Journal of Audiology and Otology最新文献

Background and objectives: Children constantly gain auditory experiences that promote speech and language development. Therefore, evaluating the auditory capacities of children in noisy environments is imperative. In this study, we sought to evaluate the speech perception abilities of children with normal hearing in noisy environments.

Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, enrolling 162 Tamil-speaking children aged 3-6 years with normal hearing. These children were further categorized into three groups based on age range: group 1 (3;0-3;11 years), group 2 (4;0-4;11 years), and group 3 (5;0-5;11 years). The two-talker babble was recorded and presented under four conditions: silence, 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), +10 dB SNR, and +20 dB SNR. Scoring was carried out and recorded appropriately.

Results: A significant difference (p<0.05) in performance was observed at 0 dB SNR and +10 dB SNR compared to that in the other two presentation conditions. Among all the age groups assessed, performance was poorer in those exposed to 0 dB SNR, whereas near-perfect scores were recorded among those exposed to 20 dB SNR.

Conclusions: Our findings provide a basis for comparing the performance of children utilizing hearing devices in noisy environments. This normative data can also serve as a benchmark for evaluating the performance of children with hearing loss fitted with hearing devices.

The prevalence of mild-to-moderate hearing loss is increasing due to noise exposure and an expanding elderly population. Despite the benefits of hearing aids, many individuals avoid them due to cost and incomplete awareness, opting instead for smartphone-based hearing aid applications (SHAAs) and personal sound amplification products (PSAPs). However, these devices are currently lacking official approval for medical use. The study results, together with roundtable discussions organized by the Patient-Centered Clinical Research Coordinating Center (PACEN) and recent research findings, were reviewed to develop clinical guidelines. The roundtable discussions involved seven otology experts and one lay representative and focused on defining PSAPs and establishing minimum requirements for their use by patients with hearing loss. Hearing aids were found to effectively address all types of hearing loss and improve speech recognition in noisy environments. In contrast, SHAA and PSAP are effective only under specific conditions: SHAA for mild loss and PSAP for mild-to-moderate loss. Both devices perform poorly in noisy settings and lack noise processing features. Hearing aids are recommended as the most effective and versatile option for auditory rehabilitation, whereas SHAA and PSAP should only be considered under defined conditions when hearing aids are impractical. Continued updates and cost-effectiveness evaluations will be required as technologies advance.

Lymphomas originating in the ear are extremely rare. As with other malignancies of the temporal bone, diagnosis of lymphoma in the middle ear and temporal bone is often delayed, negatively impacting treatment and prognosis. The delay in diagnosis is primarily due to its clinical presentation overlapping with benign infectious conditions of the middle ear. Here, we present a rare case of a 46-year-old woman with prolonged otorrhea, hearing disturbances, intermittent vertigo, and headache. She underwent surgery to investigate suspected chronic otomastoiditis, and subsequent pathological examination revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Severe and persistent middle ear symptoms should raise red flags and warrant thorough and detailed investigations, including pathological confirmation.

Background and objectives: Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder characterized by intense emotional and physiological responses to specific triggers. These responses are often associated with heightened reactions from the autonomic nervous system. In this study, we investigated the psychometric properties of the misophonia measurement questionnaires.

Materials and methods: A bibliographic search without publication date or language restrictions was conducted in March 2023 and updated in October 2024. The search had no time limit for the retrieval of relevant studies, including cross-sectional and psychometric studies. Two authors screened the titles and abstracts, and irrelevant studies were excluded after reviewing the full text of the articles. Any disagreements during the selection process were resolved through discussion. Standardized critical appraisal tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) tool were used to assess the psychometric properties of the instruments.

Results: Of the 130 screened articles, 34 were selected for full-text evaluation, and 25 articles met the inclusion criteria.

Conclusion: Evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the measures of misophonia is limited, indicating the need for further research to explore these instruments across various cultures and languages.

Background and objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a minimal inverted-J incision for bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) Attract implantation. Classical large incisions often result in prolonged surgical time and wound-related complications. A linear incision can lead to an incision scar overlapping the implanted magnet, resulting in wound complications, magnet instability, and problems with external device attachment. Our novel incision method overcomes the limitations of both incision methods.

Subjects and methods: We assessed the outcomes of patients who underwent BAHA Attract implantation using a minimal inverted-J incision, which was designed to provide adequate exposure while avoiding excessive incision. The total surgery duration, wound healing, and implant stability were evaluated based on hearing outcomes and compared with those of patients who underwent a classical incision.

Results: The minimal inverted-J incision and classical incision groups demonstrated no significant differences in surgical time (32.7±6.3 min vs. 36.9±5.4 min, p=0.056), postoperative major wound complications (6.3% vs. 20%, p=0.176), and hearing outcomes (51.8±31.1 dB vs. 49.3±27.8 dB, p=0.585); however, the trends consistently showed that the minimal inverted-J incision group was either superior or comparable to the other groups.

Conclusions: Our novel incision technique for BAHA Attract implantation addresses the limitations associated with both the classical and minimal linear incision approaches.

Background and objectives: The Automated Method for Testing Auditory Sensitivity (AMTAS) is a promising automated hearing assessment tool currently available as an alternative for conducting hearing assessments. The aim of this study was to assess the validity, reliability, and usability of the AMTAS in a Malaysian population.

Subjects and methods: This study included 100 participants who participated in validity testing, 30 in reliability testing, and 232 participants who answered the Malay version of the mHealth Application Usability Questionnaire (M-MAUQ). The test was conducted at a general hospital and district hospital. Hearing thresholds were compared between conventional pure-tone audiometry and AMTAS for validation. The hearing threshold of the AMTAS was measured twice to investigate the test-retest reliability. The usability of the AMTAS was analyzed based on M-MAUQ scores for ease of use, interface and satisfaction, and usefulness after the participants used the AMTAS.

Results: The mean difference in hearing thresholds between these two methods ranged from 1.25 dB to 3.40 dB at the general hospital and 0.30 dB to 3.35 dB at the district hospital, with over 95% of participants exhibiting a mean difference within ±10 dB. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the test-retest reliability of the AMTAS ranged from 0.64 to 0.99 across tested frequencies. The overall mean scores of the M-MAUQ for each item ranged from 6.31 to 6.80 out of a full score of 7, indicating excellent usability of the AMTAS.

Conclusions: This study revealed that the AMTAS is a valid and reliable approach for measuring hearing status in the Malaysian population, demonstrating high user satisfaction.

Background and objectives: We aimed to describe the demographic and audiometric profiles of adults accessing audiological services in Malaysia, including comparisons between public hospitals and private hearing aid centers and between the west and east coasts of Peninsular Malaysia.

Subjects and methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1,828 patient records, including 1,720 from public hospitals and 108 from private hearing aid centers.

Results: Patients in private centers were older (mean age, 65.99 years; standard deviation [SD], 16.97) and had more severe hearing loss (mean four-frequency average hearing loss [4FAHL], 50.56 dB HL; SD, 21.47) than those in public hospitals (mean, 53.83 years; SD, 16.91; mean 4FAHL, 39.37 dB HL; SD, 22.55). Patients on the west coast of Malaysia were slightly older (mean, 55.10 years; SD, 16.87) than those residing on Malaysia's east coast (mean, 53.18 years; SD, 17.76). Gender distribution differed according to region, with more males on the east coast (57.3%) than on the west coast (50.9%) but was similar across public and private settings.

Conclusions: Distinct demographic and audiometric trends were observed between service settings. Older age and more severe HL were associated with private care, whereas regional differences suggest the need for services that accommodate geographic variations.

Background and objectives: Frequency allocation is crucial in cochlear implantation (CI) mapping, significantly impacting speech perception. Previous studies have suggested that limiting the upper frequency range may improve outcomes; however, evidence remains limited, particularly among non-English-speaking populations. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between frequency allocation and speech perception in Korean CI users.

Subjects and methods: We prospectively evaluated 14 ears from nine Korean CI users under two frequency allocation conditions: a standard setting (188-7,938 Hz) and a narrow, modified setting (188-5,938 Hz). Speech perception was assessed using Ling's six-sound test, as well as vowel, consonant, monosyllabic, disyllabic, and sentence recognition tests. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models to account for repeated measures and subject-level clustering.

Results: Narrow frequency allocation significantly improved the perception of vowels (p=0.032), consonants (p=0.035), and monosyllables (p=0.022). Disyllable perception exhibited a positive trend (p=0.056), whereas sentence recognition demonstrated no significant difference (p=0.367).

Conclusions: Narrow frequency allocation significantly enhanced vowel, consonant, and monosyllable perceptions among Korean CI users. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring CI frequency settings to the phonemic characteristics unique to Korean-speaking populations.

Background and objectives: The Eustachian tube cartilage (ETC) is the cartilaginous frame of the Eustachian tube (ET), which plays a pivotal role in its function. Existing treatments for ET dysfunction (ETD) are primarily based on mechanical deformation. Electromechanical reshaping (EMR) is a novel method used to reshape the cartilage into the desired form by applying an electric current using strategically placed needles for mechanical deformation. In this study, EMR was evaluated for its ability to reshape the ETC.

Materials and methods: A total of 84 ETCs were harvested from 42 post-mortem porcine crania and randomly divided into control and experimental (EMR) groups. To reshape the ETC, the control ETCs were subjected to a mechanical force, whereas the experimental group was subjected to the same force and current of 3, 4, or 5 V for 2 or 3 min. Changes in shape were assessed by measuring the contour angles using digital photographs.

Results: In the analysis of the contour angle, ETC post-EMR for 2 min at ≥4 V demonstrated significant reshaping relative to the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusions: EMR can be used to reshape the ETCs ex vivo. Future experiments with well-designed ex vivo and in vivo conditions are required to develop novel therapeutic options for ETD.

Isolated myxomas of the external auditory canal are extremely rare, benign tumors. We present a case of a 77-year-old male patient who presented with a benign mass in the right external auditory canal. Isolated myxomas of the tragus around the external auditory canal are rare. This case report highlights the clinical presentation, surgical management, and pathological findings of this patient. The importance of considering myxoma in the differential diagnosis of benign tumors of the external auditory canal is emphasized. Long-term follow-up is necessary to monitor for potential recurrence or associated conditions. Further studies are needed to better understand the etiology, pathogenesis, and optimal management of this rare type of tumor.