Effects of Nonlinear Frequency Compression on Speech Identification in Children With Hearing Loss
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This study evaluated effects of nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) processing in children with hearing loss for consonant identification in quiet and for spondee identification in competing noise or speech. It was predicted that participants would benefit from NLFC for consonant identification in quiet when access to high-frequency information was critical, but that NLFC would be less beneficial, or even detrimental, when identification relied on mid-frequency cues. Further, it was hypothesized that NLFC could result in greater susceptibility to masking in the spondee task. The rationale for these predictions is that improved access to high-frequency information comes at the cost of decreased spectral resolution.A repeated-measures design compared speech-perception outcomes in 17 pediatric hearing aid users (9 to 17 years of age) wearing Naida V SP "laboratory" hearing aids with NLFC on and off. Data were also collected in an initial baseline session in which children wore their personal hearing aids. Children with a wide range of audiometric configurations were included, but all participants were full-time users of hearing aids with active NLFC. For each hearing aid condition, speech perception was assessed in the sound field by using a closed-set 12-alternative consonant-vowel identification measure in quiet, and a closed-set four-alternative spondee-identification measure in a speech-shaped noise or in a two-talker speech masker.No significant differences in performance were observed between laboratory hearing aid conditions with NLFC activated or deactivated for either speech-perception measure. An unexpected finding was that the majority of participants had no difficulty identifying the high-frequency consonant /s/ even when NLFC was deactivated. Investigation into individual differences revealed that subjects with a greater difference in audible bandwidth with NLFC on versus NLFC off were less likely to demonstrate improvements in high-frequency consonant identification in quiet, but were more likely to demonstrate improvements in spondee identification in speech-shaped noise. Group results observed in the initial baseline assessment using personal aids fitted with more aggressive NLFC settings than used in laboratory aids indicated better consonant identification accuracy in quiet. However, spondee identification in the two-talker masker was poorer with personal compared with laboratory hearing aids. Comparisons across personal and laboratory hearing aids are tempered, however, by the potential of an order effect.The observation of comparable performance with NLFC on and NLFC off in the laboratory aids provides evidence that NLFC is neither detrimental nor advantageous when modest in strength. Results with personal hearing aids fitted with stronger compression settings than laboratory aids (NLFC on) highlight the critical need for further research to determine the impact of NLFC processing on speech perception for a wider range of speech-perception measures and compression settings.Keywords:
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Adults with hearing loss demonstrate a reduced range of emotional responses to nonspeech sounds compared to their peers with normal hearing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two possible strategies for addressing the effects of hearing loss on emotional responses: (a) increasing overall level and (b) hearing aid use (with and without nonlinear frequency compression, NFC). Twenty-three adults (mean age = 65.5 years) with mild-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss and 17 adults (mean age = 56.2 years) with normal hearing participated. All adults provided ratings of valence and arousal without hearing aids in response to nonspeech sounds presented at a moderate and at a high level. Adults with hearing loss also provided ratings while using individually fitted study hearing aids with two settings (NFC-OFF or NFC-ON). Hearing loss and hearing aid use impacted ratings of valence but not arousal. Listeners with hearing loss rated pleasant sounds as less pleasant than their peers, confirming findings in the extant literature. For both groups, increasing the overall level resulted in lower ratings of valence. For listeners with hearing loss, the use of hearing aids (NFC-OFF) also resulted in lower ratings of valence but to a lesser extent than increasing the overall level. Activating NFC resulted in ratings that were similar to ratings without hearing aids (with a moderate presentation level) but did not improve ratings to match those from the listeners with normal hearing. These findings suggest that current interventions do not ameliorate the effects of hearing loss on emotional responses to sound.
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Hearing level
Emotional valence
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Objective To determine the incidence of exaggerated hearing loss in people claiming workers compensation for noise induced hearing loss, as well as the ability of a range of testers to detect this exaggeration. Subjects 333 people who claimed compensation for noise induced hearing loss between 13 September 1993 and 31 July 1994 in Victoria and who had undergone two independent subjective hearing tests. Method The hearing test results and referral decisions made by testers were examined in the light of the results of a single objective hearing test (cortical evoked response audiometry). Results The incidence of exaggerated hearing loss was 17.7%. Testers performing the first subjective hearing test detected only 2.2% of claimants who exaggerated. The audiologist performing the second subjective test detected 94.2% of claimants who exaggerated. Conclusions The high incidence of exaggerated hearing loss and the large difference in ability to detect this exaggeration by the two groups of testers demonstrate the need for appropriate test procedures to be followed and a second hearing test to be reintroduced. Without accurate testing, there will be overpayment for noise induced hearing loss claims.
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In 86 patients with sensorineural hearing loss we checked if the measuring results obtained by conventional audiometric procedures correlate with the subjective impression of hard hearing ascertained via a special questionnaire. For this purpose we compared the average hearing loss (500, 1000, 2000 Hz) of the puretone audiogram with the results obtained via the questionnaire developed by v. Wedel and Tegtmeier for assessing the social hearing handicap (SHH). We can see that there is good correlation between the SHH index values and the average hearing loss with frequencies of 0.5, 1.2 kHz in pancochlear perception hearing loss, whereas in patients with basocochlear perception hearing loss the SHHI cannot be calculated with the help of the puretone audiogram, nor will a widening of the frequency range up to 6 kHz lead to a better correlation between the average hearing loss and SHHI.
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To investigate the relationships between age, gender, hearing loss and hearing asymmetry with reported hearing difficulties and perceived benefit from hearing aids.A retrospective service evaluation of patients' COSI responses.A non-sampled population (n = 995) attending audiology over two months.Clear trends were observed between hearing difficulties, age and hearing loss. A direct logistic regression model suggested that increasing age was the predominant cause of the most common hearing problems. Gender and hearing asymmetry had no significant effect on the difficulties reported. Hearing aids were effective for the most commonly reported problems. There were no significant associations between hearing aid benefit and age or degree of hearing loss. Patients with a mild hearing loss perceived at least equal benefit from hearing aids compared to those with greater degrees of loss.The study demonstrated an effect of age on reported hearing problems over and above that expected due to peripheral hearing impairment, which may be a sign of wider auditory system decline. Elderly patients form the majority of the audiology patient population and their treatment requires more complex consideration than is suggested solely by the audiogram, irrespective of degree of hearing loss.
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Hearing loss is the most common sensory defect in humans, affecting normal communication in 10 percent of people aged 65 years or older. In most cases, hearing loss is a multifactorial disorder caused by both genetic and environmental factors. However, single-gene mutations can lead to hearing loss. In these cases, hearing loss is a monogenic disorder with an autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked, or mitochondrial mode of inheritance. These monogenic forms of hearing loss can be syndromic (characterized by hearing loss in combination with other abnormalities) or nonsyndromic (with only hearing loss). This review focuses on nonsyndromic hearing loss, since . . .
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Of the 26 cases of nonorganic hearing loss studied over the last 5 years, 19 cases were women and 7 were men. 18 had bilateral hearing loss and 8 had unilateral, mostly pure tone audiometry showing moderate “horizontal type” hearing loss, together with 2 of low tone hearing loss and 1 of high tone hearing loss. When pure tone hearing level and speech recognition threshold (SRT) were compared, SRT was lower than pure tone hearing level in 56% of ears. In self-recording audiometry by Bekesy, 54% of ears showed Jerger type V, unique in nonorganic hearing loss but not specific. Thresholds of click-evoked ABR and pure tone hearing level deviated among those with horizontal hearing loss, but ABR was not useful in detecting nonorganic low tone hearing loss. In all types of hearing impairment, especially in low tone hearing loss, auditory steady-state response (ASSR), a frequency specific response, was more useful than ABR in diagnosing nonorganic hearing loss.
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After presbycusis, noise exposure is considered the second cause of sensorineural hearing loss. Due to exposure to high-intensity sounds, musicians may be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Given the importance of good hearing in music career, this study aimed to investigate the frequency of hearing loss and use of protective measures among Iranian musicians.In this cross-sectional study, 125 musicians, including 21 women (16.8%) and 104 men (83.2%), with at least five years of work experience were recruited. All participants underwent clinical and audiometric examinations. Demographic data, complaints about hearing loss, and information about the use of protective devices were collected through interviews.Audiometric notch in either one or both ears and bilateral hearing loss were present in respectively 42.4% and 19.2% of the participants. The history of tinnitus after performance and ear pain during performance was reported by 64 (51%) and 35 (28%) individuals, respectively. Less than 2% of the participants used hearing protection devices.Long-term exposure to loud sounds puts musicians at risk of hearing loss. However, due to their inadequate knowledge, most musicians never use protective devices to prevent damage to their auditory system.
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The objective was to determine the extent to which childhood hearing loss can affect the development of temporal resolution. Participants were divided into those with and without hearing loss. Participants included 16 children per group (normal hearing, hearing loss) and 14 adults per group. Forward-masked thresholds for a 2 kHz masker and target (10 ms signal delay) were measured at similar points on the dynamic range for the participants with normal hearing and hearing loss. As expected, the amount of masking decreased with age. Due to their hearing loss, the participants with hearing loss were tested at lower masker sensation levels than the participants with normal hearing. For that reason, it was expected that less masking would occur for the participants with hearing loss, and this was observed in the data. It was hypothesized that age and hearing loss would interact, such that the younger children with hearing loss would show greater masking than younger children with normal hearing. Instead, both children with normal hearing and with hearing loss showed higher masking than their adult counterparts, suggesting that the amount of masking did not interact with age and hearing status. These findings suggest that children show less efficient temporal processing.
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Unilateral hearing loss
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Exposure to noise is unfortunately inevitable in military training. The incidence of hearing loss due to basic training was examined in a sample of 1000 recruits before enlistment and after 4 months of basic training. Audiometric tests and personal questionnaires revealed that after basic training 33.7% had developed hearing loss in the high frequency range (6-8 KHz), 3% had noise-induced hearing loss (2-5 KHz), while 60% still had normal hearing and 3.5% had hearing impairment due to various other causes. The left ear was more often affected and there was a tendency towards greater damage to hearing in lightly pigmented subjects. An initial hearing loss at 6-8 KHz may be related to individual susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss.
Noise-induced hearing loss
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