International Journal of Audiology最新文献

Objective: To develop a methodologically uniform digits-in-noise (DIN) test in 17 different languages.

Design: The DIN test was developed for Android devices as an extension to the open-access Hearing Test^™ app, available on the Google Play store. It utilised professionally recorded female speech, speech-shaped noise, a digit scoring method and a variable step size. The test was adaptively optimised and evaluated as the results of tests taken online by users of the app became available.

Study sample: Optimisation using 35,534 ears, evaluation using 6012 ears.

Results: Optimisation improved the slopes of the psychometric functions for all languages by an average of 6.8%/dB. Evaluation included calculation of normative speech reception thresholds (SRTs) and estimation of test-retest standard deviations. Normative values for SRTs ranged from -14.2 dB SNR (95% CI -14.3 to -14.0) for Chinese to -11.2 dB SNR (95% CI -11.3 to -11.1) for Japanese, with reliability estimates ranging from 0.48 dB (95% CI 0.36-0.64) for Portuguese to 0.91 dB (95% CI 0.73-1.21) for Romanian.

Conclusions: The optimisation of each language version was confirmed by the improvement in the slopes of the psychometric functions. The normative values obtained from the test evaluation were in agreement with literature data.

Trial registration: Science Support Centre of Wroclaw Medical University BW-59/2020.

Objectives: This study investigates the short-term effects of degraded auditory input on the right ear advantage (REA) and the REA following long-term exposure to vocoder-processed sounds, which simulate cochlear implant (CI) hearing. Vocoder processing allows normal hearing individuals to experience CI-like hearing conditions, enabling an exploration of how modifications to auditory input influence the REA.

Design: A repeated-measures design was employed. Twenty-two normal-hearing participants completed dichotic word recognition tests under three auditory conditions: bilateral normal hearing, short-term vocoder-processed hearing, and long-term vocoder-processing hearing. REA was assessed after one month of training with vocoder-processed words to simulate long-term exposure.

Study sample: The study included 22 normal-hearing participants aged 19-28 years. All participants had normal hearing and no history of auditory or neurological disorders.

Results: REA significantly decreased under the short-term vocoder condition compared to the normal hearing condition (p < 0.001). However, after long-term training, REA significantly improved (p < 0.001), and this improvement approached normal hearing levels (p = 0.28).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to vocoder-processed auditory input disrupts the REA, but extended training can restore it. These results provide insights into cortical plasticity and its role in auditory adaptation, with potential implications for developing rehabilitation strategies for CI users.

Objective: To describe the development and implementation of a management pathway for infants and young children identified with permanent unilateral hearing loss within an early hearing detection and intervention program in Ontario, Canada.

Design: An integrated knowledge translation approach was used to synthesise knowledge and generate a product: an updated clinical practice guideline. Current unilateral hearing loss guidelines were combined with the results of a scoping literature review focusing on technology options and outcomes for children with limited usable hearing unilaterally.

Collaborators: Five paediatric audiologists partnered with two researchers to develop the knowledge product. A draft was provided to 75 audiologists who provide amplification services and was subsequently tailored to support clinical uptake by incorporating the audiologists' comments.

Results: The updated clinical practice guideline describes a care pathway for children with unilateral hearing loss. Tools and graphics were developed as part of the integrated knowledge translation approach. Following standardised, competency-based training, the co-created guideline was implemented.

Conclusions: Through an integrated knowledge translation approach, an updated unilateral hearing loss clinical practice guideline was co-created and implemented. The guideline provides information for the management of infants and young children with permanent unilateral hearing loss to support the operationalisation of current evidence-informed care.

Objective: The current 'gold standard' of audiometry relies on subjective behavioural responses, which is impractical and unreliable for certain groups such as children, individuals with severe disabilities, or the disabled elderly. This study aims to validating blindly a novel electroencephalography (EEG) technique to estimate audiometric thresholds quickly.

Design: Air-conduction audiometric thresholds at 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz at 5 dB resolution were measured using three different systems: the novel EEG system, conventional pure-tone audiometry (PTA), and an automated behavioural test with the same stimulus properties as in the EEG test. EEG data were collected for 15 min from 32 semi-dry EEG electrodes. Later, the EEG system was trimmed to 8 electrodes and 7.5 min of data with satisfactory results. EEG and PTA thresholds were estimated blindly.

Study sample: Audiometric thresholds were estimated from 10 elderly patients with asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss and five normal hearing young adults at both ears.

Results: Correlation and regression analysis validated the hearing thresholds derived from both EEG configurations relative to the behavioural hearing thresholds - Spearman's correlation of 0.78 between PTA and 8-electrode 7.5-min EEG data.

Conclusions: The results of this study open the door to rapid and objective hearing threshold estimation with EEG.

Objectives: This systematic review examines spectro-temporal resolution ability in children with cochlear implants (cCI). The objective is to summarise the articles that assess the spectro-temporal resolution ability, its relationship with speech perception, and associated factors in cCI.

Design: A systematic review.

Study sample: A total of 193 articles were reviewed, and seven articles were selected for the systematic review that assessed spectro-temporal resolution ability in cCI. All seven studies used the Spectro-Temporal Modulated Ripple Test (SMRT) to assess spectro-temporal resolution ability.

Results: The results consistently showed that cCI demonstrated lower SMRT thresholds than children with normal hearing. A significant correlation was found between SMRT thresholds and speech perception scores. Factors associated with spectro-temporal resolution included chronological age, age at implantation, duration of implantation, cognitive ability, and the effect of training.

Conclusion: SMRT can be used to assess young children, as it shows a significant correlation with speech perception scores. Even though the results of SMRT thresholds and their correlation with speech perception were consistent, variations in the results were present across studies, which may have been due to demographic and technological factors.

Objective: In this study we investigated whether speech recognition in noise improves with age in children with hearing loss using hearing aids (HA) or cochlear implants (CI). Secondly, we identified the audiological factors that predict these abilities.

Design: We performed a retrospective analysis of the Dutch Digit-In-Noise (DIN) test results from our clinical population of children rehabilitated with HAs (N = 163) or CIs (N = 83). Participants were aged between 6 and 18 years, had stable hearing loss and an open-set phoneme recognition in quiet > 50% at 65 dB SPL.

Study sample: We included 242 measurements from HA users and 190 from CI users. All had at least 1 year of device experience and were using their daily program.

Results: Two linear mixed models were created for HA and CI users. A significant effect of age on speech in noise performance was observed for both groups. For HA users, pure tone average was another significant predictor, for CI users = the modality. Children with bilateral CIs had a significantly better DIN SRT compared to those with unilateral or bimodal rehabilitation.

Conclusions: Age and audiological factors, such as pure tone average and modality, significantly predict speech-in-noise performance in children using HAs or CIs.

Objective: Conduct a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) to identify interventions related to the diagnosis and management of SSNHL. Results from this review will inform the development of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Package for Ear and Hearing Care Interventions (PEHCI).

Design: We searched for clinical practice guidelines, published from 2014 onwards, across four databases and websites for audiology/otolaryngology professional organisations, that report recommendations on diagnosis and management of SSNHL. We assessed the quality of the clinical practice guidelines using the AGREE II tool. All review processes were performed by two independent reviewers.

Sample: Following the screening and quality appraisal, we identified three high-quality clinical practice guidelines relevant to SSNHL.

Results: Specific interventions focused on the (1) diagnosis of SSNHL with clinical tests, (2) management of SSNHL with patient education, medical management with steroid use with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (when warranted), and (3) follow-up in terms of outcomes assessment with clinical tests and accompanied by rehabilitation when warranted.

Conclusions: The clinical practice guidelines detailed recommendations on the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with SSNHL. The interventions derived from these guidelines will inform the selection of interventions for inclusion in the WHO PEHCI.

Objective: To assess the validity, reliability and readability of four AI chatbots for hearing-health information.

Design and study sample: Three audiologists created 100 questions covering adult hearing loss, paediatric hearing, hearing aids, tinnitus and cochlear implants (20 each). Questions were submitted twice to ChatGPT-3.5, Bing AI, Gemini and Perplexity. Answers were scored for factual accuracy and completeness on a five-point Global Quality Score. Validity was defined using low (score = 5) and high (score ≥ 4) thresholds. Internal consistency was estimated with Cronbach's α; readability with the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL). All scoring was completed independently by two blinded reviewers; discrepancies were resolved by consensus.

Results: Under the low threshold ChatGPT-3.5 and Perplexity were most valid (84% and 79%); high-threshold validity fell to 37% and 34%. Perplexity had the highest overall reliability (α = 0.83) yet α dropped below 0.70 for cochlear-implant, tinnitus and hearing-aid questions. 84% percent of outputs were "Difficult"/"Very Difficult" and 68% read at college level.

Conclusions: AI chatbots deliver generally accurate hearing-health content, but high-threshold accuracy, domain-specific reliability and readability remain suboptimal. They should supplement, not replace the professional counselling. Continued optimisation and external validation are needed before routine clinical recommendation.

Objective: This study investigated the impact of cognitive function on the administration of the hearTest automated hearing test in older adults. The relationship between Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and three hearTest metrics (false response rate, standard deviation of response time, and test duration) was analysed.

Design: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Testing was conducted in participants' homes or retirement villages.

Study sample: One hundred and five older adults (aged 67-97 years) receiving home-based aged care with MoCA scores ranging between 5 (possible dementia) and 30 (healthy cognition).

Results: There was no relationship between MoCA score and false response rate (r = -0.12, CI = -0.42 to 0.06, p = 0.22) or standard deviation of response time (r = -0.11, CI = -0.33 to 0.04, p = 0.27). There was a moderate sized correlation between MoCA score and test duration (r = -0.31, CI = - 0.49 to - 0.15, p = 0.001), indicating longer test duration with lower MoCA scores.

Conclusions: hearTest performance is not impacted by cognitive ability in a population of older adults that included people living with dementia. However, additional test time may be needed for hearTest administration for individuals with cognitive impairment.