Human Frequency Following Responses to Vocoded Speech

Objectives: Vocoders offer an effective platform to simulate the effects of cochlear implant speech processing strategies in normal-hearing listeners. Several behavioral studies have examined the effects of varying spectral and temporal cues on vocoded speech perception; however, little is known about the neural indices of vocoded speech perception. Here, the scalp-recorded frequency following response (FFR) was used to study the effects of varying spectral and temporal cues on brainstem neural representation of specific acoustic cues, the temporal envelope periodicity related to fundamental frequency (F0) and temporal fine structure (TFS) related to formant and formant-related frequencies, as reflected in the phase-locked neural activity in response to vocoded speech. Design: In experiment 1, FFRs were measured in 12 normal-hearing, adult listeners in response to a steady state English back vowel /u/ presented in an unaltered, unprocessed condition and six sine-vocoder conditions with varying numbers of channels (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32), while the temporal envelope cutoff frequency was fixed at 500 Hz. In experiment 2, FFRs were obtained from 14 normal-hearing, adult listeners in response to the same English vowel /u/, presented in an unprocessed condition and four vocoded conditions where both the temporal envelope cutoff frequency (50 versus 500 Hz) and carrier type (sine wave versus noise band) were varied separately with the number of channels fixed at 8. Fast Fourier Transform was applied to the time waveforms of FFR to analyze the strength of brainstem neural representation of temporal envelope periodicity (F0) and TFS-related peaks (formant structure). Results: Brainstem neural representation of both temporal envelope and TFS cues improved when the number of channels increased from 1 to 4, followed by a plateau with 8 and 16 channels, and a reduction in phase-locking strength with 32 channels. For the sine vocoders, peaks in the FFRTFS spectra corresponded with the low-frequency sine-wave carriers and side band frequencies in the stimulus spectra. When the temporal envelope cutoff frequency increased from 50 to 500 Hz, an improvement was observed in brainstem F0 representation with no change in brainstem representation of spectral peaks proximal to the first formant frequency (F1). There was no significant effect of carrier type (sine- versus noise-vocoder) on brainstem neural representation of F0 cues when the temporal envelope cutoff frequency was 500 Hz. Conclusions: While the improvement in neural representation of temporal envelope and TFS cues with up to 4 vocoder channels is consistent with the behavioral literature, the reduced neural phase-locking strength noted with even more channels may be because of the narrow bandwidth of each channel as the number of channels increases. Stronger neural representation of temporal envelope cues with higher temporal envelope cutoff frequencies is likely a reflection of brainstem neural phase-locking to F0-related periodicity fluctuations preserved in the 500-Hz temporal envelopes, which are unavailable in the 50-Hz temporal envelopes. No effect of temporal envelope cutoff frequency was seen for neural representation of TFS cues, suggesting that spectral side band frequencies created by the 500-Hz temporal envelopes did not improve neural representation of F1 cues over the 50-Hz temporal envelopes. Finally, brainstem F0 representation was not significantly affected by carrier type with a temporal envelope cutoff frequency of 500 Hz, which is inconsistent with previous results of behavioral studies examining pitch perception of vocoded stimuli.

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Hearing Threshold Shifts Among 11- to 35-Year-Olds With Early Hearing Impairment

Objectives: Data obtained from the clinical records of selected 11- to 35-year-olds with preadult onset hearing impairment were analyzed with 2 primary aims: (1) to determine the incidence of hearing threshold level (HTL) shift in this cohort and, (2) to examine the relationship between HTL shift, whole-of-life noise exposure, and other factors. Design: Cross-sectional cohort study. Retrospective HTL + survey data for a sample of 237 young Australians receiving hearing (re)habilitation services were obtained. From these data, two subsets, (A) n = 127 and (B) n = 79, were analyzed. Participants with risk factors for progressive hearing loss (other than noise exposure) were excluded from both subsets. Subset (A) additionally excluded cochlear implant recipients, and subset (B) excluded cases with diagnosis of hearing loss after age 5 years. Using subset (A) data, the differences between final (recent) and specified baseline (initial) HTLs at 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz were calculated and three criteria for HTL shift were applied. Correlations between reported noise exposure and HTL shift were calculated (Mann–Whitney U test). Using subset (B) data, relationships between high frequency (HF) HTL shift and exposure, and other personal and extrinsic factors were examined (Cox Regression model). Survival analyses (Kaplan–Meier) were performed to reveal the temporal pattern of HF shift. The magnitude of HF shifts at 5, 10, and 15 years post initial (i.e., specified baseline) audiogram were also calculated. Results: For subset (A), HTL shift (≥15 dB any frequency, and/or ≥10 dB* at two adjacent frequencies) was observed in 46.5% of cases examined. HF shift (≥15 dB at 2000 and/or 4000 Hz; one or both ears) was observed in 33.1% of cases. There was no relationship between HTL shift and reported whole-of-life exposure. For subset (B), no relationship was found between HF shift and noise exposure, nor 9 of 10 personal or extrinsic covariates tested. HF shift was significantly associated with HTL ≥ 70 dB at 2000 and/or 4000 Hz at initial audiogram. Survival analysis also illustrated that HF shift was more frequent, and occurred earlier, when HF hearing loss was ≥70 dB at initial audiogram. Median HF shifts at 15 years after initial audiogram were in the magnitude of 5 to 10 dB, and at the 90th percentile were 25 to 30 dB. Conclusions: HTL shift was observed in almost 50% of cases without predisposing factors for progressive hearing loss. The magnitude of HF shift increased gradually over time. While no relationship was found between HTL shift and noise exposure, the interpretation of this finding is restrained by the small spread of whole-of-life noise exposures, within a relatively conservative range. Nevertheless, this is the first direct examination of the relationship between HTL shift and noise exposure in young people with preadult hearing impairment.

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Combined Electric and Acoustic Stimulation With Hearing Preservation: Effect of Cochlear Implant Low-Frequency Cutoff on Speech Understanding and Perceived Listening Difficulty

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of electric and acoustic overlap for speech understanding in typical listening conditions using semidiffuse noise. Design: This study used a within-subjects, repeated measures design including 11 experienced adult implant recipients (13 ears) with functional residual hearing in the implanted and nonimplanted ear. The aided acoustic bandwidth was fixed and the low-frequency cutoff for the cochlear implant (CI) was varied systematically. Assessments were completed in the R-SPACE sound-simulation system which includes a semidiffuse restaurant noise originating from eight loudspeakers placed circumferentially about the subject’s head. AzBio sentences were presented at 67 dBA with signal to noise ratio varying between +10 and 0 dB determined individually to yield approximately 50 to 60% correct for the CI-alone condition with full CI bandwidth. Listening conditions for all subjects included CI alone, bimodal (CI + contralateral hearing aid), and bilateral-aided electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS; CI + bilateral hearing aid). Low-frequency cutoffs both below and above the original “clinical software recommendation” frequency were tested for all patients, in all conditions. Subjects estimated listening difficulty for all conditions using listener ratings based on a visual analog scale. Results: Three primary findings were that (1) there was statistically significant benefit of preserved acoustic hearing in the implanted ear for most overlap conditions, (2) the default clinical software recommendation rarely yielded the highest level of speech recognition (1 of 13 ears), and (3) greater EAS overlap than that provided by the clinical recommendation yielded significant improvements in speech understanding. Conclusions: For standard-electrode CI recipients with preserved hearing, spectral overlap of acoustic and electric stimuli yielded significantly better speech understanding and less listening effort in a laboratory-based, restaurant-noise simulation. In conclusion, EAS patients may derive more benefit from greater acoustic and electric overlap than given in current software fitting recommendations, which are based solely on audiometric threshold. These data have larger scientific implications, as previous studies may not have assessed outcomes with optimized EAS parameters, thereby underestimating the benefit afforded by hearing preservation.

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Binaural Interaction Effects of 30–50 Hz Auditory Steady State Responses

Objectives: Auditory stimuli modulated by modulation frequencies within the 30 to 50 Hz region evoke auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) with high signal to noise ratios in adults, and can be used to determine the frequency-specific hearing thresholds of adults who are unable to give behavioral feedback reliably. To measure ASSRs as efficiently as possible a multiple stimulus paradigm can be used, stimulating both ears simultaneously. The response strength of 30 to 50Hz ASSRs is, however, affected when both ears are stimulated simultaneously. The aim of the present study is to gain insight in the measurement efficiency of 30 to 50 Hz ASSRs evoked with a 2-ear stimulation paradigm, by systematically investigating the binaural interaction effects of 30 to 50 Hz ASSRs in normal-hearing adults. Design: ASSRs were obtained with a 64-channel EEG system in 23 normal-hearing adults. All participants participated in one diotic, multiple dichotic, and multiple monaural conditions. Stimuli consisted of a modulated one-octave noise band, centered at 1 kHz, and presented at 70 dB SPL. The diotic condition contained 40 Hz modulated stimuli presented to both ears. In the dichotic conditions, the modulation frequency of the left ear stimulus was kept constant at 40 Hz, while the stimulus at the right ear was either the unmodulated or modulated carrier. In case of the modulated carrier, the modulation frequency varied between 30 and 50 Hz in steps of 2 Hz across conditions. The monaural conditions consisted of all stimuli included in the diotic and dichotic conditions. Results: Modulation frequencies ≥36 Hz resulted in prominent ASSRs in all participants for the monaural conditions. A significant enhancement effect was observed (average: ~3 dB) in the diotic condition, whereas a significant reduction effect was observed in the dichotic conditions. There was no distinct effect of the temporal characteristics of the stimuli on the amount of reduction. The attenuation was in 33% of the cases >3 dB for ASSRs evoked with modulation frequencies ≥40 Hz and 50% for ASSRs evoked with modulation frequencies ≤36 Hz. Conclusions: Binaural interaction effects as observed in the diotic condition are similar to the binaural interaction effects of middle latency responses as reported in the literature, suggesting that these responses share a same underlying mechanism. Our data also indicated that 30 to 50 Hz ASSRs are attenuated when presented dichotically and that this attenuation is independent of the stimulus characteristics as used in the present study. These findings are important as they give insight in how binaural interaction affects the measurement efficiency. The 2-ear stimulation paradigm of the present study was, for the most optimal modulation frequencies (i.e., ≥40 Hz), more efficient than a 1-ear sequential stimulation paradigm in 66% of the cases.

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Pre- and Postoperative Binaural Unmasking for Bimodal Cochlear Implant Listeners

Objectives: Cochlear implants (CIs) are increasingly recommended to individuals with residual bilateral acoustic hearing. Although new hearing-preserving electrode designs and surgical approaches show great promise, CI recipients are still at risk to lose acoustic hearing in the implanted ear, which could prevent the ability to take advantage of binaural unmasking to aid speech recognition in noise. This study examined the tradeoff between the benefits of a CI for speech understanding in noise and the potential loss of binaural unmasking for CI recipients with some bilateral preoperative acoustic hearing. Design: Binaural unmasking is difficult to evaluate in CI candidates because speech perception in noise is generally too poor to measure reliably in the range of signal to noise ratios (SNRs) where binaural intelligibility level differences (BILDs) are typically observed (

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Comment on Ohlenforst et al. (2016) Exploring the Relationship Between Working Memory, Compressor Speed, and Background Noise Characteristics, Ear Hear 37, 137–143

No abstract available

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Listening Effort Through Depth of Processing in School-Age Children

Objectives: A reliable and practical measure of listening effort is crucial in the aural rehabilitation of children with communication disorders. In this article, we propose a novel behavioral paradigm designed to measure listening effort in school-age children based on different depths and levels of verbal processing. The paradigm consists of a classic word recognition task performed in quiet and in noise coupled to one of three additional tasks asking the children to judge the color of simple pictures or a certain semantic category of the presented words. The response time (RT) from the categorization tasks is considered the primary indicator of listening effort. Design: The listening effort paradigm was evaluated in a group of 31 normal-hearing, normal-developing children 7 to 12 years of age. A total of 146 Dutch nouns were selected for the experiment after surveying 14 local Dutch-speaking children. Windows-based custom software was developed to administer the behavioral paradigm from a conventional laptop computer. A separate touch screen was used as a response interface to gather the RT data from the participants. Verbal repetition of each presented word was scored by the tester and a percentage-correct word recognition score (WRS) was calculated for each condition. Randomized lists of target words were presented in one of three signal to noise ratios (SNR) to examine the effect of background noise on the two outcome measures of WRS and RT. Three novel categorization tasks, each corresponding to a different depth or elaboration level of semantic processing, were developed to examine the effect of processing level on either WRS or RT. It was hypothesized that, while listening effort as measured by RT would be affected by both noise and processing level, WRS performance would be affected by changes in noise level only. The RT measure was also hypothesized to increase more from an increase in noise level in categorization conditions demanding a deeper or more elaborate form of semantic processing. Results: There was a significant effect of SNR level on school-age children’s WRS: their word recognition performance tended to decrease with increasing background noise level. However, depth of processing did not seem to affect WRS. Moreover, a repeated-measure analysis of variance fitted to transformed RT data revealed that this measure of listening effort in normal-hearing school-age children was significantly affected by both SNR level and the depth of semantic processing. There was no significant interaction between noise level and the type of categorization task with regard to RT. Conclusions: The observed patterns of WRS and RT supported the hypotheses regarding the effects of background noise and depth of processing on word recognition performance and a behavioral measure of listening effort. The magnitude of noise-induced change in RT did not differ between categorization tasks, however. Our findings point to future research directions regarding the potential effects of age, working memory capacity, and cross-modality interaction when measuring listening effort in different levels of semantic processing.

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Burden of Hearing Loss on Communication Partners and Its Influence on Pursuit of Hearing Evaluation

Objective: Describe how the burden on the communication partner (CP) from the patient’s hearing loss, as perceived by both the patient and their CP, influences a patient’s pursuit of hearing evaluation. Design: Cross-sectional design. Demographics, perception of patient’s hearing loss, and associated burden on the CP were collected from both patient and CP via online questionnaires. Patients and their CPs from Duke University Medical Center Otolaryngology Clinic, 55 to 75 years of age, being seen for any reason, who indicated a CP has expressed concern about their hearing. Final sample was 245 matched pairs. Results: Based on completed questionnaires, on average, patients perceived their own hearing loss as more burdensome to the CP than the CP did. However, CPs of patients who believed themselves to have no hearing handicap scored the patient’s hearing loss 54.3% higher than the patient. The patient’s perspective about the amount of burden their hearing loss placed on the CP predicted patients seeking a hearing evaluation. Conclusions: Recognition of early stage hearing loss and associated burden on CPs may be delayed in patients; CPs may help elucidate unrecognized concerns. Educational approaches that raise awareness of burden of hearing loss on CPs along with hearing loss indications could be a feasible, multidimensional strategy to promote help seeking behaviors.

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Long-Term Outcomes, Education, and Occupational Level in Cochlear Implant Recipients Who Were Implanted in Childhood

Objectives: To document the long-term outcomes of auditory performance, educational status, vocational training, and occupational situation in users of cochlear implants (CIs) who were implanted in childhood. Design: This retrospective cross-sectional study of 933 recipients of CIs examined auditory performance, education and vocational training, and occupational outcomes. All participants received their first CI during their childhood between 1986 and 2000. Speech comprehension results were categorized using the categories of auditory performance (CAP) arranged in order of increasing difficulty ranging from 0 to 8. 174 of the 933 pediatric recipients of CIs completed a self-assessment questionnaire regarding their education and occupational outcomes. To measure and compare school education, qualifications were converted into International Standard Classification of Education levels (ISCED-97). Occupations were converted into International Standard Classification of Occupation-88 skill levels. Data from the German General Social Survey (Allgemeine Bevölkerungsumfrage der Sozialwissenschaften/ALLBUS) for 2012 were used as a basis for comparing some of the collected data with the general population in Germany. Results: The results showed that 86.8% of the 174 participants who completed the survey used their devices more than 11 hr per day. Only 2% of the surveyed individuals were nonusers. Median CAP was 4.00 (0 to 8). Age at implantation was significantly correlated with CAP level (r = −0.472; p

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Multisensory Integration in Cochlear Implant Recipients

Speech perception is inherently a multisensory process involving integration of auditory and visual cues. Multisensory integration in cochlear implant (CI) recipients is a unique circumstance in that the integration occurs after auditory deprivation and the provision of hearing via the CI. Despite the clear importance of multisensory cues for perception, in general, and for speech intelligibility, specifically, the topic of multisensory perceptual benefits in CI users has only recently begun to emerge as an area of inquiry. We review the research that has been conducted on multisensory integration in CI users to date and suggest a number of areas needing further research. The overall pattern of results indicates that many CI recipients show at least some perceptual gain that can be attributable to multisensory integration. The extent of this gain, however, varies based on a number of factors, including age of implantation and specific task being assessed (e.g., stimulus detection, phoneme perception, word recognition). Although both children and adults with CIs obtain audiovisual benefits for phoneme, word, and sentence stimuli, neither group shows demonstrable gain for suprasegmental feature perception. Additionally, only early-implanted children and the highest performing adults obtain audiovisual integration benefits similar to individuals with normal hearing. Increasing age of implantation in children is associated with poorer gains resultant from audiovisual integration, suggesting a sensitive period in development for the brain networks that subserve these integrative functions, as well as length of auditory experience. This finding highlights the need for early detection of and intervention for hearing loss, not only in terms of auditory perception, but also in terms of the behavioral and perceptual benefits of audiovisual processing. Importantly, patterns of auditory, visual, and audiovisual responses suggest that underlying integrative processes may be fundamentally different between CI users and typical-hearing listeners. Future research, particularly in low-level processing tasks such as signal detection will help to further assess mechanisms of multisensory integration for individuals with hearing loss, both with and without CIs.

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Can You Hear What I Think? Theory of Mind in Young Children With Moderate Hearing Loss

Objectives: The first aim of this study was to examine various aspects of Theory of Mind (ToM) development in young children with moderate hearing loss (MHL) compared with hearing peers. The second aim was to examine the relation between language abilities and ToM in both groups. The third aim was to compare the sequence of ToM development between children with MHL and hearing peers. Design: Forty-four children between 3 and 5 years old with MHL (35 to 70 dB HL) who preferred to use spoken language were identified from a nationwide study on hearing loss in young children. These children were compared with 101 hearing peers. Children were observed during several tasks to measure intention understanding, the acknowledgement of the other’s desires, and belief understanding. Parents completed two scales of the child development inventory to assess expressive language and language comprehension in all participants. Objective language test scores were available from the medical files of children with MHL. Results: Children with MHL showed comparable levels of intention understanding but lower levels of both desire and belief understanding than hearing peers. Parents reported lower language abilities in children with MHL compared with hearing peers. Yet, the language levels of children with MHL were within the average range compared with test normative samples. A stronger relation between language and ToM was found in the hearing children than in children with MHL. The expected developmental sequence of ToM skills was divergent in approximately one-fourth of children with MHL, when compared with hearing children. Conclusion: Children with MHL have more difficulty in their ToM reasoning than hearing peers, despite the fact that their language abilities lie within the average range compared with test normative samples.

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Reporting Newborn Audiologic Results to State EHDI Programs

Objectives: All US states and territories have an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program to facilitate early hearing evaluation and intervention for infants who are deaf or hard of hearing. To ensure efficient coordination of care, the state EHDI programs rely heavily on audiologists’ prompt reporting of a newborn’s hearing status. Several states have regulations requiring mandatory reporting of a newborn’s hearing status. This is an important public health responsibility of pediatric audiologists. Reasons for failing to report vary. Design: The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services (EHDI) facility survey was used to inform reporting compliance of audiology facilities throughout the United States. The survey was disseminated via articles, newsletters, and call-to-action notices to audiologists. Results: Among 1024 facilities surveyed, 88 (8.6%) reported that they did not report newborn’s hearing findings to their state EHDI program. Not knowing how to report to the state EHDI program was the most frequently chosen reason (60%). However, among the 936 facilities that were compliant with the reporting requirements, 51 estimated that they reported less than two-third of all hearing evaluation results (5.4%). Some facilities did not report a normal-hearing result and some failed to report because they assumed another facility would report the hearing results. Conclusions: Survey results indicated that audiologists were compliant reporting hearing results to the state EHDI programs. However, there is room for improvement. Regular provider outreach and training by the state EHDI program is necessary to ensure those who are not reporting will comply and to clarify reporting requirements for those who are already compliant.

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Language Outcomes in Deaf or Hard of Hearing Teenagers Who Are Spoken Language Users: Effects of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Confirmation

Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether (a) exposure to universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) and b) early confirmation of hearing loss were associated with benefits to expressive and receptive language outcomes in the teenage years for a cohort of spoken language users. It also aimed to determine whether either of these two variables was associated with benefits to relative language gain from middle childhood to adolescence within this cohort. Design: The participants were drawn from a prospective cohort study of a population sample of children with bilateral permanent childhood hearing loss, who varied in their exposure to UNHS and who had previously had their language skills assessed at 6–10 years. Sixty deaf or hard of hearing teenagers who were spoken language users and a comparison group of 38 teenagers with normal hearing completed standardized measures of their receptive and expressive language ability at 13–19 years. Results: Teenagers exposed to UNHS did not show significantly better expressive (adjusted mean difference, 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.26 to 1.05; d = 0.32) or receptive (adjusted mean difference, 0.68; 95% CI, −0.56 to 1.93; d = 0.28) language skills than those who were not. Those who had their hearing loss confirmed by 9 months of age did not show significantly better expressive (adjusted mean difference, 0.43; 95% CI, −0.20 to 1.05; d = 0.35) or receptive (adjusted mean difference, 0.95; 95% CI, −0.22 to 2.11; d = 0.42) language skills than those who had it confirmed later. In all cases, effect sizes were of small size and in favor of those exposed to UNHS or confirmed by 9 months. Subgroup analysis indicated larger beneficial effects of early confirmation for those deaf or hard of hearing teenagers without cochlear implants (N = 48; 80% of the sample), and these benefits were significant in the case of receptive language outcomes (adjusted mean difference, 1.55; 95% CI, 0.38 to 2.71; d = 0.78). Exposure to UNHS did not account for significant unique variance in any of the three language scores at 13–19 years beyond that accounted for by existing language scores at 6–10 years. Early confirmation accounted for significant unique variance in the expressive language information score at 13–19 years after adjusting for the corresponding score at 6–10 years (R2 change = 0.08, p = 0.03). Conclusions: This study found that while adolescent language scores were higher for deaf or hard of hearing teenagers exposed to UNHS and those who had their hearing loss confirmed by 9 months, these group differences were not significant within the whole sample. There was some evidence of a beneficial effect of early confirmation of hearing loss on relative expressive language gain from childhood to adolescence. Further examination of the effect of these variables on adolescent language outcomes in other cohorts would be valuable.

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Response to Comment: RE: Ohlenforst et al. (2016) Exploring the Relationship Between Working Memory, Compressor Speed, and Background Noise Characteristics, Ear Hear 37, 137–143

No abstract available

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Cochlear Implantation in Cases of Unilateral Hearing Loss: Initial Localization Abilities

Objectives: The present study evaluated early auditory localization abilities of cochlear implant (CI) recipients with normal or near-normal hearing (NH) in the contralateral ear. The goal of the study was to better understand the effect of CI listening experience on localization in this population. Design: Twenty participants with unilateral hearing loss enrolled in a prospective clinical trial assessing outcomes of cochlear implantation (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02203305). All participants received the MED-EL Standard electrode array, were fit with an ear-level audio processor, and listened with the FS4 coding strategy. Localization was assessed in the sound field using an 11-speaker array with speakers uniformly positioned on a horizontal, semicircular frame. Stimuli were 200-msec speech-shaped noise bursts. The intensity level (52, 62, and 72 dB SPL) and sound source were randomly interleaved across trials. Participants were tested preoperatively, and 1, 3, and 6 months after activation of the audio processor. Performance was evaluated in two conditions at each interval: (1) unaided (NH ear alone [NH-alone] condition), and (2) aided, with either a bone conduction hearing aid (preoperative interval; bone conduction hearing aid + NH condition) or a CI (postoperative intervals; CI + NH condition). Performance was evaluated by comparing root-mean-squared (RMS) error between listening conditions and between measurement intervals. Results: Mean RMS error for the soft, medium, and loud levels were 66°, 64°, and 69° in the NH-alone condition and 72°, 66°, and 70° in the bone conduction hearing aid + NH condition. Participants experienced a significant improvement in localization in the CI + NH condition at the 1-month interval (38°, 35°, and 38°) as compared with the preoperative NH-alone condition. Localization in the CI + NH condition continued to improve through the 6-month interval. Mean RMS errors were 28°, 25°, and 28° in the CI + NH condition at the 6-month interval. Conclusions: Adult CI recipients with normal or near-normal hearing in the contralateral ear experienced significant improvement in localization after 1 month of device use, and continued to improve through the 6-month interval. The present results show that binaural acclimatization in CI users with unilateral hearing loss can progress rapidly, with marked improvements in performance observed after only 1 month of listening experience.

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Relationship Between Peripheral and Psychophysical Measures of Amplitude Modulation Detection in Cochlear Implant Users

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between electrophysiological and psychophysical measures of amplitude modulation (AM) detection. Prior studies have reported both measures of AM detection recorded separately from cochlear implant (CI) users and acutely deafened animals, but no study has made both measures in the same CI users. Animal studies suggest a progressive loss of high-frequency encoding as one ascends the auditory pathway from the auditory nerve to the cortex. Because the CI speech processor uses the envelope of an ongoing acoustic signal to modulate pulse trains that are subsequently delivered to the intracochlear electrodes, it is of interest to explore auditory nerve responses to modulated stimuli. In addition, psychophysical AM detection abilities have been correlated with speech perception outcomes. Thus, the goal was to explore how the auditory nerve responds to AM stimuli and to relate those physiologic measures to perception. Design: Eight patients using Cochlear Ltd. Implants participated in this study. Electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) were recorded using a 4000 pps pulse train that was sinusoidally amplitude modulated at 125, 250, 500, and 1000 Hz rates. Responses were measured for each pulse over at least one modulation cycle for an apical, medial, and basal electrode. Psychophysical modulation detection thresholds (MDTs) were also measured via a three-alternative forced choice, two-down, one-up adaptive procedure using the same modulation frequencies and electrodes. Results: ECAPs were recorded from individual pulses in the AM pulse train. ECAP amplitudes varied sinusoidally, reflecting the sinusoidal variation in the stimulus. A modulated response amplitude (MRA) metric was calculated as the difference in the maximal and minimum ECAP amplitudes over the modulation cycles. MRA increased as modulation frequency increased, with no apparent cutoff (up to 1000 Hz). In contrast, MDTs increased as the modulation frequency increased. This trend is inconsistent with the physiologic measures. For a fixed modulation frequency, correlations were observed between MDTs and MRAs; this trend was evident at all frequencies except 1000 Hz (although only statistically significant for 250 and 500 Hz AM rates), possibly an indication of central limitations in processing of high modulation frequencies. Finally, peripheral responses were larger and psychophysical thresholds were lower in the apical electrodes relative to basal and medial electrodes, which may reflect better cochlear health and neural survival evidenced by lower preoperative low-frequency audiometric thresholds and steeper growth of neural responses in ECAP amplitude growth functions for apical electrodes. Conclusions: Robust ECAPs were recorded for all modulation frequencies tested. ECAP amplitudes varied sinusoidally, reflecting the periodicity of the modulated stimuli. MRAs increased as the modulation frequency increased, a trend we attribute to neural adaptation. For low modulation frequencies, there are multiple current steps between the peak and valley of the modulation cycle, which means successive stimuli are more similar to one another and neural responses are more likely to adapt. Higher MRAs were correlated with lower psychophysical thresholds at low modulation frequencies but not at 1000 Hz, implying a central limitation to processing of modulated stimuli.

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Testing Speech Recognition in Spanish-English Bilingual Children with the Computer-Assisted Speech Perception Assessment (CASPA): Initial Report

No abstract available

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Effects of Simulated Hearing Loss on Bilingual Children’s Consonant Recognition in Noise

Objective: This study investigated the possible impact of simulated hearing loss on speech perception in Spanish-English bilingual children. To avoid confound between individual differences in hearing-loss configuration and linguistic experience, threshold-elevating noise simulating a mild-to-moderate sloping hearing loss was used with normal-hearing listeners. The hypotheses were that: (1) bilingual children can perform similarly to English-speaking monolingual peers in quiet; (2) for both bilingual and monolingual children, noise and simulated hearing loss would have detrimental impacts consistent with their acoustic characteristics (i.e., consonants with high-frequency cues remain highly intelligible in speech-shaped noise, but suffer from simulated hearing loss more than other consonants); (3) differences in phonology and acquisition order between Spanish and English would have additional negative influence on bilingual children’s recognition of some English consonants. Design: Listeners were 11 English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children (6 to 12 years old) and 12 English-speaking, monolingual age peers. All had normal hearing and age-appropriate nonverbal intelligence and expressive English vocabulary. Listeners performed a listen-and-repeat speech perception task. Targets were 13 American English consonants embedded in vowel–consonant–vowel (VCV) syllables. VCVs were presented in quiet and in speech-shaped noise at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of −5, 0, 5 dB (normal-hearing condition). For the simulated hearing-loss condition, threshold-elevating noise modeling a mild-to-moderate sloping sensorineural hearing loss profile was added to the normal-hearing stimuli for 0, 5 dB SNR, and quiet. Responses were scored for consonant correct. Individual listeners’ performance was summarized for average across 13 consonants (overall) and for individual consonants. Results: Groups were compared for the effects of background noise and simulated hearing loss. As predicted, group performed similarly in quiet. The simulated hearing loss had a considerable detrimental impact on both groups, even in the absence of speech-shaped noise. Contrary to our prediction, no group difference was observed at any SNR in either condition. However, although nonsignificant, the greater within-group variance for the bilingual children in the normal-hearing condition indicated a wider “normal” range than for the monolingual children. Interestingly, although it did not contribute to the group difference, bilingual children’s overall consonant recognition in both conditions improved with age, whereas such a developmental trend for monolingual children was observed only in the simulated hearing-loss condition, suggesting possible effects of experience. As for the recognition of individual consonants, the influence of background noise or simulated hearing loss was similar between groups and was consistent with the prediction based on their acoustic characteristics. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that school-age, English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children can recognize English consonants in a background of speech-shaped noise with similar average accuracy as English-speaking monolingual age peers. The general impact of simulated hearing loss was also similar between bilingual and monolingual children. Thus, our hypothesis that bilingual children’s English consonant recognition would suffer from background noise or simulated hearing loss more than the monolingual peers was rejected. However, the present results raise several issues that warrant further investigation, including the possible difference in the “normal” range for bilingual and monolingual children, influence of experience, impact of actual hearing loss on bilingual children, and stimulus quality.

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Consequences of Early Conductive Hearing Loss on Long-Term Binaural Processing

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of early conductive hearing loss on binaural processing in school-age children. Design: One hundred and eighteen children participated in the study, 82 children with a documented history of conductive hearing loss associated with otitis media and 36 controls who had documented histories showing no evidence of otitis media or conductive hearing loss. All children were demonstrated to have normal-hearing acuity and middle ear function at the time of assessment. The Listening in Spatialized Noise Sentence (LiSN-S) task and the masking level difference (MLD) task were used as the two different measures of binaural interaction ability. Results: Children with a history of conductive hearing loss performed significantly poorer than controls on all LiSN-S conditions relying on binaural cues (DV90, p =

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Outcome of Cochlear Implantation in Prelingually Deafened Children According to Molecular Genetic Etiology

Objectives: About 60% of Korean pediatric cochlear implantees could be genetically diagnosed (GD) and we previously reported that a substantial portion of undiagnosed cases by deafness gene panel sequencing were predicted to have a nongenetic or complex etiology. We aimed to compare the outcomes of cochlear implantation (CI) in GD and genetically undiagnosed (GUD) patients and attempted to determine CI outcomes according to etiology. Design: Ninety-three pediatric cochlear implantees underwent molecular genetic testing. Fifty-seven patients carried pathogenic variants and 36 patients remained GUD after panel sequencing of 204 known or potential deafness genes (TRS-204). Among them, 55 cochlear implantees with reliable speech evaluation results with a follow-up of longer than 24 months were recruited. Longitudinal changes in the audiologic performance were compared between the GD (n = 31) and GUD (n = 24) groups. The GD group was subdivided into cochlear implantee with SLC26A4 mutations (group 1) and cochlear implantee with other genetic etiology (group 2), and the GUD group was subdivided into groups 3 and 4, that is, patients with or without inner ear anomaly, respectively. Results: Group 1 related to SLC26A4 mutations had the highest categories of auditory perception scores among all groups pre- and postoperatively. Group 4 with inner ear anomaly had the lowest categories of auditory perception scores. At 24 months post-CI, the group 2 with another genetic etiology had significantly better outcomes than molecularly undiagnosed group 3, which had with the same condition as group 2 except that the candidate gene was not detected. This finding was recapitulated when we limited cases to those that underwent CI before 24 months of age to minimize age-related bias at implantation. Furthermore, on extending the follow-up to 36 months postoperatively, this tendency became more prominent. Additionally, our preliminary clinical data suggest a narrower sensitive window period for good CI outcomes for implantees with OTOF mutation rather than the GJB2 and other genes. Conclusions: Current molecular genetic testing including deafness panel sequencing helps to predict the 2-year follow-up outcomes after CI in prelingually deafened children. GD cochlear implantees show better functional outcomes after CI than undiagnosed cochlear implantees as determined by deafness panel sequencing, suggesting a genotype-functional outcome correlation. The genetic testing may provide a customized optimal window period in terms of CI timing for favorable outcome according to genetic etiology.

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How to Choose Between Measures of Tinnitus Loudness for Clinical Research? A Report on the Reliability and Validity of an Investigator-Administered Test and a Patient-Reported Measure Using Baseline Data Collected in a Phase IIa Drug Trial

Purpose

Loudness is a major auditory dimension of tinnitus and is used to diagnose severity, counsel patients, or as a measure of clinical efficacy in audiological research. There is no standard test for tinnitus loudness, but matching and rating methods are popular. This article provides important new knowledge about the reliability and validity of an audiologist-administered tinnitus loudness matching test and a patient-reported tinnitus loudness rating.

Method

Retrospective analysis of loudness data for 91 participants with stable subjective tinnitus enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a novel drug for tinnitus. There were two baseline assessments (screening, Day 1) and a posttreatment assessment (Day 28).

Results

About 66%–70% of the variability from screening to Day 1 was attributable to the true score. But measurement error, indicated by the smallest detectable change, was high for both tinnitus loudness matching (20 dB) and tinnitus loudness rating (3.5 units). Only loudness rating captured a sensation that was meaningful to people who lived with the experience of tinnitus.

Conclusions

The tinnitus loudness rating performed better against acceptability criteria for reliability and validity than did the tinnitus loudness matching test administered by an audiologist. But the rating question is still limited because it is a single-item instrument and is probably able to detect only large changes (at least 3.5 points).

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How to Choose Between Measures of Tinnitus Loudness for Clinical Research? A Report on the Reliability and Validity of an Investigator-Administered Test and a Patient-Reported Measure Using Baseline Data Collected in a Phase IIa Drug Trial

Purpose

Loudness is a major auditory dimension of tinnitus and is used to diagnose severity, counsel patients, or as a measure of clinical efficacy in audiological research. There is no standard test for tinnitus loudness, but matching and rating methods are popular. This article provides important new knowledge about the reliability and validity of an audiologist-administered tinnitus loudness matching test and a patient-reported tinnitus loudness rating.

Method

Retrospective analysis of loudness data for 91 participants with stable subjective tinnitus enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a novel drug for tinnitus. There were two baseline assessments (screening, Day 1) and a posttreatment assessment (Day 28).

Results

About 66%–70% of the variability from screening to Day 1 was attributable to the true score. But measurement error, indicated by the smallest detectable change, was high for both tinnitus loudness matching (20 dB) and tinnitus loudness rating (3.5 units). Only loudness rating captured a sensation that was meaningful to people who lived with the experience of tinnitus.

Conclusions

The tinnitus loudness rating performed better against acceptability criteria for reliability and validity than did the tinnitus loudness matching test administered by an audiologist. But the rating question is still limited because it is a single-item instrument and is probably able to detect only large changes (at least 3.5 points).

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How to Choose Between Measures of Tinnitus Loudness for Clinical Research? A Report on the Reliability and Validity of an Investigator-Administered Test and a Patient-Reported Measure Using Baseline Data Collected in a Phase IIa Drug Trial

Purpose

Loudness is a major auditory dimension of tinnitus and is used to diagnose severity, counsel patients, or as a measure of clinical efficacy in audiological research. There is no standard test for tinnitus loudness, but matching and rating methods are popular. This article provides important new knowledge about the reliability and validity of an audiologist-administered tinnitus loudness matching test and a patient-reported tinnitus loudness rating.

Method

Retrospective analysis of loudness data for 91 participants with stable subjective tinnitus enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a novel drug for tinnitus. There were two baseline assessments (screening, Day 1) and a posttreatment assessment (Day 28).

Results

About 66%–70% of the variability from screening to Day 1 was attributable to the true score. But measurement error, indicated by the smallest detectable change, was high for both tinnitus loudness matching (20 dB) and tinnitus loudness rating (3.5 units). Only loudness rating captured a sensation that was meaningful to people who lived with the experience of tinnitus.

Conclusions

The tinnitus loudness rating performed better against acceptability criteria for reliability and validity than did the tinnitus loudness matching test administered by an audiologist. But the rating question is still limited because it is a single-item instrument and is probably able to detect only large changes (at least 3.5 points).

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The Voiced Oral High-frequency Oscillation Technique's Immediate Effect on Individuals With Dysphonic and Normal Voices

Publication date: Available online 24 August 2017
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Thais Lenharo Saters, Vanessa Veis Ribeiro, Larissa Thaís Donalonso Siqueira, Beatriz Dantas Marotti, Alcione Ghedini Brasolotto, Kelly Cristina Alves Silverio
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to verify the effect of the voiced oral high-frequency oscillation (VOHFO) on voice quality in acoustic voice symptoms and self-reported sensations in individuals with voice complaints and dysphonic voices, and in individuals with normal voices.MethodsThe participants, which included 60 individuals from 18 to 45 years of age, both genders, were divided into two groups: G1, 30 individuals without voice complaints and normal voices; and G2, 30 individuals with voice complaints and dysphonic voices. We used the following measures: acoustic analysis, voice and larynx symptom investigation, and phonation time before and after 3 minutes of performing the VOHFO technique. The sensations were reported only after the VOHFO technique. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test (P ≤ 0.05), paired t test (P ≤ 0.05), and the Mann-Whitney test (P ≤ 0.05).ResultsAfter the VOHFO, in G1, there was an increased fundamental frequency (both genders), a higher voice turbulence index, and a decrease in dryness symptoms (women); in G2, there was a decrease in the following symptoms: strong voice, dryness and lump in the throat, sensitive throat (women), and roughness and weak voice (men). The phonation measures and sensations did not present differences. The soft phonation index decreased in G1 and increased in G2 (women), in addition to a significant decrease in strong voice and sensitive throat (women) and roughness (men) in G2.ConclusionsThe VOHFO technique improves the source-filter relationship and the severity of voice and larynx symptoms in dysphonic and normal individuals. Women improved more in terms of larynx symptoms, whereas men improved more in terms of voice symptoms.



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Tolerable delay for speech production and perception: effects of hearing ability and experience with hearing aids

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Tolerable delay for speech production and perception: effects of hearing ability and experience with hearing aids

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Local gene therapy durably restores vestibular function in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 1G.

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Local gene therapy durably restores vestibular function in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 1G.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Aug 23;:

Authors: Emptoz A, Michel V, Lelli A, Akil O, Boutet de Monvel J, Lahlou G, Meyer A, Dupont T, Nouaille S, Ey E, Franca de Barros F, Beraneck M, Dulon D, Hardelin JP, Lustig L, Avan P, Petit C, Safieddine S

Abstract
Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying inherited forms of inner ear deficits has considerably improved during the past 20 y, but we are still far from curative treatments. We investigated gene replacement as a strategy for restoring inner ear functions in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 1G, characterized by congenital profound deafness and balance disorders. These mice lack the scaffold protein sans, which is involved both in the morphogenesis of the stereociliary bundle, the sensory antenna of inner ear hair cells, and in the mechanoelectrical transduction process. We show that a single delivery of the sans cDNA by the adenoassociated virus 8 to the inner ear of newborn mutant mice reestablishes the expression and targeting of the protein to the tips of stereocilia. The therapeutic gene restores the architecture and mechanosensitivity of stereociliary bundles, improves hearing thresholds, and durably rescues these mice from the balance defects. Our results open up new perspectives for efficient gene therapy of cochlear and vestibular disorders by showing that even severe dysmorphogenesis of stereociliary bundles can be corrected.

PMID: 28835534 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Related Articles

Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-7

Authors: Pyykkö I, Manchaiah V, Zou J, Levo H, Kentala E

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD).
DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires.
STUDY SAMPLE: Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD.
RESULTS: SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship).
CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

PMID: 28835146 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Local gene therapy durably restores vestibular function in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 1G.

Related Articles

Local gene therapy durably restores vestibular function in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 1G.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Aug 23;:

Authors: Emptoz A, Michel V, Lelli A, Akil O, Boutet de Monvel J, Lahlou G, Meyer A, Dupont T, Nouaille S, Ey E, Franca de Barros F, Beraneck M, Dulon D, Hardelin JP, Lustig L, Avan P, Petit C, Safieddine S

Abstract
Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying inherited forms of inner ear deficits has considerably improved during the past 20 y, but we are still far from curative treatments. We investigated gene replacement as a strategy for restoring inner ear functions in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 1G, characterized by congenital profound deafness and balance disorders. These mice lack the scaffold protein sans, which is involved both in the morphogenesis of the stereociliary bundle, the sensory antenna of inner ear hair cells, and in the mechanoelectrical transduction process. We show that a single delivery of the sans cDNA by the adenoassociated virus 8 to the inner ear of newborn mutant mice reestablishes the expression and targeting of the protein to the tips of stereocilia. The therapeutic gene restores the architecture and mechanosensitivity of stereociliary bundles, improves hearing thresholds, and durably rescues these mice from the balance defects. Our results open up new perspectives for efficient gene therapy of cochlear and vestibular disorders by showing that even severe dysmorphogenesis of stereociliary bundles can be corrected.

PMID: 28835534 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Related Articles

Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-7

Authors: Pyykkö I, Manchaiah V, Zou J, Levo H, Kentala E

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD).
DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires.
STUDY SAMPLE: Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD.
RESULTS: SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship).
CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

PMID: 28835146 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Tolerable delay for speech production and perception: effects of hearing ability and experience with hearing aids

.


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Tolerable delay for speech production and perception: effects of hearing ability and experience with hearing aids

.


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Tolerable delay for speech production and perception: effects of hearing ability and experience with hearing aids

.


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Book review.

Related Articles

Book review.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1

Authors: Thunder T

PMID: 28835149 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Related Articles

Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-7

Authors: Pyykkö I, Manchaiah V, Zou J, Levo H, Kentala E

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD).
DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires.
STUDY SAMPLE: Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD.
RESULTS: SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship).
CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

PMID: 28835146 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

Related Articles

Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-11

Authors: Mattsson TS, Follestad T, Andersson S, Lind O, Øygarden J, Nordgård S

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this research was to obtain normative data for auditory processing tests for Norwegian speaking children.
DESIGN: Participants were administered routine audiological tests and an auditory processing test-battery consisting of Filtered Words, Competing Words, Dichotic Digits, Gaps In Noise, Duration- and Frequency Pattern, Binaural Masking Level Difference and HIST Speech in Noise test. A group of 10-year-old children were retested after two weeks. The effects ear, age and gender and the test-retest reliability were investigated.
STUDY SAMPLE: There were 268 normal hearing children aged 7-12 years who participated in the study.
RESULTS: Results revealed no differences between genders. The children showed improving performance by age on all tests, except from the Gaps In Noise and Binaural Masking Level Difference. As expected, the children showed a right ear advantage on dichotic speech tests that decreased with age. The test-retest reliability for the tests was good, with a small learning effect on the Filtered Words test.
CONCLUSION: Normative data were established and the preferred tests for diagnosing Auditory Processing Disorder were suggested for Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

PMID: 28835140 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Book review.

Related Articles

Book review.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1

Authors: Thunder T

PMID: 28835149 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Related Articles

Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-7

Authors: Pyykkö I, Manchaiah V, Zou J, Levo H, Kentala E

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD).
DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires.
STUDY SAMPLE: Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD.
RESULTS: SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship).
CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

PMID: 28835146 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

Related Articles

Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-11

Authors: Mattsson TS, Follestad T, Andersson S, Lind O, Øygarden J, Nordgård S

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this research was to obtain normative data for auditory processing tests for Norwegian speaking children.
DESIGN: Participants were administered routine audiological tests and an auditory processing test-battery consisting of Filtered Words, Competing Words, Dichotic Digits, Gaps In Noise, Duration- and Frequency Pattern, Binaural Masking Level Difference and HIST Speech in Noise test. A group of 10-year-old children were retested after two weeks. The effects ear, age and gender and the test-retest reliability were investigated.
STUDY SAMPLE: There were 268 normal hearing children aged 7-12 years who participated in the study.
RESULTS: Results revealed no differences between genders. The children showed improving performance by age on all tests, except from the Gaps In Noise and Binaural Masking Level Difference. As expected, the children showed a right ear advantage on dichotic speech tests that decreased with age. The test-retest reliability for the tests was good, with a small learning effect on the Filtered Words test.
CONCLUSION: Normative data were established and the preferred tests for diagnosing Auditory Processing Disorder were suggested for Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

PMID: 28835140 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Hearing-related quality of life outcomes for Singaporean children using hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Related Articles

Hearing-related quality of life outcomes for Singaporean children using hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis. 2016 Jun;133 Suppl 1:S25-30

Authors: Looi V, Lee ZZ, Loo JH

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The Children Using Hearing Devices Quality of Life Questionnaire (CuHDQOL) is a new parent-administered hearing-specific questionnaire for children fitted with hearing devices. The aim of this study was to assess outcomes for hearing-impaired children in Singapore using this measure, as well as to examine its applicability for use in a clinical setting.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CuHDQOL has 26 items, uses a recall period of 1 month, and is divided into three sections: parental perspectives and expectations (eight items), impact on the family (eight items) and hearing-related quality of life (QOL) of the child (10 items). Responses are made on a 5-point Likert scale, and transformed to a score from 0-100. Twenty-two parents of children with hearing aids and 14 parents of children with cochlear implants completed the CuHDQOL.
RESULTS: The mean total CuHDQOL scores was 62/100 for the children using hearing aids and 53/100 for children with cochlear implants. Scores for the children using hearing aids were higher across all subscales, with a linear regression showing this to be significant for the parental perspectives and expectations subscale (B=-10.58, P=0.041). Analyses of Variance showed that both the 'Parent Perspective and Expectations' and the 'Hearing-related QOL' subscales were significantly higher than the 'Impact on Family' subscale for both groups (P≤0.003).
CONCLUSIONS: The CuHDQOL was found to be a simple, efficient questionnaire that could easily be incorporated into clinical practice to provide a more holistic evaluation of a child's outcomes post intervention, and/or to monitor their progress over time.

PMID: 27267231 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Book review.

Related Articles

Book review.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1

Authors: Thunder T

PMID: 28835149 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Related Articles

Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-7

Authors: Pyykkö I, Manchaiah V, Zou J, Levo H, Kentala E

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD).
DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires.
STUDY SAMPLE: Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD.
RESULTS: SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship).
CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

PMID: 28835146 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

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Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-11

Authors: Mattsson TS, Follestad T, Andersson S, Lind O, Øygarden J, Nordgård S

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this research was to obtain normative data for auditory processing tests for Norwegian speaking children.
DESIGN: Participants were administered routine audiological tests and an auditory processing test-battery consisting of Filtered Words, Competing Words, Dichotic Digits, Gaps In Noise, Duration- and Frequency Pattern, Binaural Masking Level Difference and HIST Speech in Noise test. A group of 10-year-old children were retested after two weeks. The effects ear, age and gender and the test-retest reliability were investigated.
STUDY SAMPLE: There were 268 normal hearing children aged 7-12 years who participated in the study.
RESULTS: Results revealed no differences between genders. The children showed improving performance by age on all tests, except from the Gaps In Noise and Binaural Masking Level Difference. As expected, the children showed a right ear advantage on dichotic speech tests that decreased with age. The test-retest reliability for the tests was good, with a small learning effect on the Filtered Words test.
CONCLUSION: Normative data were established and the preferred tests for diagnosing Auditory Processing Disorder were suggested for Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

PMID: 28835140 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Book review.

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Book review.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1

Authors: Thunder T

PMID: 28835149 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

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Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-7

Authors: Pyykkö I, Manchaiah V, Zou J, Levo H, Kentala E

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD).
DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires.
STUDY SAMPLE: Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD.
RESULTS: SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship).
CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

PMID: 28835146 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

Related Articles

Normative data for diagnosing auditory processing disorder in Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

Int J Audiol. 2017 Aug 24;:1-11

Authors: Mattsson TS, Follestad T, Andersson S, Lind O, Øygarden J, Nordgård S

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this research was to obtain normative data for auditory processing tests for Norwegian speaking children.
DESIGN: Participants were administered routine audiological tests and an auditory processing test-battery consisting of Filtered Words, Competing Words, Dichotic Digits, Gaps In Noise, Duration- and Frequency Pattern, Binaural Masking Level Difference and HIST Speech in Noise test. A group of 10-year-old children were retested after two weeks. The effects ear, age and gender and the test-retest reliability were investigated.
STUDY SAMPLE: There were 268 normal hearing children aged 7-12 years who participated in the study.
RESULTS: Results revealed no differences between genders. The children showed improving performance by age on all tests, except from the Gaps In Noise and Binaural Masking Level Difference. As expected, the children showed a right ear advantage on dichotic speech tests that decreased with age. The test-retest reliability for the tests was good, with a small learning effect on the Filtered Words test.
CONCLUSION: Normative data were established and the preferred tests for diagnosing Auditory Processing Disorder were suggested for Norwegian children aged 7-12 years.

PMID: 28835140 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Factorial Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Test of Preschool Early Literacy-Phonological Awareness Test Among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children and Hearing Children.

Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that early phonological awareness in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children with functional hearing is significantly related to their reading acquisition, and the assessment of phonological awareness can play a critical role in preventing reading difficulties. Validation of the scores obtained from standardized assessments when used with DHH students is crucial to support the assessments' intended interpretations and implications of test scores. Using archival data sets, the aim of this study was twofold: (a) to establish the factorial validity of the item scores on the Test of Preschool Early Literacy-Phonological Awareness (TOPEL-PA) for DHH children with functional hearing and hearing children and (b) to test measurement invariance across these groups. Our archival data sets included assessments of DHH children, hearing children from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, and hearing children from a range of SES backgrounds. We hypothesized that a second-order unifying ability, Phonological Awareness, along with four first-order subtest factors would explain inter-item associations among the 27 items on the TOPEL-PA. We further hypothesized that patterns of associations among the item scores would be similar across groups and that the individual items would function similarly across groups. Design: Seven hundred and thirty-three children from three samples participated in the study; 171 were DHH children (Mage = 58.7 months old, SDage = 12.5 months old), 195 were low-SES hearing children (Mage = 55.5 months old, SDage = 3.5 months old), and 367 were diverse-SES hearing children (Mage = 53.4 months old, SDage = 8.9 months old). All DHH children were able to identify the referent of monosyllabic spoken words on the Early Speech Perception Test. Results: Test of confirmatory item factor analyses of the hypothesized second-order factor structure revealed that a second-order unifying ability along with four first-order subtest factors well explained associations among the item scores for all groups. This aligned with the scoring structure of the TOPEL-PA, providing strong evidence for factorial validity of the item scores for DHH children as well as for hearing children groups. The measurement invariance test results provided evidence that the vast majority of TOPEL-PA items functioned similarly for hearing children and DHH children with speech perception abilities, suggesting that the utility of the assessment scores obtained from DHH children is consistent with the scores obtained from hearing children. Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that researchers and practitioners can use the TOPEL-PA to assess DHH children with functional hearing. It also suggests that the two skills measured on the TOPEL-PA (blending and elision) are qualitatively similar for DHH and hearing children, but the latent mean score obtained from the DHH children significantly differed from those of the hearing groups, suggesting a quantitative difference. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Factorial Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Test of Preschool Early Literacy-Phonological Awareness Test Among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children and Hearing Children.

Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that early phonological awareness in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children with functional hearing is significantly related to their reading acquisition, and the assessment of phonological awareness can play a critical role in preventing reading difficulties. Validation of the scores obtained from standardized assessments when used with DHH students is crucial to support the assessments' intended interpretations and implications of test scores. Using archival data sets, the aim of this study was twofold: (a) to establish the factorial validity of the item scores on the Test of Preschool Early Literacy-Phonological Awareness (TOPEL-PA) for DHH children with functional hearing and hearing children and (b) to test measurement invariance across these groups. Our archival data sets included assessments of DHH children, hearing children from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, and hearing children from a range of SES backgrounds. We hypothesized that a second-order unifying ability, Phonological Awareness, along with four first-order subtest factors would explain inter-item associations among the 27 items on the TOPEL-PA. We further hypothesized that patterns of associations among the item scores would be similar across groups and that the individual items would function similarly across groups. Design: Seven hundred and thirty-three children from three samples participated in the study; 171 were DHH children (Mage = 58.7 months old, SDage = 12.5 months old), 195 were low-SES hearing children (Mage = 55.5 months old, SDage = 3.5 months old), and 367 were diverse-SES hearing children (Mage = 53.4 months old, SDage = 8.9 months old). All DHH children were able to identify the referent of monosyllabic spoken words on the Early Speech Perception Test. Results: Test of confirmatory item factor analyses of the hypothesized second-order factor structure revealed that a second-order unifying ability along with four first-order subtest factors well explained associations among the item scores for all groups. This aligned with the scoring structure of the TOPEL-PA, providing strong evidence for factorial validity of the item scores for DHH children as well as for hearing children groups. The measurement invariance test results provided evidence that the vast majority of TOPEL-PA items functioned similarly for hearing children and DHH children with speech perception abilities, suggesting that the utility of the assessment scores obtained from DHH children is consistent with the scores obtained from hearing children. Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that researchers and practitioners can use the TOPEL-PA to assess DHH children with functional hearing. It also suggests that the two skills measured on the TOPEL-PA (blending and elision) are qualitatively similar for DHH and hearing children, but the latent mean score obtained from the DHH children significantly differed from those of the hearing groups, suggesting a quantitative difference. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Factorial Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Test of Preschool Early Literacy-Phonological Awareness Test Among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children and Hearing Children.

Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that early phonological awareness in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children with functional hearing is significantly related to their reading acquisition, and the assessment of phonological awareness can play a critical role in preventing reading difficulties. Validation of the scores obtained from standardized assessments when used with DHH students is crucial to support the assessments' intended interpretations and implications of test scores. Using archival data sets, the aim of this study was twofold: (a) to establish the factorial validity of the item scores on the Test of Preschool Early Literacy-Phonological Awareness (TOPEL-PA) for DHH children with functional hearing and hearing children and (b) to test measurement invariance across these groups. Our archival data sets included assessments of DHH children, hearing children from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, and hearing children from a range of SES backgrounds. We hypothesized that a second-order unifying ability, Phonological Awareness, along with four first-order subtest factors would explain inter-item associations among the 27 items on the TOPEL-PA. We further hypothesized that patterns of associations among the item scores would be similar across groups and that the individual items would function similarly across groups. Design: Seven hundred and thirty-three children from three samples participated in the study; 171 were DHH children (Mage = 58.7 months old, SDage = 12.5 months old), 195 were low-SES hearing children (Mage = 55.5 months old, SDage = 3.5 months old), and 367 were diverse-SES hearing children (Mage = 53.4 months old, SDage = 8.9 months old). All DHH children were able to identify the referent of monosyllabic spoken words on the Early Speech Perception Test. Results: Test of confirmatory item factor analyses of the hypothesized second-order factor structure revealed that a second-order unifying ability along with four first-order subtest factors well explained associations among the item scores for all groups. This aligned with the scoring structure of the TOPEL-PA, providing strong evidence for factorial validity of the item scores for DHH children as well as for hearing children groups. The measurement invariance test results provided evidence that the vast majority of TOPEL-PA items functioned similarly for hearing children and DHH children with speech perception abilities, suggesting that the utility of the assessment scores obtained from DHH children is consistent with the scores obtained from hearing children. Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that researchers and practitioners can use the TOPEL-PA to assess DHH children with functional hearing. It also suggests that the two skills measured on the TOPEL-PA (blending and elision) are qualitatively similar for DHH and hearing children, but the latent mean score obtained from the DHH children significantly differed from those of the hearing groups, suggesting a quantitative difference. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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