Cochlear implantation: Optimizing outcomes through evidence-based clinical decisions.
Int J Audiol. 2016;55 Suppl 2:S1-2
Authors: Dowell R, Galvin K, Cowan R
PMID: 27329573 [PubMed - in process]
Audiology patient fall statistics and risk factors compared to non-audiology patients.
Int J Audiol. 2016 Jun 22;:1-7
Authors: Criter RE, Honaker JA
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare fall statistics (e.g. incidence, prevalence), fall risks, and characteristics of patients who seek hearing healthcare from an audiologist to individuals who have not sought such services.
DESIGN: Case-control study.
STUDY SAMPLE: Two groups of community-dwelling older adult patients: 25 audiology patients aged 60 years or older (M age: 69.2 years, SD: 4.5, range: 61-77) and a control group (gender- and age-matched ±2 years) of 25 non-audiology patients (M age: 69.6, SD: 4.7, range: 60-77).
RESULTS: Annual incidence of falls (most recent 12 months) was higher in audiology patients (68.0%) than non-audiology patients (28.0%; p = .005). Audiology patients reported a higher incidence of multiple recent falls (p =.025) and more chronic health conditions (p = .028) than non-audiology patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Significantly more audiology patients fall on an annual basis than non-audiology patients, suggesting that falls are a pervasive issue in general hearing clinics. Further action on the part of healthcare professionals providing audiologic services may be necessary to identify individuals at risk for falling.
PMID: 27329486 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children.
Int J Audiol. 2016 Jun 22;:1-10
Authors: Båsjö S, Möller C, Widén S, Jutengren G, Kähäri K
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Investigate hearing function and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old Swedish children.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted and included otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry, and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). A questionnaire was used to evaluate headphone listening habits, tinnitus, and hyperacusis.
STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 415 children aged nine years.
RESULTS: The prevalence of a hearing threshold ≥20 dB HL at one or several frequencies was 53%, and the hearing thresholds at 6 and 8 kHz were higher than those at the low and mid frequencies. SOAEs were observed in 35% of the children, and the prevalence of tinnitus was 5.3%. No significant relationship between SOAE and tinnitus was found. Pure-tone audiometry showed poorer hearing thresholds in children with tinnitus and in children who regularly listened with headphones.
CONCLUSION: The present study of hearing, listening habits, and tinnitus in nine-year old children is, to our knowledge, the largest study so far. The main findings were that hearing thresholds in the right ear were poorer in children who used headphones than in children not using them, which could be interpreted as headphone listening may have negative consequences to children's hearing. Children with tinnitus showed poorer hearing thresholds compared to children without tinnitus.
PMID: 27329351 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss with positional vertigo: Initial findings of positional nystagmus and hearing outcomes.
Int J Audiol. 2016 Jun 22;:1-6
Authors: Kim CH, Shin JE, Yang YS, Im D
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the initial findings of positional nystagmus in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and positional vertigo, and to compare hearing improvement among patients with different types of positional nystagmus.
DESIGN: The characteristics of positional nystagmus upon initial examination were analysed, and the initial mean pure-tone audiometry (PTA) threshold was compared with that at three months after treatment.
STUDY SAMPLE: Forty-four SSNHL patients with concomitant positional vertigo were included.
RESULTS: Positional nystagmus was classified into five subgroups; persistent geotropic direction-changing positional nystagmus (DCPN) in head-roll test (HRT) and negative Dix-Hallpike test (DHT), persistent apogeotropic DCPN in HRT and negative DHT, positive DHT and negative HRT, persistent geotropic DCPN in HRT and positive DHT, and persistent apogeotropic DCPN in HRT and positive DHT. PTA threshold improvement was significantly greater in SSNHL patients with negative DHT than with positive DHT (p = 0.027).
CONCLUSIONS: When geotropic DCPN was elicited by HRT, the nystagmus was persistent, which suggests that alteration of specific gravity of the endolymph, rather than the lateral canal canalolithiasis, may be a cause of this characteristic positional nystagmus. Positive DTH may be a prognostic factor for worse hearing recovery among patients with SSNHL and positional vertigo.
PMID: 27329283 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Results using the OPAL strategy in Mandarin speaking cochlear implant recipients.
Int J Audiol. 2016 Jun 22;:1-12
Authors: Vandali AE, Dawson PW, Arora K
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental pitch-coding strategy for improving recognition of Mandarin lexical tone in cochlear implant (CI) recipients.
DESIGN: Adult CI recipients were tested on recognition of Mandarin tones in quiet and speech-shaped noise at a signal-to-noise ratio of +10 dB; Mandarin sentence speech-reception threshold (SRT) in speech-shaped noise; and pitch discrimination of synthetic complex-harmonic tones in quiet. Two versions of the experimental strategy were examined: (OPAL) linear (1:1) mapping of fundamental frequency (F0) to the coded modulation rate; and (OPAL+) transposed mapping of high F0s to a lower coded rate. Outcomes were compared to results using the clinical ACE™ strategy.
STUDY SAMPLE: Five Mandarin speaking users of Nucleus® cochlear implants.
RESULTS: A small but significant benefit in recognition of lexical tones was observed using OPAL compared to ACE in noise, but not in quiet, and not for OPAL+ compared to ACE or OPAL in quiet or noise. Sentence SRTs were significantly better using OPAL+ and comparable using OPAL to those using ACE. No differences in pitch discrimination thresholds were observed across strategies.
CONCLUSIONS: OPAL can provide benefits to Mandarin lexical tone recognition in moderately noisy conditions and preserve perception of Mandarin sentences in challenging noise conditions.
PMID: 27329178 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Audiology patient fall statistics and risk factors compared to non-audiology patients.
Int J Audiol. 2016 Jun 22;:1-7
Authors: Criter RE, Honaker JA
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare fall statistics (e.g. incidence, prevalence), fall risks, and characteristics of patients who seek hearing healthcare from an audiologist to individuals who have not sought such services.
DESIGN: Case-control study.
STUDY SAMPLE: Two groups of community-dwelling older adult patients: 25 audiology patients aged 60 years or older (M age: 69.2 years, SD: 4.5, range: 61-77) and a control group (gender- and age-matched ±2 years) of 25 non-audiology patients (M age: 69.6, SD: 4.7, range: 60-77).
RESULTS: Annual incidence of falls (most recent 12 months) was higher in audiology patients (68.0%) than non-audiology patients (28.0%; p = .005). Audiology patients reported a higher incidence of multiple recent falls (p =.025) and more chronic health conditions (p = .028) than non-audiology patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Significantly more audiology patients fall on an annual basis than non-audiology patients, suggesting that falls are a pervasive issue in general hearing clinics. Further action on the part of healthcare professionals providing audiologic services may be necessary to identify individuals at risk for falling.
PMID: 27329486 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Cochlear implantation: Optimizing outcomes through evidence-based clinical decisions.
Int J Audiol. 2016;55 Suppl 2:S1-2
Authors: Dowell R, Galvin K, Cowan R
PMID: 27329573 [PubMed - in process]
