or quality of life benefits of a bone conduction hearing aid (BCHA) in children with congenital unilateral conductive or sensorineural deafness. A systematic search was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines using the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases. Data were collected on the following outcomes of interest: speech reception threshold, speech discrimination, sound localization, and quality of life measures. Given the heterogeneity of the data for quantitative analysis, the results are qualitatively summarized. Eight studies were included in the review. Four studies examined the audiological outcomes associated with bone conduction hearing aid implantation. There was a consistent gain in speech reception thresholds and speech discrimination, especially in noisy environments. Results pertaining to sound localization was inconsistent. The studies that examined quality of life measures reported a high usage rate of BCHAs among children. Quality of life improvements are reported with suggested benefit in the subdomain of learning. Given the potential benefits of a BCHA, along with the fact that it can be safely trialed using a headband, it is reasonable to trial a BCHA in children with congenital unilateral deafness. Should the trial offer audiological and/or quality of life benefits for the individual child, then BCHA implantation can be considered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. First clinical experiences with an implantable bone conduction hearing aid at the University of Amsterdam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Hulst, R. J.; Dreschler, W. A.; Tange, R. A.

    1993-01-01

    A transcutaneous bone-conduction hearing aid was implanted in 11 patients who were not suitable for transcranial sound amplification. Audiological and surgical selection criteria were followed strictly. One device had to be explanted and minor revision surgery was needed in two cases for skin

  8. The Master Hearing Aid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curran, James R.

    2013-01-01

    As early as the 1930s the term Master Hearing Aid (MHA) described a device used in the fitting of hearing aids. In their original form, the MHA was a desktop system that allowed for simulated or actual adjustment of hearing aid components that resulted in a changed hearing aid response. Over the years the MHA saw many embodiments and contributed to a number of rationales for the fitting of hearing aids. During these same years, the MHA was viewed by many as an inappropriate means of demonstrating hearing aids; the audio quality of the desktop systems was often superior to the hearing aids themselves. These opinions and the evolution of the MHA have molded the modern perception of hearing aids and the techniques used in the fitting of hearing aids. This article reports on a history of the MHA and its influence on the fitting of hearing aids. PMID:23686682

  9. Comparison of Carina active middle-ear implant with conventional hearing aids for mixed hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savaş, V A; Gündüz, B; Karamert, R; Cevizci, R; Düzlü, M; Tutar, H; Bayazit, Y A

    2016-04-01

    To compare the auditory outcomes of Carina middle-ear implants with those of conventional hearing aids in patients with moderate-to-severe mixed hearing loss. The study comprised nine patients (six males, three females) who underwent middle-ear implantation with Carina fully implantable active middle-ear implants to treat bilateral moderate-to-severe mixed hearing loss. The patients initially used conventional hearing aids and subsequently received the Carina implants. The hearing thresholds with implants and hearing aids were compared. There were no significant differences between: the pre-operative and post-operative air and bone conduction thresholds (p > 0.05), the thresholds with hearing aids and Carina implants (p > 0.05), or the pre-operative (mean, 72.8 ± 19 per cent) and post-operative (mean, 69.9 ± 24 per cent) speech discrimination scores (p > 0.05). One of the patients suffered total sensorineural hearing loss three months following implantation despite an initial 38 dB functional gain. All except one patient showed clinical improvements after implantation according to quality of life questionnaire (Glasgow Benefit Inventory) scores. Acceptance of Carina implants is better than with conventional hearing aids in patients with mixed hearing loss, although both yield similar hearing amplification. Cosmetic reasons appear to be critical for patient acceptance.

  10. Music and hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madsen, Sara M K; Moore, Brian C J

    2014-10-31

    The signal processing and fitting methods used for hearing aids have mainly been designed to optimize the intelligibility of speech. Little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of hearing aids for listening to music. Perhaps as a consequence, many hearing-aid users complain that they are not satisfied with their hearing aids when listening to music. This issue inspired the Internet-based survey presented here. The survey was designed to identify the nature and prevalence of problems associated with listening to live and reproduced music with hearing aids. Responses from 523 hearing-aid users to 21 multiple-choice questions are presented and analyzed, and the relationships between responses to questions regarding music and questions concerned with information about the respondents, their hearing aids, and their hearing loss are described. Large proportions of the respondents reported that they found their hearing aids to be helpful for listening to both live and reproduced music, although less so for the former. The survey also identified problems such as distortion, acoustic feedback, insufficient or excessive gain, unbalanced frequency response, and reduced tone quality. The results indicate that the enjoyment of listening to music with hearing aids could be improved by an increase of the input and output dynamic range, extension of the low-frequency response, and improvement of feedback cancellation and automatic gain control systems. © The Author(s) 2014.

  11. Music and Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara M. K. Madsen

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The signal processing and fitting methods used for hearing aids have mainly been designed to optimize the intelligibility of speech. Little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of hearing aids for listening to music. Perhaps as a consequence, many hearing-aid users complain that they are not satisfied with their hearing aids when listening to music. This issue inspired the Internet-based survey presented here. The survey was designed to identify the nature and prevalence of problems associated with listening to live and reproduced music with hearing aids. Responses from 523 hearing-aid users to 21 multiple-choice questions are presented and analyzed, and the relationships between responses to questions regarding music and questions concerned with information about the respondents, their hearing aids, and their hearing loss are described. Large proportions of the respondents reported that they found their hearing aids to be helpful for listening to both live and reproduced music, although less so for the former. The survey also identified problems such as distortion, acoustic feedback, insufficient or excessive gain, unbalanced frequency response, and reduced tone quality. The results indicate that the enjoyment of listening to music with hearing aids could be improved by an increase of the input and output dynamic range, extension of the low-frequency response, and improvement of feedback cancellation and automatic gain control systems.

  12. Hearing aid fitting in older persons with hearing impairment: the influence of cognitive function, age, and hearing loss on hearing aid benefit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meister, Hartmut; Rählmann, Sebastian; Walger, Martin; Margolf-Hackl, Sabine; Kießling, Jürgen

    2015-01-01

    To examine the association of cognitive function, age, and hearing loss with clinically assessed hearing aid benefit in older hearing-impaired persons. Hearing aid benefit was assessed using objective measures regarding speech recognition in quiet and noisy environments as well as a subjective measure reflecting everyday situations captured using a standardized questionnaire. A broad range of general cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and intelligence were determined using different neuropsychological tests. Linear regression analyses were conducted with the outcome of the neuropsychological tests as well as age and hearing loss as independent variables and the benefit measures as dependent variables. Thirty experienced older hearing aid users with typical age-related hearing impairment participated. Most of the benefit measures revealed that the participants obtained significant improvement with their hearing aids. Regression models showed a significant relationship between a fluid intelligence measure and objective hearing aid benefit. When individual hearing thresholds were considered as an additional independent variable, hearing loss was the only significant contributor to the benefit models. Lower cognitive capacity - as determined by the fluid intelligence measure - was significantly associated with greater hearing loss. Subjective benefit could not be predicted by any of the variables considered. The present study does not give evidence that hearing aid benefit is critically associated with cognitive function in experienced hearing aid users. However, it was found that lower fluid intelligence scores were related to higher hearing thresholds. Since greater hearing loss was associated with a greater objective benefit, these results strongly support the advice of using hearing aids regardless of age and cognitive function to counter hearing loss and the adverse effects of age-related hearing impairment. Still, individual cognitive capacity might

  13. Does hearing in response to soft-tissue stimulation involve skull vibrations? A within-subject comparison between skull vibration magnitudes and hearing thresholds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chordekar, Shai; Perez, Ronen; Adelman, Cahtia; Sohmer, Haim; Kishon-Rabin, Liat

    2018-04-03

    Hearing can be elicited in response to bone as well as soft-tissue stimulation. However, the underlying mechanism of soft-tissue stimulation is under debate. It has been hypothesized that if skull vibrations were the underlying mechanism of hearing in response to soft-tissue stimulation, then skull vibrations would be associated with hearing thresholds. However, if skull vibrations were not associated with hearing thresholds, an alternative mechanism is involved. In the present study, both skull vibrations and hearing thresholds were assessed in the same participants in response to bone (mastoid) and soft-tissue (neck) stimulation. The experimental group included five hearing-impaired adults in whom a bone-anchored hearing aid was implanted due to conductive or mixed hearing loss. Because the implant is exposed above the skin and has become an integral part of the temporal bone, vibration of the implant represented skull vibrations. To ensure that middle-ear pathologies of the experimental group did not affect overall results, hearing thresholds were also obtained in 10 participants with normal hearing in response to stimulation at the same sites. We found that the magnitude of the bone vibrations initiated by the stimulation at the two sites (neck and mastoid) detected by the laser Doppler vibrometer on the bone-anchored implant were linearly related to stimulus intensity. It was therefore possible to extrapolate the vibration magnitudes at low-intensity stimulation, where poor signal-to-noise ratio limited actual recordings. It was found that the vibration magnitude differences (between soft-tissue and bone stimulation) were not different than the hearing threshold differences at the tested frequencies. Results of the present study suggest that bone vibration magnitude differences can adequately explain hearing threshold differences and are likely to be responsible for the hearing sensation. Thus, the present results support the idea that bone and soft

  14. Evaluation of long-term patient satisfaction and experience with the Baha(®) bone conduction implant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Jacob; Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Nielsen, Lars Holme

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Evaluate long-term patient satisfaction with bone-anchored hearing aids (the Baha(R), now referred to by Cochlear as a 'bone conduction implant') in our hospital clinic spanning the eighteen-year period from the inception of our Baha program. The researchers further wished to analyse t...

  15. Hearing Benefit and Rated Satisfaction in Children with Unilateral Conductive Hearing Loss Using a Transcutaneous Magnetic-Coupled Bone-Conduction Hearing Aid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polonenko, Melissa J; Carinci, Lora; Gordon, Karen A; Papsin, Blake C; Cushing, Sharon L

    Bilateral hearing is important for learning, development, and function in complex everyday environments. Children with conductive and mixed hearing loss (HL) have been treated for years with percutaneous coupling through an abutment, which achieves powerful output, but the implant site is susceptible to skin reactions and trauma. To overcome these complications, transcutaneous magnetic coupling systems were recently introduced. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether the new transcutaneous magnetic coupling is an effective coupling paradigm for bone-conduction hearing aids (BCHAs). We hypothesized that magnetic coupling will (1) have limited adverse events, (2) provide adequate functional gain, (3) improve spatial hearing and aid listening in everyday situations, and (4) provide satisfactory outcomes to children and their families given one normal hearing ear. Retrospective analysis of audiological outcomes in a tertiary academic pediatric hospital. Nine children aged 5-17 yr with permanent unilateral conductive HL (UCHL) or mixed HL were implanted with a transcutaneous magnet-retained BCHA. Average hearing thresholds of the better and implanted ears were 12.3 ± 11.5 dB HL and 69.1 ± 11.6 dB HL, respectively, with a 59.4 ± 4.8 dB (mean ± standard deviation) conductive component. Data were extracted from audiology charts of the children with permanent UCHL or mixed HL who qualified for a surgically retained BCHA and agreed to the magnetic coupling. Outcomes were collected from the 3- to 9-mo follow-up appointments, and included surgical complications, aided audiometric thresholds with varying magnet strength, speech performance in quiet and noise, and patient-rated benefit and satisfaction using questionnaires. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze audiometric outcomes, and nonparametric tests were used to evaluate rated benefit and satisfaction. All nine children tolerated the device and only one child had discomfort at the wound

  16. Modified Kidner procedure utilizing a Mitek bone anchor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, D M; Julsrud, M E; Erdmann, B B; Jacobs, P M; Ringstrom, J B

    1998-01-01

    The recent development of small bone suture anchors has created several potential applications in reconstructive surgery of the foot. Mitek bone anchors are simple to insert, require less aggressive dissection and surgical time than reefing of the redundant posterior tibial tendon, and are a reliable method of tendon-to-bone fixation. Mitek bone anchors are an excellent technique for the treatment of redundant tibialis posterior tendon following a modified Kidner procedure. In modified Kidner procedures involving an excessively large os tibiale externum, Mitek anchoring of the redundant tibialis posterior tendon to the navicular bone is an excellent means for secure plication of the posterior tibial tendon in cases involving intraoperative tendon laxity. A description of the Mitek Anchor System and technique of application in a modified Kinder procedure is presented. The purpose of this study was to describe patient satisfaction and long-term clinical outcomes of the modified Kinder procedure with and without the Mitek bone anchoring system. A retrospective study of the modified Kinder procedure was performed with 13 patients being evaluated, seven with Mitek anchoring and six without. The University of Maryland 100-point Painful Foot Center Scoring System was modified to be more specific to the modified Kinder procedure for assessment of subjective long-term results. Patient overall satisfaction was rated good to excellent by 85.6% of patients in the Mitek group and by 100% of patients in the non-Mitek group. Use of the Mitek anchor allowed for quicker postoperative recovery to resumption of ambulation without assistive devices (average of 3 weeks vs. 4.42 weeks) and a quicker return to pain-free ambulation in normal shoegear (average of 4 weeks vs. 6 weeks). Mitek anchoring of the tibialis posterior tendon, theoretically, increases medial arch support as evidenced by 14% of the Mitek group and 67% of the non-Mitek group requiring postoperative orthotics.

  17. Comparing Analog and Digital Hearing Aids in Reducing Hearing Disability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghassem Mohammad Khani

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Comparing analog and digital hearing aids reducing disability caused by hearing deficiency among moderate to severe sensorineural hearing-impaired persons. Method and Material: This descriptive-analytic study was carried out on two groups of subjects participated in this study in some audiology clinics of hearing aid since May 2002 to October 2003. Twenty subjects wore analog hearing aids and twenty one subjects wore digital hearing aids. In this study , no subject had previous middle ear or psychological problems. APHAB questionnaire was completed before using hearing aid and 2 months after to determine benefit of hearing aid use. Results: Total score mean of APHAB inventory before and after use of analoge hearing aids were 52.215+6.420 and 32.300+3.443 respectively. Also total score mean of APHAB inventory before and after use of digital hearing aids were 54.9252+9.028 and 26.321+10.916 respectively. There was no significant difference between total mean score of APHAB inventory before and after using analog and digital hearing aids (P=0.058.While there was significant difference between total mean score of APHAB questionnaire before and after use of analog hearing aids (P<0.001 and also before and after use of digital hearing aids (P<0.001. Moreover age, gender , litracy level , occupation , degree of hearing loss and manner of hearing aid usage did not have significant effect on APHAB results. Configuration of loss had siginficant effect on aversiveness subscale before and after use of analog hearing aids (P=0.008. Previous experience and duration of hearing aid usage had significant effect on aversiveness subscale before and after use of digital hearing aids (P=0.043 and (P=0.024, respectively , while all of these three items did not have significant effect on total mean score of APHAB inventory and also total mean scores of three subscales of ease of communication , reverberation and background noise. Conclusion: Comparing to

  18. Hearing Aid and children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamileh Fatahi

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available In order to develop oral communication, hearing impaired infants and young children must be able to hear speech comfortably and consistently. To day children with all degrees of hearing loss may be condidates for some kinds of amlification. As children differ from adults, many Factors should be consider in hearing aid selection, evaluation and fitting. For example the child age when he or she is candidate for custom instruments? Do we consider programmable Hearing aid? Are multi memory instruments appropriate for them? What about directional microphones? What style of hearing aid do we select? In this paper such questions are Answered.

  19. Laser-Modified Surface Enhances Osseointegration and Biomechanical Anchorage of Commercially Pure Titanium Implants for Bone-Anchored Hearing Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omar, Omar; Simonsson, Hanna; Palmquist, Anders; Thomsen, Peter

    2016-01-01

    Osseointegrated implants inserted in the temporal bone are a vital component of bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS). Despite low implant failure levels, early loading protocols and simplified procedures necessitate the application of implants which promote bone formation, bone bonding and biomechanical stability. Here, screw-shaped, commercially pure titanium implants were selectively laser ablated within the thread valley using an Nd:YAG laser to produce a microtopography with a superimposed nanotexture and a thickened surface oxide layer. State-of-the-art machined implants served as controls. After eight weeks’ implantation in rabbit tibiae, resonance frequency analysis (RFA) values increased from insertion to retrieval for both implant types, while removal torque (RTQ) measurements showed 153% higher biomechanical anchorage of the laser-modified implants. Comparably high bone area (BA) and bone-implant contact (BIC) were recorded for both implant types but with distinctly different failure patterns following biomechanical testing. Fracture lines appeared within the bone ~30–50 μm from the laser-modified surface, while separation occurred at the bone-implant interface for the machined surface. Strong correlations were found between RTQ and BIC and between RFA at retrieval and BA. In the endosteal threads, where all the bone had formed de novo, the extracellular matrix composition, the mineralised bone area and osteocyte densities were comparable for the two types of implant. Using resin cast etching, osteocyte canaliculi were observed directly approaching the laser-modified implant surface. Transmission electron microscopy showed canaliculi in close proximity to the laser-modified surface, in addition to a highly ordered arrangement of collagen fibrils aligned parallel to the implant surface contour. It is concluded that the physico-chemical surface properties of laser-modified surfaces (thicker oxide, micro- and nanoscale texture) promote bone bonding

  20. Buying a Hearing Aid

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... the aids? Start using your hearing aids in quiet surroundings, gradually building up to noisier environments. Then eventually work up to wearing your hearing aids all waking hours. Keep a diary to help you remember your ...

  1. Hearing aid controlled by binaural source localizer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2009-01-01

    An adaptive directional hearing aid system comprising a left hearing aid and a right hearing aid, wherein a binaural acoustic source localizer is located in the left hearing aid or in the right hearing aid or in a separate body- worn device connected wirelessly to the left hearing aid and the right

  2. Hearing aid adjustment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heinemann, Trine; Matthews, Ben; Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

    2012-01-01

    to the interaction during hearing aid fitting. This report of a Danish pilot study describes two such problems. The first problem arises from the requirement that the audiologist needs to ‘translate’ the patient’s subjective hearing description for making technological decisions. The second problem is the way...... in which the hearing aid user’s implicit and often unrealistic expectations are handled. This kind of research has potential application for developing a model of best practices....

  3. The current status of audiologic rehabilitation for profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishop, Charles E; Eby, Thomas L

    2010-03-01

    Audiologic rehabilitation of individuals with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL) has traditionally been limited to the use of air-conduction contralateral routing of sound (CROS) hearing aids. Treatment for these individuals has expanded with new applications of the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA), transcranial hearing aid (t-CROS), and the cochlear implant. In this article, the authors review the literature that addresses these various treatment options. Contemporary review Historical information is available that describes the limited efficacy of air-conduction CROS hearing aids in lifting hearing handicap associated with USNHL. Current investigations on providing cross hearing are generally focused on use of the BAHA. Little is known at present whether new developments in hearing aid technology can improve on conventional air-conduction CROS or t-CROS approaches. Interestingly, the cochlear implant seems to be a viable option for individuals with USNHL and tinnitus who also have intact auditory nerve pathways. There is indication in the literature that BAHA provides greater relief of hearing handicap associated with USNHL than CROS hearing aids; however, both have been found to provide limited patient satisfaction and seemingly fall short of restoring true sound localization. Adequate trials have not been performed comparing BAHA with the best CROS hearing aid technology. Transcranial hearing aids and cochlear implants are experimental methods to treat USNHL and hold promise, although there remains a lack of studies available to fully support this.

  4. The learning hearing aid: common-sense reasoning in hearing aid circuits

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijkstra, T.M.H.; Ypma, A.; Vries, de B.; Leenen, J.R.G.M.

    2007-01-01

    This article discusses how hearing aid engineers have applied the Bayesian probability theory approach to the problem of hearing aid fitting. Currently more an art than a science, it is likely that probability theory will play a large role in future generations of fitting software used by dispensing

  5. Decisional Conflict in Parents Considering Bone-Anchored Hearing Devices in Children With Unilateral Aural Atresia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, M Elise; Haworth, Rebecca; Chorney, Jill; Bance, Manohar; Hong, Paul

    2015-12-01

    The benefits of bone-anchored hearing devices (BAHD) in children with unilateral aural atresia are controversial. We sought to determine whether there is parental decisional conflict surrounding elective placement of BAHD for this indication. Caregivers of pediatric patients with unilateral aural atresia and normal contralateral ear undergoing percutaneous BAHD consultation were enrolled. All consultations were carried out by one pediatric otolaryngologist in a consistent manner. After consultation, the participants completed a demographics form and the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) questionnaire. Twenty-three caregivers of 15 male (65.2%) and 8 female (34.8%) children (mean age 5.65 years) participated. The overall median DCS score was 15.63 (standard error = 4.21). Significant decisional conflict (DCS score ≥ 25) was found in 10 participants (43.5%). The median DCS score in the group choosing surgery was 5.47, and it was 23.44 in those who did not choose surgery (Mann-Whitney U = 39, Z = -1.391, P = .164). The median DCS score for mothers and fathers was 25 and 3.91, respectively. Many parents experienced significant decisional conflict when considering percutaneous BAHD surgery in children with unilateral aural atresia in our study population. Future research should explore the impact of decisional conflict on health outcomes. © The Author(s) 2015.

  6. Does hearing aid use affect audiovisual integration in mild hearing impairment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gieseler, Anja; Tahden, Maike A S; Thiel, Christiane M; Colonius, Hans

    2018-04-01

    There is converging evidence for altered audiovisual integration abilities in hearing-impaired individuals and those with profound hearing loss who are provided with cochlear implants, compared to normal-hearing adults. Still, little is known on the effects of hearing aid use on audiovisual integration in mild hearing loss, although this constitutes one of the most prevalent conditions in the elderly and, yet, often remains untreated in its early stages. This study investigated differences in the strength of audiovisual integration between elderly hearing aid users and those with the same degree of mild hearing loss who were not using hearing aids, the non-users, by measuring their susceptibility to the sound-induced flash illusion. We also explored the corresponding window of integration by varying the stimulus onset asynchronies. To examine general group differences that are not attributable to specific hearing aid settings but rather reflect overall changes associated with habitual hearing aid use, the group of hearing aid users was tested unaided while individually controlling for audibility. We found greater audiovisual integration together with a wider window of integration in hearing aid users compared to their age-matched untreated peers. Signal detection analyses indicate that a change in perceptual sensitivity as well as in bias may underlie the observed effects. Our results and comparisons with other studies in normal-hearing older adults suggest that both mild hearing impairment and hearing aid use seem to affect audiovisual integration, possibly in the sense that hearing aid use may reverse the effects of hearing loss on audiovisual integration. We suggest that these findings may be particularly important for auditory rehabilitation and call for a longitudinal study.

  7. Maturation of Mechanical Impedance of the Skin-Covered Skull: Implications for Soft Band Bone-Anchored Hearing Systems Fitted in Infants and Young Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackey, Allison R; Hodgetts, William E; Scott, Dylan; Small, Susan A

    2016-01-01

    Little is known about the maturational changes in the mechanical properties of the skull and how they might contribute to infant-adult differences in bone conduction hearing sensitivity. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanical impedance of the skin-covered skull for different skull positions and contact forces for groups of infants, young children, and adults. These findings provide a better understanding of how changes in mechanical impedance might contribute to developmental changes in bone conduction hearing, and might provide insight into how fitting and output verification protocols for bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS) could be adapted for infants and young children. Seventy-seven individuals participated in the study, including 63 infants and children (ages 1 month to 7 years) and 11 adults. Mechanical impedance magnitude for the forehead and temporal bone was collected for contact forces of 2, 4, and 5.4 N using an impedance head, a BAHS transducer, and a specially designed holding device. Mechanical impedance magnitude was determined across frequency using a stepped sine sweep from 100 to 10,000 Hz, and divided into low- and high-frequency sets for analysis. Mechanical impedance magnitude was lowest for the youngest infants and increased throughout maturation in the low frequencies. For high frequencies, the youngest infants had the highest impedance, but only for a temporal bone placement. Impedance increased with increasing contact force for low frequencies for each age group and for both skull positions. The effect of placement was significant for high frequencies for each contact force and for each age group, except for the youngest infants. Our findings show that mechanical impedance properties change systematically up to 7 years old. The significant age-related differences in mechanical impedance suggest that infant-adult differences in bone conduction thresholds may be related, at least in part, to properties of the

  8. Hearing Aid Personalization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jens Brehm; Nielsen, Jakob; Jensen, Bjørn Sand

    2013-01-01

    Modern digital hearing aids require and offer a great level of personalization. Today, this personalization is not performed based directly on what the user actually perceives, but on a hearing-care professional’s interpretation of what the user explains about what is perceived. In this paper......, an interactive personalization system based on Gaussian process regression and active learning is proposed, which personalize the hearing aids based directly on what the user perceives. Preliminary results demonstrate a significant difference between a truly personalized setting obtained with the proposed system...

  9. How to Get Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... if desired. What questions should I ask before buying hearing aids? Before you buy a hearing aid, ... the period of warranty? Does the warranty cover future maintenance and repairs? Will loaner aids be provided ...

  10. Hearing Aids Communication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Globally, hearing loss is the second most frequent disability. About 80% of the persons affected by hearing loss do not use hearing aids. The goal of this edited volume is to present a theoretically founded, interdisciplinary approach geared at understanding and improving social interaction...

  11. Challenges in IC design for hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger

    2012-01-01

    Designing modern hearing aids is a formidable challenge. The size of hearing aids is constantly decreasing, making them virtually invisible today. Still, as in all other modern electronics, more and more features are added to these devices driven by the development in modern IC technology....... The demands for performance and features at very low supply voltage and power consumption constantly prove a challenge to the physical design of hearing aids and not at least the design of the ICs for these. As a result of this all large hearing aid manufacturers use fully customized ASICs in their products...... to produce a competitive advantage. This presentation will give a brief insight into the hearing aid market and industry, a brief view of the historic development of hearing aids and an introduction to how a modern hearing is constructed showing the amplifier as the key component in the modern hearing aid...

  12. Assessment of hearing aid algorithms using a master hearing aid: the influence of hearing aid experience on the relationship between speech recognition and cognitive capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rählmann, Sebastian; Meis, Markus; Schulte, Michael; Kießling, Jürgen; Walger, Martin; Meister, Hartmut

    2017-04-27

    Model-based hearing aid development considers the assessment of speech recognition using a master hearing aid (MHA). It is known that aided speech recognition in noise is related to cognitive factors such as working memory capacity (WMC). This relationship might be mediated by hearing aid experience (HAE). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of WMC and speech recognition with a MHA for listeners with different HAE. Using the MHA, unaided and aided 80% speech recognition thresholds in noise were determined. Individual WMC capacity was assed using the Verbal Learning and Memory Test (VLMT) and the Reading Span Test (RST). Forty-nine hearing aid users with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss divided into three groups differing in HAE. Whereas unaided speech recognition did not show a significant relationship with WMC, a significant correlation could be observed between WMC and aided speech recognition. However, this only applied to listeners with HAE of up to approximately three years, and a consistent weakening of the correlation could be observed with more experience. Speech recognition scores obtained in acute experiments with an MHA are less influenced by individual cognitive capacity when experienced HA users are taken into account.

  13. Benefit of Analog, Programmable and Digital Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamileh Fatahi

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims: As the hearing aid technology progressively promotes toward replacing analog hearing aids with digital and programmable ones, comparison of the patient satisfaction of those kinds of hearing aids by means of a valuable tool seems so necessary. So, the aim of this study was to compare self-reported benefit of analog, digitally controlled programmable and digital hearing aids for reducing disability caused by hearing impairment in mild to severe sensorineural hearing impaired persons. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 90 persons with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss dividing into three groups: 43 subjects were fitted with digital, 15 with programmable, 32 with analog hearing aids. After pure tone audiometry, Abbreviated profile of hearing aid benefit (APHAB was completed before and one month after using hearing aids to determine the benefit of them. Results: Global APHAB mean scores for digital, programmable and analog hearing aids were 49.05, 33.19 and 39.53, respectively. Ease of Communication subscale mean scores were 53.46 for digitals, 37.66 for programmables and 39.09 for analogs. Background noise subscale mean scores for digital programmable and analog hearing aids were 46.36, 25.53 and 35.31, respectively. Global and also both subscale mean scores showed significant difference between digital hearing aids and programmable and analog ones. There was no significant difference between reverberation subscale mean scores of three groups. Conclusion: It seems digital hearing aids may be more beneficial to reduce disability caused by hearing loss than analog and programmable hearing aids are.

  14. Hearing aid fine-tuning based on Dutch descriptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thielemans, Thijs; Pans, Donné; Chenault, Michelene; Anteunis, Lucien

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this study was to derive an independent fitting assistant based on expert consensus. Two questions were asked: (1) what (Dutch) terms do hearing impaired listeners use nowadays to describe their specific hearing aid fitting problems? (2) What is the expert consensus on how to resolve these complaints by adjusting hearing aid parameters? Hearing aid dispensers provided descriptors that impaired listeners use to describe their reactions to specific hearing aid fitting problems. Hearing aid fitting experts were asked "How would you adjust the hearing aid if its user reports that the aid sounds…?" with the blank filled with each of the 40 most frequently mentioned descriptors. 112 hearing aid dispensers and 15 hearing aid experts. The expert solution with the highest weight value was considered the best solution for that descriptor. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify a factor structure in fitting problems. Nine fitting problems could be identified resulting in an expert-based, hearing aid manufacturer independent, fine-tuning fitting assistant for clinical use. The construction of an expert-based, hearing aid manufacturer independent, fine-tuning fitting assistant to be used as an additional tool in the iterative fitting process is feasible.

  15. Development of Bone-Conducted Ultrasonic Hearing Aid for the Profoundly Deaf: Assessments of the Modulation Type with Regard to Intelligibility and Sound Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakagawa, Seiji; Fujiyuki, Chika; Kagomiya, Takayuki

    2012-07-01

    Bone-conducted ultrasound (BCU) is perceived even by the profoundly sensorineural deaf. A novel hearing aid using the perception of amplitude-modulated BCU (BCU hearing aid: BCUHA) has been developed; however, further improvements are needed, especially in terms of articulation and sound quality. In this study, the intelligibility and sound quality of BCU speech with several types of amplitude modulation [double-sideband with transmitted carrier (DSB-TC), double-sideband with suppressed carrier (DSB-SC), and transposed modulation] were evaluated. The results showed that DSB-TC and transposed speech were more intelligible than DSB-SC speech, and transposed speech was closer than the other types of BCU speech to air-conducted speech in terms of sound quality. These results provide useful information for further development of the BCUHA.

  16. Preliminary functional results and quality of life after implantation of a new bone conduction hearing device in patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ihler, Friedrich; Volbers, Laura; Blum, Jenny; Matthias, Christoph; Canis, Martin

    2014-02-01

    To review functional results and quality of life of the first patients implanted with a newly introduced bone conduction implant system. Retrospective chart analysis of 6 patients (6 ears) implanted for conductive hearing loss (CHL) and mixed hearing loss (MHL) in 1 tertiary referral center between July 2012 and February 2013. Implantation of a new bone conduction hearing device. Pure tone audiometry (air conduction and bone conduction thresholds, pure tone average, air-bone gap, and functional gain), speech audiometry (Freiburg Monosyllabic Test), intraoperative and postoperative complication rate, and patient satisfaction (Glasgow benefit inventory [GBI]) were assessed. Air-conduction pure tone average (PTA) was 58.8 ± 8.2 dB HL. Unaided average air-bone gap (ABG) was 33.3 ± 6.2 dB. Aided air-conduction PTA in sound field was 25.2 ± 5.1 dB HL. Aided average ABG was -0.3 ± 7.3 dB. Average functional gain was 33.6 ± 7.2 dB. Mean improvement of GBI was +36.1. No intraoperative complications occurred. During a follow-up period of 8.5 ± 2.2 months, no device failure and no need for revision surgery occurred. Audiometric results of the new bone conduction hearing system are satisfying and comparable to the results of devices that have been applied previously for CHL and MHL. Intraoperatively and postoperatively, no complications were noted.

  17. Autonomous motivation is associated with hearing aid adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgway, Jason; Hickson, Louise; Lind, Christopher

    2015-07-01

    To use the self-determination theory of motivation to investigate whether different forms of motivation were associated with adults' decisions whether or not to adopt hearing aids. A quantitative approach was used in this cohort study. Participants completed the treatment self-regulation questionnaire (TSRQ), which measured autonomous and controlled motivation for hearing aid adoption. Sociodemographic data and audiometric information were also obtained. Participants were 253 adults who had sought information about their hearing but had not consulted with a hearing professional. Participants were categorized as hearing aid adopters if they had been fitted with hearing aids 4-6 months after completing the TSRQ, and as non-adopters if they had not. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between autonomous and controlled motivation, sociodemographic and audiometric variables, and hearing aid adoption (n = 160). Three factors were significantly associated with increased hearing aid adoption when the influence of other variables was accounted for: autonomous motivation, perceived hearing difficulty, and poorer hearing. Controlled motivation was not found to influence hearing aid adoption. These empirical findings that link autonomous motivation to decisions of hearing help-seekers have implications for the ways practitioners may evaluate motivation and could inform discussions with clients about hearing aid adoption.

  18. Pediatric hearing aid use: parent-reported challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Karen; Olson, Whitney A; Twohig, Michael P; Preston, Elizabeth; Blaiser, Kristina; White, Karl R

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate parent-reported challenges related to hearing aid management and parental psychosocial characteristics during the first 3 years of the child's life. Using a cross-sectional survey design, surveys were distributed to parents of children with hearing loss via state Early Intervention programs in Utah and Indiana. Packets contained one family demographic form and two sets of three questionnaires to obtain responses from mothers and fathers separately: the Parent Hearing Aid Management Inventory explored parent access to information, parent confidence in performing skills, expectations, communication with the audiologist, and hearing aid use challenges. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire measured psychological flexibility, experiential avoidance, and internal thought processes that can affect problem-solving ability and decrease an individual's ability to take value-based actions. The Patient Health Questionnaire identified symptoms of depression. Thirty-seven families completed questionnaires (35 mothers and 20 fathers). Most responses were parents of toddlers (M = 22 months) who had been wearing binaural hearing aids for an average of 15 months. Both mothers and fathers reported that even though the amount of information they received was overwhelming, most (84%) preferred to have all the information at the beginning, rather than to receive it over an extended time period. Parents reported an array of challenges related to hearing aid management, with the majority related to daily management, hearing aid use, and emotional adjustment. Sixty-six percent of parents reported an audiologist taught them how to complete a listening check using a stethoscope, however, only one-third reported doing a daily hearing aid listening check. Both mothers and fathers reported a wide range of variability in their confidence in performing activities related to hearing aid management, and most reported minimal confidence in their ability to

  19. Assisting Older Persons With Adjusting to Hearing Aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, Kari R; Clark, M Kathleen

    2016-02-01

    This intervention study tested the feasibility and initial effect of Hearing Aid Reintroduction (HEAR) to assist persons aged 70 to 85 years adjust to hearing aids. Following this 30-day intervention, hearing aid use increased between 1 and 8 hr per day with 50% of participants able to wear them for at least 4 hr. Hearing aid satisfaction improved from not satisfied to satisfied overall. The study demonstrated that HEAR is feasible and could improve hearing aid use of a substantial number of older persons who had previously failed to adjust to their hearing aids and had given up. However, further testing among a larger and more diverse population is needed to better understand the effectiveness and sustainability of the intervention. © The Author(s) 2014.

  20. Hearing Aid with Visual Indicator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2004-01-01

    The invention comprises a hearing aid, which has a casing containing a signal receiving part for receiving an audio signal, an audio transducer for providing an audio signal to the user, a signal transmission path between the signal receiving part and the audio transducer, whereby a battery...... is provided for powering the signal receiving part, the signal path and the audio transducer, and where further means are provided for assessing the function of the hearing aid and for generating an electrical indication signal which indicates the function of the hearing aid and where further means...... are provided for intermittently generating a power signal in response to the electrical indication signal and where means are provided for converting the power signal into a light signal, such that the light signal is visible from outside the hearing aid....

  1. Investigation of internal feedback in hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis, Lars

    2009-01-01

    with vibroacoustic transmission from the receiver to the microphones often occur during the use of hearing aids. This transmission causes feedback at certain critical gain levels where it produces a loud uncomfortable squealing. Consequently feedback often constitutes the limiting factor for the maximum obtainable...... gain in the hearing aid and it therefore represents a critical design problem. Feedback in hearing aids is usually divided into external and internal feedback. External feedback is caused by the leakage of sound from the ear canal whereas internal feedback is due to transmission of sound and vibrations...... internally in the hearing aid. As a result of reducing the size of hearing aids, manufacturers have experienced an increase in internal feedback problems. The main objective of the present thesis is therefore to examine the vibroacoustic mechanisms responsible for internal feedback in hearing aids...

  2. Hearing aids in children: the importance of the verification and validation processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rissatto, Mara Renata; Novaes, Beatriz Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Caiuby

    2009-01-01

    during the fitting of hearing aids in children it is important, besides using a verification protocol, to have a validation process. to describe and discuss the use of a protocol for the fitting and the verification of hearing aids in children, as well as the impact of the adjustment of the acoustic characteristics in speech perception tasks. ten children aging from three to eleven years were enrolled in this study. All children presented bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment, were users of hearing aids and were followed at a public hearing health care service in Bahia. The children were submitted to the following procedures: pure tone air and bone conduction thresholds; real-ear coupler difference (RECD); verification with real-ear measurement equipment: coupler gain/output and insertion gain and to speech perception tasks: 'The Six-Sound Test' (Ling, 2006) and the 'Word Associations for Syllable Perception' (WASP - Koch, 1999). The programmed electro acoustic characteristics of the hearing aids were compared to the electro acoustic characteristics prescribed by the DSL [i/o] v4.1 software. The speech perception tasks were reapplied on three occasions: straight after the modification of the electro acoustic characteristics, after 30 days and 60 days. for more than 50% of the tested children, the programmed electro acoustic characteristics of the hearing aids did not correspond to that suggested by the DSL [i/o] software. Adequate prescription was verified in 70% of the investigated sample; this was also confirmed by the results in the speech perception tasks (p=0.000). This data confirmed that the mean percentage of correct answers increased after the modification of the electro acoustic characteristics. the use of a protocol that verifies and validates the fitting of hearing aids in children is necessary.

  3. Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) in children: Experience of a tertiary referral centre in Portugal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Francisco; Silva, Ana; Reis, Cláudia; Coutinho, Miguel; Oliveira, Jorge; Almeida E Sousa, Cecília

    The aim of this study is to describe the experience of a tertiary referral centre in Portugal, of the placement of BAHA in children. The authors performed a retrospective analysis of all children for whom hearing rehabilitation with BAHA was indicated at a central hospital, between January 2003 and December 2014. 53 children were included. The most common indications for placement of BAHA were external and middle ear malformations (n=34, 64%) and chronic otitis media with difficult to control otorrhea (n=9, 17%). The average age for BAHA placement was 10.66±3.44 years. The average audiometric gain was 31.5±7.20dB compared to baseline values, with average hearing threshold with BAHA of 19.6±5.79dB. The most frequent postoperative complications were related to the skin (n=15, 28%). There were no major complications. This study concludes that BAHA is an effective and safe method of hearing rehabilitation in children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

  4. [Hearing aid application performance evaluation questionnaire to presbycusis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xianghong; Zhou, Huifang; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Liqun

    2011-02-01

    By matching patients with presbycusis hearing aids,hearing aid performance assessment questionnaire to fill out to assess the effect of its use and targeted to solve problems encountered in its use and improve the quality of life of older persons. Through face to face way to investigate and analyse patients with hearing aids fitting, totally 30 subjects accepted the analysis, preliminary assessment of the use of hearing aids in patient with presbycusis results and solve problems encountered in its use by using SPSS software to analyze the collecting data. HHIE questionnaire on statistical analysis, obtained in patients with hearing loss use hearing aids after the problem is a significant improvement statistical analysis of the SADL questionnaire, the conclusion is relatively satisfied with the overall satisfaction. Effects Assessment Questionnaire in patients with hearing aids hearing impairment can be epitomized the disabled after use to improve the situation and understand the satisfaction of patients with hearing aids can be an initial effect as the rehabilitation of a reliable subjective assessment of the impact assessment indicators.

  5. Treatment Efficacy: Hearing Aids in the Management of Hearing Loss in Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinstein, Barbara E.

    1996-01-01

    This article reviews the efficacy of hearing aids in adults with hearing impairments. Information is provided on the prevalence of hearing impairments; the daily effects of a hearing impairment; and the role of the audiologist. The effectiveness and benefits of hearing aids are reviewed, and a case study is provided. (CR)

  6. Hearing aid user guides: suitability for older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caposecco, Andrea; Hickson, Louise; Meyer, Carly

    2014-02-01

    The aim of this study was to analyse the content, design, and readability of printed hearing aid user guides to determine their suitability for older adults, who are the main users of hearing aids. Hearing aid user guides were assessed using four readability formulae and a standardized tool to assess content and design (SAM - Suitability Assessment of Materials). A sample of 36 hearing aid user guides (four user guides from nine different hearing aid manufacturers) were analysed. Sixty nine percent of user guides were rated 'not suitable' and 31% were rated 'adequate' for their suitability. Many scored poorly for scope, vocabulary, aspects of layout and typography, and learning stimulation and motivation. The mean reading grade level for all user guides was grade 9.6 which is too high for older adults. The content, design, and readability of hearing aid user guides are not optimal for older adults and thus may serve as a barrier to successful hearing aid outcomes for this population.

  7. Preoperative headband assessment for semi-implantable bone conduction hearing devices in conductive hearing loss: is it useful or misleading?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rainsbury, James W; Williams, Blair A; Gulliver, Mark; Morris, David P

    2015-02-01

    To establish whether preoperative assessment using a conventional, percutaneous bone conducting implant (pBCI) processor on a headband accurately represents postoperative performance of a semi-implantable BCI (siBCI). Retrospective case series. Tertiary otology unit. Five patients with chronic otitis media (implanted unilaterally) and one with bilateral congenital ossicular fixation (implanted bilaterally). Semi-implantable bone conduction hearing implant. Functional hearing gain; preoperative (headband) versus postoperative (aided) speech discrimination; unaided bone conduction (BC) versus postoperative (aided) soundfield threshold. Significant functional gain was seen at all frequencies (one-tailed t test p G 0.01; n = 7). There was a 50 dB improvement in median speech reception threshold (SRT) from 70 dB unaided to 20 dB aided. Compared to the preoperative BC, aided siBCI thresholds were worse at 0.5 kHz, but at frequencies from 1 to 6 kHz, the siBCI closely matched the bone curve ( p G 0.01). The siBCI performed better than both pBCI processors on a headband at 3 to 4 kHz, except 1 kHz ( p G 0.01). BC thresholds may be a better indicator of implant performance than headband assessment. Candidacy assessment for siBCI implantation that relies on headband testing with pBCI processors should be interpreted with caution because the headband may under-represent the implanted device. This seems to be especially true at 3 kHz and above and may make it difficult for surgeons to conduct accurate informed consent discussions with patients about the realistic anticipated outcomes and benefits of the procedure.

  8. Efficient individualization of hearing aid processed sound

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jens Brehm; Nielsen, Jakob

    2013-01-01

    Due to the large amount of options offered by the vast number of adjustable parameters in modern digital hearing aids, it is becoming increasingly daunting—even for a fine-tuning professional—to perform parameter fine tuning to satisfactorily meet the preference of the hearing aid user. In addition......, the communication between the fine-tuning professional and the hearing aid user might muddle the task. In the present paper, an interactive system is proposed to ease and speed up fine tuning of hearing aids to suit the preference of the individual user. The system simultaneously makes the user conscious of his own...... preferences while the system itself learns the user’s preference. Since the learning is based on probabilistic modeling concepts, the system handles inconsistent user feedback efficiently. Experiments with hearing impaired subjects show that the system quickly discovers individual preferred hearing...

  9. Elderly With Different Types of Hearing Loss and Comorbidities: Satisfaction With Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dashti

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background Hearing loss is developing when age is rising. Initiation and progression rates of hearing loss vary among different individuals and groups. Objectives The current study aimed to determine satisfaction of the elderly with their hearing aids in different types of hearing loss and comorbidities. Patients and Methods The study was conducted on 40 elderly subjects suffering from hearing loss and using hearing aids. The data collection method included assessment of hearing loss in addition to using a questionnaire to estimate respondents' satisfaction with their hearing aids in daily life. The Persian version of the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life (SADL questionnaire was administered. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics by SPSS software version19. Results The mean satisfaction scores of the elderly were 4.83 ± 0.51 and 5.36 ± 0.30 in the sensorineural loss groups. There was no significant difference between different comorbidities. There was a significant difference between satisfaction level of cost and services subscales in the symmetrical styles of hearing loss (P value = 0.04. Conclusions The findings of the study indicated a high satisfaction of the elderly with their hearing aids, considering the type of hearing loss. Despite all the efforts to improve the audiologic services during verification process, the elderly should be consulted specifically in order to fit their hearing aid as well as their expectations from aid.

  10. Consumer Preferences for Hearing Aid Attributes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lataille, Angela T.; Buttorff, Christine; White, Sharon; Niparko, John K.

    2012-01-01

    Low utilization of hearing aids has drawn increased attention to the study of consumer preferences using both simple ratings (e.g., Likert scale) and conjoint analyses, but these two approaches often produce inconsistent results. The study aims to directly compare Likert scales and conjoint analysis in identifying important attributes associated with hearing aids among those with hearing loss. Seven attributes of hearing aids were identified through qualitative research: performance in quiet settings, comfort, feedback, frequency of battery replacement, purchase price, water and sweat resistance, and performance in noisy settings. The preferences of 75 outpatients with hearing loss were measured with both a 5-point Likert scale and with 8 paired-comparison conjoint tasks (the latter being analyzed using OLS [ordinary least squares] and logistic regression). Results were compared by examining implied willingness-to-pay and Pearson’s Rho. A total of 56 respondents (75%) provided complete responses. Two thirds of respondents were male, most had sensorineural hearing loss, and most were older than 50; 44% of respondents had never used a hearing aid. Both methods identified improved performance in noisy settings as the most valued attribute. Respondents were twice as likely to buy a hearing aid with better functionality in noisy environments (p < .001), and willingness to pay for this attribute ranged from US$2674 on the Likert to US$9000 in the conjoint analysis. The authors find a high level of concordance between the methods—a result that is in stark contrast with previous research. The authors conclude that their result stems from constraining the levels on the Likert scale. PMID:22514094

  11. Intelligent hearing aids: the next revolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao Zhang; Mustiere, Fred; Micheyl, Christophe

    2016-08-01

    The first revolution in hearing aids came from nonlinear amplification, which allows better compensation for both soft and loud sounds. The second revolution stemmed from the introduction of digital signal processing, which allows better programmability and more sophisticated algorithms. The third revolution in hearing aids is wireless, which allows seamless connectivity between a pair of hearing aids and with more and more external devices. Each revolution has fundamentally transformed hearing aids and pushed the entire industry forward significantly. Machine learning has received significant attention in recent years and has been applied in many other industries, e.g., robotics, speech recognition, genetics, and crowdsourcing. We argue that the next revolution in hearing aids is machine intelligence. In fact, this revolution is already quietly happening. We will review the development in at least three major areas: applications of machine learning in speech enhancement; applications of machine learning in individualization and customization of signal processing algorithms; applications of machine learning in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical tests. With the advent of the internet of things, the above developments will accelerate. This revolution will bring patient satisfactions to a new level that has never been seen before.

  12. Hearing Aids: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... for hearing loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Hearing Aids updates ... MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Devices for hearing loss Related Health Topics Cochlear Implants Hearing Disorders and Deafness National Institutes ...

  13. Types of Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... aids : Most parts are contained in a small plastic case that rests behind the ear; the case ... certain situations (for example, background noise and whistle reduction). They also have greater flexibility in hearing aid ...

  14. State of the art in perceptual design of hearing aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Brent W.; van Tasell, Dianne J.

    2002-05-01

    Hearing aid capabilities have increased dramatically over the past six years, in large part due to the development of small, low-power digital signal processing chips suitable for hearing aid applications. As hearing aid signal processing capabilities increase, there will be new opportunities to apply perceptually based knowledge to technological development. Most hearing loss compensation techniques in today's hearing aids are based on simple estimates of audibility and loudness. As our understanding of the psychoacoustical and physiological characteristics of sensorineural hearing loss improves, the result should be improved design of hearing aids and fitting methods. The state of the art in hearing aids will be reviewed, including form factors, user requirements, and technology that improves speech intelligibility, sound quality, and functionality. General areas of auditory perception that remain unaddressed by current hearing aid technology will be discussed.

  15. Formal auditory training in adult hearing aid users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Gil

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss are often able to regain some lost auditory function with the help of hearing aids. However, hearing aids are not able to overcome auditory distortions such as impaired frequency resolution and speech understanding in noisy environments. The coexistence of peripheral hearing loss and a central auditory deficit may contribute to patient dissatisfaction with amplification, even when audiological tests indicate nearly normal hearing thresholds. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to validate the effects of a formal auditory training program in adult hearing aid users with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. METHODS: Fourteen bilateral hearing aid users were divided into two groups: seven who received auditory training and seven who did not. The training program was designed to improve auditory closure, figure-to-ground for verbal and nonverbal sounds and temporal processing (frequency and duration of sounds. Pre- and post-training evaluations included measuring electrophysiological and behavioral auditory processing and administration of the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB self-report scale. RESULTS: The post-training evaluation of the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in P3 latency, improved performance in some of the behavioral auditory processing tests and higher hearing aid benefit in noisy situations (p-value < 0,05. No changes were noted for the control group (p-value <0,05. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that auditory training in adult hearing aid users can lead to a reduction in P3 latency, improvements in sound localization, memory for nonverbal sounds in sequence, auditory closure, figure-to-ground for verbal sounds and greater benefits in reverberant and noisy environments.

  16. Development of a Bone-Conducted Ultrasonic Hearing Aid for the Profoundly Deaf: Evaluation of Sound Quality Using a Semantic Differential Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakagawa, Seiji; Fujiyuki, Chika; Kagomiya, Takayuki

    2013-07-01

    Bone-conducted ultrasound (BCU) is perceived even by the profoundly sensorineural deaf. A novel hearing aid using the perception of amplitude-modulated BCU (BCU hearing aid: BCUHA) has been developed. However, there is room for improvement particularly in terms of sound quality. BCU speech is accompanied by a strong high-pitched tone and contain some distortion. In this study, the sound quality of BCU speech with several types of amplitude modulation [double-sideband with transmitted carrier (DSB-TC), double-sideband with suppressed carrier (DSB-SC), and transposed modulations] and air-conducted (AC) speech was quantitatively evaluated using semantic differential and factor analysis. The results showed that all the types of BCU speech had higher metallic and lower esthetic factor scores than AC speech. On the other hand, transposed speech was closer than the other types of BCU speech to AC speech generally; the transposed speech showed a higher powerfulness factor score than the other types of BCU speech and a higher esthetic factor score than DSB-SC speech. These results provide useful information for further development of the BCUHA.

  17. Extrusion of bone anchor suture following flexor digitorum profundus tendon avulsion injury repair.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tiong, William H C

    2011-09-01

    Flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) zone I tendon avulsion injury is traditionally repaired with a pullout suture technique. More recently, bone anchor sutures have been used as a viable alternative and have largely replaced areas in hand surgery where pullout suture technique was once required. To date, there have been very few complications reported related to bone anchor suture use in FDP tendon reattachment to the bone. We report a very unusual case of extrusion of bone anchor through the nailbed, 6 years after zone I FDP tendon avulsion injury repair and a brief review of literature.

  18. Exploring the influence of culture on hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Fei; Manchaiah, Vinaya; St Claire, Lindsay; Danermark, Berth; Jones, Lesley; Brandreth, Marian; Krishna, Rajalakshmi; Goodwin, Robin

    2015-07-01

    The purpose of this paper was to highlight the importance of cultural influence in understanding hearing-help seeking and hearing-aid uptake. Information on audiological services in different countries and 'theories related to cross-culture' is presented, followed by a general discussion. Twenty-seven relevant literature reviews on hearing impairment, cross-cultural studies, and the health psychology model and others as secondary resources. Despite the adverse consequences of hearing impairment and the significant potential benefits of audiological rehabilitation, only a small number of those with hearing impairment seek professional help and take up appropriate rehabilitation. Therefore, hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake has recently become the hot topic for clinicians and researchers. Previous research has identified many contributing factors for hearing help-seeking with self-reported hearing disability being one of the main factors. Although significant differences in help-seeking and hearing-aid adoption rates have been reported across countries in population studies, limited literature on the influence of cross-cultural factors in this area calls for an immediate need for research. This paper highlights the importance of psychological models and cross-cultural research in the area of hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake, and consequently some directions for future research are proposed.

  19. Hearing aids' electromagnetic immunity to environmental RF fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Facta, S.; Benedetto, A.; Anglesio, L.; D'Amore, G.

    2004-01-01

    In this work, the electromagnetic interference on hearing aids was evaluated. Electromagnetic (EM) immunity tests on different types of hearing aids were carried out, using signals of intensity and modulation comparable to those present in the environment. The purpose of this work is to characterise the interference, establishing the immunity threshold for different frequencies and finding out which types of hearing aids are more susceptible, and in which frequency range. The tests were carried out in a GTEM cell on seven hearing aids, using AM and GSM signals in the radiofrequency (RF) range. (authors)

  20. Auditory Outcomes with Hearing Rehabilitation in Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appachi, Swathi; Specht, Jessica L; Raol, Nikhila; Lieu, Judith E C; Cohen, Michael S; Dedhia, Kavita; Anne, Samantha

    2017-10-01

    Objective Options for management of unilateral hearing loss (UHL) in children include conventional hearing aids, bone-conduction hearing devices, contralateral routing of signal (CROS) aids, and frequency-modulating (FM) systems. The objective of this study was to systematically review the current literature to characterize auditory outcomes of hearing rehabilitation options in UHL. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 2016. Manual searches of bibliographies were also performed. Review Methods Studies analyzing auditory outcomes of hearing amplification in children with UHL were included. Outcome measures included functional and objective auditory results. Two independent reviewers evaluated each abstract and article. Results Of the 249 articles identified, 12 met inclusion criteria. Seven articles solely focused on outcomes with bone-conduction hearing devices. Outcomes favored improved pure-tone averages, speech recognition thresholds, and sound localization in implanted patients. Five studies focused on FM systems, conventional hearing aids, or CROS hearing aids. Limited data are available but suggest a trend toward improvement in speech perception with hearing aids. FM systems were shown to have the most benefit for speech recognition in noise. Studies evaluating CROS hearing aids demonstrated variable outcomes. Conclusions Data evaluating functional and objective auditory measures following hearing amplification in children with UHL are limited. Most studies do suggest improvement in speech perception, speech recognition in noise, and sound localization with a hearing rehabilitation device.

  1. Self-Assessment of Hearing and Purchase of Hearing Aids by Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Otavio, Andressa Colares da Costa

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Presbycusis is a consequence of aging. Prescription of hearing aids is part of the treatment, although the prevalence of use by elderly people is still small. Objective To verify whether or not self-assessment of hearing is a predictor for purchase of hearing aids. Methods Quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and observational study. Participants were subjects who sought a private hearing center for selection of hearing aids. During the diagnostic interview, subjects answered the following question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 the best, how would you rate your overall hearing ability?” After that, subjects underwent audiometry, selected a hearing aid, performed a home trial, and decided whether or not to purchase the hearing aid. The variables were associated and analyzed statistically. Results The sample was comprised of 32 subjects, both men and women, with a higher number of women. Mean age was 71.41 ± 12.14 years. Self-assessment of hearing ranged from 2 to 9 points. Overall, 71.9% of the subjects purchased hearing aids. There was no association between scores in the self-assessment and the purchase of hearing aids (p = 0.263. Among those who scored between 2 and 5 points, 64.7% purchased the device; between 6 and 7 points, 76.09% purchased the device; and between 8 and 9 points, 50% purchased the device, respectively. Conclusion There is evidence that low self-assessment scores lead to the purchase of hearing aids, although no significant association was observed in the sample.

  2. What factors influence help-seeking for hearing impairment and hearing aid adoption in older adults?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Carly; Hickson, Louise

    2012-02-01

    The purpose of this review paper was to identify factors that influence older adults' decisions to seek help for hearing impairment and to adopt hearing aids. A literature search of abstracts within peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between 1990 and 2010 was conducted in online bibliographic databases using the keywords: hearing; impair* or loss; seek* or candidate* or applicant* or acquir*; and hearing aid* or help or advice. Twenty-two articles that were directly relevant to this topic were included in this review. The evidence suggests that individuals are more likely to seek help for hearing impairment and/or adopt hearing aids if they: (1) have a moderate to severe hearing impairment and self-reported hearing-related activity limitations or participation restrictions; (2) are older; (3) perceive their hearing as poor; (4) consider there to be more benefits than barriers to amplification; and (5) perceive their significant other/s as supportive of hearing rehabilitation. A barrier to help-seeking for hearing impairment and hearing aid adoption appears to be general practitioners' management of age-related hearing impairment.

  3. Vibrant SoundBridge application to middle ear windows versus conventional hearing aids: a comparative study based on international outcome inventory for hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atas, Ahmet; Tutar, Hakan; Gunduz, Bulent; Bayazıt, Yıldırım A

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we aimed to compare the outcomes of satisfaction of the patients who used hearing aids preceding the vibrant sound bridge (VSB) application on middle ear windows (14 oval window and 5 round window). Nineteen adult patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss were included in the study. All patients used behind the ear hearing aids on the site which was selected for VSB application. The patients used hearing aids for at least 3 months before the VSB operation. The floating mass transducer (FMT) was placed on one of the middle ear windows (oval or round) in VSB operation. The patients were evaluated with International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) preoperatively after at least 3 months trial of conventional hearing aid and postoperatively after 3 months use of VSB. No perioperative problem was encountered. The total score of IOI-HA was significantly higher with VSB compared with conventional hearing aids (p 0.05). The IOI-HA scores were significantly higher with the middle ear implant than the conventional hearing aid regarding benefit and residual participation restrictions (p < 0.05). Although the scores for quality of life assessment was similar between VSB and hearing aid use, there was a superiority of VSB in terms of benefit and residual participation restrictions as well as overall IOI-HA scores as the FMT was placed on one of the middle ear windows.

  4. Hearing Aids: How to Choose the Right One

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hearing aids: How to choose the right one Many types of hearing aids exist. So which is best for you? Find out what to consider when choosing a hearing ... used to the device and decide if it's right for you. Have the dispenser put in writing ...

  5. Feasibility of a pre-implantation fitting test for an implantable hearing aid using a VR (virtual reality) software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dammann, F.; Bode, A.; Heuschmid, M.; Schwaderer, E.; Schaich, M.; Seemann, M.; Claussen, C.D.; Maassen, M.; Zenner, H.P.

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: To prove the feasibility of a preoperative fitting test for an implantable hearing aid using a VR environment. Methods: A high-resolution spiral CT was performed after mastoidectomy in 10 temporal bone specimens. The bony structures were segmented and merged with the computer-aided design (CAD) data of the hearing aid in a VR environment. For each specimen a three-dimensional fitting test was carried out by three examiners determining the implantability of the hearing aid. The implantation simulation was compared with the real implantation procedure performed by an experienced ENT surgeon. Results: The used VR system enabled real-time 3D-visualisation and manipulation of CT- and CAD-data. All objects could be independently moved in all three dimensions. The VR fitting test corresponded closely with the real implantation. The implantability of the hearing aid was properly predicted by all three examiners. Conclusion: Merging CT and CAD data in a virtual reality environment bears high potential for the presurgical determination of the fit and mountability of medical implants in complex anatomical regions. (orig.) [de

  6. HEARING AID USE IN PATIENTS WITH PRESBYACUSIS: A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Karimaneh A. Eftekharian

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available The acceptability of hearing aids in people with presbyacusis has been improved but assessment of whether there is a need for more counseling to increase the number of regular hearing-aid users seems to be important. The aim of this study was to determine if the hearing aid was worn regularly and over a long period of time in people with presbyacusis. A questionnaire survey of patients with presbyacusis who had been fitted with a monaural behind the ear hearing aid for the first time was undertaken. The patients were divided into four groups ranging from 6 months to 3 years after fitting. Overall regular long-term use of the hearing aid was found in the majority of patients with presbyacusis. The main dropout point was within the first year after fitting the hearing aid. The study furthermore revealed a relatively high demand for further help and advice with the hearing aid in all groups.

  7. Self-Fitting Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gitte Keidser

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available A self-contained, self-fitting hearing aid (SFHA is a device that enables the user to perform both threshold measurements leading to a prescribed hearing aid setting and fine-tuning, without the need for audiological support or access to other equipment. The SFHA has been proposed as a potential solution to address unmet hearing health care in developing countries and remote locations in the developed world and is considered a means to lower cost and increase uptake of hearing aids in developed countries. This article reviews the status of the SFHA and the evidence for its feasibility and challenges and predicts where it is heading. Devices that can be considered partly or fully self-fitting without audiological support were identified in the direct-to-consumer market. None of these devices are considered self-contained as they require access to other hardware such as a proprietary interface, computer, smartphone, or tablet for manipulation. While there is evidence that self-administered fitting processes can provide valid and reliable results, their success relies on user-friendly device designs and interfaces and easy-to-interpret instructions. Until these issues have been sufficiently addressed, optional assistance with the self-fitting process and on-going use of SFHAs is recommended. Affordability and a sustainable delivery system remain additional challenges for the SFHA in developing countries. Future predictions include a growth in self-fitting products, with most future SFHAs consisting of earpieces that connect wirelessly with a smartphone and providers offering assistance through a telehealth infrastructure, and the integration of SFHAs into the traditional hearing health-care model.

  8. A comparative study of hearing aids and round window application of the vibrant sound bridge (VSB) for patients with mixed or conductive hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marino, Roberta; Linton, Nicola; Eikelboom, Robert H; Statham, Elle; Rajan, Gunesh P

    2013-04-01

    This study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of the round window (RW) application of the vibrant soundbridge (VSB) in patients with mixed or conductive hearing loss. Speech in quiet and in noise were compared to preoperative data attained with conventional hearing aids so that each subject served as his or her own control in a single test protocol. Eighteen adults implanted monaurally with the VSB in the poorer hearing ear. Experience with the VSB ranged from nine to 25 months. Sixteen of the 18 subjects were successful VSB users, wearing their device all waking hours. There was no significant deterioration in the averaged bone conduction results preoperatively versus post-operatively (p>0.05). Speech recognition in quiet results were not significantly different to performance attained whilst wearing hearing aids (p>0.05). Speech recognition in noise performance was substantially improved with use of the VSB in most test conditions. For the majority of the subjects, the VSB was an effective method of hearing restoration for their mixed and conductive hearing loss.

  9. A Hearing Aid Primer 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yetter, Carol J.

    2009-01-01

    This hearing aid primer is designed to define the differences among the three levels of hearing instrument technology: conventional analog circuit technology (most basic), digitally programmable/analog circuit technology (moderately advanced), and fully digital technology (most advanced). Both moderate and advanced technologies mean that hearing…

  10. Hearing aids for otitis media with effusion: Do children use them?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Richard Wei Chern; Overton, Parisa; Benton, Claire; Daniel, Matija

    2017-08-01

    ENT surgeons may refer children with otitis media with effusion (OME) to audiology for consideration of hearing aids. They are an option for the treatment of OME, but are only effective if the child actually wears them. Our study investigated what proportion of children referred for hearing aids actually receive them, and whether children use them. Retrospective study of children referred to audiology from November 2013 to August 2014, including 70 children referred by ENT for hearing aids for OME, plus a further 5 children with OME given hearing aids through direct access audiology service. During the study period, there were 202 referrals of children to audiology, of which 70 (34.7%) were for consideration of hearing aids for OME. Of these 70 referred children, 37 (52.9%) were not fitted with hearing aids due to normal audiometry (23), asymptomatic mild hearing loss (7), nonattendance (3), clinical decision to just monitor hearing (1), parental decline (2), and unrecorded reason (1). A total of 38 children (including direct access patients) were fitted with hearing aids for OME. Majority (36/38) of children issued aids used them, 16 all day, 7 only at school, 1 only at home, 3 only when needed, and 9 used them for an unspecified duration; 1 child's use of hearing aids was unrecorded, and 1 child refused to use it. 21 were fitted bilaterally and 17 unilaterally. 37 were behind the ear aids and 1 a BAHA softband. A third of referrals to paediatric audiology by ENT are for consideration of hearing aids for OME. Only about half of children referred to audiology for hearing aids for OME actually receive them, as by the time they see audiology the hearing loss has frequently resolved or is asymptomatic so that aiding is unwarranted. Once fitted, they appear to be well accepted. Hearing aids have fair utilization in children fitted with them for OME. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Improving Hearing Aid Self-Efficacy and Utility Through Revising a Hearing Aid User Guide: A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMullan, Alexandra; Kelly-Campbell, Rebecca J; Wise, Kim

    2018-03-08

    This pilot study aimed to investigate whether revising a hearing aid user guide (HAUG) is associated with improved hearing aid self-efficacy and utility performance. In Part 1, an HAUG was evaluated using the Suitability Assessment of Material (SAM) and readability formulas (Flesch Reading Ease [Flesch, 1943], Flesch-Kincaid Readability Formula [Kincaid, Fishburne, Rogers, & Chissom, 1957], and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook [McLaughlin, 1969]). The HAUG was revised using results from the SAM and best practice guidelines. The revision included generating a video. In Part 2, 30 adults with hearing impairment were randomly assigned to use either the original guide (N = 15) or the revised guide and video (N = 15) to perform a utility task. Participants' self-efficacy was measured using the Basic and Advanced Handling subscales of the Measure of Audiologic Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy for Hearing Aids questionnaire. SAM and readability were compared between the original and revised guides (Doak, Doak, & Root, 1996). SAM and readability were improved following the revision. Participants in the revised guide group performed significantly better on the utility task and on the Measure of Audiologic Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy for Hearing Aids subscales than participants in the original guide group. These results are encouraging as they indicate that there is scope to influence self-efficacy and utility performance through the use of appropriate HAUGs.

  12. Sound Localization in Patients With Congenital Unilateral Conductive Hearing Loss With a Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyskocil, Erich; Liepins, Rudolfs; Kaider, Alexandra; Blineder, Michaela; Hamzavi, Sasan

    2017-03-01

    There is no consensus regarding the benefit of implantable hearing aids in congenital unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL). This study aimed to measure sound source localization performance in patients with congenital UCHL and contralateral normal hearing who received a new bone conduction implant. Evaluation of within-subject performance differences for sound source localization in a horizontal plane. Tertiary referral center. Five patients with atresia of the external auditory canal and contralateral normal hearing implanted with transcutaneous bone conduction implant at the Medical University of Vienna were tested. Activated/deactivated implant. Sound source localization test; localization performance quantified using the root mean square (RMS) error. Sound source localization ability was highly variable among individual subjects, with RMS errors ranging from 21 to 40 degrees. Horizontal plane localization performance in aided conditions showed statistically significant improvement compared with the unaided conditions, with RMS errors ranging from 17 to 27 degrees. The mean RMS error decreased by a factor of 0.71 (p conduction implant. Some patients with congenital UCHL might be capable of developing improved horizontal plane localization abilities with the binaural cues provided by this device.

  13. The Modern Hearing Aid – an Extreme System Integration Challenge

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger

    (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) to produce a competitive advantage in terms of size and features. This presentation will give a brief insight into the hearing aid market and industry and a brief view of the historic development of hearing aids. The system integration challenge will be illustrated......People with reduced hearing generally want to hide this disability and thus the size of hearing aids is constantly decreasing in the effort to make them virtually invisible. However, as for all other modern electrical devices more and more features are constantly added to hearing aids driven...

  14. Hearing aid fitting for visual and hearing impaired patients with Usher syndrome type IIa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartel, B P; Agterberg, M J H; Snik, A F; Kunst, H P M; van Opstal, A J; Bosman, A J; Pennings, R J E

    2017-08-01

    Usher syndrome is the leading cause of hereditary deaf-blindness. Most patients with Usher syndrome type IIa start using hearing aids from a young age. A serious complaint refers to interference between sound localisation abilities and adaptive sound processing (compression), as present in today's hearing aids. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of advanced signal processing on binaural hearing, including sound localisation. In this prospective study, patients were fitted with hearing aids with a nonlinear (compression) and linear amplification programs. Data logging was used to objectively evaluate the use of either program. Performance was evaluated with a speech-in-noise test, a sound localisation test and two questionnaires focussing on self-reported benefit. Data logging confirmed that the reported use of hearing aids was high. The linear program was used significantly more often (average use: 77%) than the nonlinear program (average use: 17%). The results for speech intelligibility in noise and sound localisation did not show a significant difference between type of amplification. However, the self-reported outcomes showed higher scores on 'ease of communication' and overall benefit, and significant lower scores on disability for the new hearing aids when compared to their previous hearing aids with compression amplification. Patients with Usher syndrome type IIa prefer a linear amplification over nonlinear amplification when fitted with novel hearing aids. Apart from a significantly higher logged use, no difference in speech in noise and sound localisation was observed between linear and nonlinear amplification with the currently used tests. Further research is needed to evaluate the reasons behind the preference for the linear settings. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical Otolaryngology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Development of a music perception test for adult hearing-aid users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marinda Uys

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research was two-fold. Firstly to develop a music perception test for hearing aid users and secondly to evaluate the influence of non-linear frequency compression (NFC on music perception with the use of the self-compiled test. This article focuses on the description of the development and validation of a music perception test. To date, the main direction in frequency lowering hearing aid studies has been in relation to speech perception abilities. With improvements in hearing aid technology, interest in musical perception as a dimension that could improve hearing aid users’ quality of life grew. The Music Perception Test (MPT was designed to evaluate different aspects of rhythm, timbre, pitch and melody. The development of the MPT could be described as design based. Phase 1 of the study included test development and recording while Phase 2 entailed presentation of stimuli to normal hearing listeners (n=15 and hearing aid users (n=4. Based on the findings of Phase 2, item analysis was performed to eliminate or change stimuli that resulted in high error rates. During Phase 3 the adapted version of the test was performed on a smaller group of normal hearing listeners (n=4 and twenty hearing aid users. Results proved that normal hearing adults as well as adults using hearing aids were able to complete all the sub-tests of the MPT although hearing aid users scored less on the various sub-tests than normal hearing listeners. For the rhythm section of the MPT normal hearing listeners scored on average 93.8% versus 75.5% of hearing aid users and 83% for the timbre section compared to 62.3% by hearing aid users. Normal hearing listeners obtained an average score of 86.3% for the pitch section and 88.2% for the melody section compared to the 70.8% and 61.9% respectively obtained by hearing aid users. This implicates that the MPT can be used successfully for assessment of music perception in hearing aid users within the South African

  16. Better together: reduced compliance after sequential versus simultaneous bilateral hearing aids fitting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavie, Limor; Banai, Karen; Attias, Joseph; Karni, Avi

    2014-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of sequential versus simultaneous bilateral hearing aids fitting on patient compliance. Thirty-six older adults with hearing impairment participated in this study. Twelve were fitted with bilateral hearing aids simultaneously. The remaining participants were fitted sequentially: One hearing aid (to the left or to the right ear) was used initially; 1 month later, the other ear was also fitted with a hearing aid for bilateral use. Self-reports on usefulness and compliance were elicited after the first and second months of hearing aid use. In addition, the number of hours the hearing aids were used was extracted from the data loggings of each device. Simultaneous fitting resulted in high levels of compliance and consistent usage throughout the study period. Sequential fitting resulted in abrupt reduction in compliance and hours of use once the second hearing aid was added, both in the clinical scoring and in the data loggings. Simultaneous fitting of bilateral hearing aids results in better compliance compared with sequential fitting. The addition of a second hearing aid after a relatively short period of monaural use may lead to inconsistent use of both hearing aids.

  17. Teachers' Perceptions of Adolescent Girls Who Wear Hearing Aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Linda R.; And Others

    1989-01-01

    Females, aged 10-14, were photographed wearing a body aid, a postauricular aid, or no hearing aid. Ratings by 60 college education majors indicated that subjects pictured wearing a hearing aid were rated lower on achievement but higher on factors of appearance, personality, and assertiveness than subjects without the aid. (Author/JDD)

  18. Rurality and determinants of hearing healthcare in adult hearing aid recipients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Stephen; Hixon, Brian; Adkins, Margaret; Shinn, Jennifer B; Bush, Matthew L

    2017-10-01

    The objective of this study was to compare the timing of hearing aid (HA) acquisition between adults in rural and urban communities. We hypothesized that time of acquisition of HA after onset of hearing loss is greater in rural adults compared with urban adults. Secondary objectives included assessment of socioeconomic/educational status and impact of hearing loss and hearing rehabilitation of urban and rural HA recipients. Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. We assessed demographics, timing of HA fitting from onset of hearing loss, and impact of hearing impairment in 336 adult HA recipients (273 urban, 63 rural) from a tertiary referral center. Amplification benefit was assessed using the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI). The time to HA acquisition was greater for rural participants compared to urban participants (19.1 vs. 25.7 years, P = 0.024) for those with untreated hearing loss for at least 8 years. Age at hearing loss onset was correlated with time to HA acquisition (P = -0.54, P hearing specialists (68 vs. 32 minutes, P Hearing impairment caused job performance difficulty in 60% of all participants. Rural adults are at risk for delayed HA acquisition, which may be related to distance to hearing specialists. Further research is indicated to investigate barriers to care and expand access for vulnerable populations. 4. Laryngoscope, 127:2362-2367, 2017. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  19. Evaluation of a Modified User Guide for Hearing Aid Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caposecco, Andrea; Hickson, Louise; Meyer, Carly; Khan, Asaduzzaman

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated if a hearing aid user guide modified using best practice principles for health literacy resulted in superior ability to perform hearing aid management tasks, compared with the user guide in the original form. This research utilized a two-arm study design to compare the original manufacturer's user guide with a modified user guide for the same hearing aid--an Oticon Acto behind-the-ear aid with an open dome. The modified user guide had a lower reading grade level (4.2 versus 10.5), used a larger font size, included more graphics, and had less technical information. Eighty-nine adults ages 55 years and over were included in the study; none had experience with hearing aid use or management. Participants were randomly assigned either the modified guide (n = 47) or the original guide (n = 42). All participants were administered the Hearing Aid Management test, designed for this study, which assessed their ability to perform seven management tasks (e.g., change battery) with their assigned user guide. The regression analysis indicated that the type of user guide was significantly associated with performance on the Hearing Aid Management test, adjusting for 11 potential covariates. In addition, participants assigned the modified guide required significantly fewer prompts to perform tasks and were significantly more likely to perform four of the seven tasks without the need for prompts. The median time taken by those assigned the modified guide was also significantly shorter for three of the tasks. Other variables associated with performance on the Hearing Aid Management test were health literacy level, finger dexterity, and age. Findings indicate that the need to design hearing aid user guides in line with best practice principles of health literacy as a means of facilitating improved hearing aid management in older adults.

  20. The psychosocial impact of hearing aids in children with otitis media with effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureishi, A; Garas, G; Mallick, A; Parker, D

    2014-11-01

    In children, otitis media with effusion is treated using grommets or hearing aids. Parents considering treatment options express concerns regarding the psychosocial impact of hearing aids in terms of self-esteem and bullying. This study assessed the psychosocial impact of hearing aid use. A cross-sectional study was undertaken comparing hearing aid users to non hearing aid users with regard to their attitudes towards hearing aids. All subjects, who had been diagnosed with otitis media with effusion, were aged less than 16 years, were without disability and attended mainstream schools. A questionnaire was designed and utilised. The study comprised 47 children with hearing aids and 50 with grommets. Significant between-group differences (p negative perceptions of non hearing aid users were not reported by hearing aid users. Children with hearing aids do not suffer from bullying or low self-esteem to the extent perceived by parents. This information is useful for informed decisions regarding treatment of otitis media with effusion.

  1. Self-reported disability and handicap after hearing-aid fitting and benefit of hearing aids: comparison of fitting procedures, degree of hearing loss, experience with hearing aids and uni- and bilateral fittings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Metselaar, Mick; Maat, Bert; Krijnen, Pieta; Verschuure, Hans; Dreschler, Wouter A.; Feenstra, Louw

    2009-01-01

    Self-reported outcome on hearing disability and handicap as well as overall health-related quality of life were measured after hearing-aid fitting in a large-scale clinical population. Fitting was performed according to two different procedures in a double-blind study design. We used a comparative

  2. Self-reported disability and handicap after hearing-aid fitting and benefit of hearing aids : comparison of fitting procedures, degree of hearing loss, experience with hearing aids and uni- and bilateral fittings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Metselaar, Mick; Maat, Bert; Krijnen, Pieta; Verschuure, Hans; Dreschler, Wouter A; Feenstra, Louw

    Self-reported outcome on hearing disability and handicap as well as overall health-related quality of life were measured after hearing-aid fitting in a large-scale clinical population. Fitting was performed according to two different procedures in a double-blind study design. We used a comparative

  3. Buying a Hearing Aid

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... in price according to style, features, and local market prices. Price can range from hundreds of dollars to more than $2,500 for a programmable, digital hearing aid. Purchase price should not be the ...

  4. Exploring Audiologists' Language and Hearing Aid Uptake in Initial Rehabilitation Appointments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sciacca, Anna; Meyer, Carly; Ekberg, Katie; Barr, Caitlin; Hickson, Louise

    2017-06-13

    The study aimed (a) to profile audiologists' language during the diagnosis and management planning phase of hearing assessment appointments and (b) to explore associations between audiologists' language and patients' decisions to obtain hearing aids. Sixty-two audiologist-patient dyads participated. Patient participants were aged 55 years or older. Hearing assessment appointments were audiovisually recorded and transcribed for analysis. Audiologists' language was profiled using two measures: general language complexity and use of jargon. A binomial, multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the associations between these language measures and hearing aid uptake. The logistic regression model revealed that the Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level of audiologists' language was significantly associated with hearing aid uptake. Patients were less likely to obtain hearing aids when audiologists' language was at a higher reading grade level. No associations were found between audiologists' use of jargon and hearing aid uptake. Audiologists' use of complex language may present a barrier for patients to understand hearing rehabilitation recommendations. Reduced understanding may limit patient participation in the decision-making process and result in patients being less willing to trial hearing aids. Clear, concise language is recommended to facilitate shared decision making.

  5. The influence of hearing aids on the speech and language development of children with hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomblin, J Bruce; Oleson, Jacob J; Ambrose, Sophie E; Walker, Elizabeth; Moeller, Mary Pat

    2014-05-01

    IMPORTANCE Hearing loss (HL) in children can be deleterious to their speech and language development. The standard of practice has been early provision of hearing aids (HAs) to moderate these effects; however, there have been few empirical studies evaluating the effectiveness of this practice on speech and language development among children with mild-to-severe HL. OBJECTIVE To investigate the contributions of aided hearing and duration of HA use to speech and language outcomes in children with mild-to-severe HL. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An observational cross-sectional design was used to examine the association of aided hearing levels and length of HA use with levels of speech and language outcomes. One hundred eighty 3- and 5-year-old children with HL were recruited through records of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and referrals from clinical service providers in the general community in 6 US states. INTERVENTIONS All but 4 children had been fitted with HAs, and measures of aided hearing and the duration of HA use were obtained. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Standardized measures of speech and language ability were obtained. RESULTS Measures of the gain in hearing ability for speech provided by the HA were significantly correlated with levels of speech (ρ179 = 0.20; P = .008) and language: ρ155 = 0.21; P = .01) ability. These correlations were indicative of modest levels of association between aided hearing and speech and language outcomes. These benefits were found for children with mild and moderate-to-severe HL. In addition, the amount of benefit from aided hearing interacted with the duration of HA experience (Speech: F4,161 = 4.98; P < .001; Language: F4,138 = 2.91; P < .02). Longer duration of HA experience was most beneficial for children who had the best aided hearing. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The degree of improved hearing provided by HAs was associated with better speech and language development in children

  6. Hearing aid-related satisfaction based on type and degree of hearing loss in elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzad FarajiKhiavi

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the elderly; using a hearing aid to alleviate auditory impairment can positively affect their quality of life. This research aimed to determine the level of satisfaction concerning hearing aids in elderly people with hearing impairment based on the type and degree of hearing loss.Methods: An analytic cross-sectional research design was used ; the sample included 40 elderly people who used hearing aids. According to the World Health Organization (WHO age classification, participants were divided into two age groups: 65-74 years (n=20 and 75-90 years (n=20. Satisfaction levels were assessed using a standard satisfaction with amplification in daily life (SADL questionnaire.Results: Satisfaction levels in the 65-74 age group were significantly higher than that in the 75-90 age group (p=0.02. Participants with mixed hearing loss revealed higher satisfaction levels than participants with sensorineural hearing loss (p=0.02. On the negative effects dimension, participants with severe hearing loss exhibited significantly higher satisfaction levels than participants with moderate or moderate to severe hearing loss (p=0.01.Conclusion: Total satisfaction mean scores were relatively high in the elderly participants . Negative features could be reduced via careful consultation regarding the aids’ amplifying capabilities and limitations in groups with moderate or moderate to severe hearing loss.

  7. Fractures (Broken Bones): First Aid

    Science.gov (United States)

    First aid Fractures (broken bones) Fractures (broken bones): First aid By Mayo Clinic Staff A fracture is a ... 10, 2018 Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-fractures/basics/ART-20056641 . Mayo Clinic ...

  8. Auditory and language skills of children using hearing aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leticia Macedo Penna

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Hearing loss may impair the development of a child. The rehabilitation process for individuals with hearing loss depends on effective interventions.OBJECTIVE: To describe the linguistic profile and the hearing skills of children using hearing aids, to characterize the rehabilitation process and to analyze its association with the children's degree of hearing loss.METHODS: Cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sample of 110 children using hearing aids (6-10 years of age for mild to profound hearing loss. Tests of language, speech perception, phonemic discrimination, and school performance were performed. The associations were verified by the following tests: chi-squared for linear trend and Kruskal-Wallis.RESULTS: About 65% of the children had altered vocabulary, whereas 89% and 94% had altered phonology and inferior school performance, respectively. The degree of hearing loss was associated with differences in the median age of diagnosis; the age at which the hearing aids were adapted and at which speech therapy was started; and the performance on auditory tests and the type of communication used.CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of hearing loss and the clinical interventions occurred late, contributing to impairments in auditory and language development.

  9. Improved Design of Microphone-Array Hearing Aids

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Greenberg, Julie

    1994-01-01

    ...). Research on microphone array hearing aids is motivated by the lack of success of single-microphone systems, as well as the documented advantages of binaural hearing and multiple-element sensing systems...

  10. Factors affecting the use and perceived benefit of ITE and BTE hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumfield, A; Dillon, H

    2001-08-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate factors that might affect hearing aid use, satisfaction and perceived benefit. A further aim was to look at which variables affect the choice of hearing aid, in particular, an in-the-ear (ITE) versus a behind-the-ear (BTE) device. Twenty-nine elderly hearing-impaired people with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss were fitted with both an ITE and a BTE hearing aid with similar electroacoustic performance. Both hearing aids were linear with output compression limiting and were fitted in a randomized order. After wearing each device for a six-week period, subj ets were asked to select the hearing aid they preferred. Variables significantly related to hearing aid choice, use and perceived benefit included ease of management, accuracy with which the NAL-R insertion gain target was achieved, earmould comfort and the type of hearing aid the client preferred initially.

  11. Bone anchors or interference screws? A biomechanical evaluation for autograft ankle stabilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeys, Lee; Korrosis, Sotiris; Stewart, Todd; Harris, Nicholas J

    2004-01-01

    Autograft stabilization uses free semitendinosus tendon grafts to anatomically reconstruct the anterior talofibular ligament. Study aims were to evaluate the biomechanical properties of Mitek GII anchors compared with the Arthrex Bio-Tenodesis Screw for free tendon reconstruction of the anterior talofibular ligament. There are no differences in load to failure and percentage specimen elongation at failure between the 2 methods. Controlled laboratory study using porcine models. Sixty porcine tendon constructs were failure tested. Re-creating the pull of the anterior talofibular ligament, loads were applied at 70 degrees to the bones. Thirty-six tendons were fixed to porcine tali and tested using a single pull to failure; 10 were secured with anchors and No. 2 Ethibond, 10 with anchors and FiberWire, 10 with screws and Fiberwire, and 6 with partially gripped screws. Cyclic preloading was conducted on 6 tendons fixed by anchors and on 6 tendons fixed by screws before failure testing. Two groups of 6 components fixed to the fibula were also tested. The talus single-pull anchor group produced a mean load of 114 N and elongation of 37% at failure. The talus single-pull screw group produced a mean load of 227 N and elongation of 22% at failure (P anchors. The improved biomechanics of interference screws suggests that these may be more suited to in vivo reconstruction of the anterior talofibular ligament than are bone anchors.

  12. Introduction to audiology: Some basics about hearing loss, hearing technologies and barriers to hearing aid use

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mourtou, Eleni; Meis, Markus

    2012-01-01

    This chapter provides background information for researchers who wish to become familiar with some basic medical and audiological aspects of hearing loss and the technology of hearing aids. It introduces (1) the disciplines involved in research on hearing loss, (2) the medical categories of hearing...... loss and their various effects on communication, (3) the different degrees of hearing loss as defined by different national and international organizations, (4) statistics on the preva- lence of hearing loss worldwide, (5) some technological aspects of hearing instruments, (6) sta- tistics on non...

  13. [Progressive noise induced hearing loss caused by hearing AIDS, a dilemma for the worker and the expert alike].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldmann, H

    2001-12-01

    Investigating cases of noise induced hearing loss the expert is often confronted with the situation that the hearing loss is progressive although the noise exposure has been reduced to almost non-damaging levels. Other causes such as age, hereditary deafness, head injuries, blasts, internal diseases can be excluded. Hearing aids as sources of damaging noise? By consulting the protocol of the hearing-aid acoustician and by own examinations the expert should obtain the following data: loudness level that yields best discrimination score of speech; level of discomfort for tones and speech, discrimination score that is achieved under free field condition with a speech level of 65 dB, using the hearing aids. Furthermore he should explore the circumstances under which the hearing aids are used: how many hours per day, at what occasions etc.? It is likely that in using the hearing aids they are adjusted to emit an intensity level identical to the one yielding the optimal discrimination score. If this e. g. is 100 dB and the hearing aids are used for 2 hours per day this would be equivalent to an exposure to industrial noise of 94 dB (A) for 8 hours daily without ear protection. Among all individuals working under industrial noise exposure today only about 1 - 2 % having unusually vulnerable inner ears will suffer a noise induced hearing loss. On the other hand workers in industrial noise are accustomed to loud noise levels, usually have a raised threshold of discomfort and therefore are likely to adjust their hearing aids to such high intensities. The expert will have to decide whether in an individual case the industrial noise exposure or the use of the hearing aids is the dominant risk for further damage. The consequences in respect to the regulations of the workers' health insurance are discussed.

  14. Hearing Aid Fitting: Monaural vs. Binaural

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Keshani

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available One of the most important issue for selecting and fitting of hearing aids that should receive special attention is binaural amplification. According to several investigations, superiority of binaural amplification on monaural one is confirmed. Binaural Amplification may have considerable effects on fromation and developing of superior dimensions of hearing including: Localization, Binaural squelch (Better hearing in presence of noise. So, it is necessary to know the basic and scientific concepts and applicable principles of binaural hearing and binaural fitting. Present paper deals with this important subject.

  15. Speech understanding and directional hearing for hearing-impaired subjects with in-the-ear and behind-the-ear hearing aids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leeuw, A. R.; Dreschler, W. A.

    1987-01-01

    With respect to acoustical properties, in-the-ear (ITE) aids should give better understanding and directional hearing than behind-the-ear (BTE) aids. Also hearing-impaired subjects often prefer ITEs. A study was performed to assess objectively the improvement in speech understanding and directional

  16. Babies' Portal Website Hearing Aid Section: Assessment by Audiologists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bastos, Bárbara Guimarães

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction The family has ultimate responsibility for decisions about the use and care during the daily routine and problem solving in the manipulation of hearing aids (HA in infants and children. Objective The purpose of the study was to assess technical and content quality of Babies' Portal website Hearing Aid section by audiologists. Methods Letters and e-mails were sent inviting professionals to surf the website and anonymously fill out an online form with 58 questions covering demographic data as well as the website's technical (Emory questionnaire with the subscales of accuracy, authorship, updates, public, navigation, links, and structure and content quality. Results A total of 109 professionals (tree men and 106 women with mean age of 31.6 years participated in the study. Emory percentage scores ranged from 90.1 to 96.7%. The Hearing Aid section contents were considered good or very good. Conclusion The website was deemed to have good technical and content quality, being suitable to supplement informational counseling to parents of hearing-impaired children fitted with hearing aids.

  17. Surgical repair of central slip avulsion injuries with Mitek bone anchor--retrospective analysis of a case series.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Chan, Jeffrey C Y

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to describe our technique of central slip repair using the Mitek bone anchor and to evaluate the treatment outcome. Eight digits in eight patients were reconstructed using the bone anchor: three little fingers, two middle fingers, two index fingers and one ring finger. There were two immediate and six delayed repairs (range from one day to eight months). Four patients had pre-operative intensive splinting and physiotherapy to restore passive extension of the proximal interphalangeal joint prior to central slip reconstruction. All patients have made good progress since surgery. No patient requires a second procedure and none of the bone anchors have dislodged or loosened. We conclude that the Mitek bone anchor is a reliable technique to achieve soft tissue to bone fixation in central slip avulsion injuries. We recommend that this technique be considered as a treatment option for patients requiring surgical repair.

  18. Motivational engagement in first-time hearing aid users: A feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, Melanie; Maidment, David; Russell, Naomi; Gregory, Melanie; Nicholson, Richard

    2016-07-01

    To assess (1) the feasibility of incorporating the Ida Institute's Motivation Tools into a UK audiology service, (2) the potential benefits of motivational engagement in first-time hearing aid users, and (3) predictors of hearing aid and general health outcome measures. A feasibility study using a single-centre, prospective, quasi-randomized controlled design with two arms. The Ida Institute's Motivation Tools formed the basis for motivational engagement. First-time hearing aid users were recruited at the initial hearing assessment appointment. The intervention arm underwent motivational engagement (M+, n = 32), and a control arm (M-, n = 36) received standard care only. The M+ group showed greater self-efficacy, reduced anxiety, and greater engagement with the audiologist at assessment and fitting appointments. However, there were no significant between-group differences 10-weeks post-fitting. Hearing-related communication scores predicted anxiety, and social isolation scores predicted depression for the M+ group. Readiness to address hearing difficulties predicted hearing aid outcomes for the M- group. Hearing sensitivity was not a predictor of outcomes. There were some positive results from motivational engagement early in the patient journey. Future research should consider using qualitative methods to explore whether there are longer-term benefits of motivational engagement in hearing aid users.

  19. Advantages of directional hearing aid microphones related to room acoustics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leeuw, A. R.; Dreschler, W. A.

    1991-01-01

    In this study, two types of hearing aids were used. Both aids had the same frequency characteristics for frontal sound, but one employed an omnidirectional microphone and the other a directional microphone. The frequency characteristics of both hearing aids were measured for five azimuths on KEMAR

  20. Concerns regarding Direct-to-Consumer Hearing Aid Purchasing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimball, Suzanne H.

    2010-01-01

    An individual over age 18 can purchase a hearing aid online or through mail order if they sign a waiver declining a medical evaluation, while those under 18 are required to be seen by a physician to obtain medical consent. However, in many states there is nothing to prevent a parent or caregiver from purchasing hearing aids for their child from a…

  1. 47 CFR 20.19 - Hearing aid-compatible mobile handsets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing aid-compatible mobile handsets. 20.19... COMMERCIAL MOBILE RADIO SERVICES § 20.19 Hearing aid-compatible mobile handsets. (a) Scope of section..., consistent with its own marketing practices. However, if a manufacturer assigns different model device...

  2. Beamforming under Quantization Errors in Wireless Binaural Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srinivasan Sriram

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Improving the intelligibility of speech in different environments is one of the main objectives of hearing aid signal processing algorithms. Hearing aids typically employ beamforming techniques using multiple microphones for this task. In this paper, we discuss a binaural beamforming scheme that uses signals from the hearing aids worn on both the left and right ears. Specifically, we analyze the effect of a low bit rate wireless communication link between the left and right hearing aids on the performance of the beamformer. The scheme is comprised of a generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC that has two inputs: observations from one ear, and quantized observations from the other ear, and whose output is an estimate of the desired signal. We analyze the performance of this scheme in the presence of a localized interferer as a function of the communication bit rate using the resultant mean-squared error as the signal distortion measure.

  3. Beamforming under Quantization Errors in Wireless Binaural Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kees Janse

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Improving the intelligibility of speech in different environments is one of the main objectives of hearing aid signal processing algorithms. Hearing aids typically employ beamforming techniques using multiple microphones for this task. In this paper, we discuss a binaural beamforming scheme that uses signals from the hearing aids worn on both the left and right ears. Specifically, we analyze the effect of a low bit rate wireless communication link between the left and right hearing aids on the performance of the beamformer. The scheme is comprised of a generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC that has two inputs: observations from one ear, and quantized observations from the other ear, and whose output is an estimate of the desired signal. We analyze the performance of this scheme in the presence of a localized interferer as a function of the communication bit rate using the resultant mean-squared error as the signal distortion measure.

  4. Gaze Patterns in Auditory-Visual Perception of Emotion by Children with Hearing Aids and Hearing Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yifang Wang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated eye-movement patterns during emotion perception for children with hearing aids and hearing children. Seventy-eight participants aged from 3 to 7 were asked to watch videos with a facial expression followed by an oral statement, and these two cues were either congruent or incongruent in emotional valence. Results showed that while hearing children paid more attention to the upper part of the face, children with hearing aids paid more attention to the lower part of the face after the oral statement was presented, especially for the neutral facial expression/neutral oral statement condition. These results suggest that children with hearing aids have an altered eye contact pattern with others and a difficulty in matching visual and voice cues in emotion perception. The negative cause and effect of these gaze patterns should be avoided in earlier rehabilitation for hearing-impaired children with assistive devices.

  5. Personality and the subjective assessment of hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, R M; Alexander, G C; Gray, G

    1999-01-01

    Relatively little is known about the influence of patients' personality features on the responses they make to self-assessment items used to measure the outcome of a hearing aid fitting. If the personality of the hearing aid wearer has a significant influence on self-report outcome data, it would be important to explore the relevant personality variables and to be cognizant of their effects when using subjective outcome data to justify decisions about clinical services or other matters. This investigation explored the relationship between several personality attributes and responses to the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB). It found that more extroverted patients tend to report more hearing aid benefit in all speech communication situations. In addition, patients with a more external locus of control tend to have more negative reactions to loud environmental sounds, both with and without amplification. Anxiety also played a small additional role in determining APHAB responses. Although personality variables were found to explain a relatively small amount of the variance in APHAB responses (usually around 10%), these outcomes should alert practitioners and researchers to the potential effects of personality variables in all self-report data.

  6. Interventions to improve hearing aid use in adult auditory rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, Fiona; Mackenzie, Emma; Elliott, Lynette; Jones, Simon; de Lusignan, Simon

    2016-08-18

    Acquired adult-onset hearing loss is a common long-term condition for which the most common intervention is hearing aid fitting. However, up to 40% of people fitted with a hearing aid either fail to use it or may not gain optimal benefit from it. This is an update of a review first published in The Cochrane Library in 2014. To assess the long-term effectiveness of interventions to promote the use of hearing aids in adults with acquired hearing loss fitted with at least one hearing aid. The Cochrane ENT Information Specialist searched the Cochrane ENT Trials Register; Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2016, Issue 5); PubMed; EMBASE; CINAHL; Web of Science; ClinicalTrials.gov; ICTRP and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the search was 13 June 2016. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions designed to improve or promote hearing aid use in adults with acquired hearing loss compared with usual care or another intervention. We excluded interventions that compared hearing aid technology. We classified interventions according to the 'chronic care model' (CCM). The primary outcomes were hearing aid use (measured as adherence or daily hours of use) and adverse effects (inappropriate advice or clinical practice, or patient complaints). Secondary patient-reported outcomes included quality of life, hearing handicap, hearing aid benefit and communication. Outcomes were measured over the short ( 12 to quality of evidence to be very low or low for the primary outcomes where data were available.The majority of participants were over 65 years of age with mild to moderate adult-onset hearing loss. There was a mix of new and experienced hearing aid users. Six of the studies (287 participants) assessed long-term outcomes.All 37 studies tested interventions that could be classified using the CCM as self-management support (ways to help someone to manage their hearing loss and hearing aid(s) better by giving

  7. Music and hearing aids--an introduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chasin, Marshall

    2012-09-01

    Modern digital hearing aids have provided improved fidelity over those of earlier decades for speech. The same however cannot be said for music. Most modern hearing aids have a limitation of their "front end," which comprises the analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. For a number of reasons, the spectral nature of music as an input to a hearing aid is beyond the optimal operating conditions of the "front end" components. Amplified music tends to be of rather poor fidelity. Once the music signal is distorted, no amount of software manipulation that occurs later in the circuitry can improve things. The solution is not a software issue. Some characteristics of music that make it difficult to be transduced without significant distortion include an increased sound level relative to that of speech, and the crest factor- the difference in dB between the instantaneous peak of a signal and its RMS value. Clinical strategies and technical innovations have helped to improve the fidelity of amplified music and these include a reduction of the level of the input that is presented to the A/D converter.

  8. Hearing aid use and long-term health outcomes: hearing handicap, mental health, social engagement, cognitive function, physical health and mortality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawes, Piers; Cruickshanks, Karen J.; Fischer, Mary E.; Klein, Barbara E.K.; Klein, Ronald; Nondahl, David M.

    2016-01-01

    Objective To clarify the impact of hearing aids on mental health, social engagement, cognitive function, and physical health outcomes in older adults with hearing impairment. Design We assessed hearing handicap (Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly; HHIE-S), cognition (Mini Mental State Exam, Trail Making, Auditory Verbal Learning, Digit-Symbol Substitution, Verbal Fluency, incidence of cognitive impairment), physical health (SF-12 physical component, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, mortality), social engagement (hours per week spent in solitary activities) and mental health (SF-12 mental component) at baseline, 5 years prior to baseline, and 5 and 11 years after baseline. Study sample Community-dwelling older adults with hearing impairment (N=666) from the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study cohort. Results There were no significant differences between hearing aid users and non-users in cognitive, social engagement or mental health outcomes at any time point. Aided HHIE-S was significantly better than unaided HHIE-S. At 11 years hearing aid users had significantly better SF-12 physical health scores (46.2 versus 41.2; p=0.03). There was no difference in incidence of cognitive impairment or mortality. Conclusion There was no evidence that hearing aids promote cognitive function, mental health, or social engagement. Hearing aids may reduce hearing handicap and promote better physical health. PMID:26140300

  9. A self-fitting hearing aid: need and concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Convery, Elizabeth; Keidser, Gitte; Dillon, Harvey; Hartley, Lisa

    2011-12-01

    The need for reliable access to hearing health care services is growing globally, particularly in developing countries and in remotely located, underserved regions in many parts of the developed world. Individuals with hearing loss in these areas are at a significant disadvantage due to the scarcity of local hearing health care professionals and the high cost of hearing aids. Current approaches to making hearing rehabilitation services more readily available to underserved populations include teleaudiology and the provision of amplification devices outside of the traditional provider-client relationship. Both strategies require access to such resources as dedicated equipment and/or specially trained staff. Another possible strategy is a self-fitting hearing aid, a personal amplification device that is equipped with an onboard tone generator to enable user-controlled, automated, in situ audiometry; an onboard prescription to determine the initial hearing aid settings; and a trainable algorithm to enable user-controlled fine-tuning. The device is thus assembled, fitted, and managed by the user without the need for audiological or computer support. This article details the self-fitting concept and its potential application in both developing and developed countries. Potential advantages and disadvantages of such a device are discussed, and considerations for further investigations into the concept are presented. Overall, the concept is considered technologically viable with the main challenges anticipated to be development of clear, simple user instructions and a delivery model that ensures reliable supplies of instant-fit ear tips and batteries.

  10. Language-specific strategy for programming hearing aids - A double-blind randomized controlled crossover study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Nozomu; Suzuki, Nobuyoshi; Iwasaki, Satoshi; Ishikawa, Kazuha; Tsukiji, Hiroki; Higashino, Yoshie; Tabuki, Tomoko; Nakagawa, Takashi

    2018-08-01

    Voice-aligned compression (VAC) is a method used in Oticon's hearing aids to provide more comfortable hearing without sacrificing speech discrimination. The complex, non-linear compression curve for the VAC strategy is designed based on the frequency profile of certain spoken Western languages. We hypothesized that hearing aids could be further customized for Japanese-speaking users by modifying the compression curve using the frequency profile of spoken Japanese. A double-blind randomized controlled crossover study was performed to determine whether or not Oticon's modified amplification strategy (VAC-J) provides subjectively preferable hearing aids for Japanese-speaking hearing aid users compared to the same company's original amplification strategy (VAC). The participants were randomized to two groups. The VAC-first group received a pair of hearing aids programmed using the VAC strategy and wore them for three weeks, and then received a pair of hearing aids programmed using VAC-J strategy and wore them for three weeks. The VAC-J-first group underwent the same study, but they received hearing aids in the reverse sequence. A Speech, Spatial and Qualities (SSQ) questionnaire was administered before beginning to use the hearing aids, at the end of using the first pair of hearing aids, and at the end of using the second pair of hearing aids. Twenty-five participants that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria from January 1 to October 31, 2016, were randomized to two groups. Twenty-two participants completed the study. There were no statistically significant differences in the increment of SSQ scores between the participants when using the VAC- or the VAC-J-programmed hearing aids. However, participants preferred the VAC-J strategy to the VAC strategy at the end of the study, and this difference was statistically significant. Japanese-speaking hearing aid users preferred using hearing aids that were fitted with the VAC-J strategy. Our results show that the VAC strategy

  11. Development of a digital hearing aid to meet the Brazilian Government's Ordinance 587 (APAC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penteado, Silvio Pires; Bento, Ricardo Ferreira

    2010-01-01

    The treatment of sensorineural hearing loss is based on hearing aids, also known as individual sound amplification devices. The hearing aids purchased by the Brazilian Government, aiming at fulfilling public policies, are based on dedicated components, which bring about benefits, but also render them expensive and may impair repair services after manufacture's warranty expires. to design digital behind-the-ear hearing aids built from standardized components coming from the very supply chain of these manufacturers. experimental. to identify the supply chain of these manufacturers, request samples and set up hearing aids in the laboratory. The developed hearing aids did not show lesser electroacoustic characteristics when compared to those acquired by the Government, also being tested by the same reference international technical standard. It is possible to develop digital behind-the-ear hearing aids based on off-the-shelf components from hearing aid manufacturers' supply chain. Their advantages include low operational costs - for acquisition (with clear advantages for the Government) and service (advantage for the patient).

  12. Role of hearing AIDS in tinnitus intervention: a scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shekhawat, Giriraj Singh; Searchfield, Grant D; Stinear, Cathy M

    2013-09-01

    Tinnitus can have a devastating impact on the quality of life of the sufferer. Although the mechanisms underpinning tinnitus remain uncertain, hearing loss is often associated with its onset, and hearing aids are among the most commonly used tools for its management. To conduct a scoping review to explore the role of hearing aids in tinnitus management. Scoping review based on the six-stage framework of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Relevant studies were identified using various databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, and PubMed) and hand searching of journals and a reference list of articles. Out of 277 shortlisted articles, 29 studies (18 research studies and 11 reviews) were chosen for charting of data based on their abstracts. Tinnitus assessment measures used in studies were recorded along with changes in their scores. Measures used in studies included the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ), Tinnitus Severity Index (TSI), Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ), German version of Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and visual analogue scale (VAS) of tinnitus intensity. Where possible Cohen's d effect size statistic was calculated. Although the quality of evidence for hearing aids' effect on tinnitus is not strong, the weight of evidence (17 research studies for, 1 against) suggests merit in using hearing aids for tinnitus management. The majority of studies reviewed support the use of hearing aids for tinnitus management. Clinicians should feel reassured that some evidence shows support for the use of hearing aids for treating tinnitus, but there is still a need for stronger methodology and randomized control trials. American Academy of Audiology.

  13. Experimental investigation on corrosion properties of LDS MID for Hearing Aid applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Islam, Aminul; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Risager, Flemming

    2014-01-01

    The trend towards miniaturization is ever going in the hearing aid industry. The Moulded Interconnect Device (MID) technology can offer the unique possibility to reduce the size of the hearing aids by combining electrical and mechanical functions in the same components. On the other hand, one...... of the main concerns for MIDs in hearing aids is the corrosion of metal tracks. This paper investigates the corrosion of the MID parts based on different base materials, layer thickness and mechanical wear of the MIDs. The results presented in the paper will be useful for designing MIDs in hearing aids...

  14. Stethoscopes with hearing aid use: Case studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob, Regina Tangerino de Souza

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Description for using stethoscopes adapted to hearing aids. Aim: To describe the adaptation of HAs to stethoscopes used by 2 students in the health field with bilateral hearing impairment. Case reports: Two subjects with hearing loss had their stethoscopes coupled to HAs because of the individual requirements of their professions (healthcare to perform auscultation. Conclusion: The improvement was measured in situ, and satisfaction was evaluated using a subjective questionnaire. The use of a stethoscope coupled to an HA allowed students with hearing loss to perform auscultation.

  15. Stethoscopes with hearing aid use: Case studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Regina Tangerino de Souza; Zambonato, Ticiana Cristina de Souza; Mondelli, Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia

    2013-01-01

    Summary Introduction: Description for using stethoscopes adapted to hearing aids. Aim: To describe the adaptation of HAs to stethoscopes used by 2 students in the health field with bilateral hearing impairment. Case reports: Two subjects with hearing loss had their stethoscopes coupled to HAs because of the individual requirements of their professions (healthcare) to perform auscultation. Conclusion: The improvement was measured in situ, and satisfaction was evaluated using a subjective questionnaire. The use of a stethoscope coupled to an HA allowed students with hearing loss to perform auscultation. PMID:25992000

  16. Differences and similarities in early vocabulary development between children with hearing aids and children with cochlear implant enrolled in 3-year auditory verbal intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Percy-Smith, Lone; Hallstrøm, Maria; Josvassen, Jane Lignel; Mikkelsen, Jeanette Hølledig; Nissen, Lena; Dieleman, Eveline; Cayé-Thomasen, Per

    2018-05-01

    The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a Nordic Auditory Verbal (AV) intervention for children with all degrees and types of hearing impairment (HI) using all kinds of hearing technology. A first specific objective was to identify differences and similarities in early vocabulary development between children with cochlear implant (CI) compared with children with hearing aids (HAs)/Bone anchored hearing aids (Bahs) enrolled in a 3-year AVprogram, and to compare the group of children with HI to a control group of children with normal hearing (NH). A second specific objective was to study universal neonatal hearing screening (UNHS) using the 1-3-6 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) guidelines. Effect of AV intervention for children with HI using different hearing technology is not thoroughly studied. It is relevant to question, whether children with mild to moderate HI encounter the same intensive need for AV intervention as children with congenital deafness. A longitudinal and comparative study design was used involving two cohorts of children, i.e. 36 children with CI and 19 children with HA/Bahs. The children were the first in Denmark to receive a 3-year AV intervention by formally trained AV-practitioners. Children were tested annually with standardized speech and language tests, i.e. Peabody Picture Vocabulary test, Reynell test and a Danish test for active vocabulary, Viborgmaterialet. Categorical variables were compared using Fischer's exact test and continuous variables were compared using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, as data was not normally distributed. Median age of diagnosis was 6 months and median age at intervention was 13 and 12 months respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of scores according to age equivalency for the three tests. However, there was a significant difference between children with HI regardless of hearing technology and children with

  17. Evaluation of user satisfaction of hearing aids (HA in the Amazon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arakawa, Aline Megumi

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The main function of human hearing is enabling oral communication. In this sense, hearing loss impairs severely communication skills and social relationships of individuals. Therefore, the project "USP in Rondônia" of FOB/USP conducts expeditions travelling to the municipality from Monte Negro/RO allowing the promotion of hearing health. Objective: To assess the level of satisfaction user with hearing aids (HA. Method: Was accomplished a prospective study of 18 individuals with hearing loss fitted with hearing aids in the Clinic of Oral and Fono Audiological Health from Monte Negro/RO. For the evaluation, we used the questionnaire for self-assessment IOI-HA (International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids. Results: Concerning the seven domains assessed, it was verified that the average referring to the use was 4.2, the benefit was 3.9, the limiting of residual activity was 3.7; the satisfaction was 4.4, the restriction of participation of residual activity was 3.8, the impact on others was 4.3 and 3.9 for the quality of life. Respecting the factors one and two, it was applied the statistical test t-Student founding no statistically significant difference. However, the analysis of the score relative to factors one and two showed good results as the individual's interaction with his hearing aid and with their environment, respectively. Conclusion: With this study, we can demonstrate the high grade of satisfaction from the use of hearing aids presented by the majority of the sample collected in all domains analyzed.

  18. Age-related changes in auditory and cognitive abilities in elderly persons with hearing aids fitted at the initial stages of hearing loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Obuchi

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the relation between the use of hearing aids at the initial stages of hearing loss and age-related changes in the auditory and cognitive abilities of elderly persons. 12 healthy elderly persons participated in an annual auditory and cognitive longitudinal examination for three years. According to their hearing level, they were divided into 3 subgroups - the normal hearing group, the hearing loss without hearing aids group, and the hearing loss with hearing aids group. All the subjects underwent 4 tests: pure-tone audiometry, syllable intelligibility test, dichotic listening test (DLT, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R Short Forms. Comparison between the 3 groups revealed that the hearing loss without hearing aids group showed the lowest scores for the performance tasks, in contrast to the hearing level and intelligibility results. The other groups showed no significant difference in the WAIS-R subtests. This result indicates that prescription of a hearing aid during the early stages of hearing loss is related to the retention of cognitive abilities in such elderly people. However, there were no statistical significant correlations between the auditory and cognitive tasks.

  19. The effect of hearing aid noise reduction on listening effort in hearing-impaired adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desjardins, Jamie L; Doherty, Karen A

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a noise-reduction (NR) algorithm on the listening effort hearing-impaired participants expend on a speech in noise task. Twelve hearing-impaired listeners fitted with behind-the-ear hearing aids with a fast-acting modulation-based NR algorithm participated in this study. A dual-task paradigm was used to measure listening effort with and without the NR enabled in the hearing aid. The primary task was a sentence-in-noise task presented at fixed overall speech performance levels of 76% (moderate listening condition) and 50% (difficult listening condition) correct performance, and the secondary task was a visual-tracking test. Participants also completed measures of working memory (Reading Span test), and processing speed (Digit Symbol Substitution Test) ability. Participants' speech recognition in noise scores did not significantly change with the NR algorithm activated in the hearing aid in either listening condition. The NR algorithm significantly decreased listening effort, but only in the more difficult listening condition. Last, there was a tendency for participants with faster processing speeds to expend less listening effort with the NR algorithm when listening to speech in background noise in the difficult listening condition. The NR algorithm reduced the listening effort adults with hearing loss must expend to understand speech in noise.

  20. Target-matched insertion gain derived from three different hearing aid selection procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Punch, J L; Shovels, A H; Dickinson, W W; Calder, J H; Snead, C

    1995-11-01

    Three hearing aid selection procedures were compared to determine if any one was superior in producing prescribed real-ear insertion gain. For each of three subject groups, 12 in-the-ear style hearing aids with Class D circuitry and similar dispenser controls were ordered from one of three manufacturers. Subject groups were classified based on the type of information included on the hearing aid order form: (1) the subject's audiogram, (2) a three-part matrix specifying the desired maximum output, full-on gain, and frequency response slope of the hearing aid, or (3) the desired 2-cc coupler full-in grain of the hearing aid, based on real-ear coupler difference (RECD) measurements. Following electroacoustic adjustments aimed at approximating a commonly used target insertion gain formula, results revealed no significant differences among any of the three selection procedures with respect to obtaining acceptable insertion gain values.

  1. Language Outcomes in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The Role of Language Ability Before Hearing Aid Intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daub, Olivia; Bagatto, Marlene P; Johnson, Andrew M; Cardy, Janis Oram

    2017-11-09

    Early auditory experiences are fundamental in infant language acquisition. Research consistently demonstrates the benefits of early intervention (i.e., hearing aids) to language outcomes in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The nature of these benefits and their relation with prefitting development are, however, not well understood. This study examined Ontario Infant Hearing Program birth cohorts to explore predictors of performance on the Preschool Language Scale-Fourth Edition at the time of (N = 47) and after (N = 19) initial hearing aid intervention. Regression analyses revealed that, before the hearing aid fitting, severity of hearing loss negatively predicted 19% and 10% of the variance in auditory comprehension and expressive communication, respectively. After hearing aid fitting, children's standard scores on language measures remained stable, but they made significant improvement in their progress values, which represent individual skills acquired on the test, rather than standing relative to same-age peers. Magnitude of change in progress values was predicted by a negative interaction of prefitting language ability and severity of hearing loss for the Auditory Comprehension scale. These findings highlight the importance of considering a child's prefitting language ability in interpreting eventual language outcomes. Possible mechanisms of hearing aid benefit are discussed. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5538868.

  2. Advantages of binaural amplification to acceptable noise level of directional hearing aid users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ja-Hee; Lee, Jae Hee; Lee, Ho-Ki

    2014-06-01

    The goal of the present study was to examine whether Acceptable Noise Levels (ANLs) would be lower (greater acceptance of noise) in binaural listening than in monaural listening condition and also whether meaningfulness of background speech noise would affect ANLs for directional microphone hearing aid users. In addition, any relationships between the individual binaural benefits on ANLs and the individuals' demographic information were investigated. Fourteen hearing aid users (mean age, 64 years) participated for experimental testing. For the ANL calculation, listeners' most comfortable listening levels and background noise level were measured. Using Korean ANL material, ANLs of all participants were evaluated under monaural and binaural amplification with a counterbalanced order. The ANLs were also compared across five types of competing speech noises, consisting of 1- through 8-talker background speech maskers. Seven young normal-hearing listeners (mean age, 27 years) participated for the same measurements as a pilot testing. The results demonstrated that directional hearing aid users accepted more noise (lower ANLs) with binaural amplification than with monaural amplification, regardless of the type of competing speech. When the background speech noise became more meaningful, hearing-impaired listeners accepted less amount of noise (higher ANLs), revealing that ANL is dependent on the intelligibility of the competing speech. The individuals' binaural advantages in ANLs were significantly greater for the listeners with longer experience of hearing aids, yet not related to their age or hearing thresholds. Binaural directional microphone processing allowed hearing aid users to accept a greater amount of background noise, which may in turn improve listeners' hearing aid success. Informational masking substantially influenced background noise acceptance. Given a significant association between ANLs and duration of hearing aid usage, ANL measurement can be useful for

  3. User Centered Design as a Framework for Applying Conversation Analysis in Hearing Aid Consultations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egbert, Maria; Matthews, Ben

    2011-01-01

    collaboration, as well as successes and pitfalls. In particular we focus on the role of conversation analysists both from the perspective of the designers and the conversation analysts. To illustrate this, we have selected a project on hearing aid fitting. To understand the perspective of the users (the person...... with hearing loss and the hearing aid fitter is imperative because the compliance rate for hearing aid use is staggeringly low. One of the barriers of hearing aid use lies in problematic encounters between the person with hearing loss and audiologists. Buur, J and Matthews, B. (2008) ‘Participatory Innovation...

  4. Effects of hearing aids on cognitive functions and depressive signs in elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acar, Baran; Yurekli, Muge Fethiye; Babademez, Mehmet Ali; Karabulut, Hayriye; Karasen, Rıza Murat

    2011-01-01

    With the physical, emotional and cognitive effects of senility, elderly people, especially those with impaired hearing, need rehabilitation for improving their life conditions. Hearing aids are frequently used to improve their daily life communications and activities. The aim of this study was to report the cognitive and psychological benefits of using hearing aids by the elderly people, over the age of 65. This was a prospective, single-arm interventional study in 34 elderly subjects with hearing impairment who answered the geriatric depression scale-short form (GDS) questionnaire and the mini mental state examination (MMSE) test, prior to, and 3 months following the use of hearing aid, after obtaining the patients' consent to participate in study. Patients with evidence of focal neurological loss with clinical examination, a confusional state, sudden hear loss and severe tinnitus were not included in the study. Scores of the effects of hearing aids on mood and cognitive functions were compared for each subject, before and after, and between males and females. After 3 months of using a hearing aid, all patients showed a significant improvement of the psychosocial and cognitive conditions, and all of them showed betterment of their problems, i.e., the social communication and exchanging information. In conclusion, for the elderly people with the effects of hearing aids in presbycusis and due to the significant improvement in psychological state and mental functions, using and being adaptable to hearing aids is a good solution. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The importance of creating a social business to produce low-cost hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caccamo, Samantha; Voloshchenko, Anastasia; Dankyi, Nana Yaa

    2014-09-01

    The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 280 million people worldwide have a bilateral hearing loss, mostly living in poor countries. Hearing loss causes heavy social burdens on individuals, families, communities and countries. However, due to the lack of accessibility and affordability, the vast majority of people in the world who need hearing aids do not have access to them. Low-income countries are thus pulled into a disability/poverty spiral. From this standpoint, the production of available, accessible and affordable hearing aids for the poorest populations of our planet should be one of the main issues in global hearing healthcare. Designing and producing a brand new low-cost hearing aid is the most effective option. Involving a large producer of hearing aids in the creation of a social business to solve the problem of access to affordable hearing aids is an essential step to reduce hearing disability on a large scale globally. Today's technology allows for the creation of a "minimal design" product that does not exceed $100-$150, that can be further lowered when purchased in large quantities and dispensed with alternative models. It is conceivable that by making a sustainable social business, the low cost product could be sold with a cross-subsidy model in order to recover the overhead costs. Social business is an economic model that has the potential to produce and distribute affordable hearing aids in low- and middle-income countries. Rehabilitation of hearing impaired children will be carried out in partnership with Sahic (Society of Assistance to Hearing Impaired Children) in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the ENT Department of Ospedale Burlo di Trieste, Dr. Eva Orzan.

  6. Effects of Hearing Impairment and Hearing Aid Amplification on Listening Effort: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohlenforst, Barbara; Zekveld, Adriana A; Jansma, Elise P; Wang, Yang; Naylor, Graham; Lorens, Artur; Lunner, Thomas; Kramer, Sophia E

    To undertake a systematic review of available evidence on the effect of hearing impairment and hearing aid amplification on listening effort. Two research questions were addressed: Q1) does hearing impairment affect listening effort? and Q2) can hearing aid amplification affect listening effort during speech comprehension? English language articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Cinahl, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO from inception to August 2014. References of eligible studies were checked. The Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study design strategy was used to create inclusion criteria for relevance. It was not feasible to apply a meta-analysis of the results from comparable studies. For the articles identified as relevant, a quality rating, based on the 2011 Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group guidelines, was carried out to judge the reliability and confidence of the estimated effects. The primary search produced 7017 unique hits using the keywords: hearing aids OR hearing impairment AND listening effort OR perceptual effort OR ease of listening. Of these, 41 articles fulfilled the Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study design selection criteria of: experimental work on hearing impairment OR hearing aid technologies AND listening effort OR fatigue during speech perception. The methods applied in those articles were categorized into subjective, behavioral, and physiological assessment of listening effort. For each study, the statistical analysis addressing research question Q1 and/or Q2 was extracted. In seven articles more than one measure of listening effort was provided. Evidence relating to Q1 was provided by 21 articles that reported 41 relevant findings. Evidence relating to Q2 was provided by 27 articles that reported 56 relevant findings. The quality of evidence on both research questions (Q1 and Q2) was very low, according to the Grading of

  7. In situ Hearing Tests for the Purpose of a Self-Fit Hearing Aid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boymans, Monique; Dreschler, Wouter A.

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the potential and limitations of a self-fit hearing aid. This can be used in the "developing" world or in countries with large distances between the hearing-impaired subjects and the professional. It contains an on-board tone generator for in situ user-controlled, automated

  8. Noise reduction in binaural hearing aids : Analyzing the benefit over monaural systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Srinivasan, S.

    2008-01-01

    Binaural beamforming using signals from both left and right hearing aids offers greater potential for noise reduction than using signals from a single aid. However, wireless transmission of data imposes power constraints. Since most modern hearing aids have multiple microphones and are capable of

  9. Wireless communication for hearing aid system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nour, Baqer

    This thesis focuses on the wireless coupling between hearing aids close to a human head. Hearing aids constitute devices withadvanced technology and the wireless communication enables the introduction of a range of completely new functionalities. Such devices are small and the available power...... the ear-to-ear wireless communication channel by understanding the mechanisms that control the propagations of the signals and the losses. The second objective isto investigate the properties of magneto-dielectric materials and their potential in antenna miniaturization. There are three approaches...... to study the ear-to-ear wireless communication link; a theoretical approach models the human head asa sphere that has the electrical properties of the head, a numerical approach implements a more realistic geometry of the head, and an experimental approach measures directly the coupling between...

  10. Ormiaochracea as a Model Organism in Sound Localization Experiments and in Inventing Hearing Aids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    - -

    1998-09-01

    Full Text Available Hearing aid prescription for patients suffering hearing loss has always been one of the main concerns of the audiologists. Thanks to technology that has provided Hearing aids with digital and computerized systems which has improved the quality of sound heard by hearing aids. Though we can learn from nature in inventing such instruments as in the current article that has been channeled to a kind of fruit fly. Ormiaochracea is a small yellow nocturnal fly, a parasitoid of crickets. It is notable because of its exceptionally acute directional hearing. In the current article we will discuss how it has become a model organism in sound localization experiments and in inventing hearing aids.

  11. Conductive hearing loss and bone conduction devices: restored binaural hearing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agterberg, Martijn J H; Hol, Myrthe K S; Cremers, Cor W R J; Mylanus, Emmanuel A M; van Opstal, John; Snik, Ad F M

    2011-01-01

    An important aspect of binaural hearing is the proper detection of interaural sound level differences and interaural timing differences. Assessments of binaural hearing were made in patients with acquired unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL, n = 11) or congenital UCHL (n = 10) after unilateral application of a bone conduction device (BCD), and in patients with bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss after bilateral BCD application. Benefit (bilateral versus unilateral listening) was assessed by measuring directional hearing, compensation of the acoustic head shadow, binaural summation and binaural squelch. Measurements were performed after an acclimatization time of at least 10 weeks. Unilateral BCD application was beneficial, but there was less benefit in the patients with congenital UCHL as compared to patients with acquired UCHL. In adults with bilateral hearing loss, bilateral BCD application was clearly beneficial as compared to unilateral BCD application. Binaural summation was present, but binaural squelch could not be proven. To explain the poor results in the patients with congenital UCHL, two factors seemed to be important. First, a critical period in the development of binaural hearing might affect the binaural hearing abilities. Second, crossover stimulation, referring to additional stimulation of the cochlea contralateral to the BCD side, might deteriorate binaural hearing in patients with UCHL. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  12. Hearing aid processing of loud speech and noise signals: Consequences for loudness perception and listening comfort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Erik

    2007-01-01

    sounds, has found that both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners prefer loud sounds to be closer to the most comfortable loudness-level, than suggested by common non-linear fitting rules. During this project, two listening experiments were carried out. In the first experiment, hearing aid users......Hearing aid processing of loud speech and noise signals: Consequences for loudness perception and listening comfort. Sound processing in hearing aids is determined by the fitting rule. The fitting rule describes how the hearing aid should amplify speech and sounds in the surroundings......, such that they become audible again for the hearing impaired person. The general goal is to place all sounds within the hearing aid users’ audible range, such that speech intelligibility and listening comfort become as good as possible. Amplification strategies in hearing aids are in many cases based on empirical...

  13. Hearing Aids and Personal Sound Amplifiers: Know the Difference

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Products For Consumers Home For Consumers Consumer Updates Hearing Aids and Personal Sound Amplifiers: Know the Difference ... that FDA launched today. Signs of Loss of Hearing Mann says that consumers who suspect they suffer ...

  14. Prevalence of Contralateral Hearing Aid Use in Adults with Cochlear Implants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yamaguchi, Cintia Tizue

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The exclusive use of a cochlear implant (CI in one ear allows patients to effectively hear speech in a quiet environment. However, in environments with competing noise, the processing of multiple sounds becomes complex. In an attempt to promote binaural hearing in a noninvasive manner, the use of a hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear is suggested for patients with a unilateral CI. Aims: To identify the prevalence of hearing aid use in the contralateral ear in adults who already have a CI; to determine the reasons why some patients do not use contralateral hearing aids (CHAs; and to analyze the effects of residual hearing in CHA users. Materials and Methods: This is a clinical study in 82 adult patients with CI implants who responded to a questionnaire designed to determine current use of CHA. Results: In our patient sample, 70 CHA nonusers were identified. The prevalence of CHA users was determined to be 12% with a 95% confidence interval of 11 to 13%. About 58.2% of the CHA nonusers reported a lack of noticeable benefit even after wearing hearing aids, and 23.6% reported not having received the option to use a CHA. CHA users had a pure tone average of 107-dB hearing level, whereas CHA nonusers had a pure tone average of 117-dB hearing level. Conclusion: The prevalence of the use of a CHA is low in our study. We attribute the low use of a CHA to either a lack of residual hearing or to a lack of benefit from the amplification.

  15. HIV/AIDS among Adolescents with Hearing Impairment in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AIDS to be elusive; such as prejudice against individuals with hearing impairment, lack of adequate data, exclusion from programmes that talk about sexuality, cultural beliefs, poor knowledge and attitude of adolescents with hearing impairment ...

  16. Induction of bone ingrowth with a micropore bioabsorbable suture anchor in rotator cuff tear: an experimental study in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Yun Gyeong; Kim, Jung-Han; Shin, Jung-Woog; Baik, Jong-Min; Choo, Hye-Jung

    2013-11-01

    The bioabsorbable suture anchor is probably one of the most commonly used tools in arthroscopic shoulder operations. However, there is controversy about whether the bioabsorbable anchor is replaced by bone. The object of this study is to evaluate bone ingrowth into the micropore bioabsorbable suture anchor and the differences in the biomechanical properties of a micropore anchor and a nonpore anchor. A total of 16 microsized holes (diameter, 250 ± 50 μm; depth, 0.2 mm) were made on the bioabsorbable anchors with a microdrill. Twelve adult New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: group A (n = 6), the nonpore bioabsorbable suture anchor group, and group pA (n = 6), the micropore bioabsorbable suture anchor group. Microcomputed tomography was used at 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively to evaluate ingrowth by bone volume fraction (BVF), which was measured by calculating the ratio of the total volume of bone ingrowth to that of the region of interest. For pullout strength testing, 3 additional rabbits (6 limbs) were used for mechanical testing. The mean BVF was higher in group pA (0.288 ± 0.054) than in group A (0.097 ± 0.006). The micropore anchor had a higher pullout strength (0.520 ± 0.294 N) than the nonpore anchor (0.275 ± 0.064 N). Micropore bioabsorbable suture anchors induced bone ingrowth and showed higher pullout strength, despite processing. Copyright © 2013 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Remote hearing aid fitting: Tele-audiology in the context of Brazilian Public Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penteado, Silvio Pires; Ramos, Sueli de Lima; Battistella, Linamara Rizzo; Marone, Silvio Antonio Monteiro; Bento, Ricardo Ferreira

    2012-01-01

    Summary Introduction: Currently, the Brazilian government has certificated nearly 140 specialized centers in hearing aid fittings through the Brazilian National Health System (SUS). Remote fitting through the Internet can allow a broader and more efficient coverage with a higher likelihood of success for patients covered by the SUS, as they can receive fittings from their own homes instead of going to the few and distant specialized centers. Aim: To describe a case of remote fitting between 2 cities, with revision of the literature. Method: Computer gears, a universal interface, and hearing aids were used. Case study: An audiologist located in a specialized center introduced a new hearing aid and its fitting procedure to a remote center (200 km away). The specialized center helped the remote center in fitting a hearing aid in 2 patients, and performed fitting in one of its own patients. The whole process was done through the Internet with audio and video in real time. Results: Three patients were fitted remotely. Three audiologists were remotely trained on how to fit the hearing aids. Conclusions: Remote fitting of hearing aids is possible through the Internet, as well as further supplying technical training to a remote center about the fitting procedures. Such a technological approach can help the government advance public policies on hearing rehabilitation, as patients can be motivated about maintaining their use of hearing aids with the option to ask for help in the comfort of their own homes. PMID:25991960

  18. The Performance-Perceptual Test (PPT) and its relationship to aided reported handicap and hearing aid satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saunders, Gabrielle H; Forsline, Anna

    2006-06-01

    Results of objective clinical tests (e.g., measures of speech understanding in noise) often conflict with subjective reports of hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. The Performance-Perceptual Test (PPT) is an outcome measure in which objective and subjective evaluations are made by using the same test materials, testing format, and unit of measurement (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N), permitting a direct comparison between measured and perceived ability to hear. Two variables are measured: a Performance Speech Reception Threshold in Noise (SRTN) for 50% correct performance and a Perceptual SRTN, which is the S/N at which listeners perceive that they can understand the speech material. A third variable is computed: the Performance-Perceptual Discrepancy (PPDIS); it is the difference between the Performance and Perceptual SRTNs and measures the extent to which listeners "misjudge" their hearing ability. Saunders et al. in 2004 examined the relation between PPT scores and unaided hearing handicap. In this publication, the relations between the PPT, residual aided handicap, and hearing aid satisfaction are described. Ninety-four individuals between the ages of 47 and 86 yr participated. All had symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss and had worn binaural hearing aids for at least 6 wk before participating. All subjects underwent routine audiological examination and completed the PPT, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly/Adults (HHIE/A), and the Satisfaction for Amplification in Daily Life questionnaire. Sixty-five subjects attended one research visit for participation in this study, and 29 attended a second visit to complete the PPT a second time. Performance and Perceptual SRTN and PPDIS scores were normally distributed and showed excellent test-retest reliability. Aided SRTNs were significantly better than unaided SRTNs; aided and unaided PPDIS values did not differ. Stepwise multiple linear regression showed that the PPDIS, the Performance SRTN, and age were

  19. Is AGC beneficial in hearing aids?

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, A B; Martin, M C

    1984-02-01

    Three different functions of Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuits in hearing aids are distinguished and the evidence for their benefits is considered. The value of AGC's function as a relatively distortion-free means of limiting output has been well established. With regard to compression, the benefit of short-term or 'syllabic' compression has not been demonstrated convincingly. Most evaluations of this type of AGC have looked for increase in speech intelligibility, but theoretical predictions of its effect do not appear to take account of the acoustic cues to consonant contrasts actually used by hearing impaired people, and empirical studies have often used listening conditions which do not give a realistic test of benefit. Relatively little attention has been paid to long-term compression, or to the effect of AGC on comfort rather than intelligibility. Listening tests carried out at the RNID and reported here have shown that AGC can benefit hearing aid users by allowing them to listen to a wider range of sound levels without either strain or discomfort, and, if time constants are well chosen, without adverse effects on speech intelligibility in quiet or in noise.

  20. Music preferences with hearing aids: effects of signal properties, compression settings, and listener characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croghan, Naomi B H; Arehart, Kathryn H; Kates, James M

    2014-01-01

    Current knowledge of how to design and fit hearing aids to optimize music listening is limited. Many hearing-aid users listen to recorded music, which often undergoes compression limiting (CL) in the music industry. Therefore, hearing-aid users may experience twofold effects of compression when listening to recorded music: music-industry CL and hearing-aid wide dynamic-range compression (WDRC). The goal of this study was to examine the roles of input-signal properties, hearing-aid processing, and individual variability in the perception of recorded music, with a focus on the effects of dynamic-range compression. A group of 18 experienced hearing-aid users made paired-comparison preference judgments for classical and rock music samples using simulated hearing aids. Music samples were either unprocessed before hearing-aid input or had different levels of music-industry CL. Hearing-aid conditions included linear gain and individually fitted WDRC. Combinations of four WDRC parameters were included: fast release time (50 msec), slow release time (1,000 msec), three channels, and 18 channels. Listeners also completed several psychophysical tasks. Acoustic analyses showed that CL and WDRC reduced temporal envelope contrasts, changed amplitude distributions across the acoustic spectrum, and smoothed the peaks of the modulation spectrum. Listener judgments revealed that fast WDRC was least preferred for both genres of music. For classical music, linear processing and slow WDRC were equally preferred, and the main effect of number of channels was not significant. For rock music, linear processing was preferred over slow WDRC, and three channels were preferred to 18 channels. Heavy CL was least preferred for classical music, but the amount of CL did not change the patterns of WDRC preferences for either genre. Auditory filter bandwidth as estimated from psychophysical tuning curves was associated with variability in listeners' preferences for classical music. Fast

  1. development of microcontroller based binaural digital hearing aids

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    HOD

    but only a small portion of human population seek help and use them [3], though the ... stigma of putting on of digital hearing aid will no longer be there as before. ... 36, No. 3, July 2017 911 aids including the programmability, self-monitoring,.

  2. Hearing aid patients in private practice and public health (Veterans Affairs) clinics: are they different?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Robyn M; Alexander, Genevieve C; Gray, Ginger A

    2005-12-01

    In hearing aid research, it is commonplace to combine data across subjects whose hearing aids were provided in different service delivery models. There is reason to question whether these types of patients are always similar enough to justify this practice. To explore this matter, this investigation evaluated similarities and differences in self-report data obtained from hearing aid patients derived from public health (Veterans Affairs, VA) and private practice (PP) settings. The study was a multisite, cross-sectional survey in which 230 hearing aid patients from VA and PP audiology clinic settings provided self-report data on a collection of questionnaires both before and after the hearing aid fitting. Subjects were all older adults with mild to moderately severe hearing loss. About half of them had previous experience wearing hearing aids. All subjects were fitted with wide-dynamic-range-compression instruments and received similar treatment protocols. Numerous statistically significant differences were observed between the VA and PP subject groups. Before the fitting, VA patients reported higher expectations from the hearing aids and more severe unaided problems compared with PP patients with similar audiograms. Three wks after the fitting, VA patients reported more satisfaction with their hearing aids. On some measures VA patients reported more benefit, but different measures of benefit did not give completely consistent results. Both groups reported using the hearing aids an average of approximately 8 hrs per day. VA patients reported age-normal physical and mental health, but PP patients tended to report better than typical health for their age group. These data indicate that hearing aid patients seen in the VA public health hearing services are systematically different in self-report domains from those seen in private practice services. It is therefore risky to casually combine data from these two types of subjects or to generalize research results from one

  3. How hearing aids, background noise, and visual cues influence objective listening effort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picou, Erin M; Ricketts, Todd A; Hornsby, Benjamin W Y

    2013-09-01

    The purpose of this article was to evaluate factors that influence the listening effort experienced when processing speech for people with hearing loss. Specifically, the change in listening effort resulting from introducing hearing aids, visual cues, and background noise was evaluated. An additional exploratory aim was to investigate the possible relationships between the magnitude of listening effort change and individual listeners' working memory capacity, verbal processing speed, or lipreading skill. Twenty-seven participants with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were fitted with linear behind-the-ear hearing aids and tested using a dual-task paradigm designed to evaluate listening effort. The primary task was monosyllable word recognition and the secondary task was a visual reaction time task. The test conditions varied by hearing aids (unaided, aided), visual cues (auditory-only, auditory-visual), and background noise (present, absent). For all participants, the signal to noise ratio was set individually so that speech recognition performance in noise was approximately 60% in both the auditory-only and auditory-visual conditions. In addition to measures of listening effort, working memory capacity, verbal processing speed, and lipreading ability were measured using the Automated Operational Span Task, a Lexical Decision Task, and the Revised Shortened Utley Lipreading Test, respectively. In general, the effects measured using the objective measure of listening effort were small (~10 msec). Results indicated that background noise increased listening effort, and hearing aids reduced listening effort, while visual cues did not influence listening effort. With regard to the individual variables, verbal processing speed was negatively correlated with hearing aid benefit for listening effort; faster processors were less likely to derive benefit. Working memory capacity, verbal processing speed, and lipreading ability were related to benefit from visual cues. No

  4. Semi-non-intrusive objective intelligibility measure using spatial filtering in hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Charlotte; Boldt, Jesper Bünsow; Gran, Frederik

    2016-01-01

    -intrusive metrics have not been able to achieve acceptable intelligibility predictions. This paper presents a new semi-non-intrusive intelligibility measure based on an existing intrusive measure, STOI, where an estimate of the clean speech is extracted using spatial filtering in the hearing aid. The results......Reliable non-intrusive online assessment of speech intelligibility can play a key role for the functioning of hearing aids, e.g. as guidance for adjusting the hearing aid settings to the environment. While existing intrusive metrics can provide a precise and reliable measure, the current non...

  5. Current amplification models of sensorineurall and conductive hearing loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ostojić Sanja

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The main function of a hearing aid is to improve auditory and language abilities of hearing impaired users. The amplification model has to be adapted according to age, degree and type of hearing loss. The goal of this paper is to analyze the current amplification models of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss which can provide a high quality of speech perception and sounds at any degree of hearing loss. The BAHA is a surgically implantable system for treatment of conductive hearing loss that works through direct bone conduction. BAHA is used to help people with chronic ear infections, congenital external auditory canal atresia and single sided deafness who cannot benefit from conventional hearing aids. The last generation of hearing aid for sensorineural hearing loss is cochlear implant. Bimodal amplification improves binaural hearing. Hearing aids alone do not make listening easier in all situations. The things that can interfere with listening are background noises, distance from a sound and reverberation or echo. The device used most often today is the Frequency Modulated (FM system.

  6. The impact of hearing aids and age-related hearing loss on auditory plasticity across three months - An electrical neuroimaging study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giroud, Nathalie; Lemke, Ulrike; Reich, Philip; Matthes, Katarina L; Meyer, Martin

    2017-09-01

    The present study investigates behavioral and electrophysiological auditory and cognitive-related plasticity in three groups of healthy older adults (60-77 years). Group 1 was moderately hearing-impaired, experienced hearing aid users, and fitted with new hearing aids using non-linear frequency compression (NLFC on); Group 2, also moderately hearing-impaired, used the same type of hearing aids but NLFC was switched off during the entire period of study duration (NLFC off); Group 3 represented individuals with age-appropriate hearing (NHO) as controls, who were not different in IQ, gender, or age from Group 1 and 2. At five measurement time points (M1-M5) across three months, a series of active oddball tasks were administered while EEG was recorded. The stimuli comprised syllables consisting of naturally high-pitched fricatives (/sh/, /s/, and /f/), which are hard to distinguish for individuals with presbycusis. By applying a data-driven microstate approach to obtain global field power (GFP) as a measure of processing effort, the modulations of perceptual (P50, N1, P2) and cognitive-related (N2b, P3b) auditory evoked potentials were calculated and subsequently related to behavioral changes (accuracy and reaction time) across time. All groups improved their performance across time, but NHO showed consistently higher accuracy and faster reaction times than the hearing-impaired groups, especially under difficult conditions. Electrophysiological results complemented this finding by demonstrating longer latencies in the P50 and the N1 peak in hearing aid users. Furthermore, the GFP of cognitive-related evoked potentials decreased from M1 to M2 in the NHO group, while a comparable decrease in the hearing-impaired group was only evident at M5. After twelve weeks of hearing aid use of eight hours each day, we found a significantly lower GFP in the P3b of the group with NLFC on as compared to the group with NLFC off. These findings suggest higher processing effort, as

  7. Factors that influence intent to adopt a hearing aid among older people in Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobelli, Nicola; Gill, Liz; Cassia, Fabio; Ugolini, Marta

    2014-11-01

    Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent health impairments associated with ageing in developed countries, and it can result in social, emotional and communication dysfunction. Hearing loss in Italy is increasing, yet, despite the availability of free hearing aids and access to qualified community-based health professionals specialising in audiology services, their uptake remains low (about 15%-20%). This paper presents an investigation of the possible reasons why older people in Italy resist adopting a hearing aid. We used the literature to identify factors influencing people with hearing loss's decision-making, and drew on the theory of reasoned action to create an explanatory model. To test our hypotheses, we applied a cross-sectional design. We developed a questionnaire including 13 items related to adopting a hearing aid. Health professionals identified 400 persons aged 60-90 who were candidates for a free hearing aid. Those willing to participate were sent a copy of the questionnaire and telephoned between August and September 2009; a total of 243 responded (response rate of 60.8%). Linear regression analysis highlighted that a person's intention to adopt a hearing aid was positively related to their attitude towards its adoption, but negatively linked to their perceived subjective norms. It was found that trust in the health professional does not moderate the relationship between a person's attitude and their intention to adopt a hearing aid, but trust mitigates the relationship between a person's perceived subjective norms and their intentions. These findings underline the importance of the potential role that the healthcare professional could play in reducing the uncertainty created by external social pressures. For this purpose, stronger collaboration between the various health professionals involved in hearing aid provision, from diagnosis to fitting, is recommended. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. FPGA implementation of adaptive beamforming in hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samtani, Kartik; Thomas, Jobin; Varma, G Abhinav; Sumam, David S; Deepu, S P

    2017-07-01

    Beamforming is a spatial filtering technique used in hearing aids to improve target sound reception by reducing interference from other directions. In this paper we propose improvements in an existing architecture present for two omnidirectional microphone array based adaptive beamforming for hearing aid applications and implement the same on Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA using VHDL coding and Xilinx Vivado ® 2015.2. The nulls are introduced in particular directions by combination of two fixed polar patterns. This combination can be adaptively controlled to steer the null in the direction of noise. The beamform patterns and improvements in SNR values obtained from experiments in a conference room environment are analyzed.

  9. Self-reported outcomes of aural rehabilitation for adult hearing aid users in a developing South African context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elaine Pienaar

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Hearing impairment has far reaching consequences for affected individuals, in terms of quality of life indicators. In a developing South African context the hearing impaired population is faced with limited aural rehabilitation services. This study evaluated self-reported outcomes of aural rehabilitation in a group of adults in the public healthcare sector with a standardized outcomes measurement tool (IOI-HA. Sixty-one respondents participated (44% males; 56% females, with a mean age of 69.7 years. Results revealed that the majority of respondents experienced favourable outcomes in all domains of the inventory comprising of: daily use of hearing aids, benefits provided by hearing aids, residual activity limitation, satisfaction with hearing aids, residual participation restriction, impact of hearing difficulties on others, and changes in quality of life. Statistically significant relationships were obtained between the daily use of hearing aids, the degree of hearing loss, and the type of hearing aids fitted, as well as the benefits received from hearing aids in difficult listening environments (p < 0.05. Despite challenges of developing contexts, the mean scores distribution compared positively to similar reports from developed countries. Outcomes of improved quality of life emphasize the importance of providing affordable hearing aids and services to all hearing impaired individuals in South Africa.

  10. A New Probe Noise Approach For Acoustic Feedback Cancellation In Hearing Aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guo, Meng; Jensen, Søren Holdt; Jensen, Jesper

    Acoustic feedback is a big challenge in hearing aids. If not appropriately treated, the feedback limits the maximum possible amplification and may lead to significant sound distortions. In a state-of-the-art hearing aid, an acoustic feedback cancellation (AFC) system is used to compensate...

  11. The Effects of Hearing Aid Directional Microphone and Noise Reduction Processing on Listening Effort in Older Adults with Hearing Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desjardins, Jamie L

    2016-01-01

    Older listeners with hearing loss may exert more cognitive resources to maintain a level of listening performance similar to that of younger listeners with normal hearing. Unfortunately, this increase in cognitive load, which is often conceptualized as increased listening effort, may come at the cost of cognitive processing resources that might otherwise be available for other tasks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent and combined effects of a hearing aid directional microphone and a noise reduction (NR) algorithm on reducing the listening effort older listeners with hearing loss expend on a speech-in-noise task. Participants were fitted with study worn commercially available behind-the-ear hearing aids. Listening effort on a sentence recognition in noise task was measured using an objective auditory-visual dual-task paradigm. The primary task required participants to repeat sentences presented in quiet and in a four-talker babble. The secondary task was a digital visual pursuit rotor-tracking test, for which participants were instructed to use a computer mouse to track a moving target around an ellipse that was displayed on a computer screen. Each of the two tasks was presented separately and concurrently at a fixed overall speech recognition performance level of 50% correct with and without the directional microphone and/or the NR algorithm activated in the hearing aids. In addition, participants reported how effortful it was to listen to the sentences in quiet and in background noise in the different hearing aid listening conditions. Fifteen older listeners with mild sloping to severe sensorineural hearing loss participated in this study. Listening effort in background noise was significantly reduced with the directional microphones activated in the hearing aids. However, there was no significant change in listening effort with the hearing aid NR algorithm compared to no noise processing. Correlation analysis between objective and self

  12. Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy with bone anchor fixation: short-term anatomic and functional results.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Withagen, M.I.J.; Vierhout, M.E.; Mannaerts, G.H.; Weiden, R.M.F. van der

    2012-01-01

    INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to evaluate short-term anatomic and functional outcomes and safety of laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy with bone anchor fixation. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of women undergoing laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy between 2004 and 2009. Anatomic

  13. Strength of bone tunnel versus suture anchor and push-lock construct in Broström repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giza, Eric; Nathe, Ryan; Nathe, Tyler; Anderson, Matthew; Campanelli, Valentina

    2012-06-01

    Operative treatment of mechanical ankle instability is indicated for patients who have had multiple sprains and have continued episodes of instability despite bracing and rehabilitation. Anatomic reconstruction has been shown to have improved outcomes and return to sport as compared with nonanatomic reconstruction. The use of 2 suture anchors and a push-lock anchor is equal to 2 bone tunnels in strength to failure for anatomic Broström repair. Controlled laboratory study. In 7 matched pairs of human cadaver ankles, the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) and anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) were incised from their origin on the fibula. A No. 2 Fiberwire suture was placed into the CFL and a separate suture into the ATFL in a running Krackow fashion with a total of 4 locking loops. In 1 ankle of the matched pair, the ligaments were repaired to their anatomic insertion with bone tunnels. In the other, 2 suture anchors were used to reattach the ligaments to their anatomic origins, and a push-lock was used proximally to reinforce these suture anchors. The ligaments were cyclically loaded 20 times and then tested to failure. Torque to failure, degrees to failure, and stiffness were measured. The authors performed a matched pair analysis. An a priori power analysis of 0.8 demonstrated 6 pairs were needed to show a difference of 30% with a 15% standard error at a significance level of .05. There was no difference in the degrees to failure, torque to failure, and stiffness. A post hoc power analysis of torque to failure showed a power of .89 with 7 samples. Power for initial stiffness was .97 with 7 samples. Eleven of 14 specimens failed at either the suture anchor or the bone tunnel. There is no statistical difference in strength or stiffness for a suture anchor and push-lock construct as compared with a bone tunnel construct for an anatomic repair of the lateral ligaments of the ankle. The use of suture anchors in lateral ligament stabilization allows for a smaller

  14. Objective and subjective outcome of a new transcutaneous bone conduction hearing device

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eberhard, Kristine Elisabeth; Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Miyazaki, Hidemi

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To examine the objective and subjective outcome of a new transcutaneous bone conduction hearing device. Study Design: Prospective, consecutive case series. Patients: Twelve patients were implanted. Eight patients had a conductive/mixed (con/mix) hearing loss. Four had single sided...... to beneficial outcome. In Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale 12, ''quality of hearing'' scored especially high. The con/mix hearing loss group showed larger benefit especially in SDS, SRT50% in noise and the subjective evaluations, whereas frequency and duration of use were similar. Conclusion......: This study on the first 12 Nordic patients implanted with a new transcutaneous bone conduction hearing device demonstrates significant objective, as well as subjective hearing benefit. Patient satisfaction was high, as was the frequency of use....

  15. Enhancement of tendon–bone healing via the combination of biodegradable collagen-loaded nanofibrous membranes and a three-dimensional printed bone-anchoring bolt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chou YC

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Ying-Chao Chou,1,2 Wen-Lin Yeh,2 Chien-Lin Chao,1 Yung-Heng Hsu,1,2 Yi-Hsun Yu,1,2 Jan-Kan Chen,3 Shih-Jung Liu1,2 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chang Gung University, 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 3Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan Abstract: A composite biodegradable polymeric model was developed to enhance tendon graft healing. This model included a biodegradable polylactide (PLA bolt as the bone anchor and a poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA nanofibrous membrane embedded with collagen as a biomimic patch to promote tendon–bone interface integration. Degradation rate and compressive strength of the PLA bolt were measured after immersion in a buffer solution for 3 months. In vitro biochemical characteristics and the nanofibrous matrix were assessed using a water contact angle analyzer, pH meter, and tetrazolium reduction assay. In vivo efficacies of PLGA/collagen nanofibers and PLA bolts for tendon–bone healing were investigated on a rabbit bone tunnel model with histological and tendon pullout tests. The PLGA/collagen-blended nanofibrous membrane was a hydrophilic, stable, and biocompatible scaffold. The PLA bolt was durable for tendon–bone anchoring. Histology showed adequate biocompatibility of the PLA bolt on a medial cortex with progressive bone ingrowth and without tissue overreaction. PLGA nanofibers within the bone tunnel also decreased the tunnel enlargement phenomenon and enhanced tendon–bone integration. Composite polymers of the PLA bolt and PLGA/collagen nanofibrous membrane can effectively promote outcomes of tendon reconstruction in a rabbit model. The composite biodegradable polymeric system may be useful in humans for tendon reconstruction. Keywords: polylactide–polyglycolide nanofibers, PLGA, collagen, 3D printing, polylactide, PLA, bone-anchoring bolts, tendon healing

  16. Perception-Based Personalization of Hearing Aids Using Gaussian Processes and Active Learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jens Brehm; Nielsen, Jakob; Larsen, Jan

    2015-01-01

    Personalization of multi-parameter hearing aids involves an initial fitting followed by a manual knowledge-based trial-and-error fine-tuning from ambiguous verbal user feedback. The result is an often suboptimal HA setting whereby the full potential of modern hearing aids is not utilized. This ar...

  17. Evaluation of the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids in a veteran sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Sherri L; Noe, Colleen M; Alexander, Genevieve C

    2009-06-01

    The International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) was developed as a global hearing aid outcome measure targeting seven outcome domains. The published norms were based on a private-pay sample who were fitted with analog hearing aids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the IOI-HA and to establish normative data in a veteran sample. Survey. The participants were 131 male veterans (mean age of 74.3 years, SD = 7.4) who were issued hearing aids with digital signal processing (DSP). Hearing aids with DSP that were fitted bilaterally between 2005 and 2007. Veterans were mailed two copies of the IOI-HA. The participants were instructed to complete the first copy of the questionnaire immediately and the second copy in two weeks. The completed questionnaires were mailed to the laboratory. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated. As suggested by Cox and colleagues, the participants were divided into two categories based on their unaided subjective hearing difficulty. The two categories were (1) those with less hearing difficulty (none-to-moderate category) and (2) those who report more hearing difficulty (moderately severe+ category). The norms from the current veteran sample then were compared to the original, published sample. For each hearing difficulty category, the critical difference values were calculated for each item and for the total score. A factor analysis showed that the IOI-HA in the veteran sample had the identical subscale structure as reported in the original sample. For the total scale, the internal consistency was good (Chronbach's alpha = 0.83), and the test-retest reliability was high (lambda = 0.94). Group and individual norms were developed for both hearing difficulty categories in the veteran sample. For each IOI-HA item, the critical difference scores were one response unit between two test sessions reflects a true change in outcome for a given domain. The results of this study

  18. Evaluation of long-term patient satisfaction and experience with the Baha(®) bone conduction implant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Jacob; Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Nielsen, Lars Holme

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Evaluate long-term patient satisfaction with bone-anchored hearing aids (the Baha(R), now referred to by Cochlear as a 'bone conduction implant') in our hospital clinic spanning the eighteen-year period from the inception of our Baha program. The researchers further wished to analyse...... the various factors leading to patient satisfaction/dissatisfaction with their Baha. We developed a new questionnaire to obtain a comprehensive impression of individual patient practices, general satisfaction, and experiences with their Baha in respect to time spent using Baha, sound quality, annoyance from...... noise disturbance, ease of communication, cosmetic appearance, and satisfaction with the Baha amongst patient relatives, an aspect not previously investigated. Design: The study design was retrospective and executed as a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed by the authors of this paper...

  19. The effect of hearing aid signal-processing schemes on acceptable noise levels: perception and prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yu-Hsiang; Stangl, Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    The acceptable noise level (ANL) test determines the maximum noise level that an individual is willing to accept while listening to speech. The first objective of the present study was to systematically investigate the effect of wide dynamic range compression processing (WDRC), and its combined effect with digital noise reduction (DNR) and directional processing (DIR), on ANL. Because ANL represents the lowest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that a listener is willing to accept, the second objective was to examine whether the hearing aid output SNR could predict aided ANL across different combinations of hearing aid signal-processing schemes. Twenty-five adults with sensorineural hearing loss participated in the study. ANL was measured monaurally in two unaided and seven aided conditions, in which the status of the hearing aid processing schemes (enabled or disabled) and the location of noise (front or rear) were manipulated. The hearing aid output SNR was measured for each listener in each condition using a phase-inversion technique. The aided ANL was predicted by unaided ANL and hearing aid output SNR, under the assumption that the lowest acceptable SNR at the listener's eardrum is a constant across different ANL test conditions. Study results revealed that, on average, WDRC increased (worsened) ANL by 1.5 dB, while DNR and DIR decreased (improved) ANL by 1.1 and 2.8 dB, respectively. Because the effects of WDRC and DNR on ANL were opposite in direction but similar in magnitude, the ANL of linear/DNR-off was not significantly different from that of WDRC/DNR-on. The results further indicated that the pattern of ANL change across different aided conditions was consistent with the pattern of hearing aid output SNR change created by processing schemes. Compared with linear processing, WDRC creates a noisier sound image and makes listeners less willing to accept noise. However, this negative effect on noise acceptance can be offset by DNR, regardless of microphone mode

  20. Data mining of audiology patient records: factors influencing the choice of hearing aid type

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background This paper describes the analysis of a database of over 180,000 patient records, collected from over 23,000 patients, by the hearing aid clinic at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, UK. These records consist of audiograms (graphs of the faintest sounds audible to the patient at six different pitches), categorical data (such as age, gender, diagnosis and hearing aid type) and brief free text notes made by the technicians. This data is mined to determine which factors contribute to the decision to fit a BTE (worn behind the ear) hearing aid as opposed to an ITE (worn in the ear) hearing aid. Methods From PCA (principal component analysis) four main audiogram types are determined, and are related to the type of hearing aid chosen. The effects of age, gender, diagnosis, masker, mould and individual audiogram frequencies are combined into a single model by means of logistic regression. Some significant keywords are also discovered in the free text fields by using the chi-squared (χ2) test, which can also be used in the model. The final model can act a decision support tool to help decide whether an individual patient should be offered a BTE or an ITE hearing aid. Results The final model was tested using 5-fold cross validation, and was able to replicate the decisions of audiologists whether to fit an ITE or a BTE hearing aid with precision in the range 0.79 to 0.87. Conclusions A decision support system was produced to predict the type of hearing aid which should be prescribed, with an explanation facility explaining how that decision was arrived at. This system should prove useful in providing a "second opinion" for audiologists. PMID:22595091

  1. Neurodynamic evaluation of hearing aid features using EEG correlates of listening effort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernarding, Corinna; Strauss, Daniel J; Hannemann, Ronny; Seidler, Harald; Corona-Strauss, Farah I

    2017-06-01

    In this study, we propose a novel estimate of listening effort using electroencephalographic data. This method is a translation of our past findings, gained from the evoked electroencephalographic activity, to the oscillatory EEG activity. To test this technique, electroencephalographic data from experienced hearing aid users with moderate hearing loss were recorded, wearing hearing aids. The investigated hearing aid settings were: a directional microphone combined with a noise reduction algorithm in a medium and a strong setting, the noise reduction setting turned off, and a setting using omnidirectional microphones without any noise reduction. The results suggest that the electroencephalographic estimate of listening effort seems to be a useful tool to map the exerted effort of the participants. In addition, the results indicate that a directional processing mode can reduce the listening effort in multitalker listening situations.

  2. The Effect of Functional Hearing and Hearing Aid Usage on Verbal Reasoning in a Large Community-Dwelling Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keidser, Gitte; Rudner, Mary; Seeto, Mark; Hygge, Staffan; Rönnberg, Jerker

    2016-01-01

    Verbal reasoning performance is an indicator of the ability to think constructively in everyday life and relies on both crystallized and fluid intelligence. This study aimed to determine the effect of functional hearing on verbal reasoning when controlling for age, gender, and education. In addition, the study investigated whether hearing aid usage mitigated the effect and examined different routes from hearing to verbal reasoning. Cross-sectional data on 40- to 70-year-old community-dwelling participants from the UK Biobank resource were accessed. Data consisted of behavioral and subjective measures of functional hearing, assessments of numerical and linguistic verbal reasoning, measures of executive function, and demographic and lifestyle information. Data on 119,093 participants who had completed hearing and verbal reasoning tests were submitted to multiple regression analyses, and data on 61,688 of these participants, who had completed additional cognitive tests and provided relevant lifestyle information, were submitted to structural equation modeling. Poorer performance on the behavioral measure of functional hearing was significantly associated with poorer verbal reasoning in both the numerical and linguistic domains (p reasoning. Functional hearing significantly interacted with education (p reasoning among those with a higher level of formal education. Among those with poor hearing, hearing aid usage had a significant positive, but not necessarily causal, effect on both numerical and linguistic verbal reasoning (p reasoning and showed that controlling for executive function eliminated the effect. However, when computer usage was controlled for, the eliminating effect of executive function was weakened. Poor functional hearing was associated with poor verbal reasoning in a 40- to 70-year-old community-dwelling population after controlling for age, gender, and education. The effect of functional hearing on verbal reasoning was significantly reduced among

  3. On the dynamics of the preference-performance relation for hearing aid noise reduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fischer, Rosa-Linde; Wagener, Kirsten C.; Vormann, Matthias

    on the data collected during the first laboratory assessment of the study. In particular, the influence of hearing aid experience and individual noise sensitivity on the preference-performance relation will be presented and discussed. REFERENCES S. Getzmann, E. Wascher and M. Falkenstein (2015). "What does......Previous research has shown that hearing aid users can differ substantially in their preference for noise reduction (NR) strength, and that preference for and speech recognition with NR processing typically are not correlated (e.g. Neher 2014; Serman et al. 2016). In other words, hearing aid users...... may prefer a certain NR setting, but perform better with a different one. The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of individual noise sensitivity, hearing aid experience and acclimatization on the preference-performance relation for different NR settings. For this purpose...

  4. Vowel production of Mandarin-speaking hearing aid users with different types of hearing loss.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Chen Hung

    Full Text Available In contrast with previous research focusing on cochlear implants, this study examined the speech performance of hearing aid users with conductive (n = 11, mixed (n = 10, and sensorineural hearing loss (n = 7 and compared it with the speech of hearing control. Speech intelligibility was evaluated by computing the vowel space area defined by the Mandarin Chinese corner vowels /a, u, i/. The acoustic differences between the vowels were assessed using the Euclidean distance. The results revealed that both the conductive and mixed hearing loss groups exhibited a reduced vowel working space, but no significant difference was found between the sensorineural hearing loss and normal hearing groups. An analysis using the Euclidean distance further showed that the compression of vowel space area in conductive hearing loss can be attributed to the substantial lowering of the second formant of /i/. The differences in vowel production between groups are discussed in terms of the occlusion effect and the signal transmission media of various hearing devices.

  5. The Effects of Hearing Aids on Localization of White Noise by Blind Subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergen, Bruce R.

    1980-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to observe the effects of hearing aids on the ability of 20 blind veterans to localize white noise. In all cases, Ss performed more poorly on a localization task while wearing a hearing aid. (Author)

  6. Speech perception benefits of FM and infrared devices to children with hearing aids in a typical classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Karen L; Goldstein, Howard

    2004-04-01

    Children typically learn in classroom environments that have background noise and reverberation that interfere with accurate speech perception. Amplification technology can enhance the speech perception of students who are hard of hearing. This study used a single-subject alternating treatments design to compare the speech recognition abilities of children who are, hard of hearing when they were using hearing aids with each of three frequency modulated (FM) or infrared devices. Eight 9-12-year-olds with mild to severe hearing loss repeated Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) sentence lists under controlled conditions in a typical kindergarten classroom with a background noise level of +10 dB signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and 1.1 s reverberation time. Participants listened to HINT lists using hearing aids alone and hearing aids in combination with three types of S/N-enhancing devices that are currently used in mainstream classrooms: (a) FM systems linked to personal hearing aids, (b) infrared sound field systems with speakers placed throughout the classroom, and (c) desktop personal sound field FM systems. The infrared ceiling sound field system did not provide benefit beyond that provided by hearing aids alone. Desktop and personal FM systems in combination with personal hearing aids provided substantial improvements in speech recognition. This information can assist in making S/N-enhancing device decisions for students using hearing aids. In a reverberant and noisy classroom setting, classroom sound field devices are not beneficial to speech perception for students with hearing aids, whereas either personal FM or desktop sound field systems provide listening benefits.

  7. Computational reduction techniques for numerical vibro-acoustic analysis of hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Creixell Mediante, Ester

    . In this thesis, several challenges encountered in the process of modelling and optimizing hearing aids are addressed. Firstly, a strategy for modelling the contacts between plastic parts for harmonic analysis is developed. Irregularities in the contact surfaces, inherent to the manufacturing process of the parts....... Secondly, the applicability of Model Order Reduction (MOR) techniques to lower the computational complexity of hearing aid vibro-acoustic models is studied. For fine frequency response calculation and optimization, which require solving the numerical model repeatedly, a computational challenge...... is encountered due to the large number of Degrees of Freedom (DOFs) needed to represent the complexity of the hearing aid system accurately. In this context, several MOR techniques are discussed, and an adaptive reduction method for vibro-acoustic optimization problems is developed as a main contribution. Lastly...

  8. Auditory-model based assessment of the effects of hearing loss and hearing-aid compression on spectral and temporal resolution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kowalewski, Borys; MacDonald, Ewen; Strelcyk, Olaf

    2016-01-01

    . However, due to the complexity of speech and its robustness to spectral and temporal alterations, the effects of DRC on speech perception have been mixed and controversial. The goal of the present study was to obtain a clearer understanding of the interplay between hearing loss and DRC by means......Most state-of-the-art hearing aids apply multi-channel dynamic-range compression (DRC). Such designs have the potential to emulate, at least to some degree, the processing that takes place in the healthy auditory system. One way to assess hearing-aid performance is to measure speech intelligibility....... Outcomes were simulated using the auditory processing model of Jepsen et al. (2008) with the front end modified to include effects of hearing impairment and DRC. The results were compared to experimental data from normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners....

  9. Effects of acoustical stimuli delivered through hearing aids on tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweetow, Robert W; Sabes, Jennifer Henderson

    2010-01-01

    The use of acoustic signals to mask, mix with, or ease the distress associated with tinnitus has been clinically employed for decades. It has been proposed that expanding acoustic options for tinnitus sufferers due to personal preferences is desirable. Fractal tones incorporate many useful characteristics of music while avoiding certain features that could be distracting to some individuals. To assess the effects on relaxation, tinnitus annoyance, tinnitus handicap, and tinnitus reaction from the use of a hearing aid that incorporates combinations of amplification, fractal tones, and white noise. Participants listened to experimental hearing aids containing several acoustic options and were asked to rate the signals in terms of their effect on relaxation and tinnitus annoyance. They subsequently wore the hearing aids for 6 mo and completed tinnitus handicap and reaction scales. Fourteen hearing-impaired adults with primary complaints of subjective tinnitus. Participants were tested wearing hearing aids containing several programs including amplification only, fractal tones only, and a combination of amplification, noise, and/or fractal tones. The fractal tones (now commercially available as the "Zen" feature) were generated by the Widex Mind hearing aid. Rating procedures were conducted in the laboratory, and tinnitus reaction and handicap were assessed during and following a 6 mo field trial. Data were collected at the initial visit, one week, 1 mo, 3 mo, and 6 mo. Nonparametric statistics included Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank, chi(2), and repeated-measures analyses of variance. Thirteen of 14 participants reported that their tinnitus annoyance, as measured by the Tinnitus Annoyance Scale, was reduced for at least one of the amplified conditions (with or without fractal tones or noise), relative to the unaided condition. Nine assigned a lower tinnitus annoyance rating when listening to fractal tones alone versus the amplification-alone condition. There was a

  10. [A temporal bone CT study of the infants with hearing loss referred from universal newborn hearing screening].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Zheng; Li, Yun; Hou, Zheng; Cheng, Lan

    2007-02-01

    To explore the high resolution CT image of temporal bone in infants with hearing loss, and its value in evaluating the cause of hearing loss. In 2005, 0.12 million newborns have been included in the hearing screening system in Shanghai, and 1077 infants have failed to pass the hearing screening. One hundred and eight four infants were diagnosed as congenital hearing loss from mild to profound. A temporal bone HRCT scanning was performed to these infants. Among the 184 patients with congenital hearing loss, HRCT showed that 26 cases (14.1%) were associated with external ear malformation, and 21 cases (11.4%) were associated with middle ear malformation, 31 cases (16.8%) associated with inner ear malformation. The patients with inner ear malformation included 12 cases with Mondini malformation, 1 case with common cavity malformation, 6 cases with large vestibule malformation, 5 cases with internal auditory canal abnormalities, and 10 cases with vestibule, semicircular canals abnormalities. In addition, there were 20 cases (10.8%) with fluid in middle ear. HRCT image play an important role in the differential diagnosis and treatment of infants with congenital hearing loss.

  11. Towards Cognizant Hearing Aids: Modeling of Content, Affect and Attention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karadogan, Seliz

    Hearing aids improved significantly after the integration of advanced digital signal processing applications. This improvement will continue and evolve through obtaining intelligent, individualized hearing aids integrating top-down (knowledge-based) and bottom-up (signal-based) approaches by making...... use of research done within cognitive science that is the interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence bringing together various disciplines including Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Psychology, and Neuroscience. This thesis focuses on three subjects within cognitive science related to hearing...... attention is studied. A computational top-down attention model is presented and behavioral experiments are carried out to investigate the role of top-down task driven attention in the cocktail party problem. Finally, automatic emotion recognition from speech is studied using a dimensional approach...

  12. Web-based auditory self-training system for adult and elderly users of hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitti, Simone Virginia; Blasca, Wanderléia Quinhoneiro; Sigulem, Daniel; Torres Pisa, Ivan

    2015-01-01

    Adults and elderly users of hearing aids suffer psychosocial reactions as a result of hearing loss. Auditory rehabilitation is typically carried out with support from a speech therapist, usually in a clinical center. For these cases, there is a lack of computer-based self-training tools for minimizing the psychosocial impact of hearing deficiency. To develop and evaluate a web-based auditory self-training system for adult and elderly users of hearing aids. Two modules were developed for the web system: an information module based on guidelines for using hearing aids; and an auditory training module presenting a sequence of training exercises for auditory abilities along the lines of the auditory skill steps within auditory processing. We built aweb system using PHP programming language and a MySQL database .from requirements surveyed through focus groups that were conducted by healthcare information technology experts. The web system was evaluated by speech therapists and hearing aid users. An initial sample of 150 patients at DSA/HRAC/USP was defined to apply the system with the inclusion criteria that: the individuals should be over the age of 25 years, presently have hearing impairment, be a hearing aid user, have a computer and have internet experience. They were divided into two groups: a control group (G1) and an experimental group (G2). These patients were evaluated clinically using the HHIE for adults and HHIA for elderly people, before and after system implementation. A third web group was formed with users who were invited through social networks for their opinions on using the system. A questionnaire evaluating hearing complaints was given to all three groups. The study hypothesis considered that G2 would present greater auditory perception, higher satisfaction and fewer complaints than G1 after the auditory training. It was expected that G3 would have fewer complaints regarding use and acceptance of the system. The web system, which was named Sis

  13. Bone suture anchor fixation in the lower extremity: a review of insertion principles and a comparative biomechanical evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scranton, Pierce E; Lawhon, S Michael; McDermott, John E

    2005-07-01

    Suture anchors have been developed for the fixation of ligaments, capsules, or tendons to bone. These devices have led to improved fixation, smaller incisions, earlier limb mobility, and improved outcomes. They were originally developed for use in shoulder reconstructions but are now used in almost all extremities. In the lower leg they are used in the tibia, the talus, the calcaneus, tarsal bones, and phalanges. Nevertheless, techniques for insertion and mechanisms of failure are not well described. Five suture anchors were studied to determine the pullout strength in four distal cadaver femurs and four proximal cadaver tibias from 55- and 62-year-old males. Eight hundred ninety Newton line was used, testing the anchors to failure with an Instron testing device (Instron, Norwood, MA). The anchor devices were inserted randomly and tested blindly (12 tests per anchor device, 60 tests in all). Two anchors in each group tested failed at low loads. Both types of plastic anchors had failures at the eyelet. Average pullout strength varied from 85.4 to 185.6 N. Insertion techniques are specific for each device, and they must be followed for optimal fixation. In this study, in all five groups of anchors tested two of the 12 anchors in each group failed with minimal force. On the basis of this finding we recommend that, if suture anchor fixation is necessary, at least two anchors should be used. Since there appears to be a percentage of failure in all devices, the second anchor can serve as a backup. It is imperative that surgeons be familiar with the insertion techniques of each device before use.

  14. Self-Fitting Hearing Aids: Status Quo and Future Predictions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keidser, Gitte; Convery, Elizabeth

    2016-04-12

    A self-contained, self-fitting hearing aid (SFHA) is a device that enables the user to perform both threshold measurements leading to a prescribed hearing aid setting and fine-tuning, without the need for audiological support or access to other equipment. The SFHA has been proposed as a potential solution to address unmet hearing health care in developing countries and remote locations in the developed world and is considered a means to lower cost and increase uptake of hearing aids in developed countries. This article reviews the status of the SFHA and the evidence for its feasibility and challenges and predicts where it is heading. Devices that can be considered partly or fully self-fitting without audiological support were identified in the direct-to-consumer market. None of these devices are considered self-contained as they require access to other hardware such as a proprietary interface, computer, smartphone, or tablet for manipulation. While there is evidence that self-administered fitting processes can provide valid and reliable results, their success relies on user-friendly device designs and interfaces and easy-to-interpret instructions. Until these issues have been sufficiently addressed, optional assistance with the self-fitting process and on-going use of SFHAs is recommended. Affordability and a sustainable delivery system remain additional challenges for the SFHA in developing countries. Future predictions include a growth in self-fitting products, with most future SFHAs consisting of earpieces that connect wirelessly with a smartphone and providers offering assistance through a telehealth infrastructure, and the integration of SFHAs into the traditional hearing health-care model. © The Author(s) 2016.

  15. Consumer preferences for hearing aid attributes: a comparison of rating and conjoint analysis methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridges, John F P; Lataille, Angela T; Buttorff, Christine; White, Sharon; Niparko, John K

    2012-03-01

    Low utilization of hearing aids has drawn increased attention to the study of consumer preferences using both simple ratings (e.g., Likert scale) and conjoint analyses, but these two approaches often produce inconsistent results. The study aims to directly compare Likert scales and conjoint analysis in identifying important attributes associated with hearing aids among those with hearing loss. Seven attributes of hearing aids were identified through qualitative research: performance in quiet settings, comfort, feedback, frequency of battery replacement, purchase price, water and sweat resistance, and performance in noisy settings. The preferences of 75 outpatients with hearing loss were measured with both a 5-point Likert scale and with 8 paired-comparison conjoint tasks (the latter being analyzed using OLS [ordinary least squares] and logistic regression). Results were compared by examining implied willingness-to-pay and Pearson's Rho. A total of 56 respondents (75%) provided complete responses. Two thirds of respondents were male, most had sensorineural hearing loss, and most were older than 50; 44% of respondents had never used a hearing aid. Both methods identified improved performance in noisy settings as the most valued attribute. Respondents were twice as likely to buy a hearing aid with better functionality in noisy environments (p < .001), and willingness to pay for this attribute ranged from US$2674 on the Likert to US$9000 in the conjoint analysis. The authors find a high level of concordance between the methods-a result that is in stark contrast with previous research. The authors conclude that their result stems from constraining the levels on the Likert scale.

  16. Atitudes frente às próteses auditivas Attitudes towards hearing aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bárbara Guimarães Bastos

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: avaliar as atitudes frente à deficiência auditiva e o aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI em candidatos e usuários destes dispositivos. Verificar se existe relação entre tais atitudes e os dados demográficos, audiométricos e características do AASI. MÉTODOS: 63 indivíduos (35 homens e 28 mulheres, idade média de 64,3 anos com deficiência auditiva neurossensorial bilateral de diferentes graus, candidatos e usuários de AASI responderam o "Questionário de Atitudes Frente à Deficiência Auditiva" (ALHQ v3.0. Foi analisada a distribuição da pontuação das subescalas do ALHQ e realizada a correlação entre estas e os dados demográficos, audiológicos e da adaptação do AASI dos participantes. Foram também realizadas comparações da pontuação do ALHQ entre os grupos de candidatos e usuários, entre homens e mulheres. RESULTADOS: não houve distribuição normal das respostas nas subescalas do ALHQ. Não houve correlações entre a pontuação do ALHQ com os dados demográficos e audiológicos. Foram verificadas correlações fracas e significativas entre as subescalas do questionário: "estratégias negativas" e "estima" (rho=-0,39, "negação" e "estima" (rho=-0,27, "estratégias negativas" e "associações negativas" (rho=0,25 e "negação" e "estratégias negativas" (rho=-0,30. Houve diferença significativa nas subescalas estratégias negativas (p=0,02 e associações negativas (p=0,00 entre o grupo de candidatos e usuários. Não houve diferença na pontuação entre homens e mulheres. CONCLUSÃO: a existência de atitudes negativas frente à deficiência auditiva e ao uso do AASI reforça a necessidade do aconselhamento de ajuste pessoal incluído no processo de adaptação do AASI em adultos e idosos. É necessário validar o questionário traduzido para o português brasileiro.PURPOSE: to evaluate the attitudes towards hearing loss and hearing aids in a group of hearing aid candidates and users

  17. Application of the Consumer Decision-Making Model to Hearing Aid Adoption in First-Time Users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amlani, Amyn M

    2016-05-01

    Since 1980, hearing aid adoption rates have remained essentially the same, increasing at a rate equal to the organic growth of the population. Researchers have used theoretical models from psychology and sociology to determine those factors or constructs that lead to the adoption of hearing aids by first-time impaired listeners entering the market. In this article, a theoretical model, the Consumer Decision-Making Model (CDM), premised on the neobehavioral approach that considers an individual's psychological and cognitive emphasis toward a product or service, is described. Three theoretical models (i.e., transtheoretical, social model of disability, Health Belief Model), and their relevant findings to the hearing aid market, are initially described. The CDM is then presented, along with supporting evidence of the model's various factors from the hearing aid literature. Future applications of the CDM to hearing health care also are discussed.

  18. The Effects of Unilateral Adaptation of Hearing Aids on Symptoms of Depression and Social Activity Constraints of Elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santos, Fernanda Dutra dos

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Hearing loss is one of the most common problems in the elderly population. Besides compromising oral communication, it directly affects social relations and prevents elderly patients from living actively in society, possibly leading to the onset of depression or other conditions. Objective To analyze the effects of unilateral adaptation of hearing aids on symptoms of depression and the social activity constraints of elderly subjects with hearing impairment. Methods The sample consisted of elderly subjects with hearing loss who did not use hearing aids. Data were collected in two phases. Initially, all participants underwent an audiological assessment and answered the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly (summarized version and the Geriatric Depression Scale. All subjects participated in the selection and hearing aid adaptation processes and became monaural hearing aid users. After 30 days of hearing aid use, they were assessed with the same instruments. The results of the questionnaires before and after hearing aid adaptation were compared. Results The sample consisted of 13 individuals, between 60 and 90 years old (mean 72.85 ± 11.05 years. Data analysis showed that there was significant improvement in social activity constraints (p < 0.001 and in symptoms of depression (p = 0.031. Conclusion Results show that, in the sample studied, unilateral hearing aid adaptation reduced social activity constraints and depression symptoms.

  19. Development of a multimedia educational programme for first-time hearing aid users: a participatory design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, Melanie; Leighton, Paul; Brandreth, Marian; Wharrad, Heather

    2018-05-02

    To develop content for a series of interactive video tutorials (or reusable learning objects, RLOs) for first-time adult hearing aid users, to enhance knowledge of hearing aids and communication. RLO content was based on an electronically-delivered Delphi review, workshops, and iterative peer-review and feedback using a mixed-methods participatory approach. An expert panel of 33 hearing healthcare professionals, and workshops involving 32 hearing aid users and 11 audiologists. This ensured that social, emotional and practical experiences of the end-user alongside clinical validity were captured. Content for evidence-based, self-contained RLOs based on pedagogical principles was developed for delivery via DVD for television, PC or internet. Content was developed based on Delphi review statements about essential information that reached consensus (≥90%), visual representations of relevant concepts relating to hearing aids and communication, and iterative peer-review and feedback of content. This participatory approach recognises and involves key stakeholders in the design process to create content for a user-friendly multimedia educational intervention, to supplement the clinical management of first-time hearing aid users. We propose participatory methodologies are used in the development of content for e-learning interventions in hearing-related research and clinical practice.

  20. Comparison of phonological awareness between children with cochlear implants and children with hearing aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzad Weisi

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Advanced phonological skills are important for the acquisition of reading skills. Children with hearing impairment have reading skills are weaker than others because of auditory inputs and due to the defect in phonological skills. The use of hearing aids and cochlear implants help to collect information on people who are hard of hearing.Material and Methods: This descriptive - analytic study was done on 12 children with cochlear implant and 12 children with hearing aids that was selected from second grades students of Tehran primary schools. Children's phonological performance was assessed by phonological subtests of Nama reading test and the data were analyzed using SPSS 16.Results: The results showed that the means of scores of children with cochlear implants in Rhyme task were significantly greater than the children with hearing aids (P=0.034. But in means of scores of Phone deletion and Nonword reading tasks were not significant different between two groups (P=0.919, P=0.670.Discussion: Cochlear implant with accessibility auditory inputs can facilitated the acquisition of phonological awareness skills in hearing loss children. But whereas the other language inputs such as sight and touch input helped to developing these skills, children with hearing aids too also can acquisition these skills.

  1. Comparison of Suture-Based Anchors and Traditional Bioabsorbable Anchors in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hembree, W Chad; Tsai, Michael A; Parks, Brent G; Miller, Stuart D

    We compared the pullout strength of a suture-based anchor versus a bioabsorbable anchor in the distal fibula and calcaneus and evaluated the relationship between bone mineral density and peak load to failure. Eight paired cadaveric specimens underwent a modified Broström procedure and Achilles tendon reattachment. The fibula and calcaneus in the paired specimens received either a suture-based anchor or a bioabsorbable suture anchor. The fibular and calcaneal specimens were loaded to failure, defined as a substantial decrease in the applied load or pullout from the bone. In the fibula, the peak load to failure was significantly greater with the suture-based versus the bioabsorbable anchors (133.3 ± 41.8 N versus 76.8 ± 35.3 N; p = .002). No significant difference in load with 5 mm of displacement was found between the 2 groups. In the calcaneus, no difference in the peak load to failure was found between the 2 groups, and the peak load to failure with 5 mm of displacement was significantly lower with the suture-based than with the bioabsorbable anchors (52.2 ± 9.8 N versus 75.9 ± 12.4 N; p = .003). Bone mineral density and peak load to failure were significantly correlated in the fibula with the suture-based anchor. An innovative suture-based anchor had a greater peak load to failure compared with a bioabsorbable anchor in the fibula. In the calcaneus, the load at 5 mm of displacement was significantly lower in the suture-based than in the bioabsorbable group. The correlation findings might indicate the need for a cortical bone shelf with the suture-based anchor. Suture-based anchors could be a viable alternative to bioabsorbable anchors for certain foot and ankle procedures. Copyright © 2016 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Using a reflection model for modeling the dynamic feedback path of digital hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Guilin; Gran, Fredrik; Jacobsen, Finn

    2010-01-01

    Feedback whistling is one of the severe problems with hearing aids, especially in dynamic situations when the users hug, pick up a telephone, etc. This paper investigates the properties of the dynamic feedback paths of digital hearing aids and proposes a model based on a reflection assumption...... gain. The method is also extended to dual-microphone hearing aids to assess the possibility of relating the two dynamic feedback paths through the reflection model. However, it is found that in a complicated acoustic environment, the relation between the two feedback paths can be very intricate...

  3. Costs and health effects of screening and delivery of hearing aids in Tamil Nadu, India: an observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Job Anand

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The burden of disease of hearing disorders among adults is high, but a significant part goes undetected. Screening programs in combination with the delivery of hearing aids can alleviate this situation, but the economic attractiveness of such programs is unknown. This study aims to evaluate the population-level costs, effects and cost-effectiveness of alternative delivering hearing aids models in Tamil Nadu, India Methods In an observational study design, we estimated total costs and effects of two active screening programs in the community in combination with the provision of hearing aids at secondary care level, and the costs and effects of the provision of hearing aids at tertiary care level. Screening and hearing aid delivery costs were estimated on the basis of program records and an empirical assessment of health personnel time input. Household costs for seeking and undergoing hearing health care were collected with a questionnaire (see Additional file 2. Health effects were estimated on the basis of compliance with the hearing aid, and associated changes in disability, and were expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs averted. Results Active screening and provision of hearing aids at the secondary care level costs around Rs.7,000 (US$152 per patient, whereas provision of hearing aids at the tertiary care level costs Rs 5,693 (US$122 per patient. The cost per DALY averted was around RS 42,200 (US$900 at secondary care level and Rs 33,900 (US$720 at tertiary care level. The majority of people did consult other providers before being screened in the community. Costs of food and transport ranged between Rs. 2 (US$0,04 and Rs. 39 (US$0,83. Conclusion Active screening and provision of hearing aids at the secondary care level is slightly more costly than passive screening and fitting of hearing aids at the tertiary care level, but seems also able to reach a higher coverage of hearing aids services. Although crude

  4. Sex-specific predictors of hearing-aid use in older persons: The age, gene/environment susceptibility - Reykjavik study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Diana E.; Li, Chuan-Ming; Hoffman, Howard J.; Chiu, May S.; Themann, Christa L.; Petersen, Hannes; Jonsson, Palmi V.; Jonsson, Helgi; Jonasson, Fridbert; Sverrisdottir, Johanna Eyrun; Launer, Lenore J.; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Cotch, Mary Frances

    2015-01-01

    Objective We estimate the prevalence of hearing-aid use in Iceland and identify sex-specific factors associated with use. Design Population-based cohort study. Study sample A total of 5172 age, gene/environment susceptibility - Reykjavik study (AGES-RS) participants, aged 67 to 96 years (mean age 76.5 years), who completed air-conduction and pure-tone audiometry. Results Hearing-aid use was reported by 23.0% of men and 15.9% of women in the cohort, although among participants with at least moderate hearing loss in the better ear (pure-tone average [PTA] of thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz ≥ 35 dB hearing level [HL]) it was 49.9% and did not differ by sex. Self-reported hearing loss was the strongest predictor of hearing-aid use in men [OR: 2.68 (95% CI: 1.77, 4.08)] and women [OR: 3.07 (95% CI: 1.94, 4.86)], followed by hearing loss severity based on audiometry. Having diabetes or osteoarthritis were significant positive predictors of use in men, whereas greater physical activity and unimpaired cognitive status were important in women. Conclusions Hearing-aid use was comparable in Icelandic men and women with moderate or greater hearing loss. Self-recognition of hearing loss was the factor most predictive of hearing-aid use; other influential factors differed for men and women. PMID:25816699

  5. Maximum likelihood based multi-channel isotropic reverberation reduction for hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kuklasiński, Adam; Doclo, Simon; Jensen, Søren Holdt

    2014-01-01

    We propose a multi-channel Wiener filter for speech dereverberation in hearing aids. The proposed algorithm uses joint maximum likelihood estimation of the speech and late reverberation spectral variances, under the assumption that the late reverberant sound field is cylindrically isotropic....... The dereverberation performance of the algorithm is evaluated using computer simulations with realistic hearing aid microphone signals including head-related effects. The algorithm is shown to work well with signals reverberated both by synthetic and by measured room impulse responses, achieving improvements...

  6. A Qualitative Case Study of Smartphone-Connected Hearing Aids: Influences on Patients, Clinicians, and Patient-Clinician Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Stella L; Phelan, Shanon; Leonard, MaryAnn; Galster, Jason

    2017-06-01

    Innovations in hearing aid technology influence clinicians and individuals who use hearing aids. Little research, to date, explains the innovation adoption experiences and perspectives of clinicians and patients, which matter to a field like audiology, wherein technology innovation is constant. By understanding clinician and patient experiences with such innovations, the field of audiology may develop technologies and ways of practicing in a manner more responsive to patients' needs, and attentive to society's influence. The authors aimed to understand how new innovations influence clinician and patient experiences, through a study focusing on connected hearing aids. "Connected" refers to the wireless functional connection of hearing aids with everyday technologies like mobile phones and tablets. The authors used a qualitative collective case study methodology, borrowing from constructivist grounded theory for data collection and analysis methods. Specifically, the authors designed a collective case study of a connected hearing aid and smartphone application, composed of two cases of experience with the innovation: the case of clinician experiences, and the case of patient experiences. The qualitative sampling methods employed were case sampling, purposive within-case sampling, and theoretical sampling, and culminated in a total collective case n = 19 (clinician case n = 8; patient case n = 11). These data were triangulated with a supplementary sample of ten documents: relevant news and popular media collected during the study time frame. The authors conducted interviews with the patients and clinicians, and analyzed the interview and document data using the constant comparative method. The authors compared their two cases by looking at trends within, between, and across cases. The clinician case highlighted clinicians' heuristic-based candidacy judgments in response to the adoption of the connected hearing aids into their practice. The patient case revealed

  7. Hearing aid processing strategies for listeners with different auditory profiles: Insights from the BEAR project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Mengfan; El-Haj-Ali, Mouhamad; Sanchez Lopez, Raul

    hearing aid settings that differed in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement and temporal and spectral speech distortions were selected for testing based on a comprehensive technical evaluation of different parameterisations of the hearing aid simulator. Speech-in-noise perception was assessed...... stimulus comparison paradigm. RESULTS We hypothesize that the perceptual outcomes from the six hearing aid settings will differ across listeners with different auditory profiles. More specifically, we expect listeners showing high sensitivity to temporal and spectral differences to perform best with and....../or to favour hearing aid settings that preserve those cues. In contrast, we expect listeners showing low sensitivity to temporal and spectral differences to perform best with and/or to favour settings that maximize SNR improvement, independent of any additional speech distortions. Altogether, we anticipate...

  8. Investigating the Impact of Hearing Aid Use and Auditory Training on Cognition, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Interaction in Adults With Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Crossover Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nkyekyer, Joanna; Meyer, Denny; Blamey, Peter J; Pipingas, Andrew; Bhar, Sunil

    2018-03-23

    Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit among older adults. Some of the psychosocial consequences of this condition include difficulty in understanding speech, depression, and social isolation. Studies have shown that older adults with hearing loss show some age-related cognitive decline. Hearing aids have been proven as successful interventions to alleviate sensorineural hearing loss. In addition to hearing aid use, the positive effects of auditory training-formal listening activities designed to optimize speech perception-are now being documented among adults with hearing loss who use hearing aids, especially new hearing aid users. Auditory training has also been shown to produce prolonged cognitive performance improvements. However, there is still little evidence to support the benefits of simultaneous hearing aid use and individualized face-to-face auditory training on cognitive performance in adults with hearing loss. This study will investigate whether using hearing aids for the first time will improve the impact of individualized face-to-face auditory training on cognition, depression, and social interaction for adults with sensorineural hearing loss. The rationale for this study is based on the hypothesis that, in adults with sensorineural hearing loss, using hearing aids for the first time in combination with individualized face-to-face auditory training will be more effective for improving cognition, depressive symptoms, and social interaction rather than auditory training on its own. This is a crossover trial targeting 40 men and women between 50 and 90 years of age with either mild or moderate symmetric sensorineural hearing loss. Consented, willing participants will be recruited from either an independent living accommodation or via a community database to undergo a 6-month intensive face-to-face auditory training program (active control). Participants will be assigned in random order to receive hearing aid (intervention) for

  9. Investigating the Impact of Hearing Aid Use and Auditory Training on Cognition, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Interaction in Adults With Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Crossover Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Denny; Blamey, Peter J; Pipingas, Andrew; Bhar, Sunil

    2018-01-01

    Background Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit among older adults. Some of the psychosocial consequences of this condition include difficulty in understanding speech, depression, and social isolation. Studies have shown that older adults with hearing loss show some age-related cognitive decline. Hearing aids have been proven as successful interventions to alleviate sensorineural hearing loss. In addition to hearing aid use, the positive effects of auditory training—formal listening activities designed to optimize speech perception—are now being documented among adults with hearing loss who use hearing aids, especially new hearing aid users. Auditory training has also been shown to produce prolonged cognitive performance improvements. However, there is still little evidence to support the benefits of simultaneous hearing aid use and individualized face-to-face auditory training on cognitive performance in adults with hearing loss. Objective This study will investigate whether using hearing aids for the first time will improve the impact of individualized face-to-face auditory training on cognition, depression, and social interaction for adults with sensorineural hearing loss. The rationale for this study is based on the hypothesis that, in adults with sensorineural hearing loss, using hearing aids for the first time in combination with individualized face-to-face auditory training will be more effective for improving cognition, depressive symptoms, and social interaction rather than auditory training on its own. Methods This is a crossover trial targeting 40 men and women between 50 and 90 years of age with either mild or moderate symmetric sensorineural hearing loss. Consented, willing participants will be recruited from either an independent living accommodation or via a community database to undergo a 6-month intensive face-to-face auditory training program (active control). Participants will be assigned in random order to receive

  10. Long-term tinnitus suppression with linear octave frequency transposition hearing AIDS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabeth Peltier

    Full Text Available Over the last three years of hearing aid dispensing, it was observed that among 74 subjects fitted with a linear octave frequency transposition (LOFT hearing aid, 60 reported partial or complete tinnitus suppression during day and night, an effect still lasting after several months or years of daily use. We report in more details on 38 subjects from whom we obtained quantified measures of tinnitus suppression through visual analog scaling and several additional psychoacoustic and audiometric measures. The long-term suppression seems independent of subject age, and of duration and subjective localization of tinnitus. A small but significant correlation was found with audiogram losses but not with high frequency loss slope. Long-term tinnitus suppression was observed for different etiologies, but with a low success rate for sudden deafness. It should be noted that a majority of subjects (23 had a history of noise exposure. Tinnitus suppression started after a few days of LOFT hearing aid use and reached a maximum after a few weeks of daily use. For nine subjects different amounts of frequency shifting were tried and found more or less successful for long-term tinnitus suppression, no correlation was found with tinnitus pitch. When the use of the LOFT hearing aid was stopped tinnitus reappeared within a day, and after re-using the LOFT aid it disappeared again within a day. For about one third of the 38 subjects a classical amplification or a non linear frequency compression aid was also tried, and no such tinnitus suppression was observed. Besides improvements in audiometric sensitivity to high frequencies and in speech discrimination scores, LOFT can be considered as a remarkable opportunity to suppress tinnitus over a long time scale. From a pathophysiological viewpoint these observations seem to fit with a possible re-attribution of activity to previously deprived cerebral areas corresponding to high frequency coding.

  11. Analysis, Design, and Evaluation of Acoustic Feedback Cancellation Systems for Hearing Aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guo, Meng

    2013-01-01

    Acoustic feedback problems occur when the output loudspeaker signal of an audio system is partly returned to the input microphone via an acoustic coupling through the air. This problem often causes significant performance degradations in applications such as public address systems and hearing aids....... In the worst case, the audio system becomes unstable and howling occurs. In this work, first we analyze a general multiple microphone audio processing system, where a cancellation system using adaptive filters is used to cancel the effect of acoustic feedback. We introduce and derive an accurate approximation...... in acoustic feedback cancellation for hearing aids. It utilizes a probe noise signal which is generated with a specific characteristic so that it can facilitate an unbiased adaptive filter estimation with fast tracking of feedback path variations/changes despite its low signal level. We show in a hearing aid...

  12. Interpolation Filter Design for Hearing-Aid Audio Class-D Output Stage Application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pracný, Peter; Bruun, Erik; Llimos Muntal, Pere

    2012-01-01

    This paper deals with a design of a digital interpolation filter for a 3rd order multi-bit ΣΔ modulator with over-sampling ratio OSR = 64. The interpolation filter and the ΣΔ modulator are part of the back-end of an audio signal processing system in a hearing-aid application. The aim in this paper...... is to compare this design to designs presented in other state-of-the-art works ranging from hi-fi audio to hearing-aids. By performing comparison, trends and tradeoffs in interpolation filter design are indentified and hearing-aid specifications are derived. The possibilities for hardware reduction...... in the interpolation filter are investigated. Proposed design simplifications presented here result in the least hardware demanding combination of oversampling ratio, number of stages and number of filter taps among a number of filters reported for audio applications....

  13. The effectiveness of linguistic plays on the grammatical skills of hearing-impaired children with hearing aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sahar Mohammad Esmaeilzadeh

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Grammatical skills development of hearing-impaired children depends on using appropriate educational rehabilitation programs. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of linguistic plays on the grammatical skills in hearing-impaired children with hearing aids.Methods: Ten hearing-impaired children with hearing aids, aged between 5 and 7, were randomly assigned to two groups (5 children in each group. Each treatment group received 12 sessions on linguistic plays. The grammatical skills of these children were evaluated via the TOLD-P: 3 (Persian version; in addition, their level of intelligence was assessed by the Raven test.Results: The difference between the scores of both control and treatment groups revealed a statistically significant difference in grammatical skills (t=7.61, p=0.001 and three subskills of the children who participated in the linguistic plays. These subskills include syntactic understanding (t=3.16, p=0.013, sentence imitation (t=1.71, p=0.006, and morphological completion (t=6.55, p=0.001. In other words, the findings suggest that linguistic plays have a significant impact on the improvement of the aforementioned skills in hearing-impaired children.Conclusion: Results suggest that it would be beneficial to include linguistic plays as part of routine rehabilitation programs as a means of improving the grammatical difficulties of children. After partaking in linguistic plays, children significantly improved their ability to comprehend the meaning of sentences and also to recognize, understand, and use common Persian morphological forms.

  14. Developing an appropriate digital hearing aid for low-resource countries: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Israsena, P; Isaradisaikul, S; Noymai, A; Boonyanukul, S; Hemakom, A; Chinnarat, C; Navacharoen, N; Lekagul, S

    2013-01-01

    This paper reviews the development process and discusses the key findings which resulted from our multidisciplinary research team's effort to develop an alternative digital hearing suitable for low-resource countries such as Thailand. A cost-effective, fully programmable digital hearing aid, with its specifications benchmarking against WHO's recommendations, was systematically designed, engineered, and tested. Clinically it had undergone a full clinical trial that employed the outcome measurement protocol adopted from the APHAB, the first time implemented in Thai language. Results indicated that using the hearing aid improves user's satisfaction in terms of ease of communication, background noises, and reverberation, with clear benefit after 3 and 6 months, confirming its efficacy. In terms of engineering, the hearing aid also proved to be robust, passing all the designated tests. As the technology has successfully been transferred to a local company for the production phase, we also discuss other challenges that may arise before the device can be introduced into the market.

  15. DESCRIPTION OF BRAINSTEM AUDITORY EVOKED RESPONSES (AIR AND BONE CONDUCTION IN CHILDREN WITH NORMAL HEARING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Pashkov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Diagnosis of hearing level in small children with conductive hearing loss associated with congenital craniofacial abnormalities, particularly with agenesis of external ear and external auditory meatus is a pressing issue. Conventional methods of assessing hearing in the first years of life, i. e. registration of brainstem auditory evoked responses to acoustic stimuli in the event of air conduction, does not give an indication of the auditory analyzer’s condition due to potential conductive hearing loss in these patients. This study was aimed at assessing potential of diagnosing the auditory analyzer’s function with registering brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs to acoustic stimuli transmitted by means of a bone vibrator. The study involved 17 children aged 3–10 years with normal hearing. We compared parameters of registering brainstem auditory evoked responses (peak V depending on the type of stimulus transmission (air/bone in children with normal hearing. The data on thresholds of the BAERs registered to acoustic stimuli in the event of air and bone conduction obtained in this study are comparable; hearing thresholds in the event of acoustic stimulation by means of a bone vibrator correlates with the results of the BAERs registered to the stimuli transmitted by means of air conduction earphones (r = 0.9. High correlation of thresholds of BAERs to the stimuli transmitted by means of a bone vibrator with thresholds of BAERs registered when air conduction earphones were used helps to assess auditory analyzer’s condition in patients with any form of conductive hearing loss.  

  16. [Effect of rehabilitation for prelingual deaf children who use cochlear implants in conjunction with hearing aids in the opposite ears].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yanjing; Zhou, Huifang; Zhang, Jing; Yang, Dong; Xu, Yi; Guo, Yuxi

    2012-10-01

    To compare the effect of rehabilitation of prelingual deaf children who used a cochlear implant (CI) in one ear and a hearing aids in the opposite ear while the hearing level of the opposite ears are different. Hearing ability, language ability and learning ability was included in the content. The aim of this research is to investigate better style of rehabilitation, and to offer the best help to the prelingual deaf children. Accord ing to the hearing level of the ear opposite to the one wearing a cochlear implant and whether the opposite ear wear a hearing aid or not, 30 prelingual deaf children were divided into three groups, including cochlear implant with opposite severe hearing loss and hearing aid ear (CI+SHA), cochlear implant with opposite profound hearing loss and hearing aid ear (CI+PHA), cochlear implant only (CI). The effect of rehabilitation was assessed in six different times (3,6,9,12,15 and 18 months after the cochlear implants and hearing aids began to work). The longer time the rehabilitation spends, the better the hearing ability,language ability and the learning ability were. The hearing ability of CI+SHA was better than those of CI+PHA (Pdeaf children should take much more time on rehabilitation. The effect of rehabilitation for prelingual deaf children who used cochlear implant in one ear and hearing aid in the other depend on the residual hearing level of the other ear. If a prelingual deaf children still has any residual hearing level in the ear opposite to the cochlear implant ear, it is better for him/her to wear a hearing aid in the ear.

  17. Technology transfer of hearing aids to low and middle income countries: policy and market factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seelman, Katherine D; Werner, Roye

    2014-09-01

    The competitive market advantages of industry and the balancing force of international governmental organizations (IGOs) are examined to identify market and policy in support of sustainable technology transfer of hearing aids to low and middle income countries. A second purpose is to examine the usefulness of findings for other assistive technologies (AT). Searches of electronic databases, IGO documents, industry reports and journals were supplemented by informal discussions with industry and IGO staff and audiologists. The value chain is used to examine the competitive advantage of industry and the balancing tools of certain IGOs. Both industry and IGOs engage in intellectual property (IP) and competition activities and are active in each segment of the hearing aid value chain. Their market and policy objectives and strategies are different. IGOs serve as balancing forces for the competitive advantages of industry. The hearing aid market configuration and hearing aid fitting process are not representative of other AT products but IP, trade and competition policy tools used by IGOs and governments are relevant to other AT. The value chain is a useful tool to identify the location of price mark-ups and the influence of actors. Market factors and reimbursement and subsidization policies drive hearing aid innovation. UN-related international government organization activities are responsive to the needs of disability populations who cannot afford assistive technology. Policy tools used by international governmental organizations are applicable across assistive technology. A partnership model is important to distribution of hearing aids to low and middle income countries.

  18. Preliminary support for a brief psychological intervention to improve first-time hearing aid use among adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armitage, Christopher J; Lees, Deborah; Lewis, Kathryn; Munro, Kevin J

    2017-11-01

    Suboptimal hearing aid use extorts significant social, health, and economic costs. The aims of this study were to (1) test the novel hypothesis that the threat associated with being diagnosed with hearing loss could be ameliorated with a self-affirmation manipulation and (2) gauge the feasibility of deploying the manipulation in routine clinical practice. Parallel groups randomized controlled trial with 10-week follow-up. Fifty people, newly prescribed with a hearing aid, completed either a questionnaire that included a brief self-affirming exercise or an identical questionnaire with no self-affirming exercise. The main outcome measure was derived from data logging automatically stored by the hearing aid. Perceived threat ('anxiety about ageing'), behavioural intention, and self-efficacy were measured as potential mediators. Objectively measured hours of daily hearing aid use were marginally higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (between-group difference = 1.94 hr, 95%CI = -1.24, 5.12, d = 0.43). At follow-up, participants in the intervention group were significantly less anxious about ageing and more accepting of older people than were participants in the control group (between-group difference = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.26, 1.22, d = 0.87). There was no statistically significant effect of the intervention on behavioural intention or self-efficacy. Although not statistically significant, the magnitude of the effect of the intervention on hearing aid use (d = 0.43) suggests that it would be worthwhile working towards a fully powered randomized controlled trial. The ability to reduce anxieties about ageing with this brief intervention could have far-reaching benefits for multiple patient and general population groups. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Hearing impairment is more disabling than diabetes, yet hearing aid use is suboptimal. Anxieties about ageing may undermine hearing aid use. What does

  19. Relationship between Otolaryngologic Complaints and Systemic Comorbidities Observed in a Group of Hearing Aid Users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ribas, Angela

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Optimization of the selection, adaptation, and benefit of hearing aids is necessary to characterize and manage hearing loss, user expectations, otolaryngologic symptoms, and systemic comorbidities. Objective To compare the occurrence of otologic complaints, systemic diseases, and effective use of hearing aids in men and women with deafness. Methods Patients from a Unified Health System–accredited hearing health service, who reported problems in adapting to their hearing aids, were evaluated by a physician and audiologist. An anamnesis, ENT evaluation, and audiological evaluation were performed. Results During the data collection period, 278 subjects came in for follow-up visits; of these, 61 (21% reported otologic or operational problems with their equipment. The most prevalent type of hearing loss was basocochlear, a characteristic of presbycusis, in both men and women; the most frequently reported comorbidities were hypercholesterolemia (more significant in women and hypertension (more significant in men. Fourteen subjects reported using their device discontinuously, with no significant difference between genders; the reasons for discontinuation of use were itching and ringing, with more complaints from women. Conclusion The incidence of systemic and audiological complaints is high in this population. These patients should be evaluated thoroughly, as resolutions of these complaints can contribute to improving the quality of life and assist in the process of hearing aid fitting.

  20. Auditory, Visual, and Auditory-Visual Perception of Emotions by Individuals with Cochlear Implants, Hearing Aids, and Normal Hearing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Most, Tova; Aviner, Chen

    2009-01-01

    This study evaluated the benefits of cochlear implant (CI) with regard to emotion perception of participants differing in their age of implantation, in comparison to hearing aid users and adolescents with normal hearing (NH). Emotion perception was examined by having the participants identify happiness, anger, surprise, sadness, fear, and disgust.…

  1. Dynamic relation between working memory capacity and speech recognition in noise during the first 6 months of hearing aid use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Elaine H N; Classon, Elisabet; Larsby, Birgitta; Arlinger, Stig; Lunner, Thomas; Rudner, Mary; Rönnberg, Jerker

    2014-11-23

    The present study aimed to investigate the changing relationship between aided speech recognition and cognitive function during the first 6 months of hearing aid use. Twenty-seven first-time hearing aid users with symmetrical mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss were recruited. Aided speech recognition thresholds in noise were obtained in the hearing aid fitting session as well as at 3 and 6 months postfitting. Cognitive abilities were assessed using a reading span test, which is a measure of working memory capacity, and a cognitive test battery. Results showed a significant correlation between reading span and speech reception threshold during the hearing aid fitting session. This relation was significantly weakened over the first 6 months of hearing aid use. Multiple regression analysis showed that reading span was the main predictor of speech recognition thresholds in noise when hearing aids were first fitted, but that the pure-tone average hearing threshold was the main predictor 6 months later. One way of explaining the results is that working memory capacity plays a more important role in speech recognition in noise initially rather than after 6 months of use. We propose that new hearing aid users engage working memory capacity to recognize unfamiliar processed speech signals because the phonological form of these signals cannot be automatically matched to phonological representations in long-term memory. As familiarization proceeds, the mismatch effect is alleviated, and the engagement of working memory capacity is reduced. © The Author(s) 2014.

  2. Fixation of a human rib by an intramedullary telescoping splint anchored by bone cement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liovic, Petar; Šutalo, Ilija D; Marasco, Silvana F

    2016-09-01

    A novel concept for rib fixation is presented that involves the use of a bioresorbable polymer intramedullary telescoping splint. Bone cement is used to anchor each end of the splint inside the medullary canal on each side of the fracture site. In this manner, rib fixation is achieved without fixation device protrusion from the rib, making the splint completely intramedullary. Finite element analysis is used to demonstrate that such a splint/cement composite can preserve rib fixation subjected to cough-intensity force loadings. Computational fluid dynamics and porcine rib experiments were used to study the anchor formation process required to complete the fixation.

  3. Corrosion failure analysis of hearing aid battery-spring contacts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gudla, Visweswara Chakravarthy; Ambat, Rajan

    2017-01-01

    the susceptibility of these systems to galvanic corrosion. In this study, traditional behind the ear (BTE) hearing aid systems, which failed during service were analysed. Failure analysis was performed on the dome type battery-spring contact systems. The morphology of the contact areas was observed using scanning......Reliability of low power electrical contacts such as those in hearing aid battery-spring systems is a very critical aspect for the overall performance of the device. These systems are exposed to certain harsh environments like high humidity and elevated temperatures, and often in combination...... electron microscopy, and the compositional analysis of the corrosion products and contaminants was performed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Wear track morphology was observed on the contact points, and the top coating on the dome was worn out exposing the substrate spring material...

  4. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Benefits of a Multimedia Educational Program for First-Time Hearing Aid Users

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandreth, Marian; Brassington, William; Leighton, Paul; Wharrad, Heather

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) develop a series of short interactive videos (or reusable learning objects [RLOs]) covering a broad range of practical and psychosocial issues relevant to the auditory rehabilitation for first-time hearing aid users; (2) establish the accessibility, take-up, acceptability and adherence of the RLOs; and (3) assess the benefits and cost-effectiveness of the RLOs. Design: The study was a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial with two arms. The intervention group (RLO+, n = 103) received the RLOs plus standard clinical service including hearing aid(s) and counseling, and the waitlist control group (RLO−, n = 100) received standard clinical service only. The effectiveness of the RLOs was assessed 6-weeks posthearing aid fitting. Seven RLOs (total duration 1 hr) were developed using a participatory, community of practice approach involving hearing aid users and audiologists. RLOs included video clips, illustrations, animations, photos, sounds and testimonials, and all were subtitled. RLOs were delivered through DVD for TV (50.6%) and PC (15.2%), or via the internet (32.9%). Results: RLO take-up was 78%. Adherence overall was at least 67%, and 97% in those who attended the 6-week follow-up. Half the participants watched the RLOs two or more times, suggesting self-management of their hearing loss, hearing aids, and communication. The RLOs were rated as highly useful and the majority of participants agreed the RLOs were enjoyable, improved their confidence and were preferable to written information. Postfitting, there was no significant between-group difference in the primary outcome measure, overall hearing aid use. However, there was significantly greater hearing aid use in the RLO+ group for suboptimal users. Furthermore, the RLO+ group had significantly better knowledge of practical and psychosocial issues, and significantly better practical hearing aid skills than the RLO− group. Conclusions: The RLOs

  5. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Benefits of a Multimedia Educational Program for First-Time Hearing Aid Users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, Melanie; Brandreth, Marian; Brassington, William; Leighton, Paul; Wharrad, Heather

    2016-01-01

    The aims of this study were to (1) develop a series of short interactive videos (or reusable learning objects [RLOs]) covering a broad range of practical and psychosocial issues relevant to the auditory rehabilitation for first-time hearing aid users; (2) establish the accessibility, take-up, acceptability and adherence of the RLOs; and (3) assess the benefits and cost-effectiveness of the RLOs. The study was a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial with two arms. The intervention group (RLO+, n = 103) received the RLOs plus standard clinical service including hearing aid(s) and counseling, and the waitlist control group (RLO-, n = 100) received standard clinical service only. The effectiveness of the RLOs was assessed 6-weeks posthearing aid fitting. Seven RLOs (total duration 1 hr) were developed using a participatory, community of practice approach involving hearing aid users and audiologists. RLOs included video clips, illustrations, animations, photos, sounds and testimonials, and all were subtitled. RLOs were delivered through DVD for TV (50.6%) and PC (15.2%), or via the internet (32.9%). RLO take-up was 78%. Adherence overall was at least 67%, and 97% in those who attended the 6-week follow-up. Half the participants watched the RLOs two or more times, suggesting self-management of their hearing loss, hearing aids, and communication. The RLOs were rated as highly useful and the majority of participants agreed the RLOs were enjoyable, improved their confidence and were preferable to written information. Postfitting, there was no significant between-group difference in the primary outcome measure, overall hearing aid use. However, there was significantly greater hearing aid use in the RLO+ group for suboptimal users. Furthermore, the RLO+ group had significantly better knowledge of practical and psychosocial issues, and significantly better practical hearing aid skills than the RLO- group. The RLOs were shown to be beneficial to first

  6. The Personal Hearing System—A Software Hearing Aid for a Personal Communication System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giso Grimm

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A concept and architecture of a personal communication system (PCS is introduced that integrates audio communication and hearing support for the elderly and hearing-impaired through a personal hearing system (PHS. The concept envisions a central processor connected to audio headsets via a wireless body area network (WBAN. To demonstrate the concept, a prototype PCS is presented that is implemented on a netbook computer with a dedicated audio interface in combination with a mobile phone. The prototype can be used for field-testing possible applications and to reveal possibilities and limitations of the concept of integrating hearing support in consumer audio communication devices. It is shown that the prototype PCS can integrate hearing aid functionality, telephony, public announcement systems, and home entertainment. An exemplary binaural speech enhancement scheme that represents a large class of possible PHS processing schemes is shown to be compatible with the general concept. However, an analysis of hardware and software architectures shows that the implementation of a PCS on future advanced cell phone-like devices is challenging. Because of limitations in processing power, recoding of prototype implementations into fixed point arithmetic will be required and WBAN performance is still a limiting factor in terms of data rate and delay.

  7. The Personal Hearing System—A Software Hearing Aid for a Personal Communication System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimm, Giso; Guilmin, Gwénaël; Poppen, Frank; Vlaming, Marcel S. M. G.; Hohmann, Volker

    2009-12-01

    A concept and architecture of a personal communication system (PCS) is introduced that integrates audio communication and hearing support for the elderly and hearing-impaired through a personal hearing system (PHS). The concept envisions a central processor connected to audio headsets via a wireless body area network (WBAN). To demonstrate the concept, a prototype PCS is presented that is implemented on a netbook computer with a dedicated audio interface in combination with a mobile phone. The prototype can be used for field-testing possible applications and to reveal possibilities and limitations of the concept of integrating hearing support in consumer audio communication devices. It is shown that the prototype PCS can integrate hearing aid functionality, telephony, public announcement systems, and home entertainment. An exemplary binaural speech enhancement scheme that represents a large class of possible PHS processing schemes is shown to be compatible with the general concept. However, an analysis of hardware and software architectures shows that the implementation of a PCS on future advanced cell phone-like devices is challenging. Because of limitations in processing power, recoding of prototype implementations into fixed point arithmetic will be required and WBAN performance is still a limiting factor in terms of data rate and delay.

  8. Hearing aid and cochlear implant use in children with hearing loss at three years of age: Predictors of use and predictors of changes in use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marnane, Vivienne; Ching, Teresa YC

    2015-01-01

    Objective To examine usage patterns of hearing aids and cochlear implants in children up to three years of age, how usage changes longitudinally, and factors associated with device usage. Design Parent report and Parent’s Evaluation of Aural/oral performance of Children (PEACH) data were obtained at six and twelve months after hearing-aid fitting or cochlear implant switch-on, and again at three years of age. The effect of device use on auditory functional performance was investigated using the PEACH questionnaire. Study sample Four hundred and thirteen participants from the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI) study were included for analysis. Result For users of hearing aids, higher usage at three years was associated with higher maternal education, and more severe hearing loss. For users of cochlear implants, higher usage was associated with higher maternal education and the absence of additional disabilities. Higher PEACH scores was associated with higher usage scores. After allowing for the effects of demographic characteristics, device use was not a significant predictor of functional performance. Conclusions Sixty-two percent of children achieved consistent use (>75% of waking hours) within the first year of receiving a hearing aid or a cochlear implant, and 71% by three years of age. PMID:25816866

  9. Development and assessment of two fixed-array microphones for use with hearing aids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bilsen, F.A.; Soede, W.; Berkhout, A.J.

    1993-01-01

    Hearing-impaired listeners often have great difficulty understanding speech in situations with background noise (e.g., meetings, parties) . Conventional hearing aids offer insufficient directivity to significantly reduce background noise relative to the desired speech signal . Based on array

  10. Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss that results ... and you can change the program for different listening environments—from a small, quiet room to a ...

  11. Effectiveness of an online SUpport PRogramme (SUPR) for older hearing aid users: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meijerink, Janine Fj; Pronk, Marieke; Paulissen, Bernadette; Witte, Birgit I; Wouden, Bregje van der; Jansen, Vera; Kramer, Sophia E

    2017-06-20

    An educational SUpport PRogramme called SUPR has been developed for hearing aid users (HAUs) and their communication partners (CPs) offering care beyond hearing aid fitting. SUPR teaches its users communication strategies, hearing aid handling skills and personal adjustment to hearing impairment. Using a cluster randomised controlled trial design, 70 Dutch hearing aid dispenser practices were randomised into hearing aid fitting (care as usual, 34 practices) and hearing aid fitting including SUPR (36 practices). The aim was to recruit a total of 569 older (aged 50+ years) first-time (n=258) and experienced (n=311) HAUs and their CPs. SUPR consists of a Practical Support Booklet and online material offered via email over a period of 6-7 months. The booklet provides practical information on hearing aids, advice on communication strategies and home exercises. The online material consists of educational videos on hearing aid functionality and usage, communication strategies and peer testimonials. Finally, noncommittal email contact with the dispenser is offered. Every HAU is asked to assign a CP who is advised to be involved intensively. Effect measurements for HAUs and their CPs will occur at baseline and at 6, 12 and 18 months follow-up via online questionnaires. The primary outcomes for HAUs will be the use of communication strategies as measured by the subscales of the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired. A process evaluation will be performed. The study was approved by the Dutch Institutional Review Board of the VU Medical University Center Amsterdam. This intervention could contribute to lowering the hearing impairment burden in our ageing society. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific conferences. ISRCTN77340339; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly

  12. Hearing outcomes of the active bone conduction system Bonebridge® in conductive or mixed hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carnevale, Claudio; Til-Pérez, Guillermo; Arancibia-Tagle, Diego J; Tomás-Barberán, Manuel D; Sarría-Echegaray, Pedro L

    2018-05-18

    The active transcutaneous bone conduction implant Bonebridge ® , is indicated for patients affected by bilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss or unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, showing hearing outcomes similar to other percutaneous bone conduction implants, but with a lower rate of complications. The aim of this study was to analyze the hearing outcomes in a series of 26 patients affected by conductive or mixed hearing loss and treated with Bonebridge ® . 26 of 30 patients implanted with Bonebridge ® between October 2012 and May 2017, were included in the study. We compared the air conduction thresholds at the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000Hz, the SRT50% and the percentage of correct answers at an intensity of 50dB with and without the implant. "Pure tone average" with the implant was 34.91dB showing an average gain of 33.46dB. Average SRT 50% with the implant was 34.33dB, whereas before the surgery no patient achieved 50% of correct answers at a sound intensity of 50dB. The percentage of correct answers at 50dB changed from 11% without the implant to 85% with it. We only observed one complication consisting of an extrusion of the implant in a patient with a history of 2 previous rhytidectomies. The hearing outcomes obtained in our study are similar to those published in the literature. Bonebridge ® represents an excellent alternative in the treatment of conductive or mixed hearing loss, and with a lower rate of complications. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Adaptive Feedback Cancellation With Band-Limited LPC Vocoder in Digital Hearing Aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Guilin; Gran, Fredrik; Jacobsen, Finn

    2011-01-01

    Feedback oscillation is one of the major issues with hearing aids. An effective way of feedback suppression is adaptive feedback cancellation, which uses an adaptive filter to estimate the feedback path. However, when the external input signal is correlated with the receiver input signal, the est......Feedback oscillation is one of the major issues with hearing aids. An effective way of feedback suppression is adaptive feedback cancellation, which uses an adaptive filter to estimate the feedback path. However, when the external input signal is correlated with the receiver input signal......, the estimate of the feedback path is biased. This so-called “bias problem” results in a large modeling error and a cancellation of the desired signal. This paper proposes a band-limited linear predictive coding based approach to reduce the bias. The idea is to replace the hearing-aid output with a synthesized...... and the misalignment between the real and the estimated feedback path. When combined with filtered-X adaptation in the feedback canceller, this approach reduces the misalignment even further....

  14. Social representation of hearing aids: cross-cultural study in India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manchaiah V

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Vinaya Manchaiah,1 Berth Danermark,2 Vinay,3 Tayebeh Ahmadi,4 David Tomé,5 Rajalakshmi Krishna,6 Per Germundsson7 1Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas, USA; 2Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; 3Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway; 4Department of Audiology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 5Department of Audiology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal; 6All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, University of Mysore, Mysore, India; 7The Department of Health and Welfare Studies, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden Background: The current study was aimed at understanding the social representation of hearing aids in India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. We also compared these results to explore the cross-cultural differences and similarities among these countries. Methods: The study involved a cross-sectional design, and the data were collected from four different countries using the snowball sampling method. Data were analyzed using a content analysis to identify the most-similar categories of responses reported, a co-occurrences analysis to see which of these categories are reported commonly, and a chi-square analysis to study if there was any association between positive, neutral, and negative connotations among participants in different countries. Results: The current study revealed four different social representations of hearing aids from India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and also a global index. Conclusion: The study results provide very useful insights into how hearing aids are represented in the society. These findings may have important implications for public education and also for manufacturers from the viewpoint of designing and marketing hearing aids in different countries. Keywords: hearing aids

  15. Relating working memory to compression parameters in clinically fit hearing AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Pamela E; Sirow, Lynn

    2014-12-01

    Several laboratory studies have demonstrated that working memory may influence response to compression speed in controlled (i.e., laboratory) comparisons of compression. In this study, the authors explored whether the same relationship would occur under less controlled conditions, as might occur in a typical audiology clinic. Participants included 27 older adults who sought hearing care in a private practice audiology clinic. Working memory was measured for each participant using a reading span test. The authors examined the relationship between working memory and aided speech recognition in noise, using clinically fit hearing aids with a range of compression speeds. Working memory, amount of hearing loss, and age each contributed to speech recognition, but the contribution depended on the speed of the compression processor. For fast-acting compression, the best performance was obtained by patients with high working memory. For slow-acting compression, speech recognition was affected by age and amount of hearing loss but was not affected by working memory. Despite the expectation of greater variability from differences in compression implementation, number of compression channels, or attendant signal processing, the relationship between working memory and compression speed showed a similar pattern as results from more controlled, laboratory-based studies.

  16. 21 CFR 801.421 - Hearing aid devices; conditions for sale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...) Waiver to the medical evaluation requirements. If the prospective hearing aid user is 18 years of age or..., or in the predominate method of communication used during the sale; (3) Afford the prospective user...

  17. Lithium-ion batteries for hearing aid applications. II. Pulse discharge and safety tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Passerini, S.; Coustier, F.; Owens, B. B.

    Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries were designed to meet the power requirements of hearing aid devices (HADs). The batteries were designed in a 312-button cell size, compatible with existing hearing aids. The batteries were tested to evaluate the design and the electrochemical performance, as they relate to a typical hearing aid application. The present report covers the pulse capabilities, cycle life and preliminary safety tests. The results are compared with other battery chemistries: secondary lithium-alloy and nickel-metal hydride batteries and primary Zn-air batteries. The cell AC impedance was stable over the frequency range between 1 and 50 kHz, ranging between 5 Ω at the higher frequency and 12 Ω at the lower extreme. Pulse tests were consistent with these values, as the cells were capable of providing a series of 100 mA pulses of 10-s duration. The safety tests suggest that the design is intrinsically safe with respect to the most common types of abuse conditions.

  18. Hearing Aid-Induced Plasticity in the Auditory System of Older Adults: Evidence from Speech Perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavie, Limor; Banai, Karen; Karni, Avi; Attias, Joseph

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: We tested whether using hearing aids can improve unaided performance in speech perception tasks in older adults with hearing impairment. Method: Unaided performance was evaluated in dichotic listening and speech-­in-­noise tests in 47 older adults with hearing impairment; 36 participants in 3 study groups were tested before hearing aid…

  19. Severe difficulties with word recognition in noise after platinum chemotherapy in childhood, and improvements with open-fitting hearing-aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einarsson, Einar-Jón; Petersen, Hannes; Wiebe, Thomas; Fransson, Per-Anders; Magnusson, Måns; Moëll, Christian

    2011-10-01

    To investigate word recognition in noise in subjects treated in childhood with chemotherapy, study benefits of open-fitting hearing-aids for word recognition, and investigate whether self-reported hearing-handicap corresponded to subjects' word recognition ability. Subjects diagnosed with cancer and treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in childhood underwent audiometric evaluations. Fifteen subjects (eight females and seven males) fulfilled the criteria set for the study, and four of those received customized open-fitting hearing-aids. Subjects with cisplatin-induced ototoxicity had severe difficulties recognizing words in noise, and scored as low as 54% below reference scores standardized for age and degree of hearing loss. Hearing-impaired subjects' self-reported hearing-handicap correlated significantly with word recognition in a quiet environment but not in noise. Word recognition in noise improved markedly (up to 46%) with hearing-aids, and the self-reported hearing-handicap and disability score were reduced by more than 50%. This study demonstrates the importance of testing word recognition in noise in subjects treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in childhood, and to use specific custom-made questionnaires to evaluate the experienced hearing-handicap. Open-fitting hearing-aids are a good alternative for subjects suffering from poor word recognition in noise.

  20. Practical considerations for a second-order directional hearing aid microphone system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Stephen C.

    2003-04-01

    First-order directional microphone systems for hearing aids have been available for several years. Such a system uses two microphones and has a theoretical maximum free-field directivity index (DI) of 6.0 dB. A second-order microphone system using three microphones could provide a theoretical increase in free-field DI to 9.5 dB. These theoretical maximum DI values assume that the microphones have exactly matched sensitivities at all frequencies of interest. In practice, the individual microphones in the hearing aid always have slightly different sensitivities. For the small microphone separation necessary to fit in a hearing aid, these sensitivity matching errors degrade the directivity from the theoretical values, especially at low frequencies. This paper shows that, for first-order systems the directivity degradation due to sensitivity errors is relatively small. However, for second-order systems with practical microphone sensitivity matching specifications, the directivity degradation below 1 kHz is not tolerable. A hybrid order directive system is proposed that uses first-order processing at low frequencies and second-order directive processing at higher frequencies. This hybrid system is suggested as an alternative that could provide improved directivity index in the frequency regions that are important to speech intelligibility.

  1. Working memory and intelligibility of hearing-aid processed speech

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Pamela E.; Arehart, Kathryn H.; Shen, Jing; Anderson, Melinda; Kates, James M.

    2015-01-01

    Previous work suggested that individuals with low working memory capacity may be at a disadvantage in adverse listening environments, including situations with background noise or substantial modification of the acoustic signal. This study explored the relationship between patient factors (including working memory capacity) and intelligibility and quality of modified speech for older individuals with sensorineural hearing loss. The modification was created using a combination of hearing aid processing [wide-dynamic range compression (WDRC) and frequency compression (FC)] applied to sentences in multitalker babble. The extent of signal modification was quantified via an envelope fidelity index. We also explored the contribution of components of working memory by including measures of processing speed and executive function. We hypothesized that listeners with low working memory capacity would perform more poorly than those with high working memory capacity across all situations, and would also be differentially affected by high amounts of signal modification. Results showed a significant effect of working memory capacity for speech intelligibility, and an interaction between working memory, amount of hearing loss and signal modification. Signal modification was the major predictor of quality ratings. These data add to the literature on hearing-aid processing and working memory by suggesting that the working memory-intelligibility effects may be related to aggregate signal fidelity, rather than to the specific signal manipulation. They also suggest that for individuals with low working memory capacity, sensorineural loss may be most appropriately addressed with WDRC and/or FC parameters that maintain the fidelity of the signal envelope. PMID:25999874

  2. Working memory and intelligibility of hearing-aid processed speech

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela eSouza

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Previous work suggested that individuals with low working memory capacity may be at a disadvantage in adverse listening environments, including situations with background noise or substantial modification of the acoustic signal. This study explored the relationship between patient factors (including working memory capacity and intelligibility and quality of modified speech for older individuals with sensorineural hearing loss. The modification was created using a combination of hearing aid processing (wide-dynamic range compression and frequency compression applied to sentences in multitalker babble. The extent of signal modification was quantified via an envelope fidelity index. We also explored the contribution of components of working memory by including measures of processing speed and executive function. We hypothesized that listeners with low working memory capacity would perform more poorly than those with high working memory capacity across all situations, and would also be differentially affected by high amounts of signal modification. Results showed a significant effect of working memory capacity for speech intelligibility, and an interaction between working memory, amount of hearing loss and signal modification. Signal modification was the major predictor of quality ratings. These data add to the literature on hearing-aid processing and working memory by suggesting that the working memory-intelligibility effects may be related to aggregate signal fidelity, rather than on the specific signal manipulation. They also suggest that for individuals with low working memory capacity, sensorineural loss may be most appropriately addressed with wide-dynamic range compression and/or frequency compression parameters that maintain the fidelity of the signal envelope.

  3. Amplification of transcutaneous and percutaneous bone-conduction devices with a test-band in an induced model of conductive hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Marn Joon; Lee, Jae Ryung; Yang, Chan Joo; Yoo, Myung Hoon; Jin, In Suk; Choi, Chi Ho; Park, Hong Ju

    2016-11-01

    Transcutaneous devices have a disadvantage, the dampening effect by soft tissue between the bone and devices. We investigated hearing outcomes with percutaneous and transcutaneous devices using test-bands in an induced unilateral conductive hearing loss. Comparison of hearing outcomes of two devices in the same individuals. The right ear was plugged in 30 subjects and a test-band with devices (Cochlear™ Baha® BP110 Power and Sophono® Alpha-2 MPO™) was applied on the right mastoid tip with the left ear masked. Sound-field thresholds, speech recognition thresholds (SRTs), and word recognition scores (WRSs) were compared. Aided thresholds of Sophono were significantly better than those of Baha at most frequencies. Sophono WRSs (86 ± 12%) at 40 dB SPL and SRTs (14 ± 5 dB HL) were significantly better than those (73 ± 24% and 23 ± 8 dB HL) of Baha. However, Sophono WRSs (98 ± 3%) at 60 dB SPL did not differ from Baha WRSs (95 ± 12%). Amplifications of the current transcutaneous device were not inferior to those of percutaneous devices with a test-band in subjects with normal bone-conduction thresholds. Since the percutaneous devices can increase the gain when fixed to the skull by eliminating the dampening effect, both devices are expected to provide sufficient hearing amplification.

  4. Disrupted bone remodeling leads to cochlear overgrowth and hearing loss in a mouse model of fibrous dysplasia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omar Akil

    Full Text Available Normal hearing requires exquisite cooperation between bony and sensorineural structures within the cochlea. For example, the inner ear secretes proteins such as osteoprotegrin (OPG that can prevent cochlear bone remodeling. Accordingly, diseases that affect bone regulation can also result in hearing loss. Patients with fibrous dysplasia develop trabecular bone overgrowth resulting in hearing loss if the lesions affect the temporal bones. Unfortunately, the mechanisms responsible for this hearing loss, which could be sensorineural and/or conductive, remain unclear. In this study, we used a unique transgenic mouse model of increased Gs G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR signaling induced by expression of an engineered receptor, Rs1, in osteoblastic cells. These ColI(2.3+/Rs1+ mice showed dramatic bone lesions that histologically and radiologically resembled fibrous dysplasia. We found that ColI(2.3+/Rs1+ mice showed progressive and severe conductive hearing loss. Ossicular chain impingement increased with the size and number of dysplastic lesions. While sensorineural structures were unaffected, ColI(2.3+/Rs1+ cochleae had abnormally high osteoclast activity, together with elevated tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP activity and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (Rankl mRNA expression. ColI(2.3+/Rs1+ cochleae also showed decreased expression of Sclerostin (Sost, an antagonist of the Wnt signaling pathway that normally increases bone formation. The osteocyte canalicular networks of ColI(2.3+/Rs1+ cochleae were disrupted and showed abnormal osteocyte morphology. The osteocytes in the ColI(2.3+/Rs1+ cochleae showed increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13 and TRAP, both of which can support osteocyte-mediated peri-lacunar remodeling. Thus, while the ossicular chain impingement is sufficient to account for the progressive hearing loss in fibrous dysplasia, the deregulation of bone remodeling extends to the

  5. Effect of hearing aids use on speech stimulus decoding through speech-evoked ABR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Aparecida Leite

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction The electrophysiological responses obtained with the complex auditory brainstem response (cABR provide objective measures of subcortical processing of speech and other complex stimuli. The cABR has also been used to verify the plasticity in the auditory pathway in the subcortical regions. Objective To compare the results of cABR obtained in children using hearing aids before and after 9 months of adaptation, as well as to compare the results of these children with those obtained in children with normal hearing. Methods Fourteen children with normal hearing (Control Group - CG and 18 children with mild to moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (Study Group - SG, aged 7-12 years, were evaluated. The children were submitted to pure tone and vocal audiometry, acoustic immittance measurements and ABR with speech stimulus, being submitted to the evaluations at three different moments: initial evaluation (M0, 3 months after the initial evaluation (M3 and 9 months after the evaluation (M9; at M0, the children assessed in the study group did not use hearing aids yet. Results When comparing the CG and the SG, it was observed that the SG had a lower median for the V-A amplitude at M0 and M3, lower median for the latency of the component V at M9 and a higher median for the latency of component O at M3 and M9. A reduction in the latency of component A at M9 was observed in the SG. Conclusion Children with mild to moderate hearing loss showed speech stimulus processing deficits and the main impairment is related to the decoding of the transient portion of this stimulus spectrum. It was demonstrated that the use of hearing aids promoted neuronal plasticity of the Central Auditory Nervous System after an extended time of sensory stimulation.

  6. Comparisons of client and clinician views of the importance of factors in client-clinician interaction in hearing aid purchase decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poost-Foroosh, Laya; Jennings, Mary Beth; Cheesman, Margaret F

    2015-03-01

    Despite clinical recognition of the adverse effects of acquired hearing loss, only a small proportion of adults who could benefit use hearing aids. Hearing aid adoption has been studied in relationship to client-related and hearing aid technology-related factors. The influence of the client-clinician interaction in the decision to purchase hearing aids has not been explored in any depth. Importance ratings of a sample of adults having a recent hearing aid recommendation (clients) and hearing healthcare professionals (clinicians) from across Canada were compared on factors in client-clinician interactions that influence hearing aid purchase decisions. A cross-sectional approach was used to obtain online and paper-based concept ratings. Participants were 43 adults (age range, 45-85 yr) who had received a first hearing aid recommendation in the 3 mo before participation. A total of 54 audiologists and 20 hearing instrument practitioners from a variety of clinical settings who prescribed or dispensed hearing aids completed the concept-rating task. The task consisted of 122 items that had been generated via concept mapping in a previous study and which resulted in the identification of eight concepts that may influence hearing aid purchase decisions. Participants rated "the importance of each of the statements in a person's decision to purchase a hearing aid" on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 = minimally important to 5 = extremely important. For the initial data analysis, the ratings for each of the items included in each concept were averaged for each participant to provide an estimate of the overall importance rating of each concept. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare the mean importance ratings of the clients to the clinicians. Ratings of individual statements were also compared in order to investigate the directionality of the importance ratings within concepts. There was a significant difference in the mean ratings for clients and clinicians for

  7. Assessing the efficacy of hearing-aid amplification using a phoneme test

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scheidiger, Christoph; Allen, Jont B; Dau, Torsten

    2017-01-01

    Consonant-vowel (CV) perception experiments provide valuable insights into how humans process speech. Here, two CV identification experiments were conducted in a group of hearing-impaired (HI) listeners, using 14 consonants followed by the vowel /ɑ/. The CVs were presented in quiet and with added......, in combination with a well-controlled phoneme speech test, may be used to assess the impact of hearing-aid signal processing on speech intelligibility....

  8. Social representation of hearing aids: cross-cultural study in India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manchaiah, Vinaya; Danermark, Berth; Vinay; Ahmadi, Tayebeh; Tomé, David; Krishna, Rajalakshmi; Germundsson, Per

    2015-01-01

    Background The current study was aimed at understanding the social representation of hearing aids in India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. We also compared these results to explore the cross-cultural differences and similarities among these countries. Methods The study involved a cross-sectional design, and the data were collected from four different countries using the snowball sampling method. Data were analyzed using a content analysis to identify the most-similar categories of responses reported, a co-occurrences analysis to see which of these categories are reported commonly, and a chi-square analysis to study if there was any association between positive, neutral, and negative connotations among participants in different countries. Results The current study revealed four different social representations of hearing aids from India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and also a global index. Conclusion The study results provide very useful insights into how hearing aids are represented in the society. These findings may have important implications for public education and also for manufacturers from the viewpoint of designing and marketing hearing aids in different countries. PMID:26504376

  9. Acceptable noise level (ANL) with Danish and non-semantic speech materials in adult hearing-aid users

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Lantz, Johannes; Nielsen, Lars Holme

    2012-01-01

    The acceptable noise level (ANL) test is used for quantification of the amount of background noise subjects accept when listening to speech. This study investigates Danish hearing-aid users' ANL performance using Danish and non-semantic speech signals, the repeatability of ANL, and the association...... between ANL and outcome of the international outcome inventory for hearing aids (IOI-HA)....

  10. Neural Correlates of Selective Attention With Hearing Aid Use Followed by ReadMyQuips Auditory Training Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Aparna; Rishiq, Dania; Yu, Luodi; Zhang, Yang; Abrams, Harvey

    The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of hearing aid use and the effectiveness of ReadMyQuips (RMQ), an auditory training program, on speech perception performance and auditory selective attention using electrophysiological measures. RMQ is an audiovisual training program designed to improve speech perception in everyday noisy listening environments. Participants were adults with mild to moderate hearing loss who were first-time hearing aid users. After 4 weeks of hearing aid use, the experimental group completed RMQ training in 4 weeks, and the control group received listening practice on audiobooks during the same period. Cortical late event-related potentials (ERPs) and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) were administered at prefitting, pretraining, and post-training to assess effects of hearing aid use and RMQ training. An oddball paradigm allowed tracking of changes in P3a and P3b ERPs to distractors and targets, respectively. Behavioral measures were also obtained while ERPs were recorded from participants. After 4 weeks of hearing aid use but before auditory training, HINT results did not show a statistically significant change, but there was a significant P3a reduction. This reduction in P3a was correlated with improvement in d prime (d') in the selective attention task. Increased P3b amplitudes were also correlated with improvement in d' in the selective attention task. After training, this correlation between P3b and d' remained in the experimental group, but not in the control group. Similarly, HINT testing showed improved speech perception post training only in the experimental group. The criterion calculated in the auditory selective attention task showed a reduction only in the experimental group after training. ERP measures in the auditory selective attention task did not show any changes related to training. Hearing aid use was associated with a decrement in involuntary attention switch to distractors in the auditory selective

  11. Small-Group Phonological Awareness Training for Pre-Kindergarten Children with Hearing Loss Who Wear Cochlear Implants and/or Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werfel, Krystal L.; Douglas, Michael; Ackal, Leigh

    2016-01-01

    This case report details a year-long phonological awareness (PA) intervention for pre-kindergarten children with hearing loss (CHL) who use listening and spoken language. All children wore cochlear implants and/or hearing aids. Intervention occurred for 15 min/day, 4 days per week across the pre-kindergarten school year and was delivered by…

  12. Theory-of-mind development in oral deaf children with cochlear implants or conventional hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Candida C

    2004-09-01

    In the context of the established finding that theory-of-mind (ToM) growth is seriously delayed in late-signing deaf children, and some evidence of equivalent delays in those learning speech with conventional hearing aids, this study's novel contribution was to explore ToM development in deaf children with cochlear implants. Implants can substantially boost auditory acuity and rates of language growth. Despite the implant, there are often problems socialising with hearing peers and some language difficulties, lending special theoretical interest to the present comparative design. A total of 52 children aged 4 to 12 years took a battery of false belief tests of ToM. There were 26 oral deaf children, half with implants and half with hearing aids, evenly divided between oral-only versus sign-plus-oral schools. Comparison groups of age-matched high-functioning children with autism and younger hearing children were also included. No significant ToM differences emerged between deaf children with implants and those with hearing aids, nor between those in oral-only versus sign-plus-oral schools. Nor did the deaf children perform any better on the ToM tasks than their age peers with autism. Hearing preschoolers scored significantly higher than all other groups. For the deaf and the autistic children, as well as the preschoolers, rate of language development and verbal maturity significantly predicted variability in ToM, over and above chronological age. The finding that deaf children with cochlear implants are as delayed in ToM development as children with autism and their deaf peers with hearing aids or late sign language highlights the likely significance of peer interaction and early fluent communication with peers and family, whether in sign or in speech, in order to optimally facilitate the growth of social cognition and language.

  13. Identification of induced and naturally occurring conductive hearing loss in mice using bone conduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chhan, David; McKinnon, Melissa L; Rosowski, John J

    2017-03-01

    While many mouse models of hearing loss have been described, a significant fraction of the genetic defects in these models affect both the inner ear and middle ears. A common method used to separate inner-ear (sensory-neural) from middle-ear (conductive) pathologies in the hearing clinic is the combination of air-conduction and bone-conduction audiometry. In this report, we investigate the use of air- and bone-conducted evoked auditory brainstem responses to perform a similar separation in mice. We describe a technique by which we stimulate the mouse ear both acoustically and via whole-head vibration. We investigate the sensitivity of this technique to conductive hearing loss by introducing middle-ear lesions in normal hearing mice. We also use the technique to investigate the presence of an age-related conductive hearing loss in a common mouse model of presbycusis, the BALB/c mouse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Predictors of auditory performance in hearing-aid users: The role of cognitive function and auditory lifestyle (A)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestergaard, Martin David

    2006-01-01

    no objective benefit can be measured. It has been suggested that lack of agreement between various hearing-aid outcome components can be explained by individual differences in cognitive function and auditory lifestyle. We measured speech identification, self-report outcome, spectral and temporal resolution...... of hearing, cognitive skills, and auditory lifestyle in 25 new hearing-aid users. The purpose was to assess the predictive power of the nonauditory measures while looking at the relationships between measures from various auditory-performance domains. The results showed that only moderate correlation exists...... between objective and subjective hearing-aid outcome. Different self-report outcome measures showed a different amount of correlation with objective auditory performance. Cognitive skills were found to play a role in explaining speech performance and spectral and temporal abilities, and auditory lifestyle...

  15. A comparison of sound quality judgments for monaural and binaural hearing aid processed stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balfour, P B; Hawkins, D B

    1992-10-01

    Fifteen adults with bilaterally symmetrical mild and/or moderate sensorineural hearing loss completed a paired-comparison task designed to elicit sound quality preference judgments for monaural/binaural hearing aid processed signals. Three stimuli (speech-in-quiet, speech-in-noise, and music) were recorded separately in three listening environments (audiometric test booth, living room, and a music/lecture hall) through hearing aids placed on a Knowles Electronics Manikin for Acoustics Research. Judgments were made on eight separate sound quality dimensions (brightness, clarity, fullness, loudness, nearness, overall impression, smoothness, and spaciousness) for each of the three stimuli in three listening environments. Results revealed a distinct binaural preference for all eight sound quality dimensions independent of listening environment. Binaural preferences were strongest for overall impression, fullness, and spaciousness. Stimulus type effect was significant only for fullness and spaciousness, where binaural preferences were strongest for speech-in-quiet. After binaural preference data were obtained, subjects ranked each sound quality dimension with respect to its importance for binaural listening relative to monaural. Clarity was ranked highest in importance and brightness was ranked least important. The key to demonstration of improved binaural hearing aid sound quality may be the use of a paired-comparison format.

  16. A novel modeling method for manufacturing hearing aid using 3D medical images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hyeong Gyun [Dept of Radiological Science, Far East University, Eumseong (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-06-15

    This study aimed to suggest a novel method of modeling a hearing aid ear shell based on Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) in the hearing aid ear shell manufacturing method using a 3D printer. In the experiment, a 3D external auditory meatus was extracted by using the critical values in the DICOM volume images, a nd t he modeling surface structures were compared in standard type STL (STereoLithography) files which could be recognized by a 3D printer. In this 3D modeling method, a conventional ear model was prepared, and the gaps between adjacent isograms produced by a 3D scanner were filled with 3D surface fragments to express the modeling structure. In this study, the same type of triangular surface structures were prepared by using the DICOM images. The result showed that the modeling surface structure based on the DICOM images provide the same environment that the conventional 3D printers may recognize, eventually enabling to print out the hearing aid ear shell shape.

  17. A novel modeling method for manufacturing hearing aid using 3D medical images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyeong Gyun

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to suggest a novel method of modeling a hearing aid ear shell based on Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) in the hearing aid ear shell manufacturing method using a 3D printer. In the experiment, a 3D external auditory meatus was extracted by using the critical values in the DICOM volume images, a nd t he modeling surface structures were compared in standard type STL (STereoLithography) files which could be recognized by a 3D printer. In this 3D modeling method, a conventional ear model was prepared, and the gaps between adjacent isograms produced by a 3D scanner were filled with 3D surface fragments to express the modeling structure. In this study, the same type of triangular surface structures were prepared by using the DICOM images. The result showed that the modeling surface structure based on the DICOM images provide the same environment that the conventional 3D printers may recognize, eventually enabling to print out the hearing aid ear shell shape

  18. A Compact and Low-Cost MEMS Loudspeaker for Digital Hearing Aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang-Soo Je; Rivas, F; Diaz, R E; Jiuk Kwon; Jeonghwan Kim; Bakkaloglu, B; Kiaei, S; Junseok Chae

    2009-10-01

    A microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS)-based electromagnetically actuated loudspeaker to reduce form factor, cost, and power consumption, and increase energy efficiency in hearing-aid applications is presented. The MEMS loudspeaker has multilayer copper coils, an NiFe soft magnet on a thin polyimide diaphragm, and an NdFeB permanent magnet on the perimeter. The coil impedance is measured at 1.5 Omega, and the resonant frequency of the diaphragm is located far from the audio frequency range. The device is driven by a power-scalable, 0.25-mum complementary metal-oxide semiconductor class-D SigmaDelta amplifier stage. The class-D amplifier is formed by a differential H-bridge driven by a single bit, pulse-density-modulated SigmaDelta bitstream at a 1.2-MHz clock rate. The fabricated MEMS loudspeaker generates more than 0.8-mum displacement, equivalent to 106-dB sound pressure level (SPL), with 0.13-mW power consumption. Driven by the SigmaDelta class-D amplifier, the MEMS loudspeaker achieves measured 65-dB total harmonic distortion (THD) with a measurement uncertainty of less than 10%. Energy-efficient and cost-effective advanced hearing aids would benefit from further miniaturization via MEMS technology. The results from this study appear very promising for developing a compact, mass-producible, low-power loudspeaker with sufficient sound generation for hearing-aid applications.

  19. Does the acceptable noise level (ANL) predict hearing-aid use?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Brännström, K Jonas

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that individuals have an inherent acceptance of noise in the presence of speech, and that different acceptance of noise results in different hearing-aid (HA) use. The acceptable noise level (ANL) has been proposed for measurement of this property. It has been...... claimed that the ANL magnitude can predict hearing-aid use patterns. Many papers have been published reporting on different aspects of ANL, but none have challenged the predictive power of ANL. The purpose of this study was to discuss whether ANL can predict HA use and how more reliable ANL results can...... reviewed journals as well as a number of papers from trade journals, posters and oral presentations from audiology conventions. CONCLUSIONS: An inherent acceptance of noise in the presence of speech may exist, but no method for precise measurement of ANL is available. The ANL model for prediction of HA use...

  20. Evaluation of a clinical auditory profile in hearing-aid candidates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorup, Nicoline; Santurette, Sébastien; Jørgensen, Søren

    2015-01-01

    by default. However, this does not necessary lead to the same HA benefit. This study aimed at identifying clinically relevant tests that may be informative in addition to the audiogram and relate more directly to HA benefit. Twenty-nine HI listeners performed fast tests of loudness perception, spectral...... and temporal resolution, binaural hearing, speech intelligibility in stationary and fluctuating noise, and a working-memory test. Six weeks after HA fitting they answered the International Outcome Inventory – Hearing Aid evaluation. The HI group was homogeneous based on the audiogram, but only one test...

  1. Achieving effective hearing aid fitting within one month after identification of childhood permanent hearing impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastanza, G; Gallus, R; De Carlini, M; Picciotti, P M; Muzzi, E; Ciciriello, E; Orzan, E; Conti, G

    2016-02-01

    Diagnosis of child permanent hearing impairment (PHI) can be made with extreme timeliness compared to the past thanks to improvements in PHI identification through newborn hearing screening programmes. It now becomes essential to provide an effective amplification as quickly as possible in order to restore auditory function and favour speech and language development. The early fitting of hearing aids and possible later cochlear implantation indeed prompts the development of central auditory pathways, connections with secondary sensory brain areas, as well as with motor and articulatory cortex. The aim of this paper is to report the results of a strategic analysis that involves identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats regarding the process of achieving early amplification in all cases of significant childhood PHI. The analysis is focused on the Italian situation and is part of the Italian Ministry of Health project CCM 2013 "Preventing Communication Disorders: a Regional Program for Early Identification, Intervention and Care of Hearing Impaired Children". © Copyright by Società Italiana di Otorinolaringologia e Chirurgia Cervico-Facciale.

  2. [Evaluation of hazards caused by magnetic field emitted from magnetotherapy applicator to the users of bone conduction hearing prostheses].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zradziński, Patryk; Karpowicz, Jolanta; Gryz, Krzysztof; Leszko, Wiesław

    2017-06-27

    Low frequency magnetic field, inducing electrical field (Ein) inside conductive structures may directly affect the human body, e.g., by electrostimulation in the nervous system. In addition, the spatial distribution and level of Ein are disturbed in tissues neighbouring the medical implant. Numerical models of magneto-therapeutic applicator (emitting sinusoidal magnetic field of frequency 100 Hz) and the user of hearing implant (based on bone conduction: Bonebridge type - IS-BB or BAHA (bone anchorde hearing aid) type - IS-BAHA) were worked out. Values of Ein were analyzed in the model of the implant user's head, e.g., physiotherapist, placed next to the applicator. It was demonstrated that the use of IS-BB or IS-BAHA makes electromagnetic hazards significantly higher (up to 4-fold) compared to the person without implant exposed to magnetic field heterogeneous in space. Hazards for IS-BAHA users are higher than those for IS-BB users. It was found that applying the principles of directive 2013/35/EU, at exposure to magnetic field below exposure limits the direct biophysical effects of exposure in hearing prosthesis users may exceed relevant limits. Whereas applying principles and limits set up by Polish labor law or the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines, the compliance with the exposure limits also ensures the compliance with relevant limits of electric field induced in the body of hearing implant user. It is necessary to assess individually electromagnetic hazard concerning hearing implant users bearing in mind significantly higher hazards to them compared to person without implant or differences between levels of hazards faced by users of implants of various structural or technological solutions. Med Pr 2017;68(4):469-477. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  3. Evaluation of hazards caused by magnetic field emitted from magnetotherapy applicator to the users of bone conduction hearing prostheses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patryk Zradziński

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Low frequency magnetic field, inducing electrical field (Ein inside conductive structures may directly affect the human body, e.g., by electrostimulation in the nervous system. In addition, the spatial distribution and level of Ein are disturbed in tissues neighbouring the medical implant. Material and Methods: Numerical models of magneto-therapeutic applicator (emitting sinusoidal magnetic field of frequency 100 Hz and the user of hearing implant (based on bone conduction: Bonebridge type – IS-BB or BAHA (bone anchorde hearing aid type – IS-BAHA were worked out. Values of Ein were analyzed in the model of the implant user’s head, e.g., physiotherapist, placed next to the applicator. Results: It was demonstrated that the use of IS-BB or IS-BAHA makes electromagnetic hazards significantly higher (up to 4-fold compared to the person without implant exposed to magnetic field heterogeneous in space. Hazards for IS-BAHA users are higher than those for IS-BB users. It was found that applying the principles of directive 2013/35/EU, at exposure to magnetic field below exposure limits the direct biophysical effects of exposure in hearing prosthesis users may exceed relevant limits. Whereas applying principles and limits set up by Polish labor law or the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP guidelines, the compliance with the exposure limits also ensures the compliance with relevant limits of electric field induced in the body of hearing implant user. Conclusions: It is necessary to assess individually electromagnetic hazard concerning hearing implant users bearing in mind significantly higher hazards to them compared to person without implant or differences between levels of hazards faced by users of implants of various structural or technological solutions. Med Pr 2017;68(4:469–477

  4. Implementation of integrated circuit and design of SAR ADC for fully implantable hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong Hoon; Lee, Jyung Hyun; Cho, Jin-Ho

    2017-07-20

    The hearing impaired population has been increasing; many people suffer from hearing problems. To deal with this difficulty, various types of hearing aids are being rapidly developed. In particular, fully implantable hearing aids are being actively studied to improve the performance of existing hearing aids and to reduce the stigma of hearing loss patients. It has to be of small size and low-power consumption for easy implantation and long-term use. The objective of the study was to implement a small size and low-power consumption successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) for fully implantable hearing aids. The ADC was selected as the SAR ADC because its analog circuit components are less required by the feedback circuit of the SAR ADC than the sigma-delta ADC which is conventionally used in hearing aids, and it has advantages in the area and power consumption. So, the circuit of SAR ADC is designed considering the speech region of humans because the objective is to deliver the speech signals of humans to hearing loss patients. If the switch of sample and hold works in the on/off positions, the charge injection and clock feedthrough are produced by a parasitic capacitor. These problems affect the linearity of the hold voltage, and as a result, an error of the bit conversion is generated. In order to solve the problem, a CMOS switch that consists of NMOS and PMOS was used, and it reduces the charge injection because the charge carriers in the NMOS and PMOS have inversed polarity. So, 16 bit conversion is performed before the occurrence of the Least Significant Bit (LSB) error. In order to minimize the offset voltage and power consumption of the designed comparator, we designed a preamplifier with current mirror. Therefore, the power consumption was reduced by the power control switch used in the comparator. The layout of the designed SAR ADC was performed by Virtuoso Layout Editor (Cadence, USA). In the layout result, the size of the

  5. [Development of computer aided forming techniques in manufacturing scaffolds for bone tissue engineering].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xuelei; Dong, Fuhui

    2011-12-01

    To review recent advance in the research and application of computer aided forming techniques for constructing bone tissue engineering scaffolds. The literature concerning computer aided forming techniques for constructing bone tissue engineering scaffolds in recent years was reviewed extensively and summarized. Several studies over last decade have focused on computer aided forming techniques for bone scaffold construction using various scaffold materials, which is based on computer aided design (CAD) and bone scaffold rapid prototyping (RP). CAD include medical CAD, STL, and reverse design. Reverse design can fully simulate normal bone tissue and could be very useful for the CAD. RP techniques include fused deposition modeling, three dimensional printing, selected laser sintering, three dimensional bioplotting, and low-temperature deposition manufacturing. These techniques provide a new way to construct bone tissue engineering scaffolds with complex internal structures. With rapid development of molding and forming techniques, computer aided forming techniques are expected to provide ideal bone tissue engineering scaffolds.

  6. Quality standards for bone conduction implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gavilan, Javier; Adunka, Oliver; Agrawal, Sumit; Atlas, Marcus; Baumgartner, Wolf-Dieter; Brill, Stefan; Bruce, Iain; Buchman, Craig; Caversaccio, Marco; De Bodt, Marc T; Dillon, Meg; Godey, Benoit; Green, Kevin; Gstoettner, Wolfgang; Hagen, Rudolf; Hagr, Abdulrahman; Han, Demin; Kameswaran, Mohan; Karltorp, Eva; Kompis, Martin; Kuzovkov, Vlad; Lassaletta, Luis; Li, Yongxin; Lorens, Artur; Martin, Jane; Manoj, Manikoth; Mertens, Griet; Mlynski, Robert; Mueller, Joachim; O'Driscoll, Martin; Parnes, Lorne; Pulibalathingal, Sasidharan; Radeloff, Andreas; Raine, Christopher H; Rajan, Gunesh; Rajeswaran, Ranjith; Schmutzhard, Joachim; Skarzynski, Henryk; Skarzynski, Piotr; Sprinzl, Georg; Staecker, Hinrich; Stephan, Kurt; Sugarova, Serafima; Tavora, Dayse; Usami, Shin-Ichi; Yanov, Yuri; Zernotti, Mario; Zorowka, Patrick; de Heyning, Paul Van

    2015-01-01

    Bone conduction implants are useful in patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss for whom conventional surgery or hearing aids are no longer an option. They may also be used in patients affected by single-sided deafness. To establish a consensus on the quality standards required for centers willing to create a bone conduction implant program. To ensure a consistently high level of service and to provide patients with the best possible solution the members of the HEARRING network have established a set of quality standards for bone conduction implants. These standards constitute a realistic minimum attainable by all implant clinics and should be employed alongside current best practice guidelines. Fifteen items are thoroughly analyzed. They include team structure, accommodation and clinical facilities, selection criteria, evaluation process, complete preoperative and surgical information, postoperative fitting and assessment, follow-up, device failure, clinical management, transfer of care and patient complaints.

  7. Low Delay Noise Reduction and Dereverberation for Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heinrich W. Löllmann

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A new system for single-channel speech enhancement is proposed which achieves a joint suppression of late reverberant speech and background noise with a low signal delay and low computational complexity. It is based on a generalized spectral subtraction rule which depends on the variances of the late reverberant speech and background noise. The calculation of the spectral variances of the late reverberant speech requires an estimate of the reverberation time (RT which is accomplished by a maximum likelihood (ML approach. The enhancement with this blind RT estimation achieves almost the same speech quality as by using the actual RT. In comparison to commonly used post-filters in hearing aids which only perform a noise reduction, a significantly better objective and subjective speech quality is achieved. The proposed system performs time-domain filtering with coefficients adapted in the non-uniform (Bark-scaled frequency-domain. This allows to achieve a high speech quality with low signal delay which is important for speech enhancement in hearing aids or related applications such as hands-free communication systems.

  8. The Care and Use of a Child's Hearing Aid: A Practical Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Michael A.

    The booklet is intended to provide practical information on hearing aids for hearing impaired children, their families and teachers. Illustrations are provided to describe the hearing process. The nature of hearing loss is considered in terms of types (conductive, sensori-neural, and mixed), causes, degrees, and educational implications. Four…

  9. Clinical significance of temporal bone CT with regard to hearing preservation in acoustic neurinoma removal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Umezu, Hiromichi; Seki, Yojirou; Aiba, Tadashi

    1988-02-01

    Since Rand and Kurze discussed the possibility of the anatomic preservation of the cochlear nerve via the posterior fossa transmeatal approach for the acoustic neurinoma, there have been increasingly many reports on the preservation of cochlear nerve function. With recent advances in diagnostic tools, today's neurosurgeon is able to make an earlier and more precise diagnosis of acoustic neurinomas even when the patient has good hearing. If useful hearing is to be kept, the cochlear nerve and blood supply of the labyrinth have to be preserved. In addition, surgical entry into the labyrinth, upon the removal of the posterior wall of the internal auditory canal, must be avoided, since it is likely to result in permanent hearing loss. Because of its superior contrast and spatial resolution, thin-section and high-resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone has the great advantage of demonstrating the exact relationship of the internal auditory canal to the posterior semicircular canal, the vestibule, and the common crus. In this study, thin-section, high-resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone was performed in 11 cases of acoustic neurinoma pre- and postoperatively. At operation, the lateral limit of the bone removal of the posterior internal auditory canal was determined on the basis of preoperative computed tomography of the temporal bone. As a result, inadvertent entry into the labyrinth was avoided, and useful hearing was preserved in 8 cases. In order to preserve useful hearing following total tumor removal, it is essential to plan the operative strategy meticulously on the basis of the findings of the preoperative investigation, Including temporal bone CT.

  10. A critical review of hearing-aid single-microphone noise-reduction studies in adults and children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chong, Foong Yen; Jenstad, Lorienne M

    2017-10-26

    Single-microphone noise reduction (SMNR) is implemented in hearing aids to suppress background noise. The purpose of this article was to provide a critical review of peer-reviewed studies in adults and children with sensorineural hearing loss who were fitted with hearing aids incorporating SMNR. Articles published between 2000 and 2016 were searched in PUBMED and EBSCO databases. Thirty-two articles were included in the final review. Most studies with adult participants showed that SMNR has no effect on speech intelligibility. Positive results were reported for acceptance of background noise, preference, and listening effort. Studies of school-aged children were consistent with the findings of adult studies. No study with infants or young children of under 5 years old was found. Recent studies on noise-reduction systems not yet available in wearable hearing aids have documented benefits of noise reduction on memory for speech processing for older adults. This evidence supports the use of SMNR for adults and school-aged children when the aim is to improve listening comfort or reduce listening effort. Future research should test SMNR with infants and children who are younger than 5 years of age. Further development, testing, and clinical trials should be carried out on algorithms not yet available in wearable hearing aids. Testing higher cognitive level for speech processing and learning of novel sounds or words could show benefits of advanced signal processing features. These approaches should be expanded to other populations such as children and younger adults. Implications for rehabilitation The review provides a quick reference for students and clinicians regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of SMNR in wearable hearing aids. This information is useful during counseling session to build a realistic expectation among hearing aid users. Most studies in the adult population suggest that SMNR may provide some benefits to adult listeners in terms of listening

  11. Psychosocial health of cochlear implant users compared to that of adults with and without hearing aids: Results of a nationwide cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosdriesz, J R; Stam, M; Smits, C; Kramer, S E

    2018-06-01

    This study aimed to examine the psychosocial health status of adult cochlear implant (CI) users, compared to that of hearing aid (HA) users, hearing-impaired adults without hearing aids and normally hearing adults. Cross-sectional observational study, using both self-reported survey data and a speech-in-noise test. Data as collected within the Netherlands Longitudinal Study on Hearing (NL-SH) between September 2011 and June 2016 were used. Data from 1254 Dutch adults (aged 23-74), selected in a convenience sample design, were included for analyses. Psychosocial health measures included emotional and social loneliness, anxiety, depression, distress and somatisation. Psychosocial health, hearing status, use of hearing technology and covariates were measured by self-report; hearing ability was assessed through an online digit triplet speech-in-noise test. After adjusting for the degree of hearing impairment, HA users (N = 418) and hearing-impaired adults (N = 247) had significantly worse scores on emotional loneliness than CI users (N = 37). HA users had significantly higher anxiety scores than CI users in some analyses. Non-significant differences were found between normally hearing (N = 552) and CI users for all psychosocial outcomes. Psychosocial health of CI users is not worse than that of hearing-impaired adults with or without hearing aids. CI users' level of emotional loneliness is even lower than that of their hearing-impaired peers using hearing aids. A possible explanation is that CI patients receive more professional and family support, and guidance along their patient journey than adults who are fitted with hearing aids. © 2017 The Authors. Clinical Otolaryngology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function

    OpenAIRE

    Fischer, Rosa-Linde; Neher, Tobias; Wagener, Kirsten C.

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Research findings concerning the relation between benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are inconsistent. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory and the relation with reading span.DESIGN: Using a computer simulation of bilaterally fitted HAs, four settings were tested: (1) unprocessed, (2) directional microphones, (3) single-channel noise reduction and (4) binaural cohere...

  13. Transitioning hearing aid users with severe and profound loss to a new gain/frequency response: benefit, perception, and acceptance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Convery, Elizabeth; Keidser, Gitte

    2011-03-01

    Adults with severe and profound hearing loss tend to be long-term, full-time users of amplification who are highly reliant on their hearing aids. As a result of these characteristics, they are often reluctant to update their hearing aids when new features or signal-processing algorithms become available. Due to the electroacoustic constraints of older devices, many severely and profoundly hearing-impaired adults continue to wear hearing aids that provide more low- and mid-frequency gain and less high-frequency gain than would be prescribed by the National Acoustic Laboratories' revised formula with profound correction factor (NAL-RP). To investigate the effect of a gradual change in gain/frequency response on experienced hearing-aid wearers with moderately severe to profound hearing loss. Double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-three experienced adult hearing-aid users with severe and profound hearing loss participated in the study. Participants were selected for inclusion in the study if the gain/frequency response of their own hearing aids differed significantly from their NAL-RP prescription. Participants were assigned either to a control or to an experimental group balanced for aided ear three-frequency pure-tone average (PTA) and age. Participants were fitted with Siemens Artis 2 SP behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids that were matched to the gain/frequency response of their own hearing aids for a 65 dB SPL input level. The experimental group progressed incrementally to their NAL-RP targets over the course of 15 wk, while the control group maintained their initial settings throughout the study. Aided speech discrimination testing, loudness scaling, and structured questionnaires were completed at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 wk postfitting. A paired comparison between the old and new gain/frequency responses was completed at 1 and 15 wk postfitting. Statistical analysis was conducted to examine differences between the experimental and control groups and changes

  14. Bonebridge Implantation for Conductive Hearing Loss in a Patient with Oval Window Atresia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Minbum

    2015-08-01

    The occurrence of oval window atresia is a rare anomaly with conductive hearing loss. Traditional atresia surgeries involve challenging surgical techniques with risks of irreversible inner ear damage. Recent reports on Bonebridge (Medel, Innsbruck, Austria), a novel implantable bone conduction hearing aid system, assert that the device is safe and effective for conductive hearing loss. We present a case of Bonebridge implantation in an eight-year-old girl with bilateral oval window atresia.

  15. The effect of sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus on speech recognition over air and bone conduction military communications headsets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, Candice; Mermagen, Timothy; Scharine, Angelique

    2017-06-01

    Military personnel are at risk for hearing loss due to noise exposure during deployment (USACHPPM, 2008). Despite mandated use of hearing protection, hearing loss and tinnitus are prevalent due to reluctance to use hearing protection. Bone conduction headsets can offer good speech intelligibility for normal hearing (NH) listeners while allowing the ears to remain open in quiet environments and the use of hearing protection when needed. Those who suffer from tinnitus, the experience of perceiving a sound not produced by an external source, often show degraded speech recognition; however, it is unclear whether this is a result of decreased hearing sensitivity or increased distractibility (Moon et al., 2015). It has been suggested that the vibratory stimulation of a bone conduction headset might ameliorate the effects of tinnitus on speech perception; however, there is currently no research to support or refute this claim (Hoare et al., 2014). Speech recognition of words presented over air conduction and bone conduction headsets was measured for three groups of listeners: NH, sensorineural hearing impaired, and/or tinnitus sufferers. Three levels of speech-to-noise (SNR = 0, -6, -12 dB) were created by embedding speech items in pink noise. Better speech recognition performance was observed with the bone conduction headset regardless of hearing profile, and speech intelligibility was a function of SNR. Discussion will include study limitations and the implications of these findings for those serving in the military. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Influence of a remote microphone on localization with hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Selby, Johan G.; Weisser, Adam; MacDonald, Ewen

    2017-01-01

    When used with hearing aids (HA), the addition of a remote microphone (RM) may alter the spatial perception of the listener. First, the RM signal is presented diotically from the HAs. Second, the processing in the HA often delays the RM signal relative to the HA microphone signals. Finally...

  17. System-Level Power Optimization for a ΣΔ D/A Converter for Hearing-Aid Application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pracný, Peter; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger; Bruun, Erik

    2013-01-01

    This paper deals with a system-level optimization of a back-end of audio signal processing chain for hearing-aids, including a sigma-delta modulator digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and a Class D power amplifier. Compared to other stateof-the-art designs dealing with sigma-delta modulator design...... hearing-aid audio back-end system resulting in less hardware and power consumption in the interpolation filter, in the sigma-delta modulator and reduced switching rate of the Class D output stage....

  18. A Modified Suture Bridge Technique for Application With Bone Anchors in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walters, Jeremy; Correa, Christopher; Moss, Mark

    2015-01-01

    We present a suture bridge technique for reattachment of tendon or ligament to bone for use in foot and ankle surgery. The method is a simple, strong, and reproducible technique that could decrease the risk of irritation of the overlying cutaneous barrier and minimizes the likelihood of tendon strangulation when combined with soft tissue bone anchors. The present report serves as a guide to the use of this suture technique for reattachment of the Achilles tendon. Copyright © 2015 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The clinical significance of temporal bone CT with regard to hearing preservation in acoustic neurinoma removal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umezu, Hiromichi; Seki, Yojirou; Aiba, Tadashi

    1988-01-01

    Since Rand and Kurze discussed the possibility of the anatomic preservation of the cochlear nerve via the posterior fossa transmeatal approach for the acoustic neurinoma, there have been increasingly many reports on the preservation of cochlear nerve function. With recent advances in diagnostic tools, today's neurosurgeon is able to make an earlier and more precise diagnosis of acoustic neurinomas even when the patient has good hearing. If useful hearing is to be kept, the cochlear nerve and blood supply of the labyrinth have to be preserved. In addition, surgical entry into the labyrinth, upon the removal of the posterior wall of the internal auditory canal, must be avoided, since it is likely to result in permanent hearing loss. Because of its superior contrast and spatial resolution, thin-section and high-resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone has the great advantage of demonstrating the exact relationship of the internal auditory canal to the posterior semicircular canal, the vestibule, and the common crus. In this study, thin-section, high-resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone was performed in 11 cases of acoustic neurinoma pre- and postoperatively. At operation, the lateral limit of the bone removal of the posterior internal auditory canal was determined on the basis of preoperative computed tomography of the temporal bone. As a result, inadvertent entry into the labyrinth was avoided, and useful hearing was preserved in 8 cases. In order to preserve useful hearing following total tumor removal, it is essential to plan the operative strategy meticulously on the basis of the findings of the preoperative investigation, Including temporal bone CT. (author)

  20. Audiological results with Baha in conductive and mixed hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfiffner, Flurin; Caversaccio, Marco-Domenico; Kompis, Martin

    2011-01-01

    The level of improvement in the audiological results of Baha(®) users mainly depends on the patient's preoperative hearing thresholds and the type of Baha sound processor used. This investigation shows correlations between the preoperative hearing threshold and postoperative aided thresholds and audiological results in speech understanding in quiet of 84 Baha users with unilateral conductive hearing loss, bilateral conductive hearing loss and bilateral mixed hearing loss. Secondly, speech understanding in noise of 26 Baha users with different Baha sound processors (Compact, Divino, and BP100) is investigated. Linear regression between aided sound field thresholds and bone conduction (BC) thresholds of the better ear shows highest correlation coefficients and the steepest slope. Differences between better BC thresholds and aided sound field thresholds are smallest for mid-frequencies (1 and 2 kHz) and become larger at 0.5 and 4 kHz. For Baha users, the gain in speech recognition in quiet can be expected to lie in the order of magnitude of the gain in their hearing threshold. Compared to its predecessor sound processors Baha(®) Compact and Baha(®) Divino, Baha(®) BP100 improves speech understanding in noise significantly by +0.9 to +4.6 dB signal-to-noise ratio, depending on the setting and the use of directional microphone. For Baha users with unilateral and bilateral conductive hearing loss and bilateral mixed hearing loss, audiological results in aided sound field thresholds can be estimated with the better BC hearing threshold. The benefit in speech understanding in quiet can be expected to be similar to the gain in their sound field hearing threshold. The most recent technology of Baha sound processor improves speech understanding in noise by an order of magnitude that is well perceived by users and which can be very useful in everyday life. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  1. Combination of Adaptive Feedback Cancellation and Binaural Adaptive Filtering in Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthony Lombard

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We study a system combining adaptive feedback cancellation and adaptive filtering connecting inputs from both ears for signal enhancement in hearing aids. For the first time, such a binaural system is analyzed in terms of system stability, convergence of the algorithms, and possible interaction effects. As major outcomes of this study, a new stability condition adapted to the considered binaural scenario is presented, some already existing and commonly used feedback cancellation performance measures for the unilateral case are adapted to the binaural case, and possible interaction effects between the algorithms are identified. For illustration purposes, a blind source separation algorithm has been chosen as an example for adaptive binaural spatial filtering. Experimental results for binaural hearing aids confirm the theoretical findings and the validity of the new measures.

  2. Older people's views on what they need to successfully adjust to life with a hearing aid

    OpenAIRE

    Kelly, Timothy B; Tolson, Debbie; Day, Tracy; McColgan, Gillian; Kroll, Thilo; Maclaren, William

    2013-01-01

    This article reports a study exploring what older people believe would enable them to adjust to and gain maximum benefit from wearing a hearing aid. A mixed methods approach was employed during 2006 involving interviews with key stakeholders, a survey across three Scottish health board areas and focus groups. Nine key stakeholders from six national and local organisations were interviewed about the needs of older people being fitted with hearing aids. In total, 240 older people belonging to t...

  3. Open ear hearing aids in tinnitus therapy: An efficacy comparison with sound generators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parazzini, Marta; Del Bo, Luca; Jastreboff, Margaret; Tognola, Gabriella; Ravazzani, Paolo

    2011-08-01

    This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) with sound generators or with open ear hearing aids in the rehabilitation of tinnitus for a group of subjects who, according to Jastreboff categories, can be treated with both approaches to sound therapy (borderline of Category 1 and 2). This study was a prospective data collection with a parallel-group design which entailed that each subject was randomly assigned to one of the two treatments group: half of the subjects were fitted binaurally with sound generators, and the other half with open ear hearing aids. Both groups received the same educational counselling sessions. Ninety-one subjects passed the screening criteria and were enrolled into the study. Structured interviews, with a variety of measures evaluated through the use of visual-analog scales and the tinnitus handicap inventory self-administered questionnaire, were performed before the therapy and at 3, 6, and 12 months during the therapy. Data showed a highly significant improvement in both tinnitus treatments starting from the first three months and up to one year of therapy, with a progressive and statistically significant decrease in the disability every three months. TRT was equally effective with sound generator or open ear hearing aids: they gave basically identical, statistically indistinguishable results.

  4. An Introduction to Neural Networks for Hearing Aid Noise Recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jun W.; Tyler, Richard S.

    1995-01-01

    This article introduces the use of multilayered artificial neural networks in hearing aid noise recognition. It reviews basic principles of neural networks, and offers an example of an application in which a neural network is used to identify the presence or absence of noise in speech. The ability of neural networks to "learn" the…

  5. Prescriptive amplification recommendations for hearing losses with a conductive component and their impact on the required maximum power output: an update with accompanying clinical explanation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Earl E

    2013-06-01

    Hearing aid prescriptive recommendations for hearing losses having a conductive component have received less clinical and research interest than for losses of a sensorineural nature; as a result, much variation remains among current prescriptive methods in their recommendations for conductive and mixed hearing losses (Johnson and Dillon, 2011). The primary intent of this brief clinical note is to demonstrate differences between two algebraically equivalent expressions of hearing loss, which have been approaches used historically to generate a prescription for hearing losses with a conductive component. When air and bone conduction thresholds are entered into hearing aid prescriptions designed for nonlinear hearing aids, it was hypothesized that that two expressions would not yield equivalent amounts of prescribed insertion gain and output. These differences are examined for their impact on the maximum power output (MPO) requirements of the hearing aid. Subsequently, the MPO capabilities of two common behind-the-ear (BTE) receiver placement alternatives, receiver-in-aid (RIA) and receiver-in-canal (RIC), are examined. The two expressions of hearing losses examined were the 25% ABG + AC approach and the 75% ABG + BC approach, where ABG refers to air-bone gap, AC refers to air-conduction threshold, and BC refers to bone-conduction threshold. Example hearing loss cases with a conductive component are sampled for calculations. The MPO capabilities of the BTE receiver placements in commercially-available products were obtained from hearing aids on the U.S. federal purchasing contract. Prescribed gain and the required MPO differs markedly between the two approaches. The 75% ABG + BC approach prescribes a compression ratio that is reflective of the amount of sensorineural hearing loss. Not all hearing aids will have the MPO capabilities to support the output requirements for fitting hearing losses with a large conductive component particularly when combined with

  6. Bone-anchored titanium implants for auricular rehabilitation: case report and review of literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gumieiro, Emne Hammoud; Dib, Luciano Lauria; Jahn, Ricardo Schmitutz; Santos Junior, João Ferreira dos; Nannmark, Ulf; Granström, Gösta; Abrahão, Márcio

    2009-01-01

    Osseointegrated implants have acquired an important role in the prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with craniofacial defects. The main indications are lack of local tissue for autogenous reconstruction, previous reconstruction failure and selection of this technique by the patient. This paper presents a clinical case and discusses indications and advantages of the osseointegrated implant technique for retention of auricular prostheses. Case report, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). A female patient received three auricular implants after surgical resection of a hemangioma in her left ear. The time taken for osseointegration of the temporal bone was three months. After fabrication of the implant-retained auricular prosthesis, the patient was monitored for 12 months. The clinical parameters evaluated showed good postoperative healing, healthy peri-implant tissue, good hygiene and no loss of implants. Good hygiene combined with thin and immobile peri-implant soft tissues resulted in minimal complications. Craniofacial implant integration appears to be site-dependent; increasing age affects osseointegration in the temporal bone. The frequency of adverse skin reactions in peri-implant tissues is generally low. The surgical technique for rehabilitation using implant-retained auricular prostheses seems to be simple. It is associated with low rates of adverse skin reactions and long-term complications. Prostheses anchored by osseointegrated implants seem to provide better retention than do prostheses supported on spectacle frames, less risk of discoloration through the use of adhesives and better esthetic results than do prostheses anchored in the surgical cavity.

  7. Should visual speech cues (speechreading) be considered when fitting hearing aids?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Ken

    2002-05-01

    When talker and listener are face-to-face, visual speech cues become an important part of the communication environment, and yet, these cues are seldom considered when designing hearing aids. Models of auditory-visual speech recognition highlight the importance of complementary versus redundant speech information for predicting auditory-visual recognition performance. Thus, for hearing aids to work optimally when visual speech cues are present, it is important to know whether the cues provided by amplification and the cues provided by speechreading complement each other. In this talk, data will be reviewed that show nonmonotonicity between auditory-alone speech recognition and auditory-visual speech recognition, suggesting that efforts designed solely to improve auditory-alone recognition may not always result in improved auditory-visual recognition. Data will also be presented showing that one of the most important speech cues for enhancing auditory-visual speech recognition performance, voicing, is often the cue that benefits least from amplification.

  8. Traction endurance biomechanical study of metallic suture anchors at different insertion angles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azato Flávia Namie

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The suture anchors' insertion angle and its traction resistance are the main subjects of this study. Twenty trials were realized using threaded suture anchors in four diferents angulations (30º /45º /60º /90º in human bone (distal femur and another twenty trials in artificial bone (SawboneTM. The anchors were pulled out being tractioned uprightly from its bone surface by a Kratos Universal test machine. The human bone results found no relation between the main subjects of this study, so whithout statistical value. On the other hand at the artificial bone the insertion angle of 90º beared more traction, being statistically significant compared to the other angles.

  9. Auditory, Visual, and Auditory-Visual Speech Perception by Individuals with Cochlear Implants versus Individuals with Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Most, Tova; Rothem, Hilla; Luntz, Michal

    2009-01-01

    The researchers evaluated the contribution of cochlear implants (CIs) to speech perception by a sample of prelingually deaf individuals implanted after age 8 years. This group was compared with a group with profound hearing impairment (HA-P), and with a group with severe hearing impairment (HA-S), both of which used hearing aids. Words and…

  10. Vocabulary Facilitates Speech Perception in Children With Hearing Aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Kelsey E; Walker, Elizabeth A; Kirby, Benjamin; McCreery, Ryan W

    2017-08-16

    We examined the effects of vocabulary, lexical characteristics (age of acquisition and phonotactic probability), and auditory access (aided audibility and daily hearing aid [HA] use) on speech perception skills in children with HAs. Participants included 24 children with HAs and 25 children with normal hearing (NH), ages 5-12 years. Groups were matched on age, expressive and receptive vocabulary, articulation, and nonverbal working memory. Participants repeated monosyllabic words and nonwords in noise. Stimuli varied on age of acquisition, lexical frequency, and phonotactic probability. Performance in each condition was measured by the signal-to-noise ratio at which the child could accurately repeat 50% of the stimuli. Children from both groups with larger vocabularies showed better performance than children with smaller vocabularies on nonwords and late-acquired words but not early-acquired words. Overall, children with HAs showed poorer performance than children with NH. Auditory access was not associated with speech perception for the children with HAs. Children with HAs show deficits in sensitivity to phonological structure but appear to take advantage of vocabulary skills to support speech perception in the same way as children with NH. Further investigation is needed to understand the causes of the gap that exists between the overall speech perception abilities of children with HAs and children with NH.

  11. 21 CFR 801.420 - Hearing aid devices; professional and patient labeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...) Maintenance and care of the hearing aid, including the procedure to follow in washing the earmold, when... with a physician, e.g., skin irritation and accelerated accumulation of cerumen (ear wax). (viii) A.... (ii) History of active drainage from the ear within the previous 90 days. (iii) History of sudden or...

  12. Bilateral bone conduction devices: improved hearing ability in children with bilateral conductive hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dun, Catharina A J; Agterberg, Martijn J H; Cremers, Cor W R J; Hol, Myrthe K S; Snik, Ad F M

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate whether children with bilateral conductive hearing loss benefit from their second device (i.e., the bilateral bone conduction device [BCD]). Speech recognition in noise was assessed in 10 children fitted with bilateral BCDs during childhood. Speech recognition was measured in 2 conditions with both BCDs active. Spatial resolution was tested with the Minimum Audible Angle test in the bilateral and monaural listening conditions. Children demonstrated an improvement in speech recognition when speech was presented from the front and noise was presented from the right-hand side as compared with both speech and noise being presented from the front. The minimum audible angle decreased from 57° in the best monaural condition to 13° in the bilateral condition. The audiological outcomes demonstrate the advantage of bilateral BCD fitting in children with bilateral conductive hearing loss.

  13. Challenges and Recent Developments in Hearing Aids: Part II. Feedback and Occlusion Effect Reduction Strategies, Laser Shell Manufacturing Processes, and Other Signal Processing Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, King

    2004-01-01

    This is the second part of a review on the challenges and recent developments in hearing aids. Feedback and the occlusion effect pose great challenges in hearing aid design and usage. Yet, conventional solutions to feedback and the occlusion effect often create a dilemma: the solution to one often leads to the other. This review discusses the advanced signal processing strategies to reduce feedback and some new approaches to reduce the occlusion effect. Specifically, the causes of three types of feedback (acoustic, mechanical, and electromagnetic) are discussed. The strategies currently used to reduce acoustic feedback (i.e., adaptive feedback reduction algorithms using adaptive gain reduction, notch filtering, and phase cancellation strategies) and the design of new receivers that are built to reduce mechanical and electromagnetic feedback are explained. In addition, various new strategies (i.e., redesigned sound delivery devices and receiver-in-the-ear-canal hearing aid configuration) to reduce the occlusion effect are reviewed. Many manufacturers have recently adopted laser shell-manufacturing technologies to overcome problems associated with manufacturing custom hearing aid shells. The mechanisms of selected laser sintering and stereo lithographic apparatus and the properties of custom shells produced by these two processes are reviewed. Further, various new developments in hearing aid transducers, telecoils, channel-free amplification, open-platform programming options, rechargeable hearing aids, ear-level frequency modulated (FM) receivers, wireless Bluetooth FM systems, and wireless programming options are briefly explained and discussed. Finally, the applications of advanced hearing aid technologies to enhance other devices such as cochlear implants, hearing protectors, and cellular phones are discussed. PMID:15735871

  14. The Effects of Service-Delivery Model and Purchase Price on Hearing-Aid Outcomes in Older Adults: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humes, Larry E; Rogers, Sara E; Quigley, Tera M; Main, Anna K; Kinney, Dana L; Herring, Christine

    2017-03-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine efficacy of hearing aids in older adults using audiology best practices, to evaluate the efficacy of an alternative over-the-counter (OTC) intervention, and to examine the influence of purchase price on outcomes for both service-delivery models. The design of this study was a single-site, prospective, double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial with three parallel branches: (a) audiology best practices (AB), (b) consumer decides OTC model (CD), and (c) placebo devices (P). Outcome measures were obtained after a typical 6-week trial period with follow-up 4-week AB-based trial for those initially assigned to CD and P groups. Older adults from the general community were recruited via newspaper and community flyers to participate at a university research clinic. Participants were adults, ages 55-79 years, with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. There were 188 eligible participants: 163 enrolled as a volunteer sample, and 154 completed the intervention. All participants received the same high-end digital mini-behind-the-ear hearing aids fitted bilaterally. AB and P groups received best-practice services from audiologists; differing mainly in use of appropriate (AB) or placebo (P) hearing aid settings. CD participants self-selected their own pre-programmed hearing aids via an OTC model. Primary outcome measure was a 66-item self-report, Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (Cox & Gilmore, 1990). Secondary outcome measure was the Connected Speech Test (Cox, Alexander, & Gilmore, 1987) benefit. Additional measures of hearing-aid benefit, satisfaction, and usage were also obtained. Per-protocol analyses were performed. AB service-delivery model was found to be efficacious for most of the outcome measures, with moderate or large effect sizes (Cohen's d). CD service-delivery model was efficacious, with similar effect sizes. However, CD group had a significantly (p purchase hearing aids after the trial. Hearing aids are efficacious in

  15. A conceptual framework for designing micro electrical connectors for hearing aid instruments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Doagou Rad, Saeed; Islam, Aminul; Fuglsang-Philip, M.

    2016-01-01

    technological advancements have urged them to incorporate increased number of electrical contacts. The current paper presents a conceptual framework for designing and manufacturing novel plug and socket systems for hearing aid instruments by using the state of art manufacturing technologies for micro components...

  16. Acoustical and Perceptual Comparison of Noise Reduction and Compression in Hearing Aids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brons, Inge; Houben, Rolph; Dreschler, Wouter A.

    2015-01-01

    Noise reduction and dynamic-range compression are generally applied together in hearing aids but may have opposite effects on amplification. This study evaluated the acoustical and perceptual effects of separate and combined processing of noise reduction and compression. Recordings of the output of

  17. Self-tapping ability of carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone suture anchors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feerick, Emer M; Wilson, Joanne; Jarman-Smith, Marcus; Ó'Brádaigh, Conchur M; McGarry, J Patrick

    2014-10-01

    An experimental and computational investigation of the self-tapping ability of carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) has been conducted. Six CFR-PEEK suture anchor designs were investigated using PEEK-OPTIMA® Reinforced, a medical grade of CFR-PEEK. Experimental tests were conducted to investigate the maximum axial force and torque required for self-taping insertion of each anchor design. Additional experimental tests were conducted for some anchor designs using pilot holes. Computational simulations were conducted to determine the maximum stress in each anchor design at various stages of insertion. Simulations also were performed to investigate the effect of wall thickness in the anchor head. The maximum axial force required to insert a self-tapping CFR-PEEK suture anchor did not exceed 150 N for any anchor design. The maximum torque required to insert a self-tapping CFR-PEEK suture anchor did not exceed 0.8 Nm. Computational simulations reveal significant stress concentrations in the region of the anchor tip, demonstrating that a re-design of the tip geometry should be performed to avoid fracture during self-tapping, as observed in the experimental component of this study. This study demonstrates the ability of PEEK-OPTIMA Reinforced suture anchors to self-tap polyurethane foam bone analogue. This provides motivation to further investigate the self-tapping ability of CFR-PEEK suture anchors in animal/cadaveric bone. An optimised design for CFR-PEEK suture anchors offers the advantages of radiolucency, and mechanical properties similar to bone with the ability to self-tap. This may have positive implications for reducing surgery times and the associated costs with the procedure. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  18. Bone-anchored titanium implants for auricular rehabilitation: case report and review of literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emne Hammoud Gumieiro

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Osseointegrated implants have acquired an important role in the prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with craniofacial defects. The main indications are lack of local tissue for autogenous reconstruction, previous reconstruction failure and selection of this technique by the patient. This paper presents a clinical case and discusses indications and advantages of the osseointegrated implant technique for retention of auricular prostheses. TYPE OF STUDY: Case report, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP. METHODS: A female patient received three auricular implants after surgical resection of a hemangioma in her left ear. The time taken for osseointegration of the temporal bone was three months. After fabrication of the implant-retained auricular prosthesis, the patient was monitored for 12 months. RESULTS: The clinical parameters evaluated showed good postoperative healing, healthy peri-implant tissue, good hygiene and no loss of implants. Good hygiene combined with thin and immobile peri-implant soft tissues resulted in minimal complications. Craniofacial implant integration appears to be site-dependent; increasing age affects osseointegration in the temporal bone. The frequency of adverse skin reactions in peri-implant tissues is generally low. CONCLUSION: The surgical technique for rehabilitation using implant-retained auricular prostheses seems to be simple. It is associated with low rates of adverse skin reactions and long-term complications. Prostheses anchored by osseointegrated implants seem to provide better retention than do prostheses supported on spectacle frames, less risk of discoloration through the use of adhesives and better esthetic results than do prostheses anchored in the surgical cavity

  19. Differences in speech processing among elderly hearing-impaired listeners with or without hearing aid experience: Eye-tracking and fMRI measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Habicht, Julia; Behler, Oliver; Kollmeier, Birger

    2017-01-01

    In contrast to the effects of hearing loss, the effects of hearing aid (HA) experience on speech-in-noise (SIN) processing are underexplored. Using an eye-tracking paradigm that allows determining how fast a participant can grasp the meaning of a sentence presented in noise together with two pict...... support the idea that HA experience positively influences the ability to process SIN quickly and that it reduces the recruitment of brain regions outside the core speech-comprehension network....

  20. Psychosocial Development in 5-Year-Old Children With Hearing Loss Using Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Cara L; Ching, Teresa Y C; Cupples, Linda; Button, Laura; Leigh, Greg; Marnane, Vivienne; Whitfield, Jessica; Gunnourie, Miriam; Martin, Louise

    2017-01-01

    This article reports on the psychosocial development and factors influencing outcomes of 5-year-old children with cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs). It further examines differences between children with CIs and HAs with similar levels of hearing loss. Data were collected as part of the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment study-a prospective, population-based study. Parents/caregivers of children completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire ( n = 333), the Social Skills subscale from the Child Development Inventory ( n = 317), and questionnaires on functional auditory behavior (Parents' Evaluation of Aural/oral performance of Children), and demographics. Children completed assessments of nonverbal cognitive ability (Wechsler Non-verbal Scale of Ability) and language (Preschool Language Scale - fourth edition). On average, parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores on emotional or behavioral difficulties were within 1 SD of the normative mean; however, Child Development Inventory scores on social skills were more than 1 SD below the norm. Children with severe-to-profound hearing losses using HAs had significantly more behavioral problems than children with CIs. Regression analyses showed that non-verbal cognitive ability, language, and functional auditory behavior were significantly associated with psychosocial outcomes for children with HAs, whereas outcomes for children with CIs were associated with functional auditory behavior and the presence of additional disabilities. Age at hearing intervention, severity of hearing loss, and communication mode were not associated with outcomes. The results suggest that even children who develop good language ability with the help of a HA or CI may have psychosocial problems if they exhibit difficulties with listening and communicating in everyday environments. The findings have implications for developing interventions for young children with hearing

  1. The Primary Stability of a Bioabsorbable Poly-L-Lactic Acid Suture Anchor for Rotator Cuff Repair Is Not Improved with Polymethylmethacrylate or Bioabsorbable Bone Cement Augmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Güleçyüz, Mehmet F; Kraus-Petersen, Michael; Schröder, Christian; Ficklscherer, Andreas; Wagenhäuser, Markus U; Braun, Christian; Müller, Peter E; Pietschmann, Matthias F

    2018-02-01

    The incidence of osteoporosis and rotator cuff tears increases with age. Cement augmentation of bones is an established method in orthopedic and trauma surgery. This study analyses if polymethylmethacrylate or bioabsorbable cement can improve the primary stability of a bioabsorbable suture anchor in vitro in comparison to a non-augmented suture anchor in osteoporotic human humeri. The trabecular bone mineral density was measured to ensure osteopenic human specimens. Then the poly-l-lactic acid Bio-Corkscrew® FT was implanted in the greater tuberosity footprint with polymethylmethacrylate Refobacin® cement augmentation ( n  = 8), with Cerament™ Bone Void Filler augmentation ( n  = 8) and without augmentation ( n  = 8). Using a cyclic testing protocol, the failure loads, system displacement, and failure modes were recorded. The Cerament™ augmented Bio-Corkscrew® FT yielded the highest failure loads (206.7 N), followed by polymethylmethacrylate Refobacin® augmentation (206.1 N) and without augmentation (160.0 N). The system displacement was lowest for Cerament™ augmentation (0.72 mm), followed by polymethylmethacrylate (0.82 mm) and without augmentation (1.50 mm). Statistical analysis showed no significant differences regarding the maximum failure loads ( p  = 0.1644) or system displacement ( p  = 0.4199). The main mode of failure for all three groups was suture slippage. The primary stability of the Bio-Corkscrew® FT is not influenced by bone cement augmentation with polymethylmethacrylate Refobacin® or with bioabsorbable Cerament™ in comparison to the non-cemented anchors. The cement augmentation of rotator cuff suture anchors in osteoporotic bones remains questionable since biomechanical tests show no significant advantage.

  2. Statistically derived factors of varied importance to audiologists when making a hearing aid brand preference decision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Earl E; Mueller, H Gustav; Ricketts, Todd A

    2009-01-01

    To determine the amount of importance audiologists place on various items related to their selection of a preferred hearing aid brand manufacturer. Three hundred forty-three hearing aid-dispensing audiologists rated a total of 32 randomized items by survey methodology. Principle component analysis identified seven orthogonal statistical factors of importance. In rank order, these factors were Aptitude of the Brand, Image, Cost, Sales and Speed of Delivery, Exposure, Colleague Recommendations, and Contracts and Incentives. While it was hypothesized that differences among audiologists in the importance ratings of these factors would dictate their preference for a given brand, that was not our finding. Specifically, mean ratings for the six most important factors did not differ among audiologists preferring different brands. A statistically significant difference among audiologists preferring different brands was present, however, for one factor: Contracts and Incentives. Its assigned importance, though, was always lower than that for the other six factors. Although most audiologists have a preferred hearing aid brand, differences in the perceived importance of common factors attributed to brands do not largely determine preference for a particular brand.

  3. Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manchaiah V

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Vinaya Manchaiah,1–4 Brian Taylor,5 Ashley L Dockens,1 Nicole R Tran,1 Kayla Lane,1 Mariana Castle,1 Vibhu Grover1 1Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA; 2The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; 3Audiology India, Mysore, 4Department of Speech and Hearing, School of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, India; 5Taylor Audio LLC, Minneapolis, MN, USA Background: This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1 personal sound amplification products (PSAPs, 2 direct-mail hearing aids, and 3 over-the-counter (OTC hearing aids.Method: A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review.Results: Included studies fell into three domains: 1 electroacoustic characteristics, 2 consumer surveys, and 3 outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level. Low-end (or low-cost devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis, especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%–19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive

  4. Hearing Aid Use is Associated with Better Mini-Mental State Exam Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Zhen Jason; Wattamwar, Kapil; Caruana, Francesco F; Otter, Jenna; Leskowitz, Matthew J; Siedlecki, Barbara; Spitzer, Jaclyn B; Lalwani, Anil K

    2016-09-01

    Hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline in the elderly. However, it is unknown if the use of hearing aids (HAs) is associated with enhanced cognitive function. In a cross-sectional study at an academic medical center, participants underwent audiometric evaluation, the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), and the Trail Making Test, Part B (TMT-B). The impact of use versus disuse of HAs was assessed. Performance on cognitive tests was then compared with unaided hearing levels. HA users performed better on the MMSE (1.9 points; rank-sum, p = 0.008) despite having worse hearing at both high frequencies (15.3-dB hearing level; t test, p < 0.001) and low frequencies (15.7-dB hearing level; t test p < 0.001). HA use had no effect TMT-B performance. Better performance on the MMSE was correlated with both low frequency (ρ = -0.28, p = 0.021) and high frequency (ρ = -0.21, p = 0.038) hearing level, but there was no correlation between performance on the TMT-B and hearing at any frequency. Despite having poorer hearing, HA users performed better on the MMSE. Better performance on cognitive tests with auditory stimuli (MMSE) but not visual stimuli (TMT-B) suggests that hearing loss is associated with sensory-specific cognitive decline rather than global cognitive impairment. Because hearing loss is nearly universal in those older than 80 years, HAs should be strongly recommended to minimize cognitive impairment in the elderly. Copyright © 2016 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Modern prescription theory and application: realistic expectations for speech recognition with hearing AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Earl E

    2013-01-01

    A major decision at the time of hearing aid fitting and dispensing is the amount of amplification to provide listeners (both adult and pediatric populations) for the appropriate compensation of sensorineural hearing impairment across a range of frequencies (e.g., 160-10000 Hz) and input levels (e.g., 50-75 dB sound pressure level). This article describes modern prescription theory for hearing aids within the context of a risk versus return trade-off and efficient frontier analyses. The expected return of amplification recommendations (i.e., generic prescriptions such as National Acoustic Laboratories-Non-Linear 2, NAL-NL2, and Desired Sensation Level Multiple Input/Output, DSL m[i/o]) for the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) and high-frequency audibility were traded against a potential risk (i.e., loudness). The modeled performance of each prescription was compared one with another and with the efficient frontier of normal hearing sensitivity (i.e., a reference point for the most return with the least risk). For the pediatric population, NAL-NL2 was more efficient for SII, while DSL m[i/o] was more efficient for high-frequency audibility. For the adult population, NAL-NL2 was more efficient for SII, while the two prescriptions were similar with regard to high-frequency audibility. In terms of absolute return (i.e., not considering the risk of loudness), however, DSL m[i/o] prescribed more outright high-frequency audibility than NAL-NL2 for either aged population, particularly, as hearing loss increased. Given the principles and demonstrated accuracy of desensitization (reduced utility of audibility with increasing hearing loss) observed at the group level, additional high-frequency audibility beyond that of NAL-NL2 is not expected to make further contributions to speech intelligibility (recognition) for the average listener.

  6. Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... listen to TV or your music player, play videogames, or use your phone. Talk to your audiologist ... your audiologist several times, but it's worth the benefit of being able to hear your friends and ...

  7. Bone-anchored maxillary expansion and bilateral interoral mandibular distraction osteogenesis in adult with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Ping; Zhu, Min; Lu, Xiao-Feng; Fang, Bing

    2013-05-01

    Severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) threatens patients' lives. To solve ventilation problem, snoring, and avoid another orthognathic surgery for mandibular advancement, bone-anchored rapid maxillary expansion and bilateral interoral mandibular distraction osteogenesis were tried on a 20-year-old Chinese male patient with severe skeletal class II malocclusion and OSAS.The patient had polysomnography (apnea-hypopnea index 54.2), body mass index measurement (19.7 kg/m), and cephalometry before the treatment. Bone-anchored rapid maxillary expansion was performed for the correction of maxillary transverse and minor sagittal deficiency and the improvement of nasal airflow by decreasing nasal resistance. Bilateral interoral mandibular distraction osteogenesis was operated to lengthen the small, retruded mandible by 15 mm. Orthodontic treatment after the maxillary expansion and mandibular distraction osteogenesis can help obtain stable occlusion.The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a questionnaire for temporomandibular joint, cephalometric analysis, polysomnography, acoustic rhinometry, and multislice spiral computed tomography were performed to evaluate changes from the treatment. All the results showed that the patient had a significantly alleviated OSAS. In addition, an acceptable occlusion was also obtained.

  8. Intention to use hearing aids: a survey based on the theory of planned behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meister H

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Hartmut Meister,1 Linda Grugel,1 Markus Meis2 1Jean Uhrmacher Institute for Clinical ENT Research, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; 2Hoerzentrum Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany Objective: To determine the intention to use hearing aids (HAs by applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB. Design: The TPB is a widely used decision-making model based on three constructs hypothesized to influence the intention to perform a specific behavior; namely, “attitude toward the behavior”, “subjective norm”, and “behavioral control”. The survey was based on a TPB-specific questionnaire addressing factors relevant to HA provision. Study sample: Data from 204 individuals reporting hearing problems were analyzed. Different subgroups were established according to the stage of their hearing help-seeking. Results: The TPB models’ outcome depended on the subgroup. The intention of those participants who had recognized their hearing problems but had not yet consulted an ear, nose, and throat specialist was largely dominated by the “subjective norm” construct, whereas those who had already consulted an ear, nose, and throat specialist or had already tried out HAs were significantly influenced by all constructs. The intention of participants who already owned HAs was clearly less affected by the “subjective norm” construct but was largely dominated by their “attitude toward HAs”. Conclusion: The intention to use HAs can be modeled on the basis of the constructs “attitude toward the behavior”, “subjective norm”, and “behavioral control”. Individual contribution of the constructs to the model depends on the patient’s stage of hearing help-seeking. The results speak well for counseling strategies that explicitly consider the individual trajectory of hearing help-seeking. Keywords: hearing aid uptake, motivation, attitude, subjective norm, behavioral control

  9. Use of Differential Reinforcement to Increase Hearing Aid Compliance: A Preliminary Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bass-Ringdahl, Sandie M.; Ringdahl, Joel E.; Boelter, Eric W.

    2010-01-01

    Compliance with hearing aid use can be difficult to achieve with children. This difficulty can be increased when a child presents with other disabilities, such as developmental delays. Behavioral treatments, including differential reinforcement, might be one strategy for increasing compliance by these children. In the clinical scenario discussed,…

  10. Negotiating hearing disability and hearing disabled identities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lykke Hindhede, Anette

    2012-01-01

        Using disability theory as a framework and social science theories of identity to strengthen the arguments, this paper explores empirically how working-age adults confront the medical diagnosis of hearing impairment. For most participants hearing impairment threatens the stability of social...... interaction and the construction of hearing disabled identities is seen as shaped in the interaction with the hearing impaired person‟s surroundings. In order to overcome the potential stigmatisation the „passing‟ as normal becomes predominant. For many the diagnosis provokes radical redefinitions of the self....... The discursively produced categorisation and subjectivity of senescence mean that rehabilitation technologies such as hearing aids identify a particular life-style (disabled) which determines their social significance. Thus wearing a hearing aid works against the contemporary attempt to create socially ideal...

  11. Enhancement of Orthodontic Anchor Screw Stability Under Immediate Loading by Ultraviolet Photofunctionalization Technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Maiko; Motoyoshi, Mitsuru; Inaba, Mizuki; Hagiwara, Yoshiyuki; Shimizu, Noriyoshi

    Ultraviolet (UV)-mediated photofunctionalization technology is intended to enhance the osseointegration capability of titanium implants. There are concerns about orthodontic anchor screws loosening under immediate loading protocols in adolescent orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this in vivo study was to evaluate the effects of photofunctionalization on the intrabony stability of orthodontic titanium anchor screws and bone-anchor screw contact under immediate loading in growing rats. Custom-made titanium anchor screws (1.4 mm in diameter and 4.0 mm in length) with or without photofunctionalization pretreatment were placed on the proximal epiphysis of the tibial bone in 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats and were loaded immediately after placement. After 2 weeks of loading, the stability of the anchor screws was evaluated using a Periotest device, and the bone-anchor screw contact ratio (BSC) was assessed by a histomorphometric analysis using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. In the unloaded group, Periotest values (PTVs) were ~25 for UV-untreated screws and 13 for UVtreated screws (P < .01), while in the immediate-loading group, PTVs were 28 for UV-untreated screws and 16 for UV-treated screws (P < .05). Significantly less screw mobility was observed in both UV-treated groups regardless of the loading protocol. The BSC was increased ~1.8 fold for UV-treated screws, compared with UV-untreated screws, regardless of the loading protocol. Photofunctionalization enhanced the intrabony stability of orthodontic anchor screws under immediate loading in growing rats by increasing bone-anchor screw contact.

  12. Hearing impairment, cognition and speech understanding: exploratory factor analyses of a comprehensive test battery for a group of hearing aid users, the n200 study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rönnberg, Jerker; Lunner, Thomas; Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning; Lidestam, Björn; Zekveld, Adriana Agatha; Sörqvist, Patrik; Lyxell, Björn; Träff, Ulf; Yumba, Wycliffe; Classon, Elisabet; Hällgren, Mathias; Larsby, Birgitta; Signoret, Carine; Pichora-Fuller, M Kathleen; Rudner, Mary; Danielsson, Henrik; Stenfelt, Stefan

    2016-11-01

    The aims of the current n200 study were to assess the structural relations between three classes of test variables (i.e. HEARING, COGNITION and aided speech-in-noise OUTCOMES) and to describe the theoretical implications of these relations for the Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) model. Participants were 200 hard-of-hearing hearing-aid users, with a mean age of 60.8 years. Forty-three percent were females and the mean hearing threshold in the better ear was 37.4 dB HL. LEVEL1 factor analyses extracted one factor per test and/or cognitive function based on a priori conceptualizations. The more abstract LEVEL 2 factor analyses were performed separately for the three classes of test variables. The HEARING test variables resulted in two LEVEL 2 factors, which we labelled SENSITIVITY and TEMPORAL FINE STRUCTURE; the COGNITIVE variables in one COGNITION factor only, and OUTCOMES in two factors, NO CONTEXT and CONTEXT. COGNITION predicted the NO CONTEXT factor to a stronger extent than the CONTEXT outcome factor. TEMPORAL FINE STRUCTURE and SENSITIVITY were associated with COGNITION and all three contributed significantly and independently to especially the NO CONTEXT outcome scores (R(2) = 0.40). All LEVEL 2 factors are important theoretically as well as for clinical assessment.

  13. Cognitive skills and the effect of noise on perceived effort in employees with aided hearing impairment and normal hearing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Håkan Hua

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the following study was to examine the relationship between working memory capacity (WMC, executive functions (EFs and perceived effort (PE after completing a work-related task in quiet and in noise in employees with aided hearing impairment (HI and normal hearing. The study sample consisted of 20 hearing-impaired and 20 normally hearing participants. Measures of hearing ability, WMC and EFs were tested prior to performing a work-related task in quiet and in simulated traffic noise. PE of the work-related task was also measured. Analysis of variance was used to analyze within- and between-group differences in cognitive skills, performance on the work-related task and PE. The presence of noise yielded a significantly higher PE for both groups. However, no significant group differences were observed in WMC, EFs, PE and performance in the work-related task. Interestingly, significant negative correlations were only found between PE in the noise condition and the ability to update information for both groups. In summary, noise generates a significantly higher PE and brings explicit processing capacity into play, irrespective of hearing. This suggest that increased PE involves other factors such as type of task that is to be performed, performance in the cognitive skill required solving the task at hand and whether noise is present. We therefore suggest that special consideration in hearing care should be made to the individual′s prerequisites on these factors in the labor market.

  14. Dual Language versus English-Only Support for Bilingual Children with Hearing Loss Who Use Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunta, Ferenc; Douglas, Michael; Dickson, Hanna; Cantu, Amy; Wickesberg, Jennifer; Gifford, René H.

    2016-01-01

    Background: There is a critical need to understand better speech and language development in bilingual children learning two spoken languages who use cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing aids (HAs). The paucity of knowledge in this area poses a significant barrier to providing maximal communicative outcomes to a growing number of children who have…

  15. Hearing: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... reduce your exposure to noise by choosing quiet leisure activities rather than noisy ones. Develop the habit ... the degree of your hearing loss, you may benefit from using a hearing aid (a device you ...

  16. Functional results after Bonebridge implantation in adults and children with conductive and mixed hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahne, Torsten; Seiwerth, Ingmar; Götze, Gerrit; Heider, Cornelia; Radetzki, Florian; Herzog, Michael; Plontke, Stefan K

    2015-11-01

    In patients with conductive hearing loss caused by middle ear disorders or atresia of the ear canal, a Bonebridge implantation can improve hearing by providing vibratory input to the temporal bone. The expected results are improved puretone thresholds and speech recognition. In the European Union, approval of the Bonebridge implantation was recently extended to children. We evaluated the functional outcome of a Bonebridge implantation for eight adults and three children. We found significant improvement in the puretone thresholds, with improvement in the air-bone gap. Speech recognition after surgery was significantly higher than in the best-aided situation before surgery. The Bonebridge significantly improved speech recognition in noisy environments and sound localization. In situations relevant to daily life, hearing deficits were nearly completely restored with the Bonebridge implantation in both adults and children.

  17. Round window stimulation for conductive and mixed hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Margaret T; Tubbs, Rhonda S; Adunka, Marcia C; King, English R; Hillman, Todd A; Adunka, Oliver F; Chen, Douglas A; Buchman, Craig A

    2014-10-01

    Assess surgical complications, postoperative residual hearing, and speech perception outcomes of placement of a middle ear implant on the round window in conductive and mixed hearing loss cases. Single-subject, repeated-measures design where each subject served as his or her own control. Tertiary referral medical systems. Eighteen subjects with either conductive or mixed hearing loss who could not benefit from conventional amplification were enrolled in a clinical trial investigating vibratory stimulation of the round window. The floating mass transducer (FMT) was positioned in the round window niche. Unaided residual hearing, and aided sound field thresholds and speech perception abilities were evaluated preoperatively, and at 1, 3, 6, and 10 months post-activation of the external speech processor. Six subjects experienced complications that either required further medical management or resolved on their own. There was no difference in residual bone conduction thresholds or unaided word discrimination over time. All subjects experienced a significant improvement in aided speech perception abilities as compared to preoperative performance. Subjects with conductive and mixed hearing loss with placement of the FMT in the round window niche experienced improved sound field thresholds and speech perception, without compromising residual hearing thresholds. Vibratory stimulation of the round window via a middle ear implant may be an appropriate treatment option for patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss. Additional research is needed on the preferred placement of the FMT, improvement of functional gain, and methods to limit postoperative complications and need for revision surgery.

  18. Comparison of bone tunnel and suture anchor techniques in the modified Broström procedure for chronic lateral ankle instability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chang-Yong; Lee, Keun-Bae; Song, Eun-Kyoo; Kim, Myung-Sun; Park, Kyung-Soon

    2013-08-01

    The modified Broström procedure is frequently used to treat chronic lateral ankle instability. There are 2 common methods of the modified Broström procedure, which are the bone tunnel and suture anchor techniques. To compare the clinical outcomes of the modified Broström procedure using the bone tunnel and suture anchor techniques. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Eighty-one patients (81 ankles) treated with the modified Broström procedure for chronic lateral ankle instability constituted the study cohort. The 81 ankles were divided into 2 groups, namely, a bone tunnel technique (BT group; 40 ankles) and a suture anchor technique (SA group; 41 ankles). The Karlsson score, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, anterior talar translation, and talar tilt angle were used to evaluate clinical and radiographic outcomes. The BT group consisted of 32 men and 8 women with a mean age of 34.8 years at surgery and a mean follow-up duration of 34.2 months. The SA group consisted of 33 men and 8 women with a mean age of 33.3 years at surgery and a mean follow-up duration of 32.8 months. Mean Karlsson scores improved significantly from 57.0 points preoperatively to 94.9 points at final follow-up in the BT group and from 59.9 points preoperatively to 96.4 points at final follow-up in the SA group. Mean AOFAS scores also improved from 64.2 points preoperatively to 97.8 points at final follow-up in the BT group and from 70.3 points preoperatively to 97.4 points at final follow-up in the SA group. Mean anterior talar translations in the BT group and SA group improved from 9.0 mm and 9.2 mm preoperatively to 6.5 mm and 6.8 mm at final follow-up, respectively. Mean talar tilt angles were 12.0° in the BT group and 12.5° in the SA group preoperatively and 8.8° at final follow-up for both groups. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups in terms of the Karlsson score, AOFAS score, anterior talar translation, and talar tilt

  19. Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manchaiah, Vinaya; Taylor, Brian; Dockens, Ashley L; Tran, Nicole R; Lane, Kayla; Castle, Mariana; Grover, Vibhu

    2017-01-01

    Background This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1) personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), 2) direct-mail hearing aids, and 3) over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. Method A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review. Results Included studies fell into three domains: 1) electroacoustic characteristics, 2) consumer surveys, and 3) outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level). Low-end (or low-cost) devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis), especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%–19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive outcomes of OTC devices in the elderly population. Of note, OTC outcomes appear better when a hearing health care professional supports these users. Conclusion While some direct-to-consumer hearing devices have the capability to produce adverse effects due to production of dangerously high sound levels and internal noise, the existing literature suggests that there are potential benefits of these devices. Research of direct-to-consumer hearing devices is limited, and current published studies are of weak quality. Much

  20. A customizable multi-channel loudness compensation method based on WDRC for digital hearing aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jiebin; Wang, Mingjiang; Ma, Min

    2017-08-01

    Loudness compensation is the most significant signal processing algorithm in digital hearing aids at present. An algorithm of multi-channel loudness compensation for embedded system has been put forward in this paper. The number of channels is customizable in this algorithm. The algorithm can set different number and different width of channels for each patient based on frequency domain wide dynamic range compression. First, according to the requirement of patient to divide the frequency domain into multiple unequal frequency bands. And then calculate the gain of each channel according to the input-output curve of sound pressure level. Finally, the time-domain impulse response of gain is computed from Mel filter banks. It is used in conjunction with speech enhancement processing in hearing aids. Simulation results show that the algorithm can effectively enhance the loudness for different frequencies.

  1. Hearing impairment, cognition and speech understanding: exploratory factor analyses of a comprehensive test battery for a group of hearing aid users, the n200 study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rönnberg, Jerker; Lunner, Thomas; Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning; Lidestam, Björn; Zekveld, Adriana Agatha; Sörqvist, Patrik; Lyxell, Björn; Träff, Ulf; Yumba, Wycliffe; Classon, Elisabet; Hällgren, Mathias; Larsby, Birgitta; Signoret, Carine; Pichora-Fuller, M. Kathleen; Rudner, Mary; Danielsson, Henrik; Stenfelt, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Objective: The aims of the current n200 study were to assess the structural relations between three classes of test variables (i.e. HEARING, COGNITION and aided speech-in-noise OUTCOMES) and to describe the theoretical implications of these relations for the Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) model. Study sample: Participants were 200 hard-of-hearing hearing-aid users, with a mean age of 60.8 years. Forty-three percent were females and the mean hearing threshold in the better ear was 37.4 dB HL. Design: LEVEL1 factor analyses extracted one factor per test and/or cognitive function based on a priori conceptualizations. The more abstract LEVEL 2 factor analyses were performed separately for the three classes of test variables. Results: The HEARING test variables resulted in two LEVEL 2 factors, which we labelled SENSITIVITY and TEMPORAL FINE STRUCTURE; the COGNITIVE variables in one COGNITION factor only, and OUTCOMES in two factors, NO CONTEXT and CONTEXT. COGNITION predicted the NO CONTEXT factor to a stronger extent than the CONTEXT outcome factor. TEMPORAL FINE STRUCTURE and SENSITIVITY were associated with COGNITION and all three contributed significantly and independently to especially the NO CONTEXT outcome scores (R2 = 0.40). Conclusions: All LEVEL 2 factors are important theoretically as well as for clinical assessment. PMID:27589015

  2. Evaluation of Extended-Wear Hearing Technology for Children with Hearing Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolfe, Jace; Schafer, Erin; Martella, Natalie; Morais, Mila; Mann, Misty

    2015-01-01

    Research shows that many older children and teenagers who have mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss do not use their hearing instruments during all waking hours. A variety of reasons may contribute toward this problem, including concerns about cosmetics associated with hearing aid use and the inconvenience of daily maintenance associated with hearing instruments. Extended-wear hearing instruments are inserted into the wearer's ear canal by an audiologist and are essentially invisible to outside observers. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits and limitations associated with use of extended-wear hearing instruments in a group of children with hearing loss. A two-way repeated measures design was used to examine performance differences obtained with the participants' daily-wear hearing instruments versus that obtained with extended-wear hearing instruments. Sixteen children, ages 10-17 yr old, with sensorineural hearing loss ranging from mild to moderately severe. Probe microphone measures were completed to evaluate the aided output of device. Behavioral test measures included word recognition in quiet, sentence recognition in noise, aided warble-tone thresholds, and psychophysical loudness scaling. Questionnaires were also administered to evaluate subjective performance with each hearing technology. Data logging suggested that many participants were not using their daily-wear hearing instruments during all waking hours (mean use was less than 6 h/day). Real ear probe microphone measurements indicated that a closer fit to the Desired Sensation Level Version 5 prescriptive targets was achieved with the children's daily-wear instruments when compared to the extended-wear instruments. There was no statistically significant difference in monosyllabic word recognition at 50 or 60 dBA obtained with the two hearing technologies. Sentence recognition in noise obtained with use of the extended-wear devices was, however, significantly

  3. Multicenter Clinical Trial of Vibroplasty Couplers to Treat Mixed/Conductive Hearing Loss: First Results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahnert, Thomas; Löwenheim, Hubert; Beutner, Dirk; Hagen, Rudolf; Ernst, Arneborg; Pau, Hans-Wilhelm; Zehlicke, Thorsten; Kühne, Hilke; Friese, Natascha; Tropitzsch, Anke; Lüers, Jan-Christoffer; Mlynski, Robert; Todt, Ingo; Hüttenbrink, Karl-Bernd

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of round window (RW), oval window (OW), CliP and Bell couplers for use with an active middle ear implant. This is a multicenter, long-term, prospective trial with consecutive enrollment, involving 6 university hospitals in Germany. Bone conduction, air conduction, implant-aided warble-tone thresholds and Freiburger monosyllable word recognition scores were compared with unaided preimplantation results in 28 moderate-to-profound hearing-impaired patients after 12 months of follow-up. All patients had previously undergone failed reconstruction surgeries (up to 5 or more). In a subset of patients, additional speech tests at 12 months postoperatively were used to compare the aided with the unaided condition after implantation with the processor switched off. An established quality-of-life questionnaire for hearing aids was used to determine patient satisfaction. Postoperative bone conduction remained stable. Mean functional gain for all couplers was 37 dB HL (RW = 42 dB, OW = 35 dB, Bell = 38 dB, CliP = 27 dB). The mean postoperative Freiburger monosyllable score was 71% at 65 dB SPL. The postimplantation mean SRT50 (speech reception in quiet for 50% understanding of words in sentences) improved on average by 23 dB over unaided testing and signal-to-noise ratios also improved in all patients. The International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA)quality-of-life questionnaire was scored very positively by all patients. A significant improvement was seen with all couplers, and patients were satisfied with the device at 12 months postoperatively. These results demonstrate that an active implant is an advantage in achieving good hearing benefit in patients with prior failed reconstruction surgery. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. Auditory and Non-Auditory Contributions for Unaided Speech Recognition in Noise as a Function of Hearing Aid Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gieseler, Anja; Tahden, Maike A S; Thiel, Christiane M; Wagener, Kirsten C; Meis, Markus; Colonius, Hans

    2017-01-01

    Differences in understanding speech in noise among hearing-impaired individuals cannot be explained entirely by hearing thresholds alone, suggesting the contribution of other factors beyond standard auditory ones as derived from the audiogram. This paper reports two analyses addressing individual differences in the explanation of unaided speech-in-noise performance among n = 438 elderly hearing-impaired listeners ( mean = 71.1 ± 5.8 years). The main analysis was designed to identify clinically relevant auditory and non-auditory measures for speech-in-noise prediction using auditory (audiogram, categorical loudness scaling) and cognitive tests (verbal-intelligence test, screening test of dementia), as well as questionnaires assessing various self-reported measures (health status, socio-economic status, and subjective hearing problems). Using stepwise linear regression analysis, 62% of the variance in unaided speech-in-noise performance was explained, with measures Pure-tone average (PTA), Age , and Verbal intelligence emerging as the three most important predictors. In the complementary analysis, those individuals with the same hearing loss profile were separated into hearing aid users (HAU) and non-users (NU), and were then compared regarding potential differences in the test measures and in explaining unaided speech-in-noise recognition. The groupwise comparisons revealed significant differences in auditory measures and self-reported subjective hearing problems, while no differences in the cognitive domain were found. Furthermore, groupwise regression analyses revealed that Verbal intelligence had a predictive value in both groups, whereas Age and PTA only emerged significant in the group of hearing aid NU.

  5. Bone Marrow Gene Therapy for HIV/AIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Herrera-Carrillo

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Bone marrow gene therapy remains an attractive option for treating chronic immunological diseases, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV. This technology combines the differentiation and expansion capacity of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs with long-term expression of therapeutic transgenes using integrating vectors. In this review we summarize the potential of bone marrow gene therapy for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. A broad range of antiviral strategies are discussed, with a particular focus on RNA-based therapies. The idea is to develop a durable gene therapy that lasts the life span of the infected individual, thus contrasting with daily drug regimens to suppress the virus. Different approaches have been proposed to target either the virus or cellular genes encoding co-factors that support virus replication. Some of these therapies have been tested in clinical trials, providing proof of principle that gene therapy is a safe option for treating HIV/AIDS. In this review several topics are discussed, ranging from the selection of the antiviral molecule and the viral target to the optimal vector system for gene delivery and the setup of appropriate preclinical test systems. The molecular mechanisms used to formulate a cure for HIV infection are described, including the latest antiviral strategies and their therapeutic applications. Finally, a potent combination of anti-HIV genes based on our own research program is described.

  6. Describing the trajectory of language development in the presence of severe-to-profound hearing loss: a closer look at children with cochlear implants versus hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshinaga-Itano, Christine; Baca, Rosalinda L; Sedey, Allison L

    2010-10-01

    The objective of this investigation was to describe the language growth of children with severe or profound hearing loss with cochlear implants versus those children with the same degree of hearing loss using hearing aids. A prospective longitudinal observation and analysis. University of Colorado Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences. There were 87 children with severe-to-profound hearing loss from 48 to 87 months of age. All children received early intervention services through the Colorado Home Intervention Program. Most children received intervention services from a certified auditory-verbal therapist or an auditory-oral therapist and weekly sign language instruction from an instructor who was deaf or hard of hearing and native or fluent in American Sign Language. The Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, 3rd Edition, and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition, were the assessment tools for children 4 to 7 years of age. The expressive language subscale of the Minnesota Child Development was used in the infant/toddler period (birth to 36 mo). Average language estimates at 84 months of age were nearly identical to the normative sample for receptive language and 7 months delayed for expressive vocabulary. Children demonstrated a mean rate of growth from 4 years through 7 years on these 2 assessments that was equivalent to their normal-hearing peers. As a group, children with hearing aids deviated more from the age equivalent trajectory on the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, 3rd Edition, and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition, than children with cochlear implants. When a subset of children were divided into performance categories, we found that children with cochlear implants were more likely to be "gap closers" and less likely to be "gap openers," whereas the reverse was true for the children with hearing aids for both measures. Children who are educated through oral-aural combined with

  7. Bone marrow NMR imaging and scintigraphy in AIDS patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Theisen, P.; Waters, W.; Schicha, H.; Rasokat, H.; Steigleder, G.K.

    1988-01-01

    The examinations were carried out in order to ascertain whether bone marrow abnormalities can be detected in AIDS patients by means of magnetic resonance imaging or scintiscanning. In 16 of the 19 patients the NMR image and/or the scintiscan distinctly revealed bone marrow abnormalities, but there was no exact correlation to be found to immunological parameters, the peripheral blood picture, or the clinical stage of the HIV infection. (orig.) [de

  8. System-Level Optimization of a DAC for Hearing-Aid Audio Class D Output Stage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pracný, Peter; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger; Bruun, Erik

    2013-01-01

    This paper deals with system-level optimization of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for hearing-aid audio Class D output stage. We discuss the ΣΔ modulator system-level design parameters – the order, the oversampling ratio (OSR) and the number of bits in the quantizer. We show that combining...... by comparing two ΣΔ modulator designs. The proposed optimization has impact on the whole hearing-aid audio back-end system including less hardware in the interpolation filter and half the switching rate in the digital-pulse-width-modulation (DPWM) block and Class D output stage...... a reduction of the OSR with an increase of the order results in considerable power savings while the audio quality is kept. For further savings in the ΣΔ modulator, overdesign and subsequent coarse coefficient quantization are used. A figure of merit (FOM) is introduced to confirm this optimization approach...

  9. Quality investigation of miniaturized Moulded Interconnect Devices (MIDs) for hearing aid applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Islam, Aminul; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Giannekas, Nikolaos

    2015-01-01

    of positioning accuracies, dimensional fidelity and surface topography of the metal tracks. The paper proposes a novel method for the corrosion protection of the MID metal surface. The results obtained from the tests demonstrate the feasibility of the use of MIDs in the hearing aid application and an efficient...... protection of the MIDs from corrosion induced by harsh application environment....

  10. Assessment of broadband SNR estimation for hearing aid applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    May, Tobias; Kowalewski, Borys; Fereczkowski, Michal

    2017-01-01

    was systematically investigated. The most accurate approach utilized an estimation of the clean speech power spectral density (PSD) and the noisy speech power across a sliding window of 1280 ms and achieved an total SNR estimation error below 3 dB across a wide variety of background noises and input SNRs......An accurate estimation of the broadband input signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a prerequisite for many hearing-aid algorithms. An extensive comparison of three SNR estimation algorithms was performed. Moreover, the influence of the duration of the analysis window on the SNR estimation performance...

  11. Directional hearing aid using hybrid adaptive beamformer (HAB) and binaural ITE array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Scott T.; Larow, Andy J.; Gibian, Gary L.; Sherlock, Laguinn P.; Schulein, Robert

    2002-05-01

    A directional hearing aid algorithm called the Hybrid Adaptive Beamformer (HAB), developed for NIH/NIA, can be applied to many different microphone array configurations. In this project the HAB algorithm was applied to a new array employing in-the-ear microphones at each ear (HAB-ITE), to see if previous HAB performance could be achieved with a more cosmetically acceptable package. With diotic output, the average benefit in threshold SNR was 10.9 dB for three HoH and 11.7 dB for five normal-hearing subjects. These results are slightly better than previous results of equivalent tests with a 3-in. array. With an innovative binaural fitting, a small benefit beyond that provided by diotic adaptive beamforming was observed: 12.5 dB for HoH and 13.3 dB for normal-hearing subjects, a 1.6 dB improvement over the diotic presentation. Subjectively, the binaural fitting preserved binaural hearing abilities, giving the user a sense of space, and providing left-right localization. Thus the goal of creating an adaptive beamformer that simultaneously provides excellent noise reduction and binaural hearing was achieved. Further work remains before the HAB-ITE can be incorporated into a real product, optimizing binaural adaptive beamforming, and integrating the concept with other technologies to produce a viable product prototype. [Work supported by NIH/NIDCD.

  12. Cognitive Processing Speed, Working Memory, and the Intelligibility of Hearing Aid-Processed Speech in Persons with Hearing Impairment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wycliffe Kabaywe Yumba

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have demonstrated that successful listening with advanced signal processing in digital hearing aids is associated with individual cognitive capacity, particularly working memory capacity (WMC. This study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive abilities (cognitive processing speed and WMC and individual listeners’ responses to digital signal processing settings in adverse listening conditions. A total of 194 native Swedish speakers (83 women and 111 men, aged 33–80 years (mean = 60.75 years, SD = 8.89, with bilateral, symmetrical mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss who had completed a lexical decision speed test (measuring cognitive processing speed and semantic word-pair span test (SWPST, capturing WMC participated in this study. The Hagerman test (capturing speech recognition in noise was conducted using an experimental hearing aid with three digital signal processing settings: (1 linear amplification without noise reduction (NoP, (2 linear amplification with noise reduction (NR, and (3 non-linear amplification without NR (“fast-acting compression”. The results showed that cognitive processing speed was a better predictor of speech intelligibility in noise, regardless of the types of signal processing algorithms used. That is, there was a stronger association between cognitive processing speed and NR outcomes and fast-acting compression outcomes (in steady state noise. We observed a weaker relationship between working memory and NR, but WMC did not relate to fast-acting compression. WMC was a relatively weaker predictor of speech intelligibility in noise. These findings might have been different if the participants had been provided with training and or allowed to acclimatize to binary masking noise reduction or fast-acting compression.

  13. The Co-Evolution between Product Form Design and Product CategoriesThe Renaissance of the Behind-the-ear Hearing Aid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krabbe, Anders Dahl

    in the hearing aid industry in the period 2003-2010. Data for the study include interviews, archival material, industry statistics, and hearing care trade journals. The study contributes to theory with the following results: Co-evolutionary dynamics found in the case of technological designs were also observed...

  14. The Influence of Hearing Aid Use on Outcomes of Children With Mild Hearing Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Elizabeth A; Holte, Lenore; McCreery, Ryan W; Spratford, Meredith; Page, Thomas; Moeller, Mary Pat

    2015-10-01

    This study examined the effects of consistent hearing aid (HA) use on outcomes in children with mild hearing loss (HL). Five- or 7-year-old children with mild HL were separated into 3 groups on the basis of patterns of daily HA use. Using analyses of variance, we compared outcomes between groups on speech and language tests and a speech perception in noise task. Regression models were used to investigate the influence of cumulative auditory experience (audibility, early intervention, HA use) on outcomes. Full-time HA users demonstrated significantly higher scores on vocabulary and grammar measures compared with nonusers. There were no significant differences between the 3 groups on articulation or speech perception measures. After controlling for the variance in age at confirmation of HL, level of audibility, and enrollment in early intervention, only amount of daily HA use was a significant predictor of grammar and vocabulary. The current results provide evidence that children's language development benefits from consistent HA use. Nonusers are at risk in areas such as vocabulary and grammar compared with other children with mild HL who wear HAs regularly. Service providers should work collaboratively to encourage consistent HA use.

  15. Addressing Intersections in HIV/AIDS and Mental Health: The Role of Organizations for d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals in South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mall, Sumaya; Swartz, Leslie

    2011-01-01

    Like South Africans generally, d/Deaf and hard of hearing South Africans are at risk of HIV/AIDS and mental disorders resulting from barriers to communication and care. In interviews and a focus group, members of South African organizations for d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals all gave priority to HIV/AIDS education and prevention, citing…

  16. A practical tablet-based hearing aid configuration as an exemplar project for students of instrumentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Simeoni

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the configuration and digital signal processing details of a tablet-based hearing aid transmitting wirelessly to standard earphones, whereby the tablet performs full sound processing rather than solely providing a means of setting adjustment by streaming to conventional digital hearing aids. The presented device confirms the recognized advantages of this tablet-based approach (e.g., in relation to cost, frequency domain processing, amplification range, versatility of functionality, component battery rechargeability, and flags the future wider-spread availability of such hearing solutions within mainstream healthcare. The use of a relatively high sampling frequency was found to be beneficial for device performance, while the use of optional off-the-shelf add-on components (e.g., data acquisition device, high fidelity microphone, compact wireless transmitter/ receiver, wired headphones are also discussed in relation to performance optimization. The easy-to-follow configuration utilized is well suited to student learning/research instrumentation projects within the health and biomedical sciences. In this latter regard, the presented device was pedagogically integrated into a flipped classroom approach for the teaching of bioinstrumentation within an Allied Health Sciences School, with the subsequent establishment of positive student engagement outcomes.

  17. A Practical Tablet-Based Hearing Aid Configuration as an Exemplar Project for Students of Instrumentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simeoni, Ricardo

    2015-06-11

    This paper presents the configuration and digital signal processing details of a tablet-based hearing aid transmitting wirelessly to standard earphones, whereby the tablet performs full sound processing rather than solely providing a means of setting adjustment by streaming to conventional digital hearing aids. The presented device confirms the recognized advantages of this tablet-based approach (e.g., in relation to cost, frequency domain processing, amplification range, versatility of functionality, component battery rechargeability), and flags the future wider-spread availability of such hearing solutions within mainstream healthcare. The use of a relatively high sampling frequency was found to be beneficial for device performance, while the use of optional off-the-shelf add-on components (e.g., data acquisition device, high fidelity microphone, compact wireless transmitter/receiver, wired headphones) are also discussed in relation to performance optimization. The easy-to-follow configuration utilized is well suited to student learning/research instrumentation projects within the health and biomedical sciences. In this latter regard, the presented device was pedagogically integrated into a flipped classroom approach for the teaching of bioinstrumentation within an Allied Health Sciences School, with the subsequent establishment of positive student engagement outcomes.

  18. Temporal and spatio-temporal vibrotactile displays for voice fundamental frequency: an initial evaluation of a new vibrotactile speech perception aid with normal-hearing and hearing-impaired individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auer, E T; Bernstein, L E; Coulter, D C

    1998-10-01

    Four experiments were performed to evaluate a new wearable vibrotactile speech perception aid that extracts fundamental frequency (F0) and displays the extracted F0 as a single-channel temporal or an eight-channel spatio-temporal stimulus. Specifically, we investigated the perception of intonation (i.e., question versus statement) and emphatic stress (i.e., stress on the first, second, or third word) under Visual-Alone (VA), Visual-Tactile (VT), and Tactile-Alone (TA) conditions and compared performance using the temporal and spatio-temporal vibrotactile display. Subjects were adults with normal hearing in experiments I-III and adults with severe to profound hearing impairments in experiment IV. Both versions of the vibrotactile speech perception aid successfully conveyed intonation. Vibrotactile stress information was successfully conveyed, but vibrotactile stress information did not enhance performance in VT conditions beyond performance in VA conditions. In experiment III, which involved only intonation identification, a reliable advantage for the spatio-temporal display was obtained. Differences between subject groups were obtained for intonation identification, with more accurate VT performance by those with normal hearing. Possible effects of long-term hearing status are discussed.

  19. A conceptual framework for designing micro electrical connectors for hearing aid instruments

    OpenAIRE

    Doagou Rad, Saeed; Islam, Aminul; Fuglsang-Philip, M.

    2016-01-01

    Electrical connectors play vital roles in modern electronic instruments. Hearing aid devices as advanced combinations of micro mechanics and electronics comprise various electrical connectors for different purposes. However, the current trend in the miniaturization along with the sharp technological advancements have urged them to incorporate increased number of electrical contacts. The current paper presents a conceptual framework for designing and manufacturing novel plug and socket systems...

  20. Effects of hearing-aid dynamic range compression on spatial perception in a reverberant environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hassager, Henrik Gert; Wiinberg, Alan; Dau, Torsten

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of fast-acting hearing-aid compression on normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners’ spatial perception in a reverberant environment. Three compression schemes—independent compression at each ear, linked compression between the two ears, and “spatially ideal......” compression operating solely on the dry source signal—were considered using virtualized speech and noise bursts. Listeners indicated the location and extent of their perceived sound images on the horizontal plane. Linear processing was considered as the reference condition. The results showed that both...... independent and linked compression resulted in more diffuse and broader sound images as well as internalization and image splits, whereby more image splits were reported for the noise bursts than for speech. Only the spatially ideal compression provided the listeners with a spatial percept similar...

  1. A model of mechanical contacts in hearing aids for uncertainty analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Creixell Mediante, Ester; Brunskog, Jonas; Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard

    2015-01-01

    Modelling the contact between assembled parts is a key point in the design of complex structures. Uncertainties at the joint parameters arise as a result of randomness in physical properties such as contact surface, load distribution or geometric details. This is a challenge of concern in the hea......Modelling the contact between assembled parts is a key point in the design of complex structures. Uncertainties at the joint parameters arise as a result of randomness in physical properties such as contact surface, load distribution or geometric details. This is a challenge of concern...... in the hearing aid field, where the small lightweight structures present vibration modes at frequencies within the hearing range. To approach this issue, a model of contacts based on lumped elements is suggested. The joint parameters are the stiffness of a series of spring elements placed along the contact...

  2. 75 FR 54546 - Amendment of the Commission's Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile Handsets

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-08

    ... compatibility standards are already being met for handsets that operate on a variety of 2G and 3G air interfaces... the Commission's Rules Governing Hearing Aid- Compatible Mobile Handsets AGENCY: Federal... to extend the scope of the rules beyond the current category of Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS...

  3. Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neher, Tobias; Wagener, Kirsten C.; Fischer, Rosa-Linde

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Research findings concerning the relation between benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are inconsistent. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory and the relation with reading......-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement. Auditory working memory was assessed at +6 dB SNR using listening span and N-back paradigms. STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty experienced HA users ages 55-80 with large differences in reading span. RESULTS: For the listening span measurements, there was an influence of HA setting....... CONCLUSIONS: HA noise suppression may affect the recognition and recall of speech at positive SNRs, irrespective of individual reading span. Future work should improve the reliability of the auditory working memory measurements....

  4. Hearing Aid Use and Mild Hearing Impairment: Learnings from Big Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmer, Barbra H B; Hickson, Louise; Launer, Stefan

    2017-09-01

    Previous research, mostly reliant on self-reports, has indicated that hearing aid (HA) use is related to the degree of hearing impairment (HI). No large-scale investigation of the relationship between data-logged HA use and HI has been conducted to date. This study aimed to investigate if objective measures of overall daily HA use and HA use in various listening environments are different for adults with mild HI compared to adults with moderate HI. This retrospective study used data extracted from a database of fitting appointments from an international group of HA providers. Only data from the participants' most recent fitting appointment were included in the final dataset. A total of 8,489 bilateral HA fittings of adults over the age of 18 yr, conducted between January 2013 and June 2014, were included. Participants were subsequently allocated to HI groups, based on British Society of Audiology and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association audiometric descriptors. Fitting data from participating HA providers were regularly transferred to a central server. The data, with all personal information except age and gender removed, contained participants' four-frequency average (at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) as well as information on HA characteristics and usage. Following data cleaning, bivariate and post hoc statistical analyses were conducted. The total sample of adults' average daily HA use was 8.52 hr (interquartile range [IQR] = 5.49-11.77) in the left ear and 8.51 hr (IQR = 5.49-11.72) in the right ear. With a few exceptions, there were no statistical differences between hours of HA use for participants with mild HI compared to those with moderate impairment. Across all mild and moderate HI groups, the most common overall HA usage was between 8 and 12 hr per day. Other factors such as age, gender, and HA style also showed no relationship to hours of use. HAs were used, on average, for 7 hr (IQR = 4.27-9.96) per day in quiet and 1 hr (IQR = 0.33-1.41) per

  5. [Rehabilitative measures in hearing-impaired children].

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Wedel, H; von Wedel, U C; Zorowka, P

    1991-12-01

    On the basis of certain fundamental data on the maturation processes of the central auditory pathways in early childhood the importance of early intervention with hearing aids is discussed and emphasized. Pathological hearing, that is acoustical deprivation in early childhood will influence the maturation process. Very often speech development is delayed if diagnosis and therapy or rehabilitation are not early enough. Anamnesis, early diagnosis and clinical differential diagnosis are required before a hearing aid can be fitted. Selection criteria and adjustment parameters are discussed, showing that the hearing aid fitting procedure must be embedded in a complex matrix of requirements related to the development of speech as well as to the cognitive, emotional and social development of the child. As a rule, finding and preparing the "best" hearing aids (binaural fitting is obligatory) for a child is a long and often difficult process, which can only be performed by specialists who are pedo-audiologists. After the binaural fitting of hearing aids an intensive hearing and speech education in close cooperation between parents, pedo-audiologist and teacher must support the whole development of the child.

  6. Audiological Rehabilitation for Facilitating Hearing Aid Use: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aazh, Hashir; Moore, Brian C J

    2017-03-01

    This article reviews and critically analyzes the design of studies on the effect of audiological rehabilitation (AR) programs on hearing aid (HA) outcomes, in order to guide future research. The design of this study was a narrative review. Studies were included in the review if they were randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of AR on HA use and outcome between 2000 and 2016. Seven articles that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Most used educational rather than counseling approaches. Although educational AR programs seem to be useful in enhancing the use of communication strategies, there is limited evidence for their effect on HA use and self-perceived hearing handicap. More research is needed in this field. Future studies should (1) investigate the efficacy of AR interventions based on counseling and empathetic listening as opposed to or in addition to educational interventions, (2) use stricter criteria to include only a subpopulation of patients who do not get on well with their HAs, (3) measure the amount of HA use via data-logging and self-report questionnaires, and (4) use a matching comparison intervention for patients in the control group. American Academy of Audiology

  7. Audiovisual spoken word recognition as a clinical criterion for sensory aids efficiency in Persian-language children with hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oryadi-Zanjani, Mohammad Majid; Vahab, Maryam; Bazrafkan, Mozhdeh; Haghjoo, Asghar

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the role of audiovisual speech recognition as a clinical criterion of cochlear implant or hearing aid efficiency in Persian-language children with severe-to-profound hearing loss. This research was administered as a cross-sectional study. The sample size was 60 Persian 5-7 year old children. The assessment tool was one of subtests of Persian version of the Test of Language Development-Primary 3. The study included two experiments: auditory-only and audiovisual presentation conditions. The test was a closed-set including 30 words which were orally presented by a speech-language pathologist. The scores of audiovisual word perception were significantly higher than auditory-only condition in the children with normal hearing (Paudiovisual presentation conditions (P>0.05). The audiovisual spoken word recognition can be applied as a clinical criterion to assess the children with severe to profound hearing loss in order to find whether cochlear implant or hearing aid has been efficient for them or not; i.e. if a child with hearing impairment who using CI or HA can obtain higher scores in audiovisual spoken word recognition than auditory-only condition, his/her auditory skills have appropriately developed due to effective CI or HA as one of the main factors of auditory habilitation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. 78 FR 66940 - Regulatory Requirements for Hearing Aid Devices and Personal Sound Amplification Products; Draft...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-07

    ... for such products. These inconsistent interpretations of the definitions may inadvertently result in... amplification products (PSAPs), as well as the regulatory controls that apply to each. This draft guidance is... of clarity regarding how the Agency defines a hearing aid versus a personal sound amplification...

  9. Sound exposure measurements using hearing-aid technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Simon Boelt; Drastrup, Mads; Morales, Esteban Chávez

    2016-01-01

    scenarios. The purpose of this work is to document the use of a modified behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing-aid as a portable sound pressure level (SPL) meter. In order to obtain sound level measurements with a BTE device comparable to sound field values that can be used with existing risk assessment strategies...... levels of sound exposures are experienced in modern society in many different situations such as attending concerts, sport events and others. This leads to an interest in measurement devices which are discreet and simple to use, in order to assess sound exposures encountered in typical daily life......, differences due to microphone positions and the presence of a person in the measurement must be taken into account. The present study presents measurements carried out to document the characteristics of the BTE device, using the same framework presented in the ISO 11904 standard series. The responses...

  10. Classification of voice disorder in children with cochlear implantation and hearing aid using multiple classifier fusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tayarani Hamid

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Speech production and speech phonetic features gradually improve in children by obtaining audio feedback after cochlear implantation or using hearing aids. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate automated classification of voice disorder in children with cochlear implantation and hearing aids. Methods We considered 4 disorder categories in children's voice using the following definitions: Level_1: Children who produce spontaneous phonation and use words spontaneously and imitatively. Level_2: Children, who produce spontaneous phonation, use words spontaneously and make short sentences imitatively. Level_3: Children, who produce spontaneous phonations, use words and arbitrary sentences spontaneously. Level_4: Normal children without any hearing loss background. Thirty Persian children participated in the study, including six children in each level from one to three and 12 children in level four. Voice samples of five isolated Persian words "mashin", "mar", "moosh", "gav" and "mouz" were analyzed. Four levels of the voice quality were considered, the higher the level the less significant the speech disorder. "Frame-based" and "word-based" features were extracted from voice signals. The frame-based features include intensity, fundamental frequency, formants, nasality and approximate entropy and word-based features include phase space features and wavelet coefficients. For frame-based features, hidden Markov models were used as classifiers and for word-based features, neural network was used. Results After Classifiers fusion with three methods: Majority Voting Rule, Linear Combination and Stacked fusion, the best classification rates were obtained using frame-based and word-based features with MVR rule (level 1:100%, level 2: 93.75%, level 3: 100%, level 4: 94%. Conclusions Result of this study may help speech pathologists follow up voice disorder recovery in children with cochlear implantation or hearing aid who are

  11. Item Response Theory Applied to Factors Affecting the Patient Journey Towards Hearing Rehabilitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chenault, Michelene; Berger, Martijn; Kremer, Bernd; Anteunis, Lucien

    2016-01-01

    To develop a tool for use in hearing screening and to evaluate the patient journey towards hearing rehabilitation, responses to the hearing aid rehabilitation questionnaire scales aid stigma, pressure, and aid unwanted addressing respectively hearing aid stigma, experienced pressure from others; perceived hearing aid benefit were evaluated with item response theory. The sample was comprised of 212 persons aged 55 years or more; 63 were hearing aid users, 64 with and 85 persons without hearing impairment according to guidelines for hearing aid reimbursement in the Netherlands. Bias was investigated relative to hearing aid use and hearing impairment within the differential test functioning framework. Items compromising model fit or demonstrating differential item functioning were dropped. The aid stigma scale was reduced from 6 to 4, the pressure scale from 7 to 4, and the aid unwanted scale from 5 to 4 items. This procedure resulted in bias-free scales ready for screening purposes and application to further understand the help-seeking process of the hearing impaired. PMID:28028428

  12. Recognition and Comprehension of "Narrow Focus" by Young Adults With Prelingual Hearing Loss Using Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Osnat; Kishon-Rabin, Liat

    2017-12-20

    The stressed word in a sentence (narrow focus [NF]) conveys information about the intent of the speaker and is therefore important for processing spoken language and in social interactions. The ability of participants with severe-to-profound prelingual hearing loss to comprehend NF has rarely been investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the recognition and comprehension of NF by young adults with prelingual hearing loss compared with those of participants with normal hearing (NH). The participants included young adults with hearing aids (HA; n = 10), cochlear implants (CI; n = 12), and NH (n = 18). The test material included the Hebrew Narrow Focus Test (Segal, Kaplan, Patael, & Kishon-Rabin, in press), with 3 subtests, which was used to assess the recognition and comprehension of NF in different contexts. The following results were obtained: (a) CI and HA users successfully recognized the stressed word, with the worst performance for CI; (b) HA and CI comprehended NF less well than NH; and (c) the comprehension of NF was associated with verbal working memory and expressive vocabulary in CI users. Most CI and HA users were able to recognize the stressed word in a sentence but had considerable difficulty understanding it. Different factors may contribute to this difficulty, including the memory load during the task itself and linguistic and pragmatic abilities. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5572792.

  13. Localização sonora em usuários de aparelhos de amplificação sonora individual Sound localization by hearing aid users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Cristina Rodrigues

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: comparar o desempenho, no teste de localização de fontes sonoras, de usuários de aparelhos de amplificação sonora individual (AASI do tipo retroauricular e intracanal, com o desempenho de ouvintes normais, nos planos espaciais horizontal e sagital mediano, para as frequências de 500, 2.000 e 4.500 Hz; e correlacionar os acertos no teste de localização sonora com o tempo de uso dos AASI. MÉTODOS: foram testados oito ouvintes normais e 20 usuários de próteses auditivas, subdivididos em dois grupos. Um formado por 10 indivíduos usuários de próteses auditivas do tipo intracanal e o outro grupo formado por 10 usuários de próteses auditivas do tipo retroauricular. Todos foram submetidos ao teste de localização de fontes sonoras, no qual foram apresentados, aleatoriamente, três tipos de ondas quadradas, com frequências fundamentais em 0,5 kHz, 2 kHz e 4,5 kHz, na intensidade de 70 dBA. RESULTADOS: encontrou-se percentuais de acertos médios de 78,4%, 72,2% e 72,9% para os ouvintes normais, em 0,5 kHz, 2 kHz e 4,5 kHz, respectivamente e 40,1%, 39,4% e 41,7% para os usuários de aparelho de amplificação sonora individual. Quanto aos tipos de aparelhos, os usuários do modelo intracanal acertaram a origem da fonte sonora em 47,2% das vezes e os usuários do modelo retroauricular em 37,4% das vezes. Não foi observada correlação entre o percentual de acertos no teste de localização sonora e o tempo de uso da prótese auditiva. CONCLUSÃO: ouvintes normais localizam as fontes sonoras de maneira mais eficiente que os usuários de aparelho de amplificação sonora individual e, dentre estes, os que utilizam o modelo intracanal obtiveram melhor desempenho. Além disso, o tempo de uso não interferiu no desempenho para localizar a origem das fontes sonoras.PURPOSE: to compare the sound localization performance of hearing aids users, with the performance of normal hearing in the horizontal and sagittal planes, at 0.5, 2 and 4

  14. Clinical study on the efficacy, acceptance, and safety of hearing aids in patients with mild to moderate presbyacusis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanet, Phillipe; Guy, Martine; Allaert, Francois-André

    2018-04-17

    of the study: The primary objective of this trial was to demonstrate the effect of wearing a Hearing aid (HA) on improvement of hearing and comprehension in everyday life situations. This mono-centre phase IV open-label clinical trial was carried out on men or women 40 years old or more, presenting mild or moderate first-degree presbyacusis. Presbyacusis was diagnosed by performance of pure-tone audiometry in silence. The main criterion was the comparison of the Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile (GHABP) before wearing HA and after a month of use and the secondary one was audiometric parameters. 47 patients, 60.0 ± 6.9 years old were included in the study. After 4 weeks, when wearing HA, no significant difficulty remains in the patients when they watch television (GHABP situation 1) or when they have a conversation without background noise (GHABP situation 2). To have a conversation in a busy street or a shop GHABP (situation 3) 4.4% of patients still have great difficulty, as are 2.2% of them when participating in a group conversation (GHABP situation 4). The GHABP score of residual disability for the whole of the 4 situations of difficulty is 1.3 ± 0.5, translating into no or only slight residual disability, in very significant amelioration of 1.3 ± 0.7 points (p: <0.0001), or 46.4% compared to the initial value. Audiometric parameters were also significantly improved. This study has allowed us to highlight from a clinical as well as an audiometric perspective the safety, effectiveness, as well as the important benefit of Sonalto® pre-set hearing aids on the improvement of hearing in patients presenting incipient presbyacusis.

  15. Capacitor-Free, Low Drop-Out Linear Regulator in a 180 nm CMOS for Hearing Aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yosef-Hay, Yoni; Llimos Muntal, Pere; Larsen, Dennis Øland

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a capacitor-free low dropout (LDO) linear regulator based on a new dual loop topology. The regulator utilizes the feedback loops to satisfy the challenges for hearing aid devices, which include fast transient performance and small voltage spikes under rapid load-current changes...

  16. Comparison of Gated Audiovisual Speech Identification in Elderly Hearing Aid Users and Elderly Normal-Hearing Individuals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lidestam, Björn; Rönnberg, Jerker

    2016-01-01

    The present study compared elderly hearing aid (EHA) users (n = 20) with elderly normal-hearing (ENH) listeners (n = 20) in terms of isolation points (IPs, the shortest time required for correct identification of a speech stimulus) and accuracy of audiovisual gated speech stimuli (consonants, words, and final words in highly and less predictable sentences) presented in silence. In addition, we compared the IPs of audiovisual speech stimuli from the present study with auditory ones extracted from a previous study, to determine the impact of the addition of visual cues. Both participant groups achieved ceiling levels in terms of accuracy in the audiovisual identification of gated speech stimuli; however, the EHA group needed longer IPs for the audiovisual identification of consonants and words. The benefit of adding visual cues to auditory speech stimuli was more evident in the EHA group, as audiovisual presentation significantly shortened the IPs for consonants, words, and final words in less predictable sentences; in the ENH group, audiovisual presentation only shortened the IPs for consonants and words. In conclusion, although the audiovisual benefit was greater for EHA group, this group had inferior performance compared with the ENH group in terms of IPs when supportive semantic context was lacking. Consequently, EHA users needed the initial part of the audiovisual speech signal to be longer than did their counterparts with normal hearing to reach the same level of accuracy in the absence of a semantic context. PMID:27317667

  17. Transverse maxillary distraction with a bone-anchored appliance: dento-periodontal effects and clinical and radiological results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramieri, G A; Spada, M C; Austa, M; Bianchi, S D; Berrone, S

    2005-06-01

    In 29 adult patients presenting with maxillary deficiency, a bone-anchored palatal distractor (Surgi-Tec NV, Brugge, Belgium) was applied after osteotomy of the anterolateral walls of the maxillary sinuses, midpalatal suture, and, eventually, separation of the pterygomaxillary sutures. Expansion proceeded at a rate of 0.33-0.66 mm per day and the device was retained for 4-6 months for consolidation. Active orthodontic therapy was started after 8-10 weeks. The increment of arch width and the perimeter were evaluated using dental casts. Tooth thermal sensitivity and the periodontal side effects of treatment were monitored clinically after distraction, at device removal, and after 1 year. Bone healing was also investigated during the procedure using conventional radiological techniques. This experience confirms that transverse maxillary distraction is an effective technique in adult patients, leading to the formation of new bone. There were no noticeable intraoperative complications, but postsurgical periodontal side effects were documented. The procedure offers advantages over traditional teeth-borne appliances in terms of rapidity of treatment and the absence of mechanical forces acting on the teeth. Further evaluation is required to assess the long-term stability and periodontal consequences of this technique.

  18. Item response theory applied to factors affecting the patient journey towards hearing rehabilitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelene Chenault

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available To develop a tool for use in hearing screening and to evaluate the patient journey towards hearing rehabilitation, responses to the hearing aid rehabilitation questionnaire scales aid stigma, pressure, and aid unwanted addressing respectively hearing aid stigma, experienced pressure from others; perceived hearing aid benefit were evaluated with item response theory. The sample was comprised of 212 persons aged 55 years or more; 63 were hearing aid users, 64 with and 85 persons without hearing impairment according to guidelines for hearing aid reimbursement in the Netherlands. Bias was investigated relative to hearing aid use and hearing impairment within the differential test functioning framework. Items compromising model fit or demonstrating differential item functioning were dropped. The aid stigma scale was reduced from 6 to 4, the pressure scale from 7 to 4, and the aid unwanted scale from 5 to 4 items. This procedure resulted in bias-free scales ready for screening purposes and application to further understand the help-seeking process of the hearing impaired.

  19. Feasibility study of injection mouldable conductive plastic for the hearing aid applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Merca, Timea D.den; Lindberg, Torbjörn; Islam, Aminul

    2016-01-01

    Electrically conductive polymers can combine the advantage of plastic processing with the unique electrical properties which are usually found in metals. This article presents a feasibility study of an electrically conductive plastic for hearing aid antennas. Focus will be placed to critically......) 3D measuring system in comparison with an ideal copper antenna at 2.4 GHz. An analysis of the association between the conductive plastic processing parameters in regards to its electrical performance is discussed and evaluated....

  20. Magnetic-resonance-imaging-based three-dimensional muscle reconstruction of hip abductor muscle volume in a person with a transfemoral bone-anchored prosthesis : A feasibility study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leijendekkers, Ruud A.; Marra, Marco A.; Ploegmakers, Marieke J.M.; Van Hinte, Gerben; Frölke, Jan Paul; Van De Meent, Hendrik; Staal, J. Bart; Hoogeboom, Thomas J.; Verdonschot, Nico

    2018-01-01

    Background: Persons with transfemoral amputation typically have severe muscle atrophy of the residual limb. The effect of bone-anchored prosthesis use on existing muscle atrophy is unknown. A potentially feasible method to evaluate this is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based three-dimensional

  1. Ocena jakości życia przed i po protezowaniu narządu słuchu = The impact of hearing aids on the quality of life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrycja Witczak

    2016-09-01

      Ocena jakości życia przed i po protezowaniu narządu słuchu The impact of hearing aids on the quality of life     Patrycja Witczak1, Dominik Olejniczak2, Joanna Skonieczna2     1 Absolwentka kierunku Zdrowie Publiczne Wydział Nauki o Zdrowiu Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny   2 Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny Zakład Zdrowia Publicznego ul. Banacha 1a, 02-097 Warszawa     Słowa kluczowe: aparaty słuchowe, jakoś życia, niedosłuch Key words: Hearing aids, Quality of life, Hearing impairment     Streszczenie   Wprowadzenie i cel pracy: Problem niedosłuchu dotyczy ok. 12% populacji. Liczba osób dotkniętych wadą słuchu systematycznie wzrasta. Jest to ważny aspekt medyczny i społeczny. U osób u których stwierdzono niedosłuch jedną z metod rehabilitacji narządu słuchu jest użytkowanie aparatu słuchowego. Podstawowym celem protezowania narządu słuchu jest poprawa komunikowania się osoby niedosłyszącej z otoczeniem oraz zwiększenie komfortu jej życia. Głównym celem badania była ocena jakości życia i korzyści z użytkowania aparatów słuchowych u osób po 60 roku życia. Materiał i metoda: Zastosowaną metodą badawczą był sondaż diagnostyczny, techniką ankieta, a narzędziem kwestionariusz standaryzowany oceny jakości życia przed i po protezowaniu narządu słuchu. Grupą badaną jest populacja osób w wieku powyżej 60 lat. Łączna ilość osób przebadanych stanowiła grupę 60 pacjentów z wadami słuchu stosujących aparaty słuchowe. Wyniki: Narażenie środowiska pracy na hałas zadeklarowało blisko 61% badanych. Jedynie 30,5% zna podstawowe uwarunkowania zdrowia mające znaczenie w przypadku niedosłuchu. Około 75% badanych uznało, że aparat słuchowy pomógł im w życiu codziennym przynajmniej w stopniu dobrym. Wnioski: Z uwagi na dużą poprawę jakości życia po protezowaniu narządu słuchu, konieczne jest edukowanie i informowanie pacjentów w zakresie tej metody leczenia i podnoszenia jakości

  2. Firm anchoring between a calcium phosphate-hybridized tendon and bone for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a goat model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mutsuzaki, Hirotaka [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, 4669-2 Ami Ami-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-0394 (Japan); Sakane, Masataka; Ochiai, Naoyuki [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 (Japan); Hattori, Shinya; Kobayashi, Hisatoshi, E-mail: sakane-m@md.tsukuba.ac.j [Biomaterial Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

    2009-08-15

    Using an alternative soaking process improved the tendon-bone attachment for a calcium phosphate (CaP)-hybridized tendon graft. We characterized the deposited CaP on and in tendons and analyzed the histology and mechanical properties of the tendon-bone interface in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in goats. The tendon grafts to be implanted were soaked ten times alternately in a Ca-containing solution and a PO{sub 4}-containing solution for 30 s each. Needlelike CaP nanocrystals including low-crystalline apatite were deposited on and between collagen fibrils from the surface to a depth of 200{mu}m inside the tendon. The structure resembles the extracellular matrix of bone. In animal experiments, the CaP-hybridized tendon directly bonded with newly formed bone at 6 weeks (n = 3), while fibrous bonding was observed in the control (n = 3). The ultimate failure load was not statistically different between the CaP (n = 7) and control (n = 7). However, in the failure mode, all the tendon-bone interfaces were intact in the CaP group, while three of seven specimens were pulled out from bone tunnels in the control. The result suggested that the strength of the tendon-bone interface in the CaP group is superior to that in the control group. Clinically, firm tendon-bone anchoring may lead to good results without the knee instability associated with the loosening of the bone-tendon junction in ACL reconstruction.

  3. Vibroplasty in mixed and conductive hearing loss: comparison of different coupling methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyskocil, Erich; Riss, Dominik; Honeder, Clemens; Arnoldner, Christoph; Hamzavi, Jafar-Sasan; Baumgartner, Wolf-Dieter; Flak, Stefan; Gstoettner, Wolfgang

    2014-06-01

    To evaluate modified coupling techniques of the Vibrant Soundbridge system in patients with mixed and conductive hearing loss and to compare it with conventional vibroplasty. Retrospective study. Two different groups were evaluated: 1) nine cases of conventional incus vibroplasty in comparison with 2) nine patients with modified coupling of the floating mass transducer. In the modified coupling approach, the vibrant floating mass transducer was attached to 1) the stapes/oval window, 2) the round window, or 3) the drilled promontory bone (promontory fenestration window). In three patients, an additional ossiculoplasty was performed. Preoperative and postoperative aided and unaided pure-tone and free-field audiometry and Freiburg monosyllabic word test were used to assess hearing outcome. Functional hearing gain obtained in patients with mixed and conductive hearing loss who underwent modified coupling was 39 dB. Patients with pure sensorineural hearing loss who received conventional incus coupling showed a functional hearing gain of 25 dB. Average functional gain was 41 dB in the oval window group, 45 dB in the round window group, and 30 dB in the promontory fenestration window group. Word recognition test revealed an average improvement of 51% and 21% in the modified and in the conventional approach, respectively. Modified vibroplasty is a safe and effective treatment for patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss. Coupling the floating mass transducer to the promontory bone (promontory fenestration window) is a viable option in chronically disabled ears if oval and round window coupling is not possible. 4. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  4. Acceptable noise level (ANL) with Danish and non-semantic speech materials in adult hearing-aid users

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Lantz, Johannes; Nielsen, Lars Holme

    2012-01-01

    The acceptable noise level (ANL) test is used for quantification of the amount of background noise subjects accept when listening to speech. This study investigates Danish hearing-aid users' ANL performance using Danish and non-semantic speech signals, the repeatability of ANL, and the association...

  5. Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neher, Tobias; Wagener, Kirsten C.; Fischer, Rosa-Linde

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Research findings concerning the relation between benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are inconsistent. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory and the relation with reading......-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement. Auditory working memory was assessed at +6 dB SNR using listening span and N-back paradigms. STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty experienced HA users ages 55-80 with large differences in reading span. RESULTS: For the listening span measurements, there was an influence of HA setting...... on sentence-final word recognition and recall, with the directional microphones leading to ~6% better performance than the single-channel noise reduction. For the N-back measurements, there was substantial test-retest variability and no influence of HA setting. No interactions with reading span were found...

  6. Hearing aid noise suppression and working memory function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fischer, Rosa-Linde; Neher, Tobias; Wagener, Kirsten C.

    Research findings concerning the relation between outcome from hearing aid (HA) noise suppression and working memory function are unclear. The current study thus investigated the effects of three noise suppression algorithms on auditory working memory as well as the relation with reading span......) improvement. Auditory working memory was assessed at +6 dB SNR using a listening span and an N-back paradigm. Twenty experienced HA users aged 55-80 yr with large differences in reading span took part. For the listening span measurements, there was an influence of HA setting on final word recognition...... and recall, with the directional microphone setting leading to approx. 6% better performance than the single-channel noise reduction setting. For the N-back measurements, there was substantial test-retest variability and no influence of HA setting. No interactions with reading span were found. These results...

  7. Bone tissue engineering scaffolding: computer-aided scaffolding techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thavornyutikarn, Boonlom; Chantarapanich, Nattapon; Sitthiseripratip, Kriskrai; Thouas, George A; Chen, Qizhi

    Tissue engineering is essentially a technique for imitating nature. Natural tissues consist of three components: cells, signalling systems (e.g. growth factors) and extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM forms a scaffold for its cells. Hence, the engineered tissue construct is an artificial scaffold populated with living cells and signalling molecules. A huge effort has been invested in bone tissue engineering, in which a highly porous scaffold plays a critical role in guiding bone and vascular tissue growth and regeneration in three dimensions. In the last two decades, numerous scaffolding techniques have been developed to fabricate highly interconnective, porous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. This review provides an update on the progress of foaming technology of biomaterials, with a special attention being focused on computer-aided manufacturing (Andrade et al. 2002) techniques. This article starts with a brief introduction of tissue engineering (Bone tissue engineering and scaffolds) and scaffolding materials (Biomaterials used in bone tissue engineering). After a brief reviews on conventional scaffolding techniques (Conventional scaffolding techniques), a number of CAM techniques are reviewed in great detail. For each technique, the structure and mechanical integrity of fabricated scaffolds are discussed in detail. Finally, the advantaged and disadvantage of these techniques are compared (Comparison of scaffolding techniques) and summarised (Summary).

  8. Self-Resonant Electrically Small Loop Antennas for Hearing-Aids Application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Jiaying; Breinbjerg, Olav

    2010-01-01

    Two novel self-resonant electrically small antennas are proposed in this paper, which are designed for hearing aids applications. They are miniaturized by using the capacitive and inductive coupling mechanism between two loops, and the antenna impedance can be matched to a specific value without...... using any additional matching network and lumped components. The dimension of the proposed antenna is 0.10λ0×0.03λ0, and it is designed to be resonant at 900 MHz. Both the analytical model and numerical simulations are discussed and explained. The antenna is also fabricated and measured in an anechoic...... chamber. The measurement methods for electrically small antennas are reported....

  9. Initial experience with the Sophono Alpha 1 osseointegrated implant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escorihuela-García, Vicente; Llópez-Carratalá, Ignacio; Pitarch-Ribas, Ignacia; Latorre-Monteagudo, Emilia; Marco-Algarra, Jaime

    2014-01-01

    In the last several years, bone anchored hearing aids have proven to be useful in treating conductive and mixed unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, as well as for sensorineural unilateral hearing loss. The Sophono Alpha 1 model has the advantage of not requiring an abutment, with it being coupled by magnetism instead. We report the cases of 3 infants with congenital malformations of external and middle ear. Audiometry showed conductive hearing loss. All 3 patients were implanted with Alpha 1 model (Sophono). Patients evolved satisfactorily. After 30 days we applied the processor and the control audiometry showed a marked improvement of hearing thresholds, although without a complete closure of the gap. With minimal care, the skin over the implant remained in excellent condition, with a very satisfactory cosmetic outcome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.

  10. A Simplified Technique for Orientation of a Bone Anchored Auricular Prostheses: a Clinical Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hussein G. El Charkawi

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: A simple technique was presented in this clinical report for orientation of a bone anchored auricular prosthesis.Methods: The proposed technique includes drawing the intact ear on a transparent celluloid paper or radiographic film and flipping it to the opposite side and relating it to the fixed anatomical features on the face of patient.Results: The drawing, by this way provides a simple and easy way to duplicate and transfer the exact size and position of the intact ear to the defect side.Conclusions: This technique provides a simple, safe, inexpensive and time saving yet, an accurate and effective surgical template that orients the craniofacial implants to the confines of the definitive auricular prosthesis. It is indicated for restoration of single missing external ear either in aplasia, injuries and total resection.

  11. Treinamento auditivo formal em idosos usuários de próteses auditivas Formal auditory training in elderly hearing aid users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisiane Crestani de Miranda

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available A implantação de programas de reabilitação para o deficiente auditivo idoso é de grande importância. OBJETIVO: Verificar a eficácia de um programa de treinamento auditivo formal em idosos que receberam próteses auditivas há no mínimo três meses, por meio de testes de reconhecimento de fala e questionário de auto-avaliação. MÉTODO: Estudo de coorte contemporânea longitudinal. Foram selecionados 13 idosos usuários de próteses auditivas intra-aurais em adaptação binaural, de ambos os sexos, com idade média de 65,30 anos. Este grupo foi subdividido aleatoriamente em Grupo Experimental e Grupo Controle, por meio de sorteio. O Grupo Experimental foi submetido a sete sessões de treinamento auditivo formal, visando estimular as habilidades auditivas de fechamento auditivo, memória, atenção, figura-fundo e integração binaural. Os participantes foram avaliados por três testes comportamentais e um questionário de auto-avaliação. RESULTADOS: Os idosos do Grupo Experimental apresentaram desempenho significantemente melhor nas avaliações após o treinamento auditivo e também em relação ao Grupo Controle. CONCLUSÃO: O programa de treinamento auditivo em cabina acústica, associado ao uso de próteses auditivas, melhora o desempenho das habilidades de reconhecimento de fala e reduz a percepção do handicap auditivo de idosos usuários de próteses auditivas intra-aurais.It is of paramount importance to install hearing rehabilitation programs for the elderly. AIM: to check the efficacy of a forma auditory training program for elderly patients fitted with hearing aids for at least three months, by means of speech recognition tests and self-assessment questionnaires. METHODS: longitudinal contemporary cohort study. We selected 13 elderly hearing aid users, using intra-canal hearing aids in both ears, from both genders, with average age of 65.3 years. This group was randomly divided in Experiment Group and Control Group. The

  12. Computer-aided position planning of miniplates to treat facial bone defects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Egger

    Full Text Available In this contribution, a software system for computer-aided position planning of miniplates to treat facial bone defects is proposed. The intra-operatively used bone plates have to be passively adapted on the underlying bone contours for adequate bone fragment stabilization. However, this procedure can lead to frequent intra-operatively performed material readjustments especially in complex surgical cases. Our approach is able to fit a selection of common implant models on the surgeon's desired position in a 3D computer model. This happens with respect to the surrounding anatomical structures, always including the possibility of adjusting both the direction and the position of the used osteosynthesis material. By using the proposed software, surgeons are able to pre-plan the out coming implant in its form and morphology with the aid of a computer-visualized model within a few minutes. Further, the resulting model can be stored in STL file format, the commonly used format for 3D printing. Using this technology, surgeons are able to print the virtual generated implant, or create an individually designed bending tool. This method leads to adapted osteosynthesis materials according to the surrounding anatomy and requires further a minimum amount of money and time.

  13. Computer-aided position planning of miniplates to treat facial bone defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallner, Jürgen; Gall, Markus; Chen, Xiaojun; Schwenzer-Zimmerer, Katja; Reinbacher, Knut; Schmalstieg, Dieter

    2017-01-01

    In this contribution, a software system for computer-aided position planning of miniplates to treat facial bone defects is proposed. The intra-operatively used bone plates have to be passively adapted on the underlying bone contours for adequate bone fragment stabilization. However, this procedure can lead to frequent intra-operatively performed material readjustments especially in complex surgical cases. Our approach is able to fit a selection of common implant models on the surgeon’s desired position in a 3D computer model. This happens with respect to the surrounding anatomical structures, always including the possibility of adjusting both the direction and the position of the used osteosynthesis material. By using the proposed software, surgeons are able to pre-plan the out coming implant in its form and morphology with the aid of a computer-visualized model within a few minutes. Further, the resulting model can be stored in STL file format, the commonly used format for 3D printing. Using this technology, surgeons are able to print the virtual generated implant, or create an individually designed bending tool. This method leads to adapted osteosynthesis materials according to the surrounding anatomy and requires further a minimum amount of money and time. PMID:28817607

  14. Safety and effectiveness of the Vibrant Soundbridge in treating conductive and mixed hearing loss: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ernst, Arne; Todt, Ingo; Wagner, Jan

    2016-06-01

    For many years, the therapeutic approach for conductive and/or mixed hearing loss has consisted of middle ear surgery with replacement of defect ossicles, and if possible the application of a hearing aid. Advances in technology have led to the introduction of electronmagnetic active implantable devices such as the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB). With its various coupling techniques for different pathophysiological situations in the middle ear, the VSB offers greater improvement in the hearing performance of affected persons. PubMed, OvidSP (MEDLINE), EMBASE (DIMDI), the National Institue for Health research (NIHR) Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (including the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and Health Technology Assessment), and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify articles published between January 2006 and April 2014 that evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the VSB in comparison to no intervention, bone conduction hearing implants (BCHI), and middle ear surgery plus hearing aids for adults and children with conductive or mixed hearing loss. Study selection and data extraction was carried out by multiple reviewers. Study quality was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence (2011); and a checklist available from the Evidence Analysis Library, Academy of Nutrition and Diabetics. Thirty-six publications were identified: 19 on VSB outcomes in 294 individuals, 13 on BCHI outcomes in 666 individuals, and four on middle ear surgery plus hearing aid outcomes in 43 individuals. Two systematic reviews were also identified. Heterogeneous outcome measures made it difficult to summarize data. In general, the VSB proved to be safe and effective when compared to no intervention and BCHI, and provided more and consistent hearing gain compared to middle ear surgery plus conventional hearing aids. As demonstrated in the literature, the VSB as an active device

  15. Pronto atendimento a usuários de dispositivos de amplificação sonora Emergency care to users of hearing aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiago de Melo Araujo

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Estabelecer características demográficas e audiológicas de sujeitos usuários de aparelhos de amplificação sonora individuais (AASI que solicitaram retorno em um Serviço de Saúde Auditiva e identificar e analisar os motivos do retorno e condutas geradas durante o Pronto Atendimento (PA. MÉTODOS: Os participantes foram 440 sujeitos de idade superior a três anos, com diagnóstico e concessão do AASI no serviço onde foi realizada a pesquisa. Características demográficas, audiológicas e referentes ao uso do AASI foram coletadas em prontuários e ficha específica para o PA. Os dados obtidos foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva e inferencial. RESULTADOS: O grupo estudado foi caracterizado, em sua maioria, por indivíduos do gênero feminino, idosos, grau de escolaridade no ensino fundamental incompleto, perda auditiva de grau moderado e perda auditiva do tipo neurossensorial bilateral. Quanto ao uso do AASI, a maioria dos sujeitos utilizava aparelho do tipo retroauricular com adaptação binaural. Quanto ao tempo de uso, mais de 70% utilizava o AASI pela primeira vez, 38% o fazia por um período de até 12 meses, e mais de 65% por um período maior que oito horas diárias. As condutas ajuste do AASI e orientação foram mais frequentes para sujeitos com menor tempo de uso do aparelho, enquanto as condutas assistência técnica e reposição, foram mais comuns para os sujeitos com maior tempo de uso. CONCLUSÃO: Conhecer características de pacientes usuários de AASI, assim como os motivos do retorno e condutas geradas, contribui para melhor organização e qualidade do serviço prestado.PURPOSE: To establish the demographic and audiological characteristics of subjects users of hearing aids (HA that requested a return at a Hearing Health Service, and to identify and analyze the reasons for the return and conducts generated during the Emergency Care (EC. METHODS: Participants were 440 subjects older than three

  16. Biomechanical comparison of traditional anchors to all-suture anchors in a double-row rotator cuff repair cadaver model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goschka, Andrew M; Hafer, Jason S; Reynolds, Kirk A; Aberle, Nicholas S; Baldini, Todd H; Hawkins, Monica J; McCarty, Eric C

    2015-10-01

    To further reduce the invasiveness of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery the all-suture anchor has been developed. The all-suture anchor requires less bone removal and reduces the potential of loose body complications. The all-suture anchor must also have adequate biomechanical strength for the repair to heal. The hypothesis is there is no significant difference in the biomechanical performance of supraspinatus repairs using an all-suture anchor when compared to traditional solid-body suture anchors. Using nine shoulders per group, the supraspinatus tendon was dissected from the greater tuberosity. The four different double row repairs tested were (medial row/lateral row): A: ICONIX2/ICONIX2; B: ICONIX2/Stryker ReelX 3.9mm; C: ICONIX2/Stryker ReelX 4.5mm; D: Arthrex BioComposite CorkScrew FT 4.5mm/Arthrex BioComposite SwiveLock 4.75mm. The ICONIX2 was the only all-suture anchor tested. Tendons underwent cyclic loading from 10 to 100N for 500 cycles, followed by load-to-failure. Data was collected at cycles 5, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500. One-way ANOVA analysis was used to assess significance (P≤0.05). The anchor combinations tested did not differ significantly in anterior (P>0.4) or posterior (P>0.3) gap formation, construct stiffness (P>0.7), ultimate load (P=0.06), or load to 5mm gap formation (P=0.84). The all-suture anchor demonstrated comparable biomechanical performance in multiple double-row anchor combinations to a combination of traditional solid-body anchors. Thus it may be an attractive option to further reduce the invasiveness of rotator cuff repairs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. How to quantify binaural hearing in patients with unilateral hearing using hearing implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snik, Ad; Agterberg, Martijn; Bosman, Arjan

    2015-01-01

    Application of bilateral hearing devices in bilateral hearing loss and unilateral application in unilateral hearing loss (second ear with normal hearing) does not a priori lead to binaural hearing. An overview is presented on several measures of binaural benefits that have been used in patients with unilateral or bilateral deafness using one or two cochlear implants, respectively, and in patients with unilateral or bilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss using one or two percutaneous bone conduction implants (BCDs), respectively. Overall, according to this overview, the most significant and sensitive measure is the benefit in directional hearing. Measures using speech (viz. binaural summation, binaural squelch or use of the head shadow effect) showed minor benefits, except for patients with bilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss using two BCDs. Although less feasible in daily practise, the binaural masking level difference test seems to be a promising option in the assessment of binaural function. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. Bilateral Congenital Absence of the Stapes Superstructure in Two Siblings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Ignacio Undabeitia

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Middle ear ossicle malformations are an uncommon event. Among them, the congenital absence of the stapes is a very rare condition that is seldom described in the literature. We report the cases of two women, aged 19 and 22 , who presented with a long history of conductive deafness. An exploratory tympanotomy was performed and the absence of the stapes superstructure and an abnormal position of the facial nerve could be observed. A bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA was implanted in both patients with good results. It is believed that stapes agenesis is related to an abnormal development of the facial nerve, which by the 5th to 6th week of gestation would interpose between the otic capsule and the stapes blastema, preventing these structures from contacting. A long history of nonprogressive hearing loss from birth or early childhood is the key to reach a diagnosis. Several treatment options have been described. The authors opted for a hearing aid due to the high risk of facial nerve lesion, with good functional results.

  19. Presbycusis: a human temporal bone study of individuals with downward sloping audiometric patterns of hearing loss and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Erik G; Hinojosa, Raul

    2006-09-01

    The purpose of this retrospective case review was to identify patterns of cochlear element degeneration in individuals with presbycusis exhibiting downward sloping audiometric patterns of hearing loss and to correlate these findings with those reported in the literature to clarify conflicting concepts regarding the association between hearing loss and morphologic abnormalities. Archival human temporal bones from individuals with presbycusis were selected on the basis of strict audiometric criteria for downward-sloping audiometric thresholds. Twenty-one temporal bones that met these criteria were identified and compared with 10 temporal bones from individuals with normal hearing. The stria vascularis volumes, spiral ganglion cell populations, inner hair cells, and outer hair cells were quantitatively evaluated. The relationship between the severity of hearing loss and the degeneration of cochlear elements was analyzed using univariate linear regression models. Outer hair cell loss and ganglion cell loss was observed in all individuals with presbycusis. Inner hair cell loss was observed in 18 of the 21 individuals with presbycusis and stria vascularis loss was observed in 10 of the 21 individuals with presbycusis. The extent of degeneration of all four of the cochlear elements evaluated was highly associated with the severity of hearing loss based on audiometric thresholds at 8,000 Hz and the pure-tone average at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 Hz. The extent of ganglion cell degeneration was associated with the slope of the audiogram. Individuals with downward-sloping audiometric patterns of presbycusis exhibit degeneration of the stria vascularis, spiral ganglion cells, inner hair cells, and outer hair cells that is associated with the severity of hearing loss. This association has not been previously reported in studies that did not use quantitative methodologies for evaluating the cochlear elements and strict audiometric criteria for selecting cases.

  20. Vibrant Soundbridge rehabilitation of conductive and mixed hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lüers, Jan-Christoffer; Hüttenbrink, Karl-Bernd

    2014-12-01

    The Vibrant Soundbridge is the world's most often implanted active middle ear implant or hearing aid. During the last few years, the device indications have expanded from sensorineural hearing loss to conductive and mixed hearing loss. Titanium couplers have led to improved contact of the floating mass transducer with the middle ear structures. The resulting hearing gain is satisfying for most patients, but so far, there is no clear audiologic advantage over conventional hearing aids. Currently, the indications are mainly related to intolerance of conventional hearing aids (eg, chronic otitis externa), severe mixed hearing loss with a destructed middle ear and certain medical diagnosis (eg, congenital atresia). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Provision of hearing aids to children in Bangladesh: costs and cost-effectiveness of a community-based and a centre-based approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekman, Björn; Borg, Johan

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study is to provide evidence on the costs and health effects of two alternative hearing aid delivery models, a community-based and a centre-based approach. The study is set in Bangladesh and the study population is children between 12 and 18 years old. Data on resource use by participants and their caregivers were collected by a household survey. Follow-up data were collected after two months. Data on the costs to providers of the two approaches were collected by means of key informant interviews. The total cost per participant in the community-based model was BDT 6,333 (USD 79) compared with BDT 13,718 (USD 172) for the centre-based model. Both delivery models are found to be cost-effective with an estimated cost per DALY averted of BDT 17,611 (USD 220) for the community-based model and BDT 36,775 (USD 460) for the centre-based model. Using a community-based approach to deliver hearing aids to children in a resource constrained environment is a cost-effective alternative to the traditional centre-based approach. Further evidence is needed to draw conclusions for scale-up of approaches; rigorous analysis is possible using well-prepared data collection tools and working closely with sector professionals. Implications for Rehabilitation Delivery models vary by resources needed for their implementation. Community-based deliver models of hearing aids to children in low-income countries are a cost-effective alternative. The assessment of costs and effects of hearing aids delivery models in low-income countries is possible through planned collaboration between researchers and sector professionals.

  2. Acompanhamento da adaptação de próteses auditivas em crianças surdas Evaluating the adaptation of hearing aids for hearing impaired children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bianca Pinheiro Lanzetta

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: descrever as características audiológicas e sociais de crianças surdas e avaliar a incidência de retornos para acompanhamento no Programa de Saúde Auditiva. MÉTODOS: foram analisados os prontuários de crianças que receberam as próteses auditivas pelo Programa de Saúde Auditiva, em Vila Velha - Espírito Santo. A população estudada foi constituída por 50 crianças, na faixa etária de zero a oito anos, de ambos os sexos, com diagnóstico de perda auditiva sensorioneural de grau leve a profundo. O protocolo de pesquisa foi preenchido a partir dos dados de prontuários para a obtenção das informações desejadas. RESULTADOS: a solicitação de retorno pelo Serviço Social propiciou o comparecimento de quase da metade da população (44%; os demais achados foram indicativos da associação entre o retorno para acompanhamento e a rotina escolar. CONCLUSÕES: o referido programa atinge predominantemente famílias com rendimento mensal entre um e dois salários mínimos; o diagnóstico da surdez ocorre entre dois e três anos de idade cronológica neste estudo; a época da primeira adaptação de próteses auditivas, aos seis anos de idade, é bastante tardia; o contato com os pais, por meio do Serviço Social, viabiliza o acompanhamento proposto, influenciado positivamente também pela rotina escolar.PURPOSE: to describe the compliance and attitudes of hearing-impaired children towards the treatment and support offered by the Hearing Health Program, a public health endeavor, and assessing patients’ returns for follow-ups. METHODS: participants consisted of fifty children aged from 0 to 8 years, with a diagnosis of mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss. The children received the hearing aids from the Hearing Health Program, in Vila Velha, in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The research protocol was completed using both medical records and a socio-economical profile survey of the affected children, including the

  3. Hearing loss in former prisoners of war of the Japanese.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossman, T W; Kerr, H D; Byrd, J C

    1996-09-01

    To describe the prevalence, degree, and types of hearing loss present in a group of older American veterans who had been prisoners of war of the Japanese. A descriptive study. A Veterans Affairs university hospital. Seventy-five male veterans, mean age 68 (+/- 3.6) years. Hearing aids were prescribed for eight veterans. Subjects were examined, and pure tone air and bone conduction, speech reception threshold, and speech discrimination were determined. Results were compared with age- and sex-matched controls from the largest recent American population study of hearing loss. 95% of subjects had been imprisoned longer than 33 months. Starvation conditions (100%), head trauma (85%), and trauma-related loss of consciousness (23%) were commonly reported. A total of 73% complained of hearing loss, and 29% (22/75) dated its onset to captivity. Most of those with the worst losses in hearing and speech discrimination were found in this subgroup. When the entire group was compared with published age- and sex-matched controls from the Framingham Study, no significant differences were found. We advocate screening examinations and long-term follow-up of populations with similar histories of starvation, head trauma, and torture.

  4. Approximated affine projection algorithm for feedback cancellation in hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sangmin; Kim, In-Young; Park, Young-Cheol

    2007-09-01

    We propose an approximated affine projection (AP) algorithm for feedback cancellation in hearing aids. It is based on the conventional approach using the Gauss-Seidel (GS) iteration, but provides more stable convergence behaviour even with small step sizes. In the proposed algorithm, a residue of the weighted error vector, instead of the current error sample, is used to provide stable convergence. A new learning rate control scheme is also applied to the proposed algorithm to prevent signal cancellation and system instability. The new scheme determines step size in proportion to the prediction factor of the input, so that adaptation is inhibited whenever tone-like signals are present in the input. Simulation results verified the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

  5. Acoustic properties of vocal singing in prelingually-deafened children with cochlear implants or hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Yitao; Zhang, Mengchao; Nutter, Heather; Zhang, Yijing; Zhou, Qixin; Liu, Qiaoyun; Wu, Weijing; Xie, Dinghua; Xu, Li

    2013-11-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate vocal singing performance of hearing-impaired children with cochlear implants (CI) and hearing aids (HA) as well as to evaluate the relationship between demographic factors of those hearing-impaired children and their singing ability. Thirty-seven prelingually-deafened children with CIs and 31 prelingually-deafened children with HAs, and 37 normal-hearing (NH) children participated in the study. The fundamental frequencies (F0) of each note in the recorded songs were extracted and the duration of each sung note was measured. Five metrics were used to evaluate the pitch-related and rhythm-based aspects of singing accuracy. Children with CIs and HAs showed significantly poorer performance in either the pitch-based assessments or the rhythm-based measure than the NH children. No significant differences were seen between the CI and HA groups in all of these measures except for the mean deviation of the pitch intervals. For both hearing-impaired groups, length of device use was significantly correlated with singing accuracy. There is a marked deficit in vocal singing ability either in pitch or rhythm accuracy in a majority of prelingually-deafened children who have received CIs or fitted with HAs. Although an increased length of device use might facilitate singing performance to some extent, the chance for the hearing-impaired children fitted with either HAs or CIs to reach high proficiency in singing is quite slim. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Interventions following hearing screening in adults: a systematic descriptive review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pronk, Marieke; Kramer, Sophia E; Davis, Adrian C; Stephens, Dafydd; Smith, Pauline A; Thodi, Chryssoula; Anteunis, Lucien J C; Parazzini, Marta; Grandori, Ferdinando

    2011-09-01

    Adult hearing screening may be a solution to the under-diagnosis and under-treatment of hearing loss in adults. Limited use and satisfaction with hearing aids indicate that consideration of alternative interventions following hearing screening may be needed. The primary aim of this study is to provide an overview of all intervention types that have been offered to adult (≥ 18 years) screen-failures. Systematic literature review. Articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Cinahl, the Cochrane Library, private libraries, and through reference checking. Of the initial 3027 papers obtained from the searches, a total of 37 were found to be eligible. The great majority of the screening programmes (i.e. 26) referred screen-failures to a hearing specialist without further rehabilitation being specified. Most of the others (i.e. seven) led to the provision of hearing aids. Four studies offered alternative interventions comprising communication programme elements (e.g. speechreading, hearing tactics) or advice on environmental aids. Interventions following hearing screening generally comprised referral to a hearing specialist or hearing aid rehabilitation. Some programmes offered alternative rehabilitation options. These may be valuable as an addition to or replacement of hearing aid rehabilitation. It is recommended that this be addressed in future research.

  7. A comparison of lateral ankle ligament suture anchor strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barber, F Alan; Herbert, Morley A; Crates, John M

    2013-06-01

    Lateral ankle ligament repairs increasingly use suture anchors instead of bone tunnels. Our purpose was to compare the biomechanical properties of a knotted and knotless suture anchor appropriate for a lateral ankle ligament reconstruction. In porcine distal fibulae, 10 samples of 2 different PEEK anchors were inserted. The attached sutures were cyclically loaded between 10N and 60N for 200 cycles. A destructive pull was performed and failure loads, cyclic displacement, stiffness, and failure mode recorded. PushLock 2.5 anchors failed before 200 cycles. PushLock 100 cycle displacement was less than Morphix 2.5 displacement (panchors completing 200 cycles was 86.5N (PushLock) and 252.1N (Morphix) (panchor breaking and suture breakage. The knotted Morphix demonstrated more displacement and greater failure strength than the knotless PushLock. The PushLock failed consistently with suture breaking. The Morphix anchor failed both by anchor breaking and by suture breaking. Copyright © 2012 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Working memory and hearing aid processing: Literature findings, future directions, and clinical applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela eSouza

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Working memory—the ability to process and store information—has been identified as an important aspect of speech perception in difficult listening environments. Working memory can be envisioned as a limited-capacity system which is engaged when an input signal cannot be readily matched to a stored representation or template. This mismatch is expected to occur more frequently when the signal is degraded. Because working memory capacity varies among individuals, those with smaller capacity are expected to demonstrate poorer speech understanding when speech is degraded, such as in background noise. However, it is less clear whether (and how working memory should influence practical decisions, such as hearing treatment. Here, we consider the relationship between working memory capacity and response to specific hearing aid processing strategies. Three types of signal processing are considered, each of which will alter the acoustic signal: fast-acting wide-dynamic range compression, which smooths the amplitude envelope of the input signal; digital noise reduction, which may inadvertently remove speech signal components as it suppresses noise; and frequency compression, which alters the relationship between spectral peaks. For fast-acting wide-dynamic range compression, a growing body of data suggests that individuals with smaller working memory capacity may be more susceptible to such signal alterations, and may receive greater amplification benefit with low alteration processing. While the evidence for a relationship between wide-dynamic range compression and working memory appears robust, the effects of working memory on perceptual response to other forms of hearing aid signal processing are less clear cut. We conclude our review with a discussion of the opportunities (and challenges in translating information on individual working memory into clinical treatment, including clinically-feasible measures of working memory.

  9. Working Memory and Hearing Aid Processing: Literature Findings, Future Directions, and Clinical Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Pamela; Arehart, Kathryn; Neher, Tobias

    2015-01-01

    Working memory-the ability to process and store information-has been identified as an important aspect of speech perception in difficult listening environments. Working memory can be envisioned as a limited-capacity system which is engaged when an input signal cannot be readily matched to a stored representation or template. This "mismatch" is expected to occur more frequently when the signal is degraded. Because working memory capacity varies among individuals, those with smaller capacity are expected to demonstrate poorer speech understanding when speech is degraded, such as in background noise. However, it is less clear whether (and how) working memory should influence practical decisions, such as hearing treatment. Here, we consider the relationship between working memory capacity and response to specific hearing aid processing strategies. Three types of signal processing are considered, each of which will alter the acoustic signal: fast-acting wide-dynamic range compression, which smooths the amplitude envelope of the input signal; digital noise reduction, which may inadvertently remove speech signal components as it suppresses noise; and frequency compression, which alters the relationship between spectral peaks. For fast-acting wide-dynamic range compression, a growing body of data suggests that individuals with smaller working memory capacity may be more susceptible to such signal alterations, and may receive greater amplification benefit with "low alteration" processing. While the evidence for a relationship between wide-dynamic range compression and working memory appears robust, the effects of working memory on perceptual response to other forms of hearing aid signal processing are less clear cut. We conclude our review with a discussion of the opportunities (and challenges) in translating information on individual working memory into clinical treatment, including clinically feasible measures of working memory.

  10. The merit of using silicon for the development of hearing aid microphones and intraocular pressure sensors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bergveld, Piet

    1994-01-01

    An important design rule for a hearing aid is the requirement of a large signal to noise ratio, which is mainly determined by that of the microphone and its preamplifier. It will be shown that in order to increase the signal to noise ratio it is favourable to integrate the preamplifier with the

  11. Horizontal sound localization in cochlear implant users with a contralateral hearing aid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veugen, Lidwien C E; Hendrikse, Maartje M E; van Wanrooij, Marc M; Agterberg, Martijn J H; Chalupper, Josef; Mens, Lucas H M; Snik, Ad F M; John van Opstal, A

    2016-06-01

    Interaural differences in sound arrival time (ITD) and in level (ILD) enable us to localize sounds in the horizontal plane, and can support source segregation and speech understanding in noisy environments. It is uncertain whether these cues are also available to hearing-impaired listeners who are bimodally fitted, i.e. with a cochlear implant (CI) and a contralateral hearing aid (HA). Here, we assessed sound localization behavior of fourteen bimodal listeners, all using the same Phonak HA and an Advanced Bionics CI processor, matched with respect to loudness growth. We aimed to determine the availability and contribution of binaural (ILDs, temporal fine structure and envelope ITDs) and monaural (loudness, spectral) cues to horizontal sound localization in bimodal listeners, by systematically varying the frequency band, level and envelope of the stimuli. The sound bandwidth had a strong effect on the localization bias of bimodal listeners, although localization performance was typically poor for all conditions. Responses could be systematically changed by adjusting the frequency range of the stimulus, or by simply switching the HA and CI on and off. Localization responses were largely biased to one side, typically the CI side for broadband and high-pass filtered sounds, and occasionally to the HA side for low-pass filtered sounds. HA-aided thresholds better than 45 dB HL in the frequency range of the stimulus appeared to be a prerequisite, but not a guarantee, for the ability to indicate sound source direction. We argue that bimodal sound localization is likely based on ILD cues, even at frequencies below 1500 Hz for which the natural ILDs are small. These cues are typically perturbed in bimodal listeners, leading to a biased localization percept of sounds. The high accuracy of some listeners could result from a combination of sufficient spectral overlap and loudness balance in bimodal hearing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Time-Varying Distortions of Binaural Information by Bilateral Hearing Aids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Francisco A.; Portnuff, Cory D. F.; Goupell, Matthew J.; Tollin, Daniel J.

    2016-01-01

    In patients with bilateral hearing loss, the use of two hearing aids (HAs) offers the potential to restore the benefits of binaural hearing, including sound source localization and segregation. However, existing evidence suggests that bilateral HA users’ access to binaural information, namely interaural time and level differences (ITDs and ILDs), can be compromised by device processing. Our objective was to characterize the nature and magnitude of binaural distortions caused by modern digital behind-the-ear HAs using a variety of stimuli and HA program settings. Of particular interest was a common frequency-lowering algorithm known as nonlinear frequency compression, which has not previously been assessed for its effects on binaural information. A binaural beamforming algorithm was also assessed. Wide dynamic range compression was enabled in all programs. HAs were placed on a binaural manikin, and stimuli were presented from an arc of loudspeakers inside an anechoic chamber. Stimuli were broadband noise bursts, 10-Hz sinusoidally amplitude-modulated noise bursts, or consonant–vowel–consonant speech tokens. Binaural information was analyzed in terms of ITDs, ILDs, and interaural coherence, both for whole stimuli and in a time-varying sense (i.e., within a running temporal window) across four different frequency bands (1, 2, 4, and 6 kHz). Key findings were: (a) Nonlinear frequency compression caused distortions of high-frequency envelope ITDs and significantly reduced interaural coherence. (b) For modulated stimuli, all programs caused time-varying distortion of ILDs. (c) HAs altered the relationship between ITDs and ILDs, introducing large ITD–ILD conflicts in some cases. Potential perceptual consequences of measured distortions are discussed. PMID:27698258

  13. Liquifying PLDLLA Anchor Fixation in Achilles Reconstruction for Insertional Tendinopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boden, Stephanie A; Boden, Allison L; Mignemi, Danielle; Bariteau, Jason T

    2018-04-01

    Insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) is a frequent cause of posterior heel pain and is often associated with Haglund's deformity. Surgical correction for refractory cases of IAT has been well studied; however, the method of tendon fixation to bone in these procedures remains controversial, and to date, no standard technique has been identified for tendon fixation in these surgeries. Often, after Haglund's resection, there is large exposed cancellous surface for Achilles reattachment, which may require unique fixation to optimize outcomes. Previous studies have consistently demonstrated improved patient outcomes after Achilles tendon reconstruction with early rehabilitation with protected weight bearing, evidencing the need for a strong and stable anchoring of the Achilles tendon that allows early weight bearing without tendon morbidity. In this report, we highlight the design, biomechanics, and surgical technique of Achilles tendon reconstruction with Haglund's deformity using a novel technique that utilizes ultrasonic energy to liquefy the suture anchor, allowing it to incorporate into surrounding bone. Biomechanical studies have demonstrated superior strength of the suture anchor utilizing this novel technique as compared with prior techniques. However, future research is needed to ensure that outcomes of this technique are favorable when compared with outcomes using traditional suture anchoring methods. Level V: Operative technique.

  14. Suture slippage in knotless suture anchors resulting in subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayeri, Mohammad Reza; Keefe, Daniel T; Chang, Eric Y

    2016-05-01

    Rotator cuff repair using a suture bridge and knotless suture anchors is a relatively new, but increasingly used technique. The suture bridge technique creates an anatomically similar and more secure rotator cuff repair compared with conventional arthroscopic techniques and the use of knotless anchors eliminates the challenges associated with knot tying during arthroscopic surgery. However, previous in vitro biomechanical tests have shown that the hold of the suture in a knotless suture anchor is far lower than the pullout strength of the anchor from bone. Up until now slippage has been a theoretical concern. We present a prospectively diagnosed case of in vivo suture loosening after rotator cuff repair using a knotless bridge technique resulting in subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis.

  15. CT pre-operative planning of a new semi-implantable bone conduction hearing device

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Law, Eric K.C.; Bhatia, Kunwar S.S. [Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Hong Kong, SAR (China); Tsang, Willis S.S.; Tong, Michael C.F. [Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hong Kong, SAR (China); Shi, Lin [The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Hong Kong, SAR (China); The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chow Yuk Ho Technology Center for Innovative Medicine, Hong Kong, SAR (China)

    2016-06-15

    Accommodating a novel semi-implantable bone conduction hearing device within the temporal bone presents challenges for surgical planning. This study describes the utility of CT in pre-operative assessment of such an implant. Retrospective review of pre-operative CT, clinical and surgical records of 16 adults considered for device implantation. Radiological suitability was assessed on CT using 3D simulation software. Antero-posterior (AP) dimensions of the mastoid bone and minimum skull thickness were measured. CT planning results were correlated with operative records. Eight and five candidates were suitable for device placement in the transmastoid and retrosigmoid positions, respectively, and three were radiologically unsuitable. The mean AP diameter of the mastoid cavity was 14.6 mm for the transmastoid group and 4.6 mm for the retrosigmoid group (p < 0.05). Contracted mastoid and/or prior surgery were predisposing factors for unsuitability. Four transmastoid and five retrosigmoid positions required sigmoid sinus/dural depression and/or use of lifts due to insufficient bone capacity. A high proportion of patients being considered have contracted or operated mastoids, which reduces the feasibility of the transmastoid approach. This finding combined with the complex temporal bone geometry illustrates the importance of careful CT evaluation using 3D software for precise device simulation. (orig.)

  16. Case Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Recommendations by Hearing Care Professionals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gioia, Carmine; Ben-Akiva, Moshe; Jørgensen, Ole

    2015-01-01

    in subjective decision-making as regards the technology level recommendation made by professionals. Purpose: The objective of this study is to gain insight into the decision-making criteria utilized by professionals when recommending HI technology levels to hearing-impaired patients.......Background: Professional recommendations to patients concerning hearing instrument (HI) technology levels are not currently evidence-based. Pre-fitting parameters have not been proven to be the primary indicators for optimal patient outcome with different HI technology levels. This results...

  17. Temporal bone extramedullary hematopoiesis as a causeof pediatric bilateral conductive hearing loss:Case report and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanigan, Alexander; Fordham, M Taylor

    2017-06-01

    Extramedullary hematopoiesis occurs in children with hemoglobinopathy and chronic anemia. The liver and spleen are often affected first, but other foci can develop to support erythrocyte demand. We report a case of a nine-year-old with beta thalassemia and temporal bone extramedullary hematopoiesis causing ossicular fixation and bilateral conductive hearing loss. There is only one case in the literature describing this phenomenon in pediatric patients, and this is the first case report of bilateral hearing loss from this physiologic phenomenon. Otolaryngologists should consider this etiology in patients with chronic anemia and conductive hearing loss in the absence of otitis media. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Surgical site infections in paediatric otolaryngology operative procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ifeacho, S N; Bajaj, Y; Jephson, C G; Albert, D M

    2012-07-01

    An assessment of the rate of surgical site infections associated with elective paediatric otolaryngology surgical procedures. Prospective data was collected for a 3-week period for all children undergoing surgery where either mucosa or skin was breached. The parents of the children were requested to complete a questionnaire at 30 days after the operation. Data was collected on 80 consecutive cases. The majority of cases were admitted on the day of the procedure. The procedures included adenotonsillectomy (24), grommets (12), cochlear implantation (6), bone-anchored hearing aid (2), submandibular gland excision (1), branchial sinus excision (1), cystic hygroma excision (3), nasal glioma excision (1), microlaryngobronchoscopy (13), tracheostomy (3) and other procedures (14). Nearly half the cases had more than one operation done at the same time. 26/80 (32.5%) patients had a temporary or permanent implant inserted at the time of operation (grommet, bone-anchored hearing aid, cochlear implant). 25/80 (31%) operative fields were classed as clean and 55/80 (68.7%) as clean contaminated operations. The duration of the operation varied from 6 min to 142 min. Hospital antibiotic protocol was adhered to in 69/80 (86.3%) cases but not in 11/80 cases. In our series, 3/80 (3.7%) patients had an infection in the postoperative period. Surgical site infections do occur at an appreciable rate in paediatric otolaryngology. With the potential for serious consequences, reduction in the risk of surgical site infections is important. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Language Outcomes in Young Children with Mild to Severe Hearing Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomblin, J Bruce; Harrison, Melody; Ambrose, Sophie E; Walker, Elizabeth A; Oleson, Jacob J; Moeller, Mary Pat

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the language outcomes of children with mild to severe hearing loss during the preschool years. The longitudinal design was leveraged to test whether language growth trajectories were associated with degree of hearing loss and whether aided hearing influenced language growth in a systematic manner. The study also explored the influence of the timing of hearing aid fitting and extent of use on children's language growth. Finally, the study tested the hypothesis that morphosyntax may be at particular risk due to the demands it places on the processing of fine details in the linguistic input. The full cohort of children in this study comprised 290 children who were hard of hearing (CHH) and 112 children with normal hearing who participated in the Outcomes of Children with Hearing Loss (OCHL) study between the ages of 2 and 6 years. CHH had a mean better-ear pure-tone average of 47.66 dB HL (SD = 13.35). All children received a comprehensive battery of language measures at annual intervals, including standardized tests, parent-report measures, and spontaneous and elicited language samples. Principal components analysis supported the use of a single composite language score for each of the age levels (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 years). Measures of unaided (better-ear pure-tone average, speech intelligibility index) and aided (residualized speech intelligibility index) hearing were collected, along with parent-report measures of daily hearing aid use time. Mixed modeling procedures were applied to examine the rate of change (227 CHH; 94 children with normal hearing) in language ability over time in relation to (1) degree of hearing loss, (2) aided hearing, (3) age of hearing aid fit and duration of use, and (4) daily hearing aid use. Principal components analysis was also employed to examine factor loadings from spontaneous language samples and to test their correspondence with standardized measures. Multiple regression analysis was used to test for

  20. A 1.4-V 48-μW current-mode front-end circuit for analog hearing aids with frequency compensation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xiaoyu; Yang Haigang; Li Fanyang; Yin Tao; Liu Fei

    2012-01-01

    A current-mode front-end circuit with low voltage and low power for analog hearing aids is presented. The circuit consists of a current-mode AGC (automatic gain control) and a current-mode adaptive filter. Compared with its conventional voltage-mode counterparts, the proposed front-end circuit has the identified features of frequency compensation based on the state space theory and continuous gain with an exponential characteristic. The frequency compensation which appears only in the DSP unit of the digital hearing aid can upgrade the performance of the analog hearing aid in the field of low-frequency hearing loss. The continuous gain should meet the requirement of any input amplitude level, while its exponential characteristic leads to a large input dynamic range in accordance with the dB SPL (sound pressure level). Furthermore, the front-end circuit also provides a discrete knee point and discrete compression ratio to allow for high calibration flexibility. These features can accommodate users whose ears have different pain thresholds. Taking advantage of the current-mode technique, the MOS transistors work in the subthreshold region so that the quiescent current is small. Moreover, the input current can be compressed to a low voltage signal for processing according to the compression principle from the current-domain to the voltage-domain. Therefore, the objective of low voltage and low power (48 μW at 1.4 V) can be easily achieved in a high threshold-voltage CMOS process of 0.35 μm (V TON + |V TOP |≈ 1.35 V). The THD is below −45 dB. The fabricated chip only occupies the area of 1 × 0.5 mm 2 and 1 × 1 mm 2 .

  1. Auditory profiling and hearing-aid satisfaction in hearing-aid candidates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorup, Nicoline; Santurette, Sébastien; Jørgensen, Søren

    2016-01-01

    by default. This study aimed at identifying clinically relevant tests that may serve as an informative addition to the audiogram and which may relate more directly to HA satisfaction than the audiogram does. METHODS: A total of 29 HI and 26 normal-hearing listeners performed tests of spectral and temporal...... their audiogram. Measures of temporal resolution or speech perception in both stationary and fluctuating noise could be relevant measures to consider in an extended auditory profile. FUNDING: The study was supported by Grosserer L.F. Foghts Fond. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The protocol was approved by the Science Ethics...

  2. Production of new 3D scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration by rapid prototyping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fradique, R; Correia, T R; Miguel, S P; de Sá, K D; Figueira, D R; Mendonça, A G; Correia, I J

    2016-04-01

    The incidence of bone disorders, whether due to trauma or pathology, has been trending upward with the aging of the worldwide population. The currently available treatments for bone injuries are rather limited, involving mainly bone grafts and implants. A particularly promising approach for bone regeneration uses rapid prototyping (RP) technologies to produce 3D scaffolds with highly controlled structure and orientation, based on computer-aided design models or medical data. Herein, tricalcium phosphate (TCP)/alginate scaffolds were produced using RP and subsequently their physicochemical, mechanical and biological properties were characterized. The results showed that 60/40 of TCP and alginate formulation was able to match the compression and present a similar Young modulus to that of trabecular bone while presenting an adequate biocompatibility. Moreover, the biomineralization ability, roughness and macro and microporosity of scaffolds allowed cell anchoring and proliferation at their surface, as well as cell migration to its interior, processes that are fundamental for osteointegration and bone regeneration.

  3. Operative findings of conductive hearing loss with intact tympanic membrane and normal temporal bone computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Se-Hyung; Cho, Yang-Sun; Kim, Hye Jeong; Kim, Hyung-Jin

    2014-06-01

    Despite recent technological advances in diagnostic methods including imaging technology, it is often difficult to establish a preoperative diagnosis of conductive hearing loss (CHL) in patients with an intact tympanic membrane (TM). Especially, in patients with a normal temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT), preoperative diagnosis is more difficult. We investigated middle ear disorders encountered in patients with CHL involving an intact TM and normal TBCT. We also analyzed the surgical results with special reference to the pathology. We reviewed the medical records of 365 patients with intact TM, who underwent exploratory tympanotomy for CHL. Fifty nine patients (67 ears, eight bilateral surgeries) had a normal preoperative TBCT findings reported by neuro-radiologists. Demographic data, otologic history, TM findings, preoperative imaging findings, intraoperative findings, and pre- and postoperative audiologic data were obtained and analyzed. Exploration was performed most frequently in the second and fifth decades. The most common postoperative diagnosis was stapedial fixation with non-progressive hearing loss. The most commonly performed hearing-restoring procedure was stapedotomy with piston wire prosthesis insertion. Various types of hearing-restoring procedures during exploration resulted in effective hearing improvement, especially with better outcome in the ossicular chain fixation group. In patients with CHL who have intact TM and normal TBCT, we should consider an exploratory tympanotomy for exact diagnosis and hearing improvement. Information of the common operative findings from this study may help in preoperative counseling.

  4. Effect of Class III bone anchor treatment on airway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Tung; De Clerck, Hugo; Wilson, Michael; Golden, Brent

    2015-07-01

    To compare airway volumes and minimum cross-section area changes of Class III patients treated with bone-anchored maxillary protraction (BAMP) versus untreated Class III controls. Twenty-eight consecutive skeletal Class III patients between the ages of 10 and 14 years (mean age, 11.9 years) were treated using Class III intermaxillary elastics and bilateral miniplates (two in the infra-zygomatic crests of the maxilla and two in the anterior mandible). The subjects had cone beam computed tomographs (CBCTs) taken before initial loading (T1) and 1 year out (T2). Twenty-eight untreated Class III patients (mean age, 12.4 years) had CBCTs taken and cephalograms generated. The airway volumes and minimum cross-sectional area measurements were performed using Dolphin Imaging 11.7 3D software. The superior border of the airway was defined by a plane that passes through the posterior nasal spine and basion, while the inferior border included the base of the epiglottis to the lower border of C3. From T1 to T2, airway volume from BAMP-treated subjects showed a statistically significant increase (1499.64 mm(3)). The area in the most constricted section of the airway (choke point) increased slightly (15.44 mm(2)). The airway volume of BAMP patients at T2 was 14136.61 mm(3), compared with 14432.98 mm(3) in untreated Class III subjects. Intraexaminer correlation coefficients values and 95% confidence interval values were all greater than .90, showing a high degree of reliability of the measurements. BAMP treatment did not hinder the development of the oropharynx.

  5. Extracting the invariant model from the feedback paths of digital hearing aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Guilin; Gran, Fredrik; Jacobsen, Finn

    2011-01-01

    environments given a specific type of hearing aids. Based on this observation, a feedback path model that consists of an invariant model and a variant model is proposed. A common-acoustical-pole and zero model-based approach and an iterative least-square search-based approach are used to extract the invariant...... model from a set of impulse responses of the feedback paths. A hybrid approach combining the two methods is also proposed. The general properties of the three methods are studied using artificial datasets, and the methods are cross-validated using the measured feedback paths. The results show...

  6. The Efficacy of Short-term Gated Audiovisual Speech Training for Improving Auditory Sentence Identification in Noise in Elderly Hearing Aid Users

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi, Shahram; Wahlin, Anna; Hällgren, Mathias; Rönnberg, Jerker; Lidestam, Björn

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to examine the efficacy and maintenance of short-term (one-session) gated audiovisual speech training for improving auditory sentence identification in noise in experienced elderly hearing-aid users. Twenty-five hearing aid users (16 men and 9 women), with an average age of 70.8 years, were randomly divided into an experimental (audiovisual training, n = 14) and a control (auditory training, n = 11) group. Participants underwent gated speech identification tasks comprising Swedish consonants and words presented at 65 dB sound pressure level with a 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio (steady-state broadband noise), in audiovisual or auditory-only training conditions. The Hearing-in-Noise Test was employed to measure participants’ auditory sentence identification in noise before the training (pre-test), promptly after training (post-test), and 1 month after training (one-month follow-up). The results showed that audiovisual training improved auditory sentence identification in noise promptly after the training (post-test vs. pre-test scores); furthermore, this improvement was maintained 1 month after the training (one-month follow-up vs. pre-test scores). Such improvement was not observed in the control group, neither promptly after the training nor at the one-month follow-up. However, no significant between-groups difference nor an interaction between groups and session was observed. Conclusion: Audiovisual training may be considered in aural rehabilitation of hearing aid users to improve listening capabilities in noisy conditions. However, the lack of a significant between-groups effect (audiovisual vs. auditory) or an interaction between group and session calls for further research. PMID:28348542

  7. Effects of noise and working memory capacity on memory processing of speech for hearing-aid users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning; Rudner, Mary; Lunner, Thomas; Pedersen, Michael Syskind; Rönnberg, Jerker

    2013-07-01

    It has been shown that noise reduction algorithms can reduce the negative effects of noise on memory processing in persons with normal hearing. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether a similar effect can be obtained for persons with hearing impairment and whether such an effect is dependent on individual differences in working memory capacity. A sentence-final word identification and recall (SWIR) test was conducted in two noise backgrounds with and without noise reduction as well as in quiet. Working memory capacity was measured using a reading span (RS) test. Twenty-six experienced hearing-aid users with moderate to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss. Noise impaired recall performance. Competing speech disrupted memory performance more than speech-shaped noise. For late list items the disruptive effect of the competing speech background was virtually cancelled out by noise reduction for persons with high working memory capacity. Noise reduction can reduce the adverse effect of noise on memory for speech for persons with good working memory capacity. We argue that the mechanism behind this is faster word identification that enhances encoding into working memory.

  8. Statistical Shape Analysis of the Human Ear Canal with Application to In-the-Ear Hearing Aid Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paulsen, Rasmus Reinhold

    2004-01-01

    This thesis is about the statistical shape analysis of the human ear canal with application to the mechanical design of in-the-ear hearing aids. Initially, it is described how a statistical shape model of the human ear canal is built based on a training set of laser-scanned ear impressions. A thin...

  9. Application of modern computer-aided technologies in the production of individual bone graft: A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirković Siniša

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. An autologous bone (bone derived from the patient himself is considered to be a “golden standard” in the treatment of bone defects and partial atrophic alveolar ridge. However, large defects and bone losses are difficult to restore in this manner, because extraction of large amounts of autologous tissue can cause donor-site problems. Alternatively, data from computed tomographic (CT scan can be used to shape a precise 3D homologous bone block using a computer-aided design-computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM system. Case report. A 63-year old male patient referred to the Clinic of Dentistry of Vojvodina in Novi Sad, because of teeth loss in the right lateral region of the lower jaw. Clinical examination revealed a pronounced resorption of the residual ridge of the lower jaw in the aforementioned region, both horizontal and vertical. After clinical examination, the patient was referred for 3D cone beam (CBCT scan that enables visualization of bony structures and accurate measurement of dimensions of the residual alveolar ridge. Considering the large extent of bone resorption, the required ridge augmentation was more than 3 mm in height and 2 mm in width along the length of some 2 cm, thus the use of granular material was excluded. After consulting prosthodontists and engineers from the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad we decided to fabricate an individual (custom bovine-derived bone graft designed according to the obtained 3D CBCT scan. Conclusion. Application of 3D CBCT images, computer-aided systems and software in manufacturing custom bone grafts represents the most recent method of guided bone regeneration. This method substantially reduces time of recovery and carries minimum risk of postoperative complications, yet the results fully satisfy the requirements of both the patient and the therapist.

  10. Long-term Compliance and Satisfaction With Percutaneous Bone Conduction Devices in Patients With Congenital Unilateral Conductive Hearing Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelissen, Rik C; Mylanus, Emmanuel A M; Cremers, Cor W R J; Hol, Myrthe K S; Snik, Ad F M

    2015-06-01

    Patients with congenital unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL) can either be watchful monitored or treated surgically through the fitting of a percutaneous bone conduction device (BCD) or, in some cases, atresia repair. The current study evaluated the long-term compliance and satisfaction with a percutaneous BCD in this specific population. Fifty-three consecutive patients with congenital UCHL treated with a percutaneous BCD in our tertiary referral center between 1998 and 2011 were identified. Clinical and audiological data were retrospectively gathered from the patients' files. The patients were interviewed by telephone about their current device usage status and were asked to complete the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ). Compliance with the BCD was 56.6% after a mean follow-up of 7 years. The mean age at implantation of the users (22 years) was significantly higher than that of the nonusers (10 years). The mean time of device usage before the patients stopped using the BCD was 5 years. The primary reasons mentioned for quitting the BCD were experiencing excess background noise and/or subjectively not receiving enough benefit. Objectively measured features of binaural processing affected by the BCD were found to correlate with long-term BCD usage. The SSQ revealed significant improvement in the aided condition compared with the nonaided condition in the users, in contrast to the nonusers. The current disappointing long-term compliance figures indicate the need for an even more careful and individualized approach with life-long follow-up when fitting BCDs in this specific population, especially in children.

  11. A Profiling System for the Assessment of Individual Needs for Rehabilitation With Hearing Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wouter A. Dreschler

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This study focuses on the development of a profiling system to specify the needs of hearing-aid candidates. As a basis for the profile of compensation needs, we used a slightly modified version of the Amsterdam Inventory of Disability and Handicap, combined with the well-known Client-Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI. The first questionnaire results in scores for six audiological dimensions: detection, speech in quiet, speech in noise, localization, focus or discrimination, and noise tolerance. The goal of this study was to determine whether the six dimensions derived from the disability questionnaire are appropriate to also categorize individual COSI targets. The results show a good agreement between eight audiologists in the categorization of COSI goals along the six dimensions. The results per dimension show that the dimension focus or discrimination can be regarded as superfluous. Possible additional dimensions were tinnitus and listening effort. The results indicate that it is possible to translate individual user needs (administered using COSI into more general dimensions derived from a disability questionnaire. This allows to summarize the compensation needs for individual patients in a profile of general dimensions, based on the degree of disability and the individual user needs. This profile can be used as a starting point in hearing aid selection. This approach also offers a well-structured method for the evaluation of the postfitting results.

  12. Talar anchor placement for modified Brostrom lateral ankle stabilization procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angirasa, Arush K; Barrett, Michael J

    2008-01-01

    The modified Brostrom procedure has been a proven procedure with excellent utility in the treatment of lateral ankle instability within limitation. Multiple variations of the original technique have been described in the literature to date. Included in these variations are differences in anchor placement, suture technique, or both. In this research study, we propose placing a bone screw anchor into the lateral shoulder of the talus rather than the typical placement at the lateral malleolus for anatomic reconstruction of the lateral ankle ligaments.

  13. Lungfish Hearing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Christian Bech; Madsen, Peter Teglberg; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob

    Recent research has shown that tympanic middle ears evolved independently in the major vertebrate groups and represent independent experiments in terrestrial hearing. Furthermore, the tympanic ear emerged quite late – ap - proximately 120 mya after the origin of the tetrapods and approximately 70...... my after the first truly terrestrial tetrapods emerged. One of the major challenges is to understand the transitional stages from tetrapod ancestors to the tympanic tetrapod ear, for example how a non-tympanic ear functions in terrestrial hearing. Lungfish are the closest living relatives...... and urodeles. Based on ABR and vibration measurements also on amphib - ians, lizards, snakes and alligators we can outline scenarios for the initial adaptations of the middle ear to non-tympanic hearing and assess the selection pressures later adapting the middle ear for tympanic hearing. Hearing by bone...

  14. CORRELATION BETWEEN TYMPANIC MEMBRANE PERFORATION AND HEARING LOSS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidija RISTOVSKA

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Perforation of the tympanic membrane primarily results from middle ear infections, trauma or iatrogenic causes. The perforation causes conductive hearing loss by reducing the surface area available for sound transmission to the ossicular chain. Objective: The objective was to analyze the characteristics of tympanic membrane perforations in relation to hearing loss and to determine the type and degree of hearing loss. Materials and methods: We analyzed audiometric, otoscopic findings and medical reports of 218 patients, 114 males (52.3% and 104 females (47.7%, aged 9 to 75 years (mean age of 47.9 years, examined during the period of November 2012 to October 2015. For statistical data analysis we used Chi-square test with level of significance p<0.05. Results: Most of the patients had unilateral perforations (89% with right ear predominance and involvement of two quadrants of pars tensa (37.2%. Mean air-bone gap was 23.9 dB. The largest air-bone gap was at frequency of 250 Hz. Most of the patients (73.1% had mixed hearing loss (p=0.032, and average hearing thresholds from 21 to 40 dB. Conclusion: Mean air-bone gap is largest at the lower frequencies, and decreases as frequency increases. Size of the perforation has effect on hearing loss. Mean air-bone gap increases with increasing size of the perforation. There is no big difference between the mean air-bone gap in posterior versus anterior perforations.

  15. Hearing poorly with skill

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Day, Dennis

    2012-01-01

    This paper offers an account of ongoing research into hearing. I offer a characterization of 'skil- led practitioners' from an Ethnomethodological perspective. The skilled practitioner in question is a generic 'hard of hearing' person. The ambition is that such a characterization, both in its...... making and its final state, may be an intrinsic part of design practices concerning the development of hearing aids....

  16. Effects of sound amplification in self-perception of tinnitus and hearing loss in the elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiago de Melo Araujo

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of the use of hearing aids in self-perception of tinnitus and hearing loss in the elderly. METHODS: A total of 24 elderly patients between 60 and 70 years of age with moderate-grade sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated and divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of tinnitus. All volunteers were fitted with binaural micro-channel hearing aids of the same brand and model and submitted to tests, scales, and questionnaires relevant to this topic. The evaluations were performed before and after one and three months of effective use of these hearing aids. RESULTS: Acoustic stimulation through the effective use of hearing aids caused a reduction in the perception of tinnitus sound intensity (especially in evaluations with the prosthesis on and in nuisance associated with this symptom and with hearing loss. In addition, all participants were satisfied with the use of hearing aids. CONCLUSION: The continuous use of hearing aids is beneficial for the treatment of tinnitus and hearing loss, bringing satisfaction to users.

  17. Centre-level variation in outcomes and treatment for otitis media with effusion and hearing loss and the association of hearing loss with developmental outcomes at ages 5 and 7 years in children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate: The Cleft Care UK study. Part 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, A; Wills, A K; Mahmoud, O; Sell, D; Waylen, A; Grewal, S; Sandy, J R; Ness, A R

    2017-06-01

    To explore centre-level variation in otitis media with effusion (OME), hearing loss and treatments in children in Cleft Care UK (CCUK) and to examine the association between OME, hearing loss and developmental outcomes at 5 and 7 years. Two hundred and sixty-eight 5-year-old British children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) recruited to CCUK. Children had air and bone conduction audiometry at age 5. Information on grommet and hearing aid treatment was obtained from parental questionnaire and medical notes. Hearing loss at age 5 was defined as >20 dB in the better ear and history of OME and hearing loss was determined from past treatment. Children with sensorineural hearing loss were excluded. Associations were examined with speech, behaviour and self-confidence at age 5 and educational attainment at age 7. Centre variation was examined using hierarchical models and associations between hearing variables and developmental outcomes were examined using logistic regression. There was centre-level variation in early grommet placement (variance partition coefficient (VPC) 18%, P=.001) and fitting of hearing aids (VPC 8%, P=.03). A history of OME and hearing loss was associated with poor intelligibility of speech (adjusted odds ratio=2.87, 95% CI 1.42-5.77) and aspects of educational attainment. Hearing loss is an important determinant of poor speech and treatment variation across centres suggest management of OME and hearing loss could be improved. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. System Level Power Optimization of Digital Audio Back End for Hearing Aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pracny, Peter; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger; Bruun, Erik

    2017-01-01

    This work deals with power optimization of the audio processing back end for hearing aids - the interpolation filter (IF), the sigma-delta (SD modulator and the Class D power amplifier (PA) as a whole. Specifications are derived and insight into the tradeoffs involved is used to optimize...... the interpolation filter and the SD modulator on the system level so that the switching frequency of the Class D PA - the main power consumer in the back end - is minimized. A figure-of-merit (FOM) which allows judging the power consumption of the digital part of the back end early in the design process is used...

  19. [Children, Collect Bones! : Teaching Aids and Propaganda Material on Bone-Collections and Bone-Utilisation Used in German Schools During the "Third Reich"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaupel, Elisabeth; Preiß, Florian

    2018-06-05

    In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries bones were an essential raw material for the German chemical industry, vital to the production of fertilizer, glue, gelatine, soap and other products. As most of this material was imported, the German school system during the "Third Reich" took the utilisation of bones as an example to illustrate the relevance of the four-year plan of 1936 and its policy of economic self-sufficiency. The school children were encouraged to collect bones from domestic sources and bring them to the collecting points in the schools. Several NS-institutions developed a variety of teaching aids and materials to support school education on this economically and politically important topic. Focussing on the example of bone-utilisation, this paper examines the messages and intentions of these educational materials. It also demonstrates how even apparently ideologically unbiased school subjects, such as chemistry, were instrumentalised for the political indoctrination of the pupils.

  20. Conductive component after cochlear implantation in patients with residual hearing conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chole, Richard A; Hullar, Timothy E; Potts, Lisa G

    2014-12-01

    Changes in auditory thresholds following cochlear implantation are generally assumed to be due to damage to neural elements. Theoretical studies have suggested that placement of a cochlear implant can cause a conductive hearing loss. Identification of a conductive component following cochlear implantation could guide improvements in surgical techniques or device designs. The purpose of this study is to characterize new-onset conductive hearing losses after cochlear implantation. In a prospective study, air- and bone-conduction audiometric testing were completed on cochlear implant recipients. An air-bone gap equal to or greater than 15 dB HL at 2 frequencies determined the presence of a conductive component. Of the 32 patients with preoperative bone-conduction hearing, 4 patients had a new-onset conductive component resulting in a mixed hearing loss, with air-conduction thresholds ranging from moderate to profound and an average air-bone gap of 30 dB HL. One had been implanted through the round window, 2 had an extended round window, and 1 had a separate cochleostomy. Loss of residual hearing following cochlear implantation may be due in part to a conductive component. Identifying the mechanism for this conductive component may help minimize hearing loss. Postoperative hearing evaluation should measure both air- and bone-conduction thresholds.

  1. Computer-aided diagnosis system for bone scintigrams from Japanese patients: importance of training database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horikoshi, Hiroyuki; Kikuchi, Akihiro; Onoguchi, Masahisa

    2012-01-01

    higher performance than the corresponding CAD software trained with a European database for the analysis of bone scans from Japanese patients. These results could at least partly be caused by the physical differences between Japanese and European patients resulting in less influence of attenuation......Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) software for bone scintigrams have recently been introduced as a clinical quality assurance tool. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of two CAD systems, one based on a European and one on a Japanese training database, in a group of bone...... scans from Japanese patients.The two CAD software are trained to interpret bone scans using training databases consisting of bone scans with the desired interpretation, metastatic disease or not. One software was trained using 795 bone scans from European patients and the other with 904 bone scans from...

  2. Sound Classification in Hearing Aids Inspired by Auditory Scene Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Büchler, Michael; Allegro, Silvia; Launer, Stefan; Dillier, Norbert

    2005-12-01

    A sound classification system for the automatic recognition of the acoustic environment in a hearing aid is discussed. The system distinguishes the four sound classes "clean speech," "speech in noise," "noise," and "music." A number of features that are inspired by auditory scene analysis are extracted from the sound signal. These features describe amplitude modulations, spectral profile, harmonicity, amplitude onsets, and rhythm. They are evaluated together with different pattern classifiers. Simple classifiers, such as rule-based and minimum-distance classifiers, are compared with more complex approaches, such as Bayes classifier, neural network, and hidden Markov model. Sounds from a large database are employed for both training and testing of the system. The achieved recognition rates are very high except for the class "speech in noise." Problems arise in the classification of compressed pop music, strongly reverberated speech, and tonal or fluctuating noises.

  3. Comparing response options for the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) and for Alternative Interventions (IOI-AI) daily-use items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane; Hickson, Louise; Worrall, Linda

    2012-10-01

    This study investigated how clients quantify use of hearing rehabilitation. Comparisons focused on the daily-use item of the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), and for Alternative Interventions (IOI-AI). Adults with hearing impairment completed the original versions of the IOI-HA and the IOI-AI daily-use item which has five numerical response options (e.g. 1-4 hours/day) and a modified version with five word response options (e.g. 'Sometimes'). Respondents completed both IOI versions immediately after intervention completion and three months later. In total, 64 people who had obtained hearing aids completed both IOI-HA versions and 27 people who had participated in communication programs completed both IOI-AI versions. Participants reported higher scores on the modified (word) daily-use item than on the original (number) daily-use item. Participants who completed the IOI-AI did so significantly more than participants who completed the IOI-HA. This was true both after intervention completion and three months later. This study showed that comparisons between IOI-HA and IOI-AI daily-use item scores should be made with caution. Word daily-use response options are recommended for the IOI-AI (i.e. Never; Rarely; Sometimes; Often; and Almost always).

  4. Outcomes for conservative management of traumatic conductive hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Jonathan R; Arganbright, Jill; Friedland, David R

    2008-04-01

    To evaluate the natural history of traumatic conductive hearing loss. Retrospective chart review. Otologic and audiometric evaluations of patients in the early posttraumatic phase were compared with evaluations at follow-up. Assessment included etiologies of trauma, classification of hearing loss, factors causing conductive loss, and analyses of changes in air-bone gaps, pure-tone averages and hearing loss class. There were 45 patients, representing 47 ears, with sufficient initial and follow-up documentation to analyze the natural history of traumatic conductive hearing loss. Overall, 77% of ears showed an improvement in pure-tone averages without surgical intervention. Air-bone gaps closed from an average of 24.8 +/- 12.1 to 13.2 +/- 11.1 dB. Only 11% of ears demonstrated a decrease in pure-tone averages, and 12% showed no change in thresholds. All forms of injury contributing to the conductive hearing loss had good outcomes. Specifically, tympanic membrane perforations showed final air-bone gaps of 14.9 +/- 11.2 dB; cases of hemotympanum had final air-bone gaps of 10.0 +/- 8.1 dB; and suspected ossicular chain disruptions had final air-bone gaps of 13.9 +/- 12.3 dB. Only 5 of 47 ears ultimately required surgical intervention for persistent pathology. Patients with all forms of traumatic conductive hearing loss can be initially managed conservatively. Even suspected ossicular chain disruptions have a high rate of spontaneous reparation. Surgical intervention for perforation or conductive hearing loss should be undertaken in the rare cases when these conditions persist greater than 6 months.

  5. Maximum likelihood approach to “informed” Sound Source Localization for Hearing Aid applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farmani, Mojtaba; Pedersen, Michael Syskind; Tan, Zheng-Hua

    2015-01-01

    Most state-of-the-art Sound Source Localization (SSL) algorithms have been proposed for applications which are "uninformed'' about the target sound content; however, utilizing a wireless microphone worn by a target talker, enables recent Hearing Aid Systems (HASs) to access to an almost noise......-free sound signal of the target talker at the HAS via the wireless connection. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a maximum likelihood (ML) approach, which we call MLSSL, to estimate the Direction of Arrival (DoA) of the target signal given access to the target signal content. Compared with other "informed...

  6. Improving Soldier Recovery from Catastrophic Bone Injuries: Developing an Animal Model for Standardizing the Bone Reparative Potential of Emerging Progenitor Cell Therapies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-01

    cell matrix will anchor the developing bone of the outer cortical shell to the surface of intact cortical bone. •Between day 4-7, the three...periosteum so that by day 21 an outer cortical shell, well anchored to the cortical bone at the base of the arch, provides the major structureal support of...tibia was dissected free of the femur, ankle , and overlying skin, and sufficient muscle was retained to not disrupt the fracture zone. The sample was

  7. Otosclerosis: Temporal Bone Pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quesnel, Alicia M; Ishai, Reuven; McKenna, Michael J

    2018-04-01

    Otosclerosis is pathologically characterized by abnormal bony remodeling, which includes bone resorption, new bone deposition, and vascular proliferation in the temporal bone. Sensorineural hearing loss in otosclerosis is associated with extension of otosclerosis to the cochlear endosteum and deposition of collagen throughout the spiral ligament. Persistent or recurrent conductive hearing loss after stapedectomy has been associated with incomplete footplate fenestration, poor incus-prosthesis connection, and incus resorption in temporal bone specimens. Human temporal bone pathology has helped to define the role of computed tomography imaging for otosclerosis, confirming that computed tomography is highly sensitive for diagnosis, yet limited in assessing cochlear endosteal involvement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Visual Cues Contribute Differentially to Audiovisual Perception of Consonants and Vowels in Improving Recognition and Reducing Cognitive Demands in Listeners With Hearing Impairment Using Hearing Aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi, Shahram; Lidestam, Björn; Danielsson, Henrik; Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning; Rönnberg, Jerker

    2017-09-18

    We sought to examine the contribution of visual cues in audiovisual identification of consonants and vowels-in terms of isolation points (the shortest time required for correct identification of a speech stimulus), accuracy, and cognitive demands-in listeners with hearing impairment using hearing aids. The study comprised 199 participants with hearing impairment (mean age = 61.1 years) with bilateral, symmetrical, mild-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss. Gated Swedish consonants and vowels were presented aurally and audiovisually to participants. Linear amplification was adjusted for each participant to assure audibility. The reading span test was used to measure participants' working memory capacity. Audiovisual presentation resulted in shortened isolation points and improved accuracy for consonants and vowels relative to auditory-only presentation. This benefit was more evident for consonants than vowels. In addition, correlations and subsequent analyses revealed that listeners with higher scores on the reading span test identified both consonants and vowels earlier in auditory-only presentation, but only vowels (not consonants) in audiovisual presentation. Consonants and vowels differed in terms of the benefits afforded from their associative visual cues, as indicated by the degree of audiovisual benefit and reduction in cognitive demands linked to the identification of consonants and vowels presented audiovisually.

  9. The effect of multimicrophone noise reduction systems on sound source localization by users of binaural hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van den Bogaert, Tim; Doclo, Simon; Wouters, Jan; Moonen, Marc

    2008-07-01

    This paper evaluates the influence of three multimicrophone noise reduction algorithms on the ability to localize sound sources. Two recently developed noise reduction techniques for binaural hearing aids were evaluated, namely, the binaural multichannel Wiener filter (MWF) and the binaural multichannel Wiener filter with partial noise estimate (MWF-N), together with a dual-monaural adaptive directional microphone (ADM), which is a widely used noise reduction approach in commercial hearing aids. The influence of the different algorithms on perceived sound source localization and their noise reduction performance was evaluated. It is shown that noise reduction algorithms can have a large influence on localization and that (a) the ADM only preserves localization in the forward direction over azimuths where limited or no noise reduction is obtained; (b) the MWF preserves localization of the target speech component but may distort localization of the noise component. The latter is dependent on signal-to-noise ratio and masking effects; (c) the MWF-N enables correct localization of both the speech and the noise components; (d) the statistical Wiener filter approach introduces a better combination of sound source localization and noise reduction performance than the ADM approach.

  10. Root hairs aid soil penetration by anchoring the root surface to pore walls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bengough, A Glyn; Loades, Kenneth; McKenzie, Blair M

    2016-02-01

    The physical role of root hairs in anchoring the root tip during soil penetration was examined. Experiments using a hairless maize mutant (Zea mays: rth3-3) and its wild-type counterpart measured the anchorage force between the primary root of maize and the soil to determine whether root hairs enabled seedling roots in artificial biopores to penetrate sandy loam soil (dry bulk density 1.0-1.5g cm(-3)). Time-lapse imaging was used to analyse root and seedling displacements in soil adjacent to a transparent Perspex interface. Peak anchorage forces were up to five times greater (2.5N cf. 0.5N) for wild-type roots than for hairless mutants in 1.2g cm(-3) soil. Root hair anchorage enabled better soil penetration for 1.0 or 1.2g cm(-3) soil, but there was no significant advantage of root hairs in the densest soil (1.5g cm(-3)). The anchorage force was insufficient to allow root penetration of the denser soil, probably because of less root hair penetration into pore walls and, consequently, poorer adhesion between the root hairs and the pore walls. Hairless seedlings took 33h to anchor themselves compared with 16h for wild-type roots in 1.2g cm(-3) soil. Caryopses were often pushed several millimetres out of the soil before the roots became anchored and hairless roots often never became anchored securely.The physical role of root hairs in anchoring the root tip may be important in loose seed beds above more compact soil layers and may also assist root tips to emerge from biopores and penetrate the bulk soil. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  11. Hearing status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadzadeh, A; Daraei, M; Jalessi, M; Peyvandi, A A; Amini, E; Ranjbar, L A; Daneshi, A

    2017-10-01

    Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to induce conductive hearing loss and/or sensorineural hearing loss. This study evaluated the function of the middle ear and cochlea, and the related factors. Pure tone audiometry, speech reception thresholds, speech discrimination scores, tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were assessed in rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy volunteers. Pure tone audiometry results revealed a higher bone conduction threshold in the rheumatoid arthritis group, but there was no significant difference when evaluated according to the sensorineural hearing loss definition. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions related prevalence of conductive or mixed hearing loss, tympanometry values, acoustic reflexes, and speech discrimination scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Sensorineural hearing loss was significantly more prevalent in patients who used azathioprine, cyclosporine and etanercept. Higher bone conduction thresholds in some frequencies were detected in rheumatoid arthritis patients that were not clinically significant. Sensorineural hearing loss is significantly more prevalent in refractory rheumatoid arthritis patients.

  12. Hearing aids with no batteries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Day, Dennis

    2011-01-01

    In this paper I wish to offer a characterization of 'skilled practitioners' from an Ethnomethodological perspective. The skilled practitioner in question is a generic 'hard of hearing' person. The ambition is that such a characterization, both in its making and its final state, may be an intrinsi...

  13. Active noise cancellation in hearing devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    Disclosed is a hearing device system comprising at least one hearing aid circuitry and at least one active noise cancellation unit, the at least one hearing aid circuitry comprises at least one input transducer adapted to convert a first audio signal to an electric audio signal; a signal processor...... connected to the at least one input transducer and adapted to process said electric audio signal by at least partially correcting for a hearing loss of a user; an output transducer adapted to generate from at least said processed electric audio signal a sound pressure in an ear canal of the user, whereby...... the generated sound pressure is at least partially corrected for the hearing loss of the user; ; the at least one active noise cancellation unit being adapted to provide an active noise cancellation signal adapted to perform active noise cancellation of an acoustical signal entering the ear canal in addition...

  14. Hearing Loss Signals Need for Diagnosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Products For Consumers Home For Consumers Consumer Updates Hearing Loss Signals Need for Diagnosis Share Tweet Linkedin ... you’re talking loudly? Thinking about ordering a hearing aid or sound amplifier from a magazine or ...

  15. What Factors Are Associated with Autonomous and Controlled Motivation for Hearing Help-Seekers?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgway, Jason; Hickson, Louise; Lind, Christopher

    Hearing impairment is prevalent in older adults. Motivation is important in people's choice to seek help for their hearing and whether to adopt or not adopt hearing aids. To investigate associations between sociodemographic and audiometric characteristics and autonomous and controlled motivation among a sample of hearing help-seekers. A quantitative approach was taken for this cross-sectional cohort study. A total of 253 adult first-time hearing help-seekers were recruited to the study. Participants provided sociodemographic information and completed questionnaires adapted from self-determination theory that measured autonomous motivation (motivation that originates from within the self and is aligned with personal values and beliefs) and controlled motivation (motivation that stems from external pressures such as rewards or punishment, or conflicted inner feelings such as guilt or shame). Participants with higher autonomous motivation scores were younger, wanted hearing aids more, and reported greater hearing difficulty in everyday life than those with lower scores. Participants with higher controlled motivation scores were more often referred to the service by others and wanted hearing aids more than those with lower controlled motivation scores. Controlled motivation scores were not associated with perceptions of hearing difficulty in everyday life. Relationships among motivation and sociodemographic factors highlight the importance of characterizing autonomous and controlled motivation in first-time hearing help-seekers. Attention to personal characteristics in order to understand motivational processes involved in rehabilitation decisions such as hearing aid adoption may aid in consultations. American Academy of Audiology

  16. Inter-trial coherence as a marker of cortical phase synchrony in children with sensorineural hearing loss and auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder fitted with hearing aids and cochlear implants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash-Kille, Amy; Sharma, Anu

    2014-01-01

    Objective Although brainstem dys-synchrony is a hallmark of children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD), little is known about how the lack of neural synchrony manifests at more central levels. We used time-frequency single-trial EEG analyses (i.e., inter-trial coherence; ITC), to examine cortical phase synchrony in children with normal hearing (NH), sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and ANSD. Methods Single trial time-frequency analyses were performed on cortical auditory evoked responses from 41 NH children, 91 children with ANSD and 50 children with SNHL. The latter two groups included children who received intervention via hearing aids and cochlear implants. ITC measures were compared between groups as a function of hearing loss, intervention type, and cortical maturational status. Results In children with SNHL, ITC decreased as severity of hearing loss increased. Children with ANSD revealed lower levels of ITC relative to children with NH or SNHL, regardless of intervention. Children with ANSD who received cochlear implants showed significant improvements in ITC with increasing experience with their implants. Conclusions Cortical phase coherence is significantly reduced as a result of both severe-to-profound SNHL and ANSD. Significance ITC provides a window into the brain oscillations underlying the averaged cortical auditory evoked response. Our results provide a first description of deficits in cortical phase synchrony in children with SNHL and ANSD. PMID:24360131

  17. Impact of Hearing Aid Technology on Outcomes in Daily Life II: Speech Understanding and Listening Effort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Jani A; Xu, Jingjing; Cox, Robyn M

    2016-01-01

    Modern hearing aid (HA) devices include a collection of acoustic signal-processing features designed to improve listening outcomes in a variety of daily auditory environments. Manufacturers market these features at successive levels of technological sophistication. The features included in costlier premium hearing devices are designed to result in further improvements to daily listening outcomes compared with the features included in basic hearing devices. However, independent research has not substantiated such improvements. This research was designed to explore differences in speech-understanding and listening-effort outcomes for older adults using premium-feature and basic-feature HAs in their daily lives. For this participant-blinded, repeated, crossover trial 45 older adults (mean age 70.3 years) with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss wore each of four pairs of bilaterally fitted HAs for 1 month. HAs were premium- and basic-feature devices from two major brands. After each 1-month trial, participants' speech-understanding and listening-effort outcomes were evaluated in the laboratory and in daily life. Three types of speech-understanding and listening-effort data were collected: measures of laboratory performance, responses to standardized self-report questionnaires, and participant diary entries about daily communication. The only statistically significant superiority for the premium-feature HAs occurred for listening effort in the loud laboratory condition and was demonstrated for only one of the tested brands. The predominant complaint of older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing impairment is difficulty understanding speech in various settings. The combined results of all the outcome measures used in this research suggest that, when fitted using scientifically based practices, both premium- and basic-feature HAs are capable of providing considerable, but essentially equivalent, improvements to speech understanding and listening effort in daily

  18. Psycholinguistic abilities in cochlear implant and hearing impaired children

    OpenAIRE

    Hassan, Hatem Ezzeldin; Eldin, Sally Taher Kheir; Al Kasaby, Rasha Mohamed

    2014-01-01

    Background: Many congenitally sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) children and cochlear implant (CI) recipients develop near-normal language skills. However, there is a wide variation in individual outcomes following cochlear implantation, or using hearing aids. Some CI recipients or Hearing aids users never develop useable speech and oral language skills. The causes of this enormous variation in outcomes are only partly understood at the present time. So, the aim of this study was to assess th...

  19. Speech and Hearing Problems among Older People.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carstenson, Blue

    1978-01-01

    Findings from speech and hearing tests of older people in South Dakota community senior programs indicate the need for better testing and therapy procedures. Lipreading may be more effective than hearing aids, and factors other than hearing may be involved. Some problems and needs are noted. (MF)

  20. Attitude and help-seeking for hearing impairment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    vandenBrink, RHS; Wit, HP; Kempen, GIJM; vanHeuvelen, MJG

    1996-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate help-seeking for hearing impairment in the elderly, and to compare groups showing dissimilar help-seeking on their attitude toward hearing loss and hearing aids. Attitude factors were based on a revised version of the Health Belief Model, and included

  1. Sound quality measures for speech in noise through a commercial hearing aid implementing digital noise reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricketts, Todd A; Hornsby, Benjamin W Y

    2005-05-01

    This brief report discusses the affect of digital noise reduction (DNR) processing on aided speech recognition and sound quality measures in 14 adults fitted with a commercial hearing aid. Measures of speech recognition and sound quality were obtained in two different speech-in-noise conditions (71 dBA speech, +6 dB SNR and 75 dBA speech, +1 dB SNR). The results revealed that the presence or absence of DNR processing did not impact speech recognition in noise (either positively or negatively). Paired comparisons of sound quality for the same speech in noise signals, however, revealed a strong preference for DNR processing. These data suggest that at least one implementation of DNR processing is capable of providing improved sound quality, for speech in noise, in the absence of improved speech recognition.

  2. A satisfação e o desempenho de usuários de próteses auditivas atendidos em um programa de atenção à saúde auditiva Satisfaction and performance of hearing aids users assisted in a Hearing Health Care Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline da Silva Lopes

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: avaliar o desempenho e a satisfação com o uso das próteses auditivas nos pacientes atendidos no convênio APAC-UFSM, após um ano de adaptação. MÉTODOS: analisou-se 49 sujeitos, com perda auditiva do tipo neurossensorial ou mista, de grau leve a severo na melhor orelha, divididos em adultos e idosos. Realizou-se a pesquisa dos Limiares e Índices Percentuais de Reconhecimento de Sentenças no Silêncio e no Ruído, em campo livre, por meio do teste Listas de Sentenças em Português; e aplicou-se o questionário de satisfação, International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids. Realizaram-se os testes na mesma sessão, em dois momentos distintos, sendo o primeiro, sem o uso das próteses auditivas e o segundo, usando as mesmas. RESULTADOS: houve diferença significante no desempenho dos indivíduos em ambos os grupos, no procedimento realizado no silêncio. Apesar de o desempenho com próteses auditivas não ter apresentado melhora significante no ruído, os pacientes apresentaram respostas satisfatórias no questionário. Na comparação entre os grupos, não se observou diferença significante quanto ao desempenho e satisfação. CONCLUSÃO: a melhora significante do desempenho no silêncio vai ao encontro do relato dos pacientes. O questionário evidenciou que a maioria referiu fazer uso efetivo das próteses auditivas e considerou ter um benefício muito satisfatório. Apesar de uma parcela significativa referir moderada ou bastante dificuldade residual, a maioria considerou que o uso das próteses auditivas vale muito ou bastante a pena.PURPOSE: to assess the performance and satisfaction using hearing aids in patients assisted in the APAC-UFSM partnership, after a one-year fitting. METHODS: 49 subjects having mild to severe sensorineural or mixed hearing loss in the better ear were analyzed. They were divided into adults and elderly groups. The research of Sentence Recognition Threshold and Percent Indexes in Quiet and in

  3. Hearing Evaluation in Children (For Parents)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Loss? Going to a Speech Therapist Can Loud Music Hurt My Ears? Going to the Audiologist Hearing Impairment Speech Problems Hearing Aids Earbuds View more About Us Contact Us Partners Editorial Policy Permissions Guidelines Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Notice ...

  4. Presbycusis: a human temporal bone study of individuals with flat audiometric patterns of hearing loss using a new method to quantify stria vascularis volume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Erik G; Hinojosa, Raul

    2003-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of stria vascularis atrophy in individuals with presbycusis and flat audiometric patterns of hearing loss. Individuals with presbycusis have historically been categorized by the shape of their audiograms, and flat audiometric thresholds have been reported to be associated with atrophy of the stria vascularis. Stria vascularis volume was not measured in these studies. Retrospective case review. Archival human temporal bones from individuals with presbycusis were selected on the basis of strict audiometric criteria for flat audiometric thresholds. Six temporal bones that met these criteria were identified and compared with 10 temporal bones in individuals with normal hearing. A unique quantitative method was developed to measure the stria vascularis volume in these temporal bones. The hair cell and spiral ganglion cell populations also were quantitatively evaluated. Only one of the six individuals with presbycusis and flat audiometric thresholds had significant atrophy of the stria vascularis. This individual with stria vascularis atrophy also had reduced inner hair cell, outer hair cell, and ganglion cell populations. Three of the individuals with presbycusis had spiral ganglion cell loss, three individuals had inner hair cell loss, and all six individuals had outer hair cell loss. The results of this investigation suggest that individuals with presbycusis and flat audiometric patterns of hearing loss infrequently have stria vascularis atrophy. Outer hair cell loss alone or in combination with inner hair cell or ganglion cell loss may be the cause of flat audiometric thresholds in individuals with presbycusis.

  5. Online Personalization of Hearing Instruments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bert de Vries

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Online personalization of hearing instruments refers to learning preferred tuning parameter values from user feedback through a control wheel (or remote control, during normal operation of the hearing aid. We perform hearing aid parameter steering by applying a linear map from acoustic features to tuning parameters. We formulate personalization of the steering parameters as the maximization of an expected utility function. A sparse Bayesian approach is then investigated for its suitability to find efficient feature representations. The feasibility of our approach is demonstrated in an application to online personalization of a noise reduction algorithm. A patient trial indicates that the acoustic features chosen for learning noise control are meaningful, that environmental steering of noise reduction makes sense, and that our personalization algorithm learns proper values for tuning parameters.

  6. Development of a Novel Bone Conduction Verification Tool Using a Surface Microphone: Validation With Percutaneous Bone Conduction Users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodgetts, William; Scott, Dylan; Maas, Patrick; Westover, Lindsey

    2018-03-23

    To determine if a newly-designed, forehead-mounted surface microphone would yield equivalent estimates of audibility when compared to audibility measured with a skull simulator for adult bone conduction users. Data was analyzed using a within subjects, repeated measures design. There were two different sensors (skull simulator and surface microphone) measuring the same hearing aid programmed to the same settings for all subjects. We were looking for equivalent results. Twenty-one adult percutaneous bone conduction users (12 females and 9 males) were recruited for this study. Mean age was 54.32 years with a standard deviation of 14.51 years. Nineteen of the subjects had conductive/mixed hearing loss and two had single-sided deafness. To define audibility, we needed to establish two things: (1) in situ-level thresholds at each audiometric frequency in force (skull simulator) and in sound pressure level (SPL; surface microphone). Next, we measured the responses of the preprogrammed test device in force on the skull simulator and in SPL on the surface mic in response to pink noise at three input levels: 55, 65, and 75 dB SPL. The skull simulator responses were converted to real head force responses by means of an individual real head to coupler difference transform. Subtracting the real head force level thresholds from the real head force output of the test aid yielded the audibility for each audiometric frequency for the skull simulator. Subtracting the SPL thresholds from the surface microphone from the SPL output of the test aid yielded the audibility for each audiometric frequency for the surface microphone. The surface microphone was removed and retested to establish the test-retest reliability of the tool. We ran a 2 (sensor) × 3 (input level) × 10 (frequency) mixed analysis of variance to determine if there were any significant main effects and interactions. There was a significant three-way interaction, so we proceeded to explore our planned comparisons

  7. Externalization versus Internalization of Sound in Normal-hearing and Hearing-impaired Listeners

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ohl, Björn; Laugesen, Søren; Buchholz, Jörg

    2010-01-01

    The externalization of sound, i. e. the perception of auditory events as being located outside of the head, is a natural phenomenon for normalhearing listeners, when perceiving sound coming from a distant physical sound source. It is potentially useful for hearing in background noise......, but the relevant cues might be distorted by a hearing impairment and also by the processing of the incoming sound through hearing aids. In this project, two intuitive tests in natural real-life surroundings were developed, which capture the limits of the perception of externalization. For this purpose...

  8. [Presbycusis - Age Related Hearing Loss].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, N; Weber, B; Riechelmann, H

    2016-07-01

    Presbycusis or age related hearing loss can be defined as a progressive, bilateral and symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss due to age related degeneration of inner ear structures. It can be considered a multifactorial complex disorder with environmental and genetic factors. The molecular, electrophysiological and histological damage at different levels of the inner ear cause a progressive hearing loss, which usually affects the high frequencies of hearing. The resulting poor speech recognition has a negative impact on cognitive, emotional and social function in older adults. Recent investigations revealed an association between hearing impairment and social isolation, anxiety, depression and cognitive decline in elderly. These findings emphasize the importance of diagnosis and treating hearing loss in the elderly population. Hearing aids are the most commonly used devices for treating presbycusis. The technical progress of implantable hearing devices allows an effective hearing rehabilitation even in elderly with severe hearing loss. However, most people with hearing impairments are not treated adequately. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  9. French-Canadian translation and validation of four questionnaires assessing hearing impairment and handicap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Claude; Gagné, Jean-Pierre; Leroux, Tony; Clothier, Audrey; Larivière, Marianne; Dumont, Frédéric S; Gendron, Martine

    2017-04-01

    Questionnaires evaluating hearing impairment are available in English but there is a need for French standardised questionnaires for researchers as well as for audiologists and other clinicians. The objective of this study is to describe the translation and validation of four questionnaires that assess different aspects of hearing impairment and handicap among elders with hearing loss, by comparing the main score and psychometric evaluation of original and French-Canadian (FC) versions of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale II (WHO-DAS II), the Screening Test for Hearing Problems (STHP), the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) and the Measure of Audiologic Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy for Hearing Aids (MARS-HA). Vallerand method: translation and back-translation by two translators, revision by a committee of experts and pre-tested with five bilingual older participants. Participants (n = 29) were 65 years of age or older including 21 with hearing aids. The psychometric properties (internal consistency, temporal stability after four weeks) indicate good reliability for most of the translated questionnaires and their subscales, especially the WHO-DAS II. The translations in FC of two hearing loss and two hearing aid questionnaires were validated. It is recommended to pursue the demonstration for temporal stability for the STHP.

  10. Everyday trajectories of hearing correction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lykke Hindhede, Anette

    2010-01-01

    wearers in order to rehabilitate them back to ‘normal'. However, within audiological research, noncompliance has attracted much attention as investigations have shown that more than 20 percent of hearing aids are very seldom, if ever, in use and 19 percent are used only occasionally. As shown in the paper...... are complex and epistemologically contested and can help explain why noncompliance is dominant when it comes to hearing rehabilitation for hearing impaired adults....

  11. Unilateral hearing loss in children: a retrospective study and a review of the current literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohlfs, Anna-Katharina; Friedhoff, Johannes; Bohnert, Andrea; Breitfuss, Achim; Hess, Markus; Müller, Frank; Strauch, Anke; Röhrs, Marianne; Wiesner, Thomas

    2017-04-01

    Despite the introduction of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS), unilateral hearing loss (UHL) is sometimes recognized late. This diagnostic delay has adverse repercussions, given the importance of binaural hearing for the development of normal auditory processing. It is incorrect to maintain that unilateral hearing is the minimum requirement for adequate speech development and that hearing aid provision is consequently unnecessary. In our retrospective study, hearing aid provision resulted in improved directional and selective hearing (quiet and noisy environments) and, compared with their chronically ill counterparts, the children in our study displayed superior health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores in all areas. On the basis of the results, the authors conclude that even mild hearing losses (from an auditory threshold of 30 to 40 dB) should have the opportunity for hearing aid provision. A selective literature review was conducted in PubMed and textbooks and with reference to national and international guidelines. Early diagnosis and treatment of UHL have a positive effect on verbal-cognitive, linguistic, communicative, and socio-emotional development, as demonstrated by neurophysiological studies. Among the treatment modalities with differing effects on the quality of binaural hearing, cochlear implants are now used increasingly in children with hearing loss bordering on deafness. Published evidence and clinical experience support early diagnosis and treatment. Wherever feasible, hearing aid provision before or at the end of the first year of life is recommended for children with UHL. What is Known: • Almost 30 years ago, poor academic performance was reported in children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL). • Despite improvements in treatment options, it is traditionally held that unilateral hearing is the minimum requirement for adequate speech development and hearing aid provision is unnecessary. What is New: • Academic and behavioral

  12. Speech perception in noise in unilateral hearing loss

    OpenAIRE

    Mondelli, Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia; dos Santos, Marina de Marchi; José, Maria Renata

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Unilateral hearing loss is characterized by a decrease of hearing in one ear only. In the presence of ambient noise, individuals with unilateral hearing loss are faced with greater difficulties understanding speech than normal listeners. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the speech perception of individuals with unilateral hearing loss in speech perception with and without competitive noise, before and after the hearing aid fitting process. METHODS: The study included 30 adu...

  13. Design for redundancy in a participatory action that helps user calibrating hearing devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simeone, Luca

    2018-01-01

    and hearing aid simulator) and (b) adopting these technologies to create videogames that can be used by people with hearing aids to fine-tune their hearing devices. The high number of stakeholders involved in the project and their differences (in terms of needs, wants and agendas) motivated a design approach...

  14. O autoconceito do adolescente deficiente auditivo e sua relação com o uso do aparelho de amplificação sonora individual Hearing impaired adolescents' self-concept and their relations to hearing aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Zugliani

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Para o adolescente com deficiência auditiva, o processo de formação da identidade tem nuances próprias. Além do conflito específico da fase, ele tem que formar sua identidade como pessoa que possui uma perda auditiva e que necessita usar aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI. Considerando que os fatores que influenciam o uso desse recurso são inúmeros, este trabalho teve por objetivo verificar a relação do autoconceito do adolescente deficiente auditivo (DA com o uso do AASI, a partir da percepção do próprio adolescente e de seus pais. A Escala de Autoconceito - EACIJ - e questionários foram aplicados a 30 adolescentes deficientes auditivos, com idades de 12 a 16 anos, em tratamento no Centro de Distúrbios da Audição, Linguagem e Visão (CEDALVI do HRAC/USP e a seus pais. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria dos adolescentes estudados faz uso efetivo de seu AASI e tem autoconceito positivo. Concluiu-se que o uso constante desse recurso está associado às boas condições do autoconceito e ao suporte psicossocial da equipe multi / interdisciplinar.For adolescents who have hearing impairment, the identity formation process has its own subtleties. Besides the conflicts which are a part of being a teenager, he/she has to form his/her identity as someone who has a hearing loss and needs a hearing aid. Taking into account the countless factors influencing the use of this resource, this study aimed to undercover the relations between self-concepts of deaf adolescents to the use of hearing aid, looking at the adolescents' own perceptions and those of his parents. The Self-concept Scale - EACIJ - and questionnaires were applied to 30 hearing impaired adolescents, aged 12-16 years, undergoing treatment at the Centro de Distúrbios da Audição, Linguagem e Visão (CEDALVI, a service center within the HRAC/USP, and to their parents. The results showed that most of the subjects involved in the study actually use their hearing

  15. The prevalence of superior semicircular canal dehiscence in conductive and mixed hearing loss in the absence of other pathology using submillimetric temporal bone computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Young Hen; Rivas-Rodriguez, Francisco; Song, Jae-Jun; Yang, Kyung-Sook; Mukherji, Suresh K

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) and hearing impairment. We retrospectively compared the prevalence of SSCD in the ears classified as conductive hearing loss (CHL), mixed hearing loss (MHL), and normal hearing status using submillimetric temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT) on the basis of coronal and additional reformatted planes dedicated to SSCD. From the patients with CHL (n = 127) and MHL (n = 45), the overall prevalence of SSCD in the ears classified as CHL, MHL, and normal hearing status were 6.6%, 7.2%, and 3.0%, respectively. Furthermore, the odds ratio for SSCD in the absence of any cause of hearing loss (eg, dysfunction of the tympanic membrane or middle ear, TBCT abnormalities, otosclerosis, trauma, surgery) was 5.35 in MHL (4/27; P = 0.037, 95% confidence interval, 1.1-25.81) and 3.31 in CHL (5/61; P = 0.115, 95% confidence interval, 0.75-14.63), compared with normal hearing status. Bony covering of the SSC should be specifically evaluated in patients with hearing impairment using submillimetric TBCT.

  16. Hearing improvement after stapedotomy using teflon loop prosthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, S.; Raza, N.

    2006-01-01

    To assess hearing improvement after stapedotomy for otosclerosis using teflon loop prosthesis. Thirty diagnosed cases of otosclerosis were included in the study. Ear with greater air-bone gap was selected and stapedotomy was done using teflon loop prosthesis (size 4 - 4.5 mm). Mild vertigo occurred during immediate postoperative period, which subsided with Inj. Prochlorperazine. Patients were followed-up postsurgically at one month, two months, four months, six months and one year and postoperative air-bone gap was calculated. Out of 30 cases, there were 24 males and 06 females. The age ranged from 18 to 50 years. Twenty-one (70%) patients had bilateral hearing loss and 09 (30%) had tinnitis also. Pre-operative audiograms showed conductive deafness. Carhart's notch was present in 10 (33.3%) cases. Tympanogram revealed loss of stapedial reflex. Postoperatively good hearing improvement was seen in 56.7% (postoperative air-bone gap closure upto 10 dB), fair improvement in 30% (postoperative air bone gap closure from 11 to 20 dB) and poor results in 10% (postoperative air-bone gap more than 21 dB) cases. One patient developed dead ear. (author)

  17. Automatic bone detection and soft tissue aware ultrasound-CT registration for computer-aided orthopedic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wein, Wolfgang; Karamalis, Athanasios; Baumgartner, Adrian; Navab, Nassir

    2015-06-01

    The transfer of preoperative CT data into the tracking system coordinates within an operating room is of high interest for computer-aided orthopedic surgery. In this work, we introduce a solution for intra-operative ultrasound-CT registration of bones. We have developed methods for fully automatic real-time bone detection in ultrasound images and global automatic registration to CT. The bone detection algorithm uses a novel bone-specific feature descriptor and was thoroughly evaluated on both in-vivo and ex-vivo data. A global optimization strategy aligns the bone surface, followed by a soft tissue aware intensity-based registration to provide higher local registration accuracy. We evaluated the system on femur, tibia and fibula anatomy in a cadaver study with human legs, where magnetically tracked bone markers were implanted to yield ground truth information. An overall median system error of 3.7 mm was achieved on 11 datasets. Global and fully automatic registration of bones aquired with ultrasound to CT is feasible, with bone detection and tracking operating in real time for immediate feedback to the surgeon.

  18. Bioabsorbable Suture Anchor Migration to the Acromioclavicular Joint: How Far Can These Implants Go?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanna Medina

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Few complications regarding the use of bioabsorbable suture anchors in the shoulder have been reported. What motivated this case report was the unusual location of the anchor, found in the acromioclavicular joint which, to our knowledge, has never been reported so far. A 53-year old male with previous rotator cuff (RC repair using bioabsorbable suture anchors presented with pain and weakness after 2 years of surgery. A suspicion of retear of the RC led to request of a magnetic resonance image, in which the implant was found located in the acromioclavicular joint. The complications reported with the use of metallic implants around the shoulder led to the development of bioabsorbable anchors. Advantages are their absorption over time, minimizing the risk of migration or interference with revision surgery, less artifacts with magnetic resonance imaging, and tendon-to-bone repair strength similar to metallic anchors. Since the use of bioabsorbable suture anchors is increasing, it is important to know the possible complications associated with these devices.

  19. Current demand of paediatric otolaryngology input for children with Down's syndrome in a tertiary referral centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalid-Raja, M; Tzifa, K

    2016-11-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the activity of paediatric otolaryngology services required for children with Down's syndrome in a tertiary referral centre. A review of the paediatric otolaryngology input for children with Down's syndrome was performed; data were obtained from the coding department for a two-year period and compared with other surgical specialties. Between June 2011 and May 2013, 106 otolaryngology procedures were performed on children with Down's syndrome. This compared to 87 cardiac and 81 general paediatrics cases. The most common pathologies in children with Down's syndrome were obstructive sleep apnoea, otitis media, hearing loss and cardiac disease. The most common otolaryngology procedures performed were adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, grommet insertion and bone-anchored hearing aid implant surgery. ENT manifestations of Down's syndrome are common. Greater provisions need to be made to streamline the otolaryngology services for children and improve transition of care to adult services.

  20. Condom Advertising and AIDS. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

    This document present witnesses' testimonies from the Congressional hearing called to examine condom advertising and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Opening statements are included by Congressmen Henry Waxman, William Dannemeyer, and Jim Bates. C. Everett Koop, United States Surgeon General, and Gary Noble, AIDS coordinator for the…

  1. Cochlear implant: Speech and language development in deaf and hard of hearing children following implantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ostojić Sanja

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacground/Aim. Almost 200 cochlear implantations were done in the four centers (two in Belgrade, per one in Novi Sad and Niš in Serbia from 2002 to 2009. Less than 10% of implantees were postlingually deaf adults. The vast majority, i.e. 90% were pre- and perilingually profoundly deaf children. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of improved auditory perception due to cochlear implantation on comprehension of abstract words in children as compared with hearing impaired children with conventional hearing aids and normal hearing children. Methods. Thirty children were enrolled in this study: 20 hearing impaired and 10 normal hearing. The vocabulary test was used. Results. The overall results for the whole test (100 words showed a significant difference in favor of the normal hearing as compared with hearing impaired children. The normal hearing children successfully described or defined 77.93% of a total of 100 words. Success rate for the cochlear implanted children was 26.87% and for the hearing impaired children with conventional hearing aids 20.32%. Conclusion. Testing for abstract words showed a statistically significant difference between the cochlear implanted and the hearing impaired children with hearing aids (Mann- Whitney U-test, p = 0.019 implying considerable advantage of cochlear implants over hearing aids regarding successful speech development in prelingually deaf children.

  2. Challenges in management of childhood sensorineural hearing loss in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasisi, O A; Ayodele, J K; Ijaduola, G T A

    2006-04-01

    The evaluation of a hearing-impaired child attempts to determine the aetiology, the degree of hearing loss and intervention to aid speech and language. This remains a challenge to practising otolaryngologists, especially in the developing countries as 85-90% of causes of hearing losses were never discovered leading to delayed intervention and irreversible effects. In a review of children presenting at the otolaryngology outpatient in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, sensorineural hearing loss was found in 103, giving a hospital prevalence rate of 14%, we still perceived this figure to be unrepresentatively and low, probably due to poor access to medicare, poverty and other factors. Genetic factor accounted for 25%, followed by measles infections 13% and meningitis 8%. About 60% of them had educationally significant hearing loss at presentation. Access to hearing aid was poor as only 12.5% of the patients could afford it and the rest were managed by deaf training. We conclude by suggesting an audiologic programme which has the comprehensive function of neonatal and infant hearing screening, subsidized hearing aid services and hearing rehabilitation surgery.

  3. Hearing Preservation after Cochlear Implantation: UNICAMP Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme Machado de Carvalho

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS is an excellent choice for people with residual hearing in low frequencies but not high frequencies and who derive insufficient benefit from hearing aids. For EAS to be effective, subjects' residual hearing must be preserved during cochlear implant (CI surgery. Methods. We implanted 6 subjects with a CI. We used a special surgical technique and an electrode designed to be atraumatic. Subjects' rates of residual hearing preservation were measured 3 times postoperatively, lastly after at least a year of implant experience. Subjects' aided speech perception was tested pre- and postoperatively with a sentence test in quiet. Subjects' subjective responses assessed after a year of EAS or CI experience. Results. 4 subjects had total or partial residual hearing preservation; 2 subjects had total residual hearing loss. All subjects' hearing and speech perception benefited from cochlear implantation. CI diminished or eliminated tinnitus in all 4 subjects who had it preoperatively. 5 subjects reported great satisfaction with their new device. Conclusions. When we have more experience with our surgical technique we are confident we will be able to report increased rates of residual hearing preservation. Hopefully, our study will raise the profile of EAS in Brazil and Latin/South America.

  4. ∑∆ Modulator System-Level Considerations for Hearing-Aid Audio Class-D Output Stage Application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pracný, Peter; Bruun, Erik

    2012-01-01

    This paper deals with a system-level design of a digital sigma-delta (∑∆) modulator for hearing-aid audio Class D output stage application. The aim of this paper is to provide a thorough discussion on various possibilities and tradeoffs of ∑∆ modulator system-level design parameter combinations...... - order, oversampling ratio (OSR) and number of bits in the quantizer - including their impact on interpolation filter design as well. The system is kept in digital domain up to the input of the Class D power stage including the digital pulse width modulation (DPWM) block. Notes on the impact of the DPWM...

  5. Auditory Brainstem Responses to Bone-Conducted Brief Tones in Young Children with Conductive or Sensorineural Hearing Loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer L. Hatton

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The bone-conduction (BC tone ABR has been used clinically for over 20 years. The current study formally evaluated the test performance of the BC tone-evoked ABR in infants with hearing loss. Method. By comparing BC-ABR results to follow-up behavioural results, this study addressed two questions: (i whether the BC tone ABR was successful in differentiating children with conductive versus sensorineural hearing loss (Study A; conductive: 68 ears; SNHL: 129 ears and (ii the relationship between BC ABR and behavioural hearing loss severity (Study B: 2000 Hz: 104 ears; 500 Hz: 47 ears. Results. Results demonstrate that the “normal” BC-ABR levels accurately differentiated normal versus elevated cochlear sensitivity (accuracy: 98% for 2000 Hz; 98% for 500 Hz. A subset of infants in Study A with elevated BC-ABR (i.e., no response at normal level had additional testing at higher intensities, which allowed for categorization of the degree of cochlear impairment. Study B results indicate that the BC ABR accurately categorizes the degree of cochlear hearing loss for 2000 Hz (accuracy = 95.2%. A preliminary dBnHL-to-dBHL correction factor of “0 dB” was determined for 2000 Hz BC ABR. Conclusions. These findings further support the use of BC tone ABR for diagnostic ABR testing.

  6. Auditory Brainstem Responses to Bone-Conducted Brief Tones in Young Children with Conductive or Sensorineural Hearing Loss

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatton, Jennifer L.; Janssen, Renée M.; Stapells, David R.

    2012-01-01

    The bone-conduction (BC) tone ABR has been used clinically for over 20 years. The current study formally evaluated the test performance of the BC tone-evoked ABR in infants with hearing loss. Method. By comparing BC-ABR results to follow-up behavioural results, this study addressed two questions: (i) whether the BC tone ABR was successful in differentiating children with conductive versus sensorineural hearing loss (Study A; conductive: 68 ears; SNHL: 129 ears) and (ii) the relationship between BC ABR and behavioural hearing loss severity (Study B: 2000 Hz: 104 ears; 500 Hz: 47 ears). Results. Results demonstrate that the “normal” BC-ABR levels accurately differentiated normal versus elevated cochlear sensitivity (accuracy: 98% for 2000 Hz; 98% for 500 Hz). A subset of infants in Study A with elevated BC-ABR (i.e., no response at normal level) had additional testing at higher intensities, which allowed for categorization of the degree of cochlear impairment. Study B results indicate that the BC ABR accurately categorizes the degree of cochlear hearing loss for 2000 Hz (accuracy = 95.2%). A preliminary dBnHL-to-dBHL correction factor of “0 dB” was determined for 2000 Hz BC ABR. Conclusions. These findings further support the use of BC tone ABR for diagnostic ABR testing. PMID:22988461

  7. Contribution of monaural and binaural cues to sound localization in listeners with acquired unilateral conductive hearing loss: improved directional hearing with a bone-conduction device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agterberg, Martijn J H; Snik, Ad F M; Hol, Myrthe K S; Van Wanrooij, Marc M; Van Opstal, A John

    2012-04-01

    Sound localization in the horizontal (azimuth) plane relies mainly on interaural time differences (ITDs) and interaural level differences (ILDs). Both are distorted in listeners with acquired unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL), reducing their ability to localize sound. Several studies demonstrated that UCHL listeners had some ability to localize sound in azimuth. To test whether listeners with acquired UCHL use strongly perturbed binaural difference cues, we measured localization while they listened with a sound-attenuating earmuff over their impaired ear. We also tested the potential use of monaural pinna-induced spectral-shape cues for localization in azimuth and elevation, by filling the cavities of the pinna of their better-hearing ear with a mould. These conditions were tested while a bone-conduction device (BCD), fitted to all UCHL listeners in order to provide hearing from the impaired side, was turned off. We varied stimulus presentation levels to investigate whether UCHL listeners were using sound level as an azimuth cue. Furthermore, we examined whether horizontal sound-localization abilities improved when listeners used their BCD. Ten control listeners without hearing loss demonstrated a significant decrease in their localization abilities when they listened with a monaural plug and muff. In 4/13 UCHL listeners we observed good horizontal localization of 65 dB SPL broadband noises with their BCD turned off. Localization was strongly impaired when the impaired ear was covered with the muff. The mould in the good ear of listeners with UCHL deteriorated the localization of broadband sounds presented at 45 dB SPL. This demonstrates that they used pinna cues to localize sounds presented at low levels. Our data demonstrate that UCHL listeners have learned to adapt their localization strategies under a wide variety of hearing conditions and that sound-localization abilities improved with their BCD turned on.

  8. Validity and reliability of in-situ air conduction thresholds measured through hearing aids coupled to closed and open instant-fit tips.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Anna; Keidser, Gitte; Yeend, Ingrid; Hartley, Lisa; Dillon, Harvey

    2010-12-01

    Audiometric measurements through a hearing aid ('in-situ') may facilitate provision of hearing services where these are limited. This study investigated the validity and reliability of in-situ air conduction hearing thresholds measured with closed and open domes relative to thresholds measured with insert earphones, and explored sources of variability in the measures. Twenty-four adults with sensorineural hearing impairment attended two sessions in which thresholds and real-ear-to-dial-difference (REDD) values were measured. Without correction, significantly higher low-frequency thresholds in dB HL were measured in-situ than with insert earphones. Differences were due predominantly to differences in ear canal SPL, as measured with the REDD, which were attributed to leaking low-frequency energy. Test-retest data yielded higher variability with the closed dome coupling due to inconsistent seals achieved with this tip. For all three conditions, inter-participant variability in the REDD values was greater than intra-participant variability. Overall, in-situ audiometry is as valid and reliable as conventional audiometry provided appropriate REDD corrections are made and ambient sound in the test environment is controlled.

  9. Self-Esteem in Children and Adolescents With Hearing Loss

    OpenAIRE

    Warner-Czyz, Andrea D.; Loy, Betty A.; Evans, Christine; Wetsel, Ashton; Tobey, Emily A.

    2015-01-01

    Children with hearing loss are at risk for lower self-esteem due to differences from hearing peers relative to communication skills, physical appearance, and social maturity. This study examines the influence of generic factors unrelated to hearing loss (e.g., age, gender, temperament) and specific factors associated with hearing loss (e.g., age at identification, communication skills) on how children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids appraise self-esteem. Fifty chil...

  10. A 155µW 88-dB DR discrete-time delta-sigma modulator for digital hearing aids exploiting a summing SAR ADC Quantizer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Porrazzo, S.; Morgado, A.; San Segundo Bello, D.; Cannillo, F.; Van Hoof, C.; Yazicioglu, R.F.; Roermund, van Arthur; Cantatore, Eugenio

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a low-power switched-capacitor $Delta Sigma$ modulator for digital hearing-aid applications that features a novel summing successive approximation (SAR). The summing SAR performs multi-bit quantization together with the analog addition required in feed-forward (FF) $Delta Sigma$

  11. Morphometric quantification of biodegradable PLDLLA-anchor implant-beds on magnetic resonance images of the humeral head

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chatterjee, D.

    2009-01-01

    An overview of the functional anatomy of the human shoulder joint is the base for understanding of rotator cuff tears and its surgical repair by means of suture anchors. These anchors, manufactured of biodegradable polymers, do not (or not totally) degrade in the period of time postulated by the manufactures. Bone healing seems to be impaired. Radiological follow-ups of 8 months to years postoperative revealed osteolysis and even cystic deformation of the implant beds (=anchor-holes). In this present study the anchor-holes are morphometrically measured for the first time on MRT-images. For this prospective study MRIs from altogether 38 patients (20 female/18 male, age 43.9a - 81.6a) were selected after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with 1-4 biodegradable suture anchors (PLDLLA 'Bio-Corkscrews', Arthrex Inc., Naples FL, USA) at a single institution. After signing an informed consent form patients' MRIs could be evaluated after a mean follow-up period of 15.8 and 36 months. The shapes of the bony implant beds were subjectively categorized and for the computer-assisted morphometry of the anchor-hole areas Adobe Photoshop; CS3 Extended (Version 10.0) was used and adapted. The results were statistically analyzed and correlated with the clinical success rate (Constant Score=CS). All anchor-holes were discernable for up to 42 months. A significant shift of threaded to cylindric anchor-hole shapes was evident from the 1 st to 2 nd follow-up. Only 11.5% of the anchor-holes showed a cystic enlargement. At the 1 st follow-up the anchor-hole areas increased on average by 50.87% compared to original anchor size. However, at the 2 nd follow-up all anchor-hole areas decreased significantly (p st follow-up. The average preoperative CS improved from 38.5 points to 87.4 (1 st follow-up) and then remained at 87 points (2 nd follow-up). Anchor-holes of biodegradable suture anchor are, as opposed to the time period claimed by the manufacturers, visible and thus not totally degraded

  12. AnchorDock: Blind and Flexible Anchor-Driven Peptide Docking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Shimon, Avraham; Niv, Masha Y

    2015-05-05

    The huge conformational space stemming from the inherent flexibility of peptides is among the main obstacles to successful and efficient computational modeling of protein-peptide interactions. Current peptide docking methods typically overcome this challenge using prior knowledge from the structure of the complex. Here we introduce AnchorDock, a peptide docking approach, which automatically targets the docking search to the most relevant parts of the conformational space. This is done by precomputing the free peptide's structure and by computationally identifying anchoring spots on the protein surface. Next, a free peptide conformation undergoes anchor-driven simulated annealing molecular dynamics simulations around the predicted anchoring spots. In the challenging task of a completely blind docking test, AnchorDock produced exceptionally good results (backbone root-mean-square deviation ≤ 2.2Å, rank ≤15) for 10 of 13 unbound cases tested. The impressive performance of AnchorDock supports a molecular recognition pathway that is driven via pre-existing local structural elements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A new vibroplasty coupling technique as a treatment for conductive and mixed hearing losses: a report of 4 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Alexander M; Mlynski, Robert; Müller, Joachim; Dillier, Norbert; Holzmann, David; Wolframm, Mario D; Hagen, Rudolf

    2012-06-01

    The primary objective was to report on experiences regarding the safety and efficacy of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) using a floating mass transducer (FMT)-partial/total ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP/TORP) assembly as a treatment for conductive and mixed hearing losses of mild-to-moderate/severe degree. The secondary objective was to gather information regarding device fitting, as well as to refine surgical procedures. Five German-speaking adults from 2 European study sites were implanted with a VSB using an FMT-PORP/TORP assembly and evaluated before and after surgery for air-and bone-conduction thresholds and speech recognition performance. Evaluating the safety and efficacy of the VSB in combination with a PORP or TORP to treat conductive and mixed hearing loss. Residual cochlear hearing was unaffected by implantation with the device. Functional gain (measured as the difference between preoperative unaided and postoperative VSB-aided thresholds) could be calculated in 2 of 5 subjects, demonstrating that the VSB is effective in treating bone-conduction hearing losses of moderate/severe degree. Word recognition tests in quiet and noise showed good improvement in 3 of the cases. One patient experienced several other medical problems, making her audiological outcomes limited. One patient was excluded from the study owing to insufficient benefit and subsequently underwent revision surgery with FMT placement at the round window. The use of the VSB, implanted using the FMT-PORP/TORP assembly, was safe in all and efficacious in 3 of the 5 cases in this study. These are patients who may have few, if any, other options to manage their hearing loss.

  14. Understanding history, philanthropy and the role of WHO in provision of assistive technologies for hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadha, Shelly; Moussy, Francis; Friede, Martin Howell

    2014-09-01

    Philanthropy continues to play an important role in provision of hearing devices and is often the only alternative for the majority of those in need of these devices. While this leads to improved access to services it may also create unsustainable service delivery models. Over the past decade, World Health Organization (WHO) has been making consistent efforts towards promoting accessibility and affordability of high-quality hearing devices, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). WHO developed and updated the "Guidelines for Hearing Aids and Services in Developing Countries", in 2004. In 2006, WHO supported the establishment of "World Wide (WW) Hearing", to promote hearing aid access across the globe. In the past year, WHO has renewed these efforts. As the first step and following a consultation on promoting access to hearing devices, WHO has developed a preferred product profile in order to facilitate the development and access of appropriate and affordable hearing aids for developing countries. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (article 32), calls for international collaboration to promote access to assistive technology including hearing devices. A coordinated global effort is required to promote availability and affordability of high-quality hearing devices. Such an undertaking requires the cooperation of all stakeholders: WHO, Member States, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), philanthropists, manufacturers and users, to fulfill the international obligation and bring about a change in the quality of life of millions of people with hearing loss. Development of preferred product profile for hearing aids in LMICs can improve development and provision of high-quality, affordable hearing devices. Investment made by the recipients, such as partial financial contribution towards the cost of device or through purchase of ear mould or batteries, leads to a greater sense of responsibility towards the device and its maintenance

  15. Changes to Hearing Levels Over the First Year After Stapes Surgery: An Analysis of 139 Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash, Robert; Patel, Bhavesh; Lavy, Jeremy

    2018-06-15

    Stapes surgery is performed for hearing restoration in patients with otosclerosis. Results from stapes surgery are good, although a small proportion will have a persistent conductive hearing loss and will consider revision surgery. The timing of such surgery depends on expected changes to hearing thresholds during the postoperative period. We performed a retrospective case series analysis of a database of outcomes from stapes surgery performed between July 26, 2013 and March 11, 2016 at one center. Hearing outcomes over the year subsequent to surgery were recorded. There was a significant improvement in hearing outcomes between the postoperative visit at 6 weeks (mean air-bone gap 6.0 dB) and the hearing outcome at 6 months (mean air-bone gap 3.3 dB) (p < 0.01). This improvement was maintained at 12 months (mean air-bone gap 3.1 dB), although there were individual patients whose hearing outcome improved or deteriorated during this period. Improvements in air conduction thresholds mirrored improvements in air-bone gap measurements. Patients with an initial suboptimal or poor result after stapes surgery may observed improvement in their hearing thresholds in the year after surgery. These patients may have large preoperative air-bone gaps, and have a trend to have obliterated footplates. Revision surgery should not be considered until at least 6 months after primary surgery.

  16. Hearing Loss in HIV-Infected Children in Lilongwe, Malawi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hrapcak, Susan; Kuper, Hannah; Bartlett, Peter; Devendra, Akash; Makawa, Atupele; Kim, Maria; Kazembe, Peter; Ahmed, Saeed

    2016-01-01

    With improved access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV infection is becoming a chronic illness. Preliminary data suggest that HIV-infected children have a higher risk of disabilities, including hearing impairment, although data are sparse. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and types of hearing loss in HIV-infected children in Lilongwe, Malawi. This was a cross-sectional survey of 380 HIV-infected children aged 4-14 years attending ART clinic in Lilongwe between December 2013-March 2014. Data was collected through pediatric quality of life and sociodemographic questionnaires, electronic medical record review, and detailed audiologic testing. Hearing loss was defined as >20 decibels hearing level (dBHL) in either ear. Predictors of hearing loss were explored by regression analysis generating age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios. Children with significant hearing loss were fitted with hearing aids. Of 380 patients, 24% had hearing loss: 82% conductive, 14% sensorineural, and 4% mixed. Twenty-one patients (23% of those with hearing loss) were referred for hearing aid fitting. There was a higher prevalence of hearing loss in children with history of frequent ear infections (OR 7.4, 4.2-13.0) and ear drainage (OR 6.4, 3.6-11.6). Hearing loss was linked to history of WHO Stage 3 (OR 2.4, 1.2-4.5) or Stage 4 (OR 6.4, 2.7-15.2) and history of malnutrition (OR 2.1, 1.3-3.5), but not to duration of ART or CD4. Only 40% of caregivers accurately perceived their child's hearing loss. Children with hearing impairment were less likely to attend school and had poorer emotional (p = 0.02) and school functioning (p = 0.04). There is an urgent need for improved screening tools, identification and treatment of hearing problems in HIV-infected children, as hearing loss was common in this group and affected school functioning and quality of life. Clear strategies were identified for prevention and treatment, since most hearing loss was conductive in nature, likely due to

  17. High resolution CT of temporal bone trauma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Youn, Eun Kyung

    1986-01-01

    Radiographic studies of the temporal bone following head trauma are indicated when there is cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea or rhinorrhoea, hearing loss, or facial nerve paralysis. Plain radiography displays only 17-30% of temporal bone fractures and pluridirectional tomography is both difficult to perform, particularly in the acutely ill patient, and less satisfactory for the demonstration of fine fractures. Consequently, high resolution CT is the imaging method of choice for the investigation of suspected temporal bone trauma and allows special resolution of fine bony detail comparable to that attainable by conventional tomography. Eight cases of temporal bone trauma examined at Korea General Hospital April 1985 through May 1986. The results were as follows: Seven patients (87%) suffered longitudinal fractures. In 6 patients who had purely conductive hearing loss, CT revealed various ossicular chain abnormality. In one patient who had neuro sensory hearing loss, CT demonstrated intract ossicular with a fracture nearing lateral wall of the lateral semicircular canal. In one patient who had mixed hearing loss, CT showed complex fracture.

  18. Direcionalidade e redução de ruído em AASI: percepção de fala e benefício Directivity and noise reduction in hearing aids: speech perception and benefit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camila Angélica Quintino

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora Individual (AASI. OBJETIVO: Comparar o desempenho, benefício e a satisfação de usuários de AASI intra-aural e retroauricular digital com algoritmo de redução de ruído e microfones omnidirecional e direcional. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: 34 usuários de AASI digital foram avaliados por meio do reconhecimento de sentenças no ruído e dos questionários APHAB e IOI. Estudo prospectivo. RESULTADOS: Melhores resultados foram obtidos com AASI intra-aurais e AASI direcionais, no entanto, não houve diferença estatística significante entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: A direcionalidade favoreceu o reconhecimento de fala no ruído e o benefício obtido em vida diária.Hearing aid. AIM: To compare the performance, benefit and satisfaction of users of ITE, CIC and BTE digital hearing aid with noise reduction and omnidirectional and directional microphones. METHOD: 34 users of hearing aid were evaluated by means of speech perception in noise tests and APHAB and IOI self assessment questionnaires. Prospective study. RESULTS: Better results were obtained by users of ITE, CIC and directional hearing aids, however, no statistical significance was found between the groups. CONCLUSION: Directivity improved speech perception in noise and benefit in daily life situations.

  19. 22 CFR 216.8 - Public hearings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Public hearings. 216.8 Section 216.8 Foreign Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROCEDURES § 216.8 Public hearings. (a) In most instances AID will be able to gain the benefit of public participation in the impact statement process...

  20. Tone, rhythm, and timbre perception in school-age children using cochlear implants and hearing aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Innes-Brown, Hamish; Marozeau, Jeremy P; Storey, Christine M; Blamey, Peter J

    2013-10-01

    Children with hearing impairments, especially those using hearing devices such as the cochlear implant (CI) or hearing aid (HA), are sometimes not encouraged to attend music classes, as they or their parents and teachers may be unsure whether the child can perform basic musical tasks. The objective of the current study was to provide a baseline for the performance of children using CIs and HAs on standardized tests of rhythm and pitch perception as well as an instrument timbre identification task. An additional aim was to determine the effect of structured music training on these measures during the course of a school year. The Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation (IMMA) Tonal and Rhythmic subtests were administered four times, with 6 wk between tests. All children in the study were also enrolled in "Music Club" teaching sessions. Measures were compared between groups and across the four testing sessions. Twenty children from a single school in Melbourne, Australia, were recruited. Eleven (four girls) had impaired hearing, including six with a unilateral CI or CI and HA together (two girls) and five with bilateral HAs (two girls). Nine were normally hearing, selected to match the age and gender of the hearing-impaired children. Ages ranged from 9-13 yr. All children participated in a weekly Music Club--a 45 min session of musical activities based around vocal play and the integration of aural, visual, and kinesthetic modes of learning. Audiological data were collected from clinical files. IMMA scores were converted to percentile ranks using published norms. Between-group differences were tested using repeated-measures analysis of variance, and between-session differences were tested using a linear mixed model. Linear regression was used to model the effect of hearing loss on the test scores. In the first session, normally hearing children had a mean percentile rank of ∼50 in both the Tonal and Rhythmic subtests of the IMMA. Children using CIs showed trends

  1. Percepção de idosos sobre o uso de AASI concedido pelo Sistema Único de Saúde Elderly perception on the use of hearing aids given by the health ystem (SUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Indiara de Mesquita Fialho

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: conhecer a percepção de idosos sobre o uso de aparelhos de amplificação sonora individuais (AASI concedidos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS. MÉTODOS: estudo de caráter qualitativo. Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com 19 idosos, entre 60 e 86 anos, com adaptação binaural e tempo de uso de AASI entre seis meses e um ano. As entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas para posterior leitura e análise temática. As categorias estabelecidas foram: dificuldades de comunicação sem AASI; o acesso ao AASI e o processo de adaptação ao uso; o impacto do uso do AASI na comunicação. RESULTADOS: a dificuldade para se comunicar foi maior em situações em que há várias pessoas conversando; a dificuldade está em entender e não em ouvir, demonstrando uma preocupação em ressaltar o que sentem em ser surdo. A maioria dos participantes não realizou a adaptação do AASI anteriormente por não ter condições financeiras e revela que o que possibilitou o acesso foi a implantação do Serviço de Atenção à Saúde Auditiva. As dificuldades encontradas no processo de adaptação foram: mudança na percepção da própria voz, dificuldade de percepção de fala em ambiente ruidoso e no telefone. Relataram benefício com o uso de AASI na comunicação com familiares e com estranhos. CONCLUSÃO: destaca-se a importância do processo de acompanhamento para que as dificuldades de adaptação possam ser detectadas e minimizadas, para que efetivamente o sujeito obtenha benefício e satisfação com este tratamento.PURPOSE: to know elderly perception of hearing aids use given by the health system (SUS. METHODS: qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 19 subjects with age ranging from 60 to 86 years, with binaural adaptation and using hearing aids from six months to one year. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for further reading and thematic analysis. The settled categories were

  2. Aparelho de amplificação sonora individual: melhora a sensação de zumbido? Hearing aid: does it reduce the sensation of tinnitus?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robson Caique Ferreira da Silva

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: observar se o uso da amplificação sonora além de garantir melhora na inteligibilidade de fala pode proporcionar alívio na sensação de zumbido. MÉTODOS: participaram do presente estudo 21 indivíduos, usuários de aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI que referiam sensação de zumbido, além da perda auditiva sensorioneural, sendo 13 (61,9% indivíduos do sexo feminino e oito (38,1% do sexo masculino. A idade dos participantes variou entre 35 a 88 anos, com idade média de 61 anos. Para a avaliação dos participantes foi utilizado um questionário específico. Os dados foram analisados por meio de análise estatística descritiva e para tanto foram utilizados os testes não paramétricos: qui-quadrado e Kruskal-Wallis H. RESULTADOS: Entre os 21 participantes, 17 (80,9% apresentaram melhora do zumbido, enquanto quatro (19,1% referiram que o aparelho de amplificação não gerou nenhum efeito sobre o sintoma apresentado. CONCLUSÃO: este estudo verificou que a utilização do AASI reduziu imediatamente a sensação de zumbido apresentada na população estudada.PURPOSE: to observe if the use of hearing aid may provide relief in tinnitus sensation besides guarantying the improvement of speech intelligibility. METHODS: a sample was made up by 21 hearing aid users and a specific questionnaire was used for the evaluation of the participants. The ages ranged from 35 to 88-year old, with an average of 61-year old. The tinnitus sensation was mentioned by 13 (61.9% female beings and eight (38.1% male beings beyond sensory neural hearing loss. The results were obtained through a descriptive statistical analysis, and furthermore, non-parametric tests were used, such as chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis H. RESULTS: among the participants 17 (80.9% showed recovery from tinnitus, while four (19.1% said that the hearing aid device did not cause any effect on the evidenced symptoms. CONCLUSION: this study found out that the usage of

  3. Current amplification models of sensorineurall and conductive hearing loss

    OpenAIRE

    Ostojić, Sanja; Mikić, Branka; Mirić, Danica

    2012-01-01

    The main function of a hearing aid is to improve auditory and language abilities of hearing impaired users. The amplification model has to be adapted according to age, degree and type of hearing loss. The goal of this paper is to analyze the current amplification models of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss which can provide a high quality of speech perception and sounds at any degree of hearing loss. The BAHA is a surgically implantable system for treatment of conductive hearing loss ...

  4. Feedback suppression in digital hearing instruments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Guilin

    . Methods to extract the fixed model are proposed and proved to be effective in representing the invariant part of the feedback path. Based on the investigation of the dynamic changes of the feedback path in adverse situations, for example when the user picks up the telephone handset, a reflection model...... canceller with filtered-X adaptation by injecting nearly inaudible noise. The second approach uses a linear predicative coding based vocoder to synthesize the hearing-aid output in order to decorrelate the hearing-aid output signal and the desired input signal. In the end, a discussion about the use...

  5. The Ogden Anchor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knudson, W E; Cerniglia, M W; Carro, A

    1998-06-01

    Many procedures performed by podiatric surgeons today require the use of a soft-tissue anchoring device. In recent years, many new anchoring devices have become available for use in the foot and ankle. The authors introduce a new soft-tissue anchoring device that has yet to be described in the podiatric literature and present two cases in which the new anchor was used.

  6. Evaluation of State-of-the-Art Acoustic Feedback Cancellation Systems for Hearing Aids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guo, Meng; Jensen, Søren Holdt; Jensen, Jesper

    2013-01-01

    This research evaluates four state-of-the-art acoustic feedback cancellation systems in hearing aids in terms of the cancellation performance, sound quality degradation, and computational complexity. The authors compared a traditional full-band system to a system with a prediction error method...... in a full band, a subband system, a subband system with frequency shifting, and a recently proposed subband system with a novel probe noise deployment. All systems outperformed the traditional full-band system in cancellation performance, especially the subband system with probe noise is most effective...... for cancellation. However, in all cases there was a trade-off between performance and computational cost. With a 3-times increase in computation load, the probe noise based cancellation system can be realized that functions even in the most challenging feedback situation....

  7. Self-esteem in children and adolescents with hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner-Czyz, Andrea D; Loy, Betty A; Evans, Christine; Wetsel, Ashton; Tobey, Emily A

    2015-03-09

    Children with hearing loss are at risk for lower self-esteem due to differences from hearing peers relative to communication skills, physical appearance, and social maturity. This study examines the influence of generic factors unrelated to hearing loss (e.g., age, gender, temperament) and specific factors associated with hearing loss (e.g., age at identification, communication skills) on how children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids appraise self-esteem. Fifty children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids participated (Mean age: 12.88 years; mean duration of device use: 3.43 years). Participants independently completed online questionnaires to assess communication skills, social engagement, self-esteem, and temperament. Children with hearing loss rated global self-esteem significantly more positively than hearing peers, t = 2.38, p = .02. Self-esteem ratings attained significant positive correlations with affiliation (r = .42, p = .002) and attention (r = .45, p = .001) temperaments and a significant negative association with depressive mood (r = - .60, p self-esteem and demographic factors, communication skills, or social engagement. Because successful communication abilities do not always co-occur with excellent quality of life, clinicians and professionals working with children with hearing loss need to understand components contributing to self-esteem to improve identification, counseling, and external referrals for children in this population. © The Author(s) 2015.

  8. Self-Esteem in Children and Adolescents With Hearing Loss

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loy, Betty A.; Evans, Christine; Wetsel, Ashton; Tobey, Emily A.

    2015-01-01

    Children with hearing loss are at risk for lower self-esteem due to differences from hearing peers relative to communication skills, physical appearance, and social maturity. This study examines the influence of generic factors unrelated to hearing loss (e.g., age, gender, temperament) and specific factors associated with hearing loss (e.g., age at identification, communication skills) on how children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids appraise self-esteem. Fifty children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids participated (Mean age: 12.88 years; mean duration of device use: 3.43 years). Participants independently completed online questionnaires to assess communication skills, social engagement, self-esteem, and temperament. Children with hearing loss rated global self-esteem significantly more positively than hearing peers, t = 2.38, p = .02. Self-esteem ratings attained significant positive correlations with affiliation (r = .42, p = .002) and attention (r = .45, p = .001) temperaments and a significant negative association with depressive mood (r = − .60, p self-esteem and demographic factors, communication skills, or social engagement. Because successful communication abilities do not always co-occur with excellent quality of life, clinicians and professionals working with children with hearing loss need to understand components contributing to self-esteem to improve identification, counseling, and external referrals for children in this population. PMID:25755025

  9. Presbycusis, part 1: can you hear the music of life?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchison, Barbara; Covan, Eleanor K; Bogus, Janet C

    2012-01-01

    We used a novel approach allowing participants in this study to self-monitor their hearing sensitivity to familiar sounds in the environment. The objective of this approach was to establish whether participants in the 80-89 and 90-99 age groups would recognize the degree of their hearing impairment. It was our hope that participants would value audiology treatment and that it would improve their quality of life over a short period. The pilot study took place in a clinical environment where participants answered survey questions before and after audiology treatment, which pertained to their hearing impairment, morale, social support, and life satisfaction. Caregivers were included in the research to rate and record participants' problem behaviors (e.g., shouting, anger, agitation, repetitive speech dialog, and depression) before, during, and after treatment. This research validates other scientists' findings that annoying problem behaviors may actually be the result of hearing loss because of a person's inability to recognize speech. The pilot study shows that participants with mild dementia adapted well to speech and sounds in the natural environment without agitation as well as to management of hearing aids within a 30-day period. The participants with moderate dementia were slower to adapt. All participants with dementia required the cooperation of their caregivers to maintain hygiene of ear canals and hearing aids and insertion. This study suggests that the sooner people receive treatment for hearing loss, the quicker they are to recognize speech and to master hearing aid technology.

  10. [Examination of relationship between level of hearing and written language skills in 10-14-year-old hearing impaired children].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turğut, Nedim; Karlıdağ, Turgut; Başar, Figen; Yalçın, Şinasi; Kaygusuz, İrfan; Keleş, Erol; Birkent, Ömer Faruk

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to review the relationship between written language skills and factors which are thought to affect this skill such as mean hearing loss, duration of auditory deprivation, speech discrimination score, and pre-school education attendance and socioeconomic status of hearing impaired children who attend 4th-7th grades in primary school in inclusive environment. The study included 25 hearing impaired children (14 males, 11 females; mean age 11.4±1.4 years; range 10 to 14 years) (study group) and 20 children (9 males, 11 females; mean age 11.5±1.3 years; range 10 to 14 years) (control group) with normal hearing in the same age group and studying in the same class. Study group was separated into two subgroups as group 1a and group 1b since some of the children with hearing disability used hearing aid while some used cochlear implant. Intragroup comparisons and relational screening were performed for those who use hearing aids and cochlear implants. Intergroup comparisons were performed to evaluate the effect of the parameters on written language skills. Written expression skill level of children with hearing disability was significantly lower than their normal hearing peers (p=0.001). A significant relationship was detected between written language skills and mean hearing loss (p=0.048), duration of auditory deprivation (p=0.021), speech discrimination score (p=0.014), and preschool attendance (p=0.005), when it comes to socioeconomic status we were not able to find any significant relationship (p=0.636). It can be said that hearing loss affects written language skills negatively and hearing impaired individuals develop low-level written language skills compared to their normal hearing peers.

  11. Fiber glass-bioactive glass composite for bone replacing and bone anchoring implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallittu, Pekka K; Närhi, Timo O; Hupa, Leena

    2015-04-01

    Although metal implants have successfully been used for decades, devices made out of metals do not meet all clinical requirements, for example, metal objects may interfere with some new medical imaging systems, while their stiffness also differs from natural bone and may cause stress-shielding and over-loading of bone. Peer-review articles and other scientific literature were reviewed for providing up-dated information how fiber-reinforced composites and bioactive glass can be utilized in implantology. There has been a lot of development in the field of composite material research, which has focused to a large extent on biodegradable composites. However, it has become evident that biostable composites may also have several clinical benefits. Fiber reinforced composites containing bioactive glasses are relatively new types of biomaterials in the field of implantology. Biostable glass fibers are responsible for the load-bearing capacity of the implant, while the dissolution of the bioactive glass particles supports bone bonding and provides antimicrobial properties for the implant. These kinds of combination materials have been used clinically in cranioplasty implants and they have been investigated also as oral and orthopedic implants. The present knowledge suggests that by combining glass fiber-reinforced composite with particles of bioactive glass can be used in cranial implants and that the combination of materials may have potential use also as other types of bone replacing and repairing implants. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Hearing Loss in HIV-Infected Children in Lilongwe, Malawi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hrapcak, Susan; Kuper, Hannah; Bartlett, Peter; Devendra, Akash; Makawa, Atupele; Kim, Maria; Kazembe, Peter; Ahmed, Saeed

    2016-01-01

    Introduction With improved access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV infection is becoming a chronic illness. Preliminary data suggest that HIV-infected children have a higher risk of disabilities, including hearing impairment, although data are sparse. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and types of hearing loss in HIV-infected children in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of 380 HIV-infected children aged 4–14 years attending ART clinic in Lilongwe between December 2013-March 2014. Data was collected through pediatric quality of life and sociodemographic questionnaires, electronic medical record review, and detailed audiologic testing. Hearing loss was defined as >20 decibels hearing level (dBHL) in either ear. Predictors of hearing loss were explored by regression analysis generating age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios. Children with significant hearing loss were fitted with hearing aids. Results Of 380 patients, 24% had hearing loss: 82% conductive, 14% sensorineural, and 4% mixed. Twenty-one patients (23% of those with hearing loss) were referred for hearing aid fitting. There was a higher prevalence of hearing loss in children with history of frequent ear infections (OR 7.4, 4.2–13.0) and ear drainage (OR 6.4, 3.6–11.6). Hearing loss was linked to history of WHO Stage 3 (OR 2.4, 1.2–4.5) or Stage 4 (OR 6.4, 2.7–15.2) and history of malnutrition (OR 2.1, 1.3–3.5), but not to duration of ART or CD4. Only 40% of caregivers accurately perceived their child’s hearing loss. Children with hearing impairment were less likely to attend school and had poorer emotional (p = 0.02) and school functioning (p = 0.04). Conclusions There is an urgent need for improved screening tools, identification and treatment of hearing problems in HIV-infected children, as hearing loss was common in this group and affected school functioning and quality of life. Clear strategies were identified for prevention and treatment, since most

  13. Collagenous microstructure of the glenoid labrum and biceps anchor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, A M; Hoerning, E J; Brook, K; Smith, C D; Moss, J; Ryder, T; Wallace, A L; Bull, A M J

    2008-06-01

    The glenoid labrum is a significant passive stabilizer of the shoulder joint. However, its microstructural form remains largely unappreciated, particularly in the context of its variety of functions. The focus of labral microscopy has often been histology and, as such, there is very little appreciation of collagen composition and arrangement of the labrum, and hence the micromechanics of the structure. On transmission electron microscopy, significant differences in diameter, area and perimeter were noted in the two gross histological groups of collagen fibril visualized; this suggests a heterogeneous collagenous composition with potentially distinct mechanical function. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated three distinct zones of interest: a superficial mesh, a dense circumferential braided core potentially able to accommodate hoop stresses, and a loosely packed peri-core zone. Confocal microscopy revealed an articular surface fine fibrillar mesh potentially able to reduce surface friction, bundles of circumferential encapsulated fibres in the bulk of the tissue, and bone anchoring fibres at the osseous interface. Varying microstructure throughout the depth of the labrum suggests a role in accommodating different types of loading. An understanding of the labral microstructure can lead to development of hypotheses based upon an appreciation of this component of material property. This may aid an educated approach to surgical timing and repair.

  14. Low empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (preadolescents compared to normal hearing controls.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anouk P Netten

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the level of empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (preadolescents compared to normal hearing controls and to define the influence of language and various hearing loss characteristics on the development of empathy.The study group (mean age 11.9 years consisted of 122 deaf and hard of hearing children (52 children with cochlear implants and 70 children with conventional hearing aids and 162 normal hearing children. The two groups were compared using self-reports, a parent-report and observation tasks to rate the children's level of empathy, their attendance to others' emotions, emotion recognition, and supportive behavior.Deaf and hard of hearing children reported lower levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than normal hearing children, regardless of their type of hearing device. The level of emotion recognition was equal in both groups. During observations, deaf and hard of hearing children showed more attention to the emotion evoking events but less supportive behavior compared to their normal hearing peers. Deaf and hard of hearing children attending mainstream education or using oral language show higher levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than deaf and hard of hearing children who use sign (supported language or attend special education. However, they are still outperformed by normal hearing children.Deaf and hard of hearing children, especially those in special education, show lower levels of empathy than normal hearing children, which can have consequences for initiating and maintaining relationships.

  15. Comparison of Gated Audiovisual Speech Identification in Elderly Hearing Aid Users and Elderly Normal-Hearing Individuals: Effects of Adding Visual Cues to Auditory Speech Stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi, Shahram; Lidestam, Björn; Rönnberg, Jerker

    2016-06-17

    The present study compared elderly hearing aid (EHA) users (n = 20) with elderly normal-hearing (ENH) listeners (n = 20) in terms of isolation points (IPs, the shortest time required for correct identification of a speech stimulus) and accuracy of audiovisual gated speech stimuli (consonants, words, and final words in highly and less predictable sentences) presented in silence. In addition, we compared the IPs of audiovisual speech stimuli from the present study with auditory ones extracted from a previous study, to determine the impact of the addition of visual cues. Both participant groups achieved ceiling levels in terms of accuracy in the audiovisual identification of gated speech stimuli; however, the EHA group needed longer IPs for the audiovisual identification of consonants and words. The benefit of adding visual cues to auditory speech stimuli was more evident in the EHA group, as audiovisual presentation significantly shortened the IPs for consonants, words, and final words in less predictable sentences; in the ENH group, audiovisual presentation only shortened the IPs for consonants and words. In conclusion, although the audiovisual benefit was greater for EHA group, this group had inferior performance compared with the ENH group in terms of IPs when supportive semantic context was lacking. Consequently, EHA users needed the initial part of the audiovisual speech signal to be longer than did their counterparts with normal hearing to reach the same level of accuracy in the absence of a semantic context. © The Author(s) 2016.

  16. Desenvolvimento de prótese auditiva digital para atendimento da Portaria nº 587 (APAC do Ministério da Saúde: Health Department Development of a digital hearing aid to meet the Brazilian Government's Ordinance 587 (APAC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvio Pires Penteado

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available O tratamento das disacusias sensório-neurais está balizado no uso de próteses auditivas, conhecidas como aparelhos auditivos ou aparelhos de amplificação sonora individuais. As próteses auditivas adquiridas pelo Governo Brasileiro para a condução de políticas públicas têm como uma de suas características a utilização de componentes dedicados, o que traz benefícios, mas que encarece a aquisição e pode inviabilizar os serviços de reparo após o término da garantia do fabricante. OBJETIVO: Desenvolver próteses auditivas digitais no desenho retroauricular, construídas a partir de componentes padronizados oriundos da própria cadeia de suprimentos dos fabricantes de próteses auditivas. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Experimental. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Identificar a cadeia de suprimentos destes fabricantes, solicitar amostras e montar próteses auditivas em laboratório. RESULTADOS: As próteses auditivas desenvolvidas apresentaram recursos eletroacústicos não inferiores àquelas adquiridas pelo Governo, sendo adicionalmente atestadas pela mesma norma técnica internacional de referência. CONCLUSÃO: É possível desenvolver próteses auditivas digitais no desenho retroauricular montados a partir de componentes padronizados da cadeia de suprimentos dos fabricantes de próteses auditivas. Suas vantagens residem no baixo custo operacional - aquisição (com vantagens para o Governo e de manutenção (com vantagens para o paciente.The treatment of sensorineural hearing loss is based on hearing aids, also known as individual sound amplification devices. The hearing aids purchased by the Brazilian Government, aiming at fulfilling public policies, are based on dedicated components, which bring about benefits, but also render them expensive and may impair repair services after manufacture's warranty expires. AIM: to design digital behind-the-ear hearing aids built from standardized components coming from the very supply chain of these manufacturers

  17. Study of the Ability of Articulation Index (Al for Predicting the Unaided and Aided Speech Recognition Performance of 25 to 65 Years Old Hearing-Impaired Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghasem Mohammad Khani

    2001-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: In recent years there has been increased interest in the use of Al for assessing hearing handicap and for measuring the potential effectiveness of amplification system. AI is an expression of proportion of average speech signal that is audible to a given patient, and it can vary between 0.0 to 1.0. Method and Materials: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in department of audiology, rehabilitation, faculty, IUMS form 31 Oct 98 to 7 March 1999, on 40 normal hearing persons (80 ears; 19 males and 21 females and 40 hearing impaired persons (61 ears; 36 males and 25 females, 25-65 years old with moderate to moderately severe SNI-IL The pavlovic procedure (1988 for calculating Al, open set taped standard mono syllabic word lists, and the real -ear probe- tube microphone system to measure insertion gain were used, through test-retest. Results: 1/A significant correlation was shown between the Al scores and the speech recognition scores of normal hearing and hearing-impaired group with and without the hearing aid (P<0.05 2/ There was no significant differences in age group & sex: also 3 In test-retest measures of the insertion gain in each test and 4/No significant in test-retest of speech recognition test score. Conclusion: According to these results the Al can predict the unaided and aided monosyllabic recognition test scores very well, and age and sex variables have no effect on its ability. Therefore with respect to high reliability of the Al results and its simplicity, easy -to- use, cost effective, and little time consuming for calculation, its recommended the wide use of the Al, especially in clinical situation.

  18. Enhancing Auditory Selective Attention Using a Visually Guided Hearing Aid

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Listeners with hearing loss, as well as many listeners with clinically normal hearing, often experience great difficulty segregating talkers in a multiple-talker sound field and selectively attending to the desired “target” talker while ignoring the speech from unwanted “masker” talkers and other sources of sound. This listening situation forms the classic “cocktail party problem” described by Cherry (1953) that has received a great deal of study over the past few decades. In this article, a new approach to improving sound source segregation and enhancing auditory selective attention is described. The conceptual design, current implementation, and results obtained to date are reviewed and discussed in this article. Method This approach, embodied in a prototype “visually guided hearing aid” (VGHA) currently used for research, employs acoustic beamforming steered by eye gaze as a means for improving the ability of listeners to segregate and attend to one sound source in the presence of competing sound sources. Results The results from several studies demonstrate that listeners with normal hearing are able to use an attention-based “spatial filter” operating primarily on binaural cues to selectively attend to one source among competing spatially distributed sources. Furthermore, listeners with sensorineural hearing loss generally are less able to use this spatial filter as effectively as are listeners with normal hearing especially in conditions high in “informational masking.” The VGHA enhances auditory spatial attention for speech-on-speech masking and improves signal-to-noise ratio for conditions high in “energetic masking.” Visual steering of the beamformer supports the coordinated actions of vision and audition in selective attention and facilitates following sound source transitions in complex listening situations. Conclusions Both listeners with normal hearing and with sensorineural hearing loss may benefit from the acoustic

  19. Self-Esteem in Children and Adolescents With Hearing Loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea D. Warner-Czyz

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Children with hearing loss are at risk for lower self-esteem due to differences from hearing peers relative to communication skills, physical appearance, and social maturity. This study examines the influence of generic factors unrelated to hearing loss (e.g., age, gender, temperament and specific factors associated with hearing loss (e.g., age at identification, communication skills on how children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids appraise self-esteem. Fifty children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids participated (Mean age: 12.88 years; mean duration of device use: 3.43 years. Participants independently completed online questionnaires to assess communication skills, social engagement, self-esteem, and temperament. Children with hearing loss rated global self-esteem significantly more positively than hearing peers, t = 2.38, p = .02. Self-esteem ratings attained significant positive correlations with affiliation (r = .42, p = .002 and attention (r = .45, p = .001 temperaments and a significant negative association with depressive mood (r = − .60, p < .0001. No significant correlations emerged between self-esteem and demographic factors, communication skills, or social engagement. Because successful communication abilities do not always co-occur with excellent quality of life, clinicians and professionals working with children with hearing loss need to understand components contributing to self-esteem to improve identification, counseling, and external referrals for children in this population.

  20. Masking Release in Children and Adults with Hearing Loss When Using Amplification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Marc; McCreery, Ryan; Kopun, Judy; Lewis, Dawna; Alexander, Joshua; Stelmachowicz, Patricia

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This study compared masking release for adults and children with normal hearing and hearing loss. For the participants with hearing loss, masking release using simulated hearing aid amplification with 2 different compression speeds (slow, fast) was compared. Method: Sentence recognition in unmodulated noise was compared with recognition…