International Journal of Audiology最新文献

Objective: The upper limit of sensitivity to binaural temporal fine structure (TFS) is around 1400 Hz. Higher values have been reported when keeping interaural phase differences fixed and varying the frequency adaptively, as in the adaptive-frequency TFS test [TFS-AF, Füllgrabe et al., Int J Audiol, 56, 926-935]. The probability of TFS-AF thresholds exceeding 1400 Hz, and the influence of age and hearing threshold were assessed.

Design and study sample: TFS-AF thresholds from 277 participants across five studies were re-analysed as a function of Age, low-frequency pure-tone average threshold (PTL; 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz), and high-frequency pure-tone average threshold (PTH; 6000 and 8000 Hz). The 95% confidence intervals on TFS-AF thresholds were computed. The effects of Age and Hearing threshold on the TFS-AF thresholds were assessed using a multiple-regression model.

Results: The bootstrapped 95% confidence interval for this dataset around the median was 1030 to 1122 Hz, similar to that predicted by Monte Carlo simulation. This range was affected by Age and PTL. Regression modelling showed that the occurrence rate of TFS-AF thresholds exceeding 1400 Hz increased with younger Age and better PTL.

Conclusions: TFS-AF thresholds exceeding 1400 Hz are more likely for lower ages and better hearing thresholds.

Objectives: This two-part pilot study investigated the feasibility of using a frequency selectivity measure (T_FS) to develop a novel hearing screening test for cooperative adults. Study 1 determined the optimal masker level, while Study 2 assessed the reliability of a self-administered T_FS test prototype performed at the selected masker level.

Design and study sample: Study 1 (normal hearing, n = 20) examined masker-level effects on T_FS using a manual threshold determination method from an earlier study. Study 2 (normal hearing, n = 21; hearing loss, n = 5) evaluated the reliability of a self-administered T_FS test using a new automated threshold determination procedure.

Results: Moderate masker levels (30-40 dB SPL) were suitable for the T_FS measurements, with 40 dB SPL being optimal. Lower level (20 dB SPL) led to floor effects, while higher level (50 dB SPL) broadened cochlear tuning and reduced T_FS values. The self-administered test demonstrated ±9 dB limit of agreement, with intra-subject absolute mean differences of 1.8-2.7 dB across test frequencies, indicating greater variability compared to the manual method.

Conclusions: The self-administered T_FS test is a candidate for hearing screening, particularly for mild sensorineural hearing loss. However, further research is needed to reduce measurement variability and optimise testing for real-world use.

Objective: Tinnitus, the perception of sound without an external source, affects many adults, impacting quality of life. While factors like hearing loss and psychological distress are linked to tinnitus, the relationship with physical activity remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and the presence of tinnitus.

Design: This study is a cross-sectional study. The participants completed the long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between (components of) physical activity and the presence of tinnitus, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated.

Study sample: This study involved 3004 participants (2751 tinnitus patients, 253 healthy controls).

Results: Engaging in moderate or vigorous-intensity physical activity during leisure time for more than 2.5 hours per week was associated with a reduced risk of having tinnitus (OR = 0.515, p < 0.001). Conversely, individuals who reported sitting for more than 7 hours per day had a significantly higher risk of having tinnitus (OR = 2.366, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The study suggests a potential protective effect of leisure-time physical activity against tinnitus and highlights the importance of reducing sedentary behaviour. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to understand underlying mechanisms.

Objective: To investigate the influence of four major life events (leaving home, full-time employment, married/cohabiting, parenthood) and socio-demographic variables on risky total leisure noise (TLN) during transition to adulthood with a special focus on visiting discotheques and listening to portable listening devices (PLDs).

Design: Longitudinal analysis of the OHRKAN cohort. Risky TLN covering 22 activities was defined as exceeding 85 dB(A) averaged over a 40-hour week. Potential determinants were analysed using Generalised Linear Mixed Models.

Study sample: A closed cohort of 2,148 students recruited in ninth grade at schools in Regensburg in 2009-2011 and surveyed five times over about 10 years. In waves 3 to 5, 1,608 individuals participated at least once.

Results: The prevalence of risky TLN decreased from 72.5% (median age 20) to 38.5% (median age 26). A decrease was also observed for visiting discotheques while exposure to PLD use remained relatively constant. Marriage/cohabiting and parenthood significantly reduced the prevalence of risky TLN and discotheques visits while only marriage/cohabiting reduced the prevalence of risky PLD use.

Conclusions: Young adults are particularly at risk to leisure noise exposure. The later major life events occur, the longer they expose themselves to risky leisure noise. Therefore, prevention is of utmost importance.

Objective: Exploring applications of automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech technologies in hearing assessment and evaluations of hearing aids.

Design: Review protocol was registered at the INPLASY database and was performed following the PRISMA scoping review guidelines. A search in ten databases was conducted in January 2023 and updated in June 2024.

Study sample: Studies that used automatic speech recognition or text-to-speech to assess measures of hearing ability (e.g. speech reception threshold), or to configure hearing aids were retrieved. Of the 2942 records found, 28 met the inclusion criteria.

Results: The results indicated that text-to-speech could effectively replace recorded stimuli in speech intelligibility tests, requiring less effort for experimenters, without negatively impacting outcomes (n = 5). Automatic speech recognition captured verbal responses accurately, allowing for reliable speech reception threshold measurements without human supervision (n = 7). Moreover, automatic speech recognition was employed to simulate participants' hearing, with high correlations between simulated and empirical data (n = 14). Finally, automatic speech recognition was used to optimise hearing aid configurations, leading to higher speech intelligibility for wearers compared to the original configuration (n = 3).

Conclusions: There is the potential for automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech systems to enhance accessibility of, and efficiency in, hearing assessments, offering unsupervised testing options, and facilitating hearing aid personalisation.

Objective: This study developed and validated the Cantonese integrated Digit-in-Noise Test (iDIN) for speech-in-noise measurement and hearing screening.

Design: The development of the Cantonese iDIN followed the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology guidelines. Its psychometric properties, including normative data, psychometric function, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity, were established. Additionally, a preliminary comparison of the effectiveness of 2- and 3-digit SRTs in hearing screening was conducted.

Study sample: The sample included 40 young adults with normal hearing and 65 older adults, with and without hearing loss.

Results: Mean SRTs for 2-, 3-, and 5-digit with forward recall were -11.5 ± 1.3, -12.0 ± 1.0, and -11.3 ± 0.9 dB SNR in young adults, respectively. The slopes for the psychometric functions of these sequences were 20.26, 18.61, and 19.10 %/dB, respectively, and measurement errors were 0.80, 0.61, and 0.71 dB. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the 2- and 3-digit SRTs were .941 and .974, indicating high discriminative ability in hearing screening.

Conclusions: The Cantonese iDIN shows robust psychometric properties. Despite the 3-digit test's slightly better screening performance, shorter test during associated with the 2-digit suggests its potential for hearing screening.

Objective: The current study aimed to explore (1) school-aged children's auditory and cognitive abilities and (2) their perceptions (self-reported and parents) of listening behaviours and symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Study sample: Twenty-one children aged 8 to 12 participated in this study. Eleven children with mTBI were diagnosed in the emergency department, and 10 were matched controls. They were assessed twice, in the acute (≤14 days) and chronic (≥3 months) stages post-injury, using six central auditory behavioural tests, a cognitive screening battery, and questionnaires. ANOVA and correlation analysis were performed.

Results: Group differences were present in three auditory tests as children with mTBI obtained poorer scores than controls (Pitch Pattern Sequence Tests - PPST: p = 0.037; Gap In Noise test - GIN threshold: p = 0.046; Duration Pattern Test - DPT: p = 0.053), but not for perceived listening behaviours and cognitive abilities. Correlations were found only between perceived listening behaviours and reported mTBI symptoms for parents (p =0.014) and children (p =0.002).

Conclusions: Auditory abilities, mostly those related to temporal processing, were affected following mTBI, independently of cognitive abilities. Better identification of auditory processing difficulties following mTBI will improve treatment and resource allocation for children.

Objective: Measurement of reference speech-recognition curves for a specific speech test in typical clinical testing environments and for different loudspeaker configurations.

Design: Speech-recognition scores were measured at four signal-to-noise ratios for five loudspeaker configurations in two anechoic rooms, and in four audiometric test rooms with low reverberation times.

Study sample: 240 young participants (aged 18-25 years) without hearing impairment participated in the measurements.

Results: Reference speech-recognition curves for speech and noise from the front (S₀N₀) were similar across rooms. Compared to S₀N₀, lower speech-recognition thresholds (SRTs) were observed for all other loudspeaker configurations in which speech and noise were spatially separated. This spatial release from masking was significantly reduced for the audiometric test rooms compared to the anechoic rooms. A binaural speech-intelligibility model was used to verify the influence of room acoustic properties and loudspeaker configuration on SRT.

Conclusions: Speech-recognition curves for spatially separated loudspeaker configurations depend on the room acoustic properties, even in audiometric test rooms with low reverberation times. This makes it more difficult to compare clinical measurements with reference speech-recognition curves, or even with data measured in a different test room. It is thus recommended to document the loudspeaker configuration and test room for each clinical measurement.

Objective: The aim of this study was to use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to capture how stigma-induced identity threat is experienced by adults with hearing loss and how they respond to such threats in daily life.

Design and study sample: Twenty adults with hearing loss from 53 to 88 years (mean age of 69.4 years) completed a range of demographic and stigma questionnaires in the laboratory and, over a two-week period, answered daily EMA surveys.

Results: A total of 633 EMA surveys were collected. Five participants reported 13 listening events in which they experienced stigma. These events were typically when conversing with family or friends who were aware of the adults' hearing loss.

Conclusions: The number of individual stigma experiences captured by EMA were low, when viewed across a large number of social interactions. However, as a group, a quarter of the participants in this study experienced stigma over a two-week period, typically from others close to them. This suggests that stigma experiences may be a regular occurrence for some adults with hearing loss.

Objective: The speech intelligibility index (SII) is used to quantify the audibility of the speech. This study examined the relationship between self-reported hearing aid (HA) outcomes and the difference in aided SII (SII_A) calculated from the initial fit (IF) gain and that prescribed as per the second generation of National Acoustic Laboratory Non-Linear (NAL-NL2).

Design: A prospective observational study.

Study sample: The study included 718 first-time and 253 experienced HA users. All users had a valid real-ear measurement (REM) at three input levels (55, 65 and 80 dB SPL).

Results: The gain provided by IF was lower than NAL-NL2 at 55 and 65 dB SPL. IF gain exhibited reduced compression than NAL-NL2 as input levels increased from 55 to 80 dB SPL. On average, the SII_A provided by IF was significantly lower than that for NAL-NL2 at all input levels. The difference in SII_A between IF and NAL-NL2 at 80 dB SPL input level with 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) turned out to be a predictor for self-reported outcome for first-time HA users.

Conclusion: The study suggests that an SIIA close to that provided by NAL-NL2 at high input levels would be preferred to obtain a better self-reported outcome. .