International Journal of Audiology最新文献

Objective: Observational studies have suggested an association between cardiometabolic factors and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), but the causal relationship remains unclear. We aimed to assess the causal effect of cardiometabolic factors on the risk of ISSNHL using a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach.

Design: Two-sample MR study.

Study sample: We used summary-level data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genetic instruments for cardiometabolic factors were obtained from GWAS. Summary statistics for ISSNHL were derived from a publicly available GWAS database.

Results: Genetically predicted higher ApoAI levels were significantly associated with an decreased risk of ISSNHL (IVW OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.98, P = 0.03). No evidence of directional pleiotropy was detected in MR-Egger regression (P = 0.30), and Cochran's Q test indicated no significant heterogeneity (P = 0.94). MR-PRESSO detected no outliers.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence supporting a potential causal relationship between higher ApoAI levels and decreased risk of ISSNHL. Further biological and clinical studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Objective: To investigate vestibular function in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, using cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (c & oVEMPs) and the video head impulse test (vHIT).

Design: A cross-sectional case-control study.

Study sample: This study involved 22 people with PD and 22 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, with a mean age of 61.59 years (SD 6.11, range 50.6-72.8) and a mean age of 61.65 years (SD 6.55, range 50.0-71.2), respectively. The PD group included 8 individuals in Hoehn and Yahr stage I (36.4%), 4 in stage II (18.2%), and 10 in stage III (45.5%).

Results: No significant differences in vHIT canal gains were found between groups (p > 0.05). However, vestibular abnormalities were more prevalent in the PD group: 18,2% had a normal VEMP battery compared to 50,0% of controls. Furthermore, 27.3% of PD patients showed abnormalities in both cVEMP and oVEMP, versus 9.1% of controls. PD patients exhibited significantly smaller oVEMP peak-to-peak amplitudes (µV) than controls (p = 0.008).

Conclusions: This study provided valuable insights into vestibular abnormalities in PD, with oVEMPs demonstrating the highest abnormality rate. These results contribute to elucidating diagnostic approaches and treatments for postural instability in PD.

Objective: In a clinical sample of audiology clients, we aimed to investigate associations between hearing loss (pure-tone audiometry), subjective hearing difficulty (self-report), subjective memory complaints, and well-known health and lifestyle risk factors for dementia.

Design: This study was conducted via an online self-report survey and review of clinical records.

Study sample: Clients (N = 399, 45% female, M age = 74) of a hearing services provider in Perth, Western Australia, took part in the study.

Results: Audiology clients reported high levels of subjective memory complaints, with 54% scoring above the clinically significant cut-off. Higher levels of subjective memory complaints were predicted by both higher level of hearing loss (β = -.25) and higher levels of subjective hearing difficulty (β = .24). Odds ratios indicated that subjective hearing difficulty, but not the level of hearing loss, was associated with a higher likelihood of self-reported health and lifestyle risk factors for dementia.

Conclusion: Clients attending audiology clinics may represent a promising target population for risk-reduction and timely intervention initiatives to address cognitive decline. Results highlight the importance of a holistic approach to hearing healthcare.

Objective: Show that a basic unsupervised machine learning (ML) algorithm can give information on the direction of child and infant reactions to sound using non-identifiable video-recorded facial features.

Design: Infants and toddlers were presented warble tones or single-syllable utterances 45 degrees to the left or right. A camera recorded their reactions, from which features like head turns or eye gaze were extracted with OpenFace. Three clusters were formed using Expectation Maximisation on 80% of the toddler data. The remaining 20% and all infant data were used to verify if the clusters represent groups for sound presentations to the left, to the right, and both directions.

Study sample: 28 infants (2-5 months) and 30 toddlers (2-4 years), born preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) were presented ten sounds each.

Results: The largest cluster comprised 90% of the trials with sound presentations in both directions, indicating "no decision." The remaining two clusters could be interpreted to represent reactions to the left and the right, respectively, and average sensitivities of 96% for the toddlers and 68% for the infants.

Conclusions: A simple machine learning algorithm demonstrated that it can form correct decisions on the direction of sound presentation using non-identifiable facial behavioural data.

Objective: To compare the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes of a bimodal solution using a cochlear implant (CI) and a hearing aid (HA) versus new replacement HAs in patients with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL).

Design: A prospective randomised controlled trial with CI candidates with AHL randomly assigned 1:1 to either undergo CI surgery after one month of new replacement HAs or continue the new HAs use for an additional three months. HRQoL was assessed with the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ).

Study sample: Sixty-three CI candidates (mean age: 63.4, range: 23-83 years).

Results: The mean NCIQ total score significantly improved with a mean change of 14.25 scale points (95% CI 9.83;18.68, p < 0.001) when comparing the original HAs with the bimodal solution three months after cochlear implantation. Additionally, HRQoL significantly improved when comparing the original HAs to the new replacement HAs with a mean change of 3.39 scale points (95% CI 0.27;6.51, p = 0.033) though the prolongation of the HAs did not have a significant impact on NCIQ scores.

Conclusions: The bimodal solution improves HRQoL compared to new well-fitted HAs in CI candidates with AHL. Extending the use of new optimally fitted HAs before CI surgery is unnecessary.

Objective: To compare replacement hearing aids (HA) with a cochlear implant (CI) and a HA in the bimodal solution using the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) at 70% correct Speech Reception Threshold (SRT70) measured with the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), Word Recognition Scores (WRS) in quiet and noise and patient reported outcome using Speech Spatial and Quality (SSQ-12) questionnaire.

Design/study sample: Prospective randomised controlled trial between bimodal use and continuous HA use for additional three months.

Study sample: Sixty-three CI candidates (mean age: 63.4, range: 23-83 years) with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) fulfilling CI candidacy criteria on one ear.

Results: No difference was found between the original and new replacement HAs after one month. However, comparing the bimodal solution with new replacement HAs mean SRT70 improved by -10.26 dB SNR (95%CI:-15.38;-5.13), WRS in quiet by 18.56% (95%CI:9.48;27.64), WRS in noise by 18.18% (95%CI:8.84;27.53), and SSQ12 total scores improved by 2.67 scale points (95%CI:1.81;3.53).

Conclusion: Extended use of HAs offers no additional benefit; CI surgery can proceed once one month of acclimatisation is achieved as the addition of a CI outperforms new replacement HAs in CI candidates with AHL.

Objective: Speech understanding outcomes after cochlear implantation (CI) exhibit considerable variability. Speech understanding is a bi-modal and bi-directional process, involving also visual and cognitive functions. Therefore, follow-up for CI candidates should consider a broader range of factors beyond auditory factors. The current study aimed to evaluate the auditory, visual, and cognitive abilities of adults with a severe-to-profound hearing loss before and after implantation.

Design and study sample: Twenty-six CI-candidates were assessed before implantation, and at three, six, and twelve months post-implantation. The auditory abilities were evaluated using pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry in quiet and in noise. For assessing the (audio-)visual speech processing abilities the Test for (Audio-) Visual Speech Perception (TAUVIS) was used. The cognitive tests included the Letter-number sequencing task, the Letter Detection Test, and an auditory Stroop test. Linear Mixed Models were used to investigate the effect of test moment statistically.

Results: Findings show improvement in auditory, visual, and cognitive abilities post-implantation, with the most significant gains observed at three months post-implantation.

Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of evaluating CI outcomes comprehensively, considering auditory, visual, and cognitive abilities involved in speech understanding. These results could provide useful information for the counselling and rehabilitation before and after implantation.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the experiences of children/young people and families living with microtia and hearing loss.

Design: Interviews and focus groups were conducted with children and young people (n = 11) with microtia and parents (n = 12). A constant comparative approach consistent with Grounded Theory was used.

Study sample: Participants included children and young people with microtia aged 7 to 20, recruited from across England, UK. They engaged in individual semi-structured interviews, whilst parents participated across five online Focus Groups. All participants spoke English and received care from the National Health Service (NHS).

Results: Children, young people and parents actively assess the child's hearing needs. Other microtia considerations change over time, and ongoing information-seeking is important. This information is drawn from multiple sources, contributing to an understanding of microtia as an integral aspect of the individual's identity.

Conclusions: This study highlights the evolving information needs of children and young people with microtia, including hearing support, ear reconstruction options, managing daily challenges such as school and social situations, and learning about the experiences of peers with similar conditions. The findings show how these needs change over time, emphasising the value of accessible, age-appropriate information to support children as they grow and navigate these experiences.

Objective: To derive lower bounds for the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests when there is no gold standard method of diagnosis and to illustrate how the results can be applied to tests for diagnosing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Design: It is demonstrated mathematically that provided a test has some diagnostic value (proportion of hits greater than proportion of false alarms), the sensitivity of the test must be greater than the proportion of individuals who receive a positive diagnosis using that test and the specificity must be greater than 1 minus the proportion of individuals who receive a positive diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity of tests for diagnosing NIHL are best evaluated using populations with high and low likelihoods of having NIHL, respectively.

Results: The derivations are illustrated using two tests for the diagnosis of military NIHL based on the audiogram and age. A test based on a multi-layer perceptron had a sensitivity probably above 0.986 and a specificity probably above 0.902, with lower bounds of 0.965 and 0.848, respectively, after allowing for sampling errors.

Conclusions: Although the lack of a gold standard prevents precise estimation of sensitivity and specificity, lower bounds can be placed on their values.

Objective: To systematically synthesise epidemiological evidence on the prevalence and characteristics of hearing loss and ear-related disorders among school-aged children in India, and to analyse the socio-demographic factors influencing their distribution.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42025644927). An in-depth search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2015-2024) was performed.

Study sample: Children aged 5-15 years from hospitals, communities, and educational institutions across both rural and urban regions of India.

Results: The combined prevalence of hearing loss among Indian school-aged children was estimated at 14.14% (95% CI: 12.22%-16.31%), with substantial heterogeneity observed (I² = 91.8%). Conductive hearing loss was the most common type, mainly associated with preventable and treatable conditions such as otitis media and cerumen impaction. Higher prevalence rates were noted in rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Diagnostic modality had a significant impact on prevalence estimates, with pure-tone audiometry yielding more conservative figures compared to screening tools.

Conclusions and implications: Hearing loss and ear-related disorders are common and largely preventable among Indian schoolchildren. There is a time-sensitive need for standardised screening protocols, early interventions, and targeted public health strategies to mitigate the burden among the underserved population.