Journal of the American Academy of Audiology最新文献

Background:  In literature, the cognitive performance results of normal hearing individuals with tinnitus are inconsistent. It also differs in the control of other factors that may affect cognition.

Purpose:  This study aimed to determine the differences in attention and memory performance between normal hearing individuals with chronic subjective tinnitus and age-sex-education-matched healthy controls.

Study sample:  Normal hearing individuals with subjective chronic tinnitus between 18 and 55 years of age, who have normal cognitive abilities (tinnitus group, n = 30) and age-sex-matched normal hearing individuals without tinnitus who have normal cognitive abilities (control group, n = 30) were included in this study.

Data collection:  The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test measured participants' general cognitive screening, and depressive symptoms were measured by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Tinnitus Handicap Inventory was used to determine the tinnitus handicap levels. Attention performance was evaluated with Stroop Test-TBAG Form, and short-term and working memory performances were evaluated with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R)-Digit Span Test.

Results:  The tinnitus and control groups' depressive symptom scores were similar concerning the BDI (p = 0.90). There was no statistically significant difference between both groups according to the completion time of the five sections of the Stroop Test, the number of errors and corrections of the Stroop 5 test, and the (WAIS-R)-Digit Span Test scores (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:  In our study, the Stroop Test and Digit Span Test performances of individuals with tinnitus and normal hearing were similar to the control group. Despite previous studies claiming an effect of tinnitus on cognition, our contrary findings are discussed in the light of other demographic, audiological, and psychological measurement variables, especially hearing loss.

Background:  Misophonia is a decreased tolerance of certain sounds related to eating noises, lip smacking, sniffing, breathing, clicking sounds, and tapping. While several validated self-report misophonia questionnaires exist, none focus solely on the impact of misophonia on the patient's life. Additionally, there are no available validated pediatric self-report measures of misophonia. Therefore, a tool was needed to assess the impact of misophonia on both adult and pediatric patients.

Purpose:  To evaluate the psychometric properties of the 8-item Misophonia Impact Questionnaire (MIQ).

Research design:  This was a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Study sample:  Patients who attended the Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Therapy Specialist Clinic in the United Kingdom seeking help for tinnitus, hyperacusis, and/or misophonia (n = 256). A subsample of children aged 16 years or younger (n = 15) was included for preliminary analyses of a version of the MIQ to be filled in by a parent (MIQ-P).

Data collection and analysis:  Data were collected retrospectively from the records of patients held at the audiology department. These included demographic data, audiological measures, and self-report questionnaires taken as part of routine care. Descriptive statistics and psychometric analyses were conducted. The MIQ was analyzed for item difficulty, factor structure, reliability, and construct validity.

Results:  Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a one-factor model for the MIQ gave an excellent fit and its estimated reliability was excellent, with Cronbach's α = 0.94. The total MIQ scores were highly correlated with scores for the Hyperacusis Impact Questionnaire and Sound Sensitivity Symptoms Questionnaire. MIQ scores were not significantly correlated with scores for the Tinnitus Impact Questionnaire or average hearing thresholds. Preliminary data from the subsample indicated excellent internal consistency for the MIQ-P, with Cronbach's α = 0.92.

Conclusions:  The MIQ is a promising questionnaire for assessing the impact of misophonia. Future studies should focus on establishing test/retest reliability, identifying clinically significant change in MIQ scores, defining the severity of misophonia impact categories, and further exploring the psychometric properties of the MIQ-P.

Background:  Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic, multisystemic, neurodevelopmental disorder, in which studies have demonstrated the presence of auditory deficits such as conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, cochlear weakness, and subclinical signs of hearing impairment. However, few studies have assessed this population's central auditory system.

Purpose:  To analyze long-latency auditory evoked potential (LLAEP) in adults with WS and compare them with those obtained from neurotypical individuals with no hearing complaints.

Research design:  A cross-sectional observational study with subjects who were submitted to LLAEP assessment with the oddball paradigm and tone-burst stimuli.

Study sample:  A total of 30 individuals of both sexes, aged 18 to 37 years-15 had WS and comprised the study group (SG) and 15 did not have either the syndrome or hearing complaints and comprised the control group (CG); they were matched for sex and age.

Results:  The LLAEP analysis showed larger P1-N1 and P2-N2 amplitudes but smaller N2-P3 amplitude in SG, which also had delayed latencies in all components compared with CG.

Conclusion:  Adults with WS had increased neuronal response in identifying stimulus characteristics, attentional difficulties in auditory tasks, and deficits in auditory information processing speed.

Background:  Recently, we developed a hearing-related lifestyle questionnaire (HEARLI-Q), which asks respondents to rate their hearing aid (HA) satisfaction in 23 everyday listening situations. It is unknown how HA satisfaction on the retrospective HEARLI-Q scale compares with HA satisfaction measured on the same scale implemented in Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA).

Purpose:  To learn how retrospective (HEARLI-Q) and in situ (EMA) assessments can complement each other.

Research design:  An observational study.

Study sample:  Twenty-one experienced HA users.

Data collection and analysis:  The participants first filled out the HEARLI-Q questionnaire, followed by a 1-week EMA trial using their own HAs. HA satisfaction ratings were compared between the two questionnaires and the underlying drivers of discrepancies in HA satisfaction ratings were evaluated.

Results:  HA satisfaction ratings were significantly higher in EMA for speech communication with one or several people. Hearing difficulty in these situations was rated higher in HEARLI-Q than in EMA, but occurrence of those difficult listening situations was also rated to be lower. When comparing only the situations that occur on daily or weekly basis, the two questionnaires had similar HA satisfaction ratings.

Conclusions:  Lower occurrence of difficult listening situations seems to be the key driver of discrepancies in HA satisfaction ratings between EMA and HEARLI-Q. The advantage of EMA is that it provides insight into an individual's day-to-day life and is not prone to memory bias. HEARLI-Q, on the other hand, can capture situations that occur infrequently or are inconvenient to report in the moment. Administering HEARLI-Q and EMA in combination could give a more holistic view of HA satisfaction.

Background: There have been conflicting results on the effect of auditory stimulation on the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) with some studies indicating suppression, enhancement, or no effect. No studies to date have assessed the effect of sound source location on VOR gain or the relationship between spatial hearing ability and VOR gain.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine if VOR gain was affected by moving the location of the sound source within participants and to determine if these effects were related to spatial hearing ability.

Research design: A between subjects repeated measures experimental design was utilized.

Study sample: Two groups of participants (adult and child) with normal otologic, vestibular, and neurologic function. 22 adults (20 female and 2 male; average age = 23 years) and 16 children (9 female and 7 male; average age = 7.5 years) were included in data analysis.

Data collection and analysis: VOR gain was measured using rotational chair stimulation in the following auditory conditions: silent, insert earphones, external loudspeaker at 0° azimuth rotating with participant, and external stationary speaker. Localization ability was measured using root mean square (RMS) error.

Results: Results indicated a significant effect for sound source location on VOR gain and VOR difference gain in both groups. RMS error was positively correlated for the moving and fixed sound source locations for both adults and children.

Conclusion: VOR gain was significantly affected by location of the sound source. Findings suggest the presence and location of an auditory stimulus during rotational testing can alter results during the assessment.

Background:  The Dichotic Digits Test (DDT) evaluates central auditory nervous system (CANS) dysfunction. The DDT is widely used in audiology clinics worldwide, because it is clinically efficient and has good sensitivity and specificity for CANS lesions. However, the DDT shows a strong ceiling effect, which can mitigate its ability to detect subtle CANS dysfunction.

Purpose:  This study examines the effects of adding monaural and binaural speech-spectrum noise to the DDT in an effort to make the test more taxing to the CANS and thereby reduce the observed ceiling effect.

Research design:  This was an experimental repeated measures study.

Study sample:  The participants were 20 adults aged 18 to 50 years with bilaterally symmetric speech-reception thresholds and pure-tone thresholds (250-8000 Hz) of 25 dB HL or better.

Data collection and analysis:  Each participant was administered one standard DDT test list (no noise added) and DDT test lists with binaural, monaural right, and monaural left noise added. For each of the noise-added conditions, lists were administered at two different signal-to-noise ratios, for a grand total of seven DDT test lists per participant, presented in randomized order. Monaural and binaural noise effects on DDT scoring indices (Right and Left Ear Percent Correct Scores, Combined Total Percent Correct Scores, and Dichotic Difference Scores), as well as noise effects on the right ear advantage for speech, were examined. Mixed model analyses of variance were used to examine fixed effects and interactions of Noise Condition and Ear.

Results:  Adding noise to the standard DDT systematically reduced Right and Left Ear Percent Correct Scores and Combined Total Percent Correct Scores. Statistically significant differences on all indices were found between monaural and binaural noise-added conditions, suggesting a possible advantage for binaural listening in noise.

Conclusions:  These findings suggest that adding noise to tests of dichotic listening increases the difficulty of the task, and that further investigation of dichotic listening patterns in noise could potentially lead to more sensitive clinical evaluations of CANS integrity and function.

Background:  The Claus Elberling Chirp (CE-Chirp) stimulus used in the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) was developed to compensate for the cochlear wave delay. As a version of broadband CE-Chirp stimulus, the use of level-specific (LS) CE-Chirp stimuli, which are created with varying delay models suitable for the intensity levels at which the sound is transmitted, is becoming increasingly common.

Purpose:  The aim of this study was to compare click ABRs with LS CE-Chirp ABR thresholds in adults with sensorineural hearing loss.

Research design:  The research is a cross-sectional, analytical research.

Study sample:  Twenty-two adult patients (n = 44 ears) with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were included in the study.

Data collection and analysis:  Pure-tone audiometry, click ABR, and LS CE-Chirp ABR tests were performed on adult (13 males and 9 females; 42.86 ± 14.50 years) patients with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Click ABR and LS CE-Chirp ABR thresholds were compared in terms of proximity to behavioral hearing thresholds of 2 kHz, 4 kHz, and 2 to 4 kHz averages.

Results:  Both types of ABR stimuli were able to identify with total hearing loss (n = 6). A significant difference was found between LS CE-Chirp ABR thresholds (53.81 ± 20.28 decibel normal hearing level [dB nHL]) and click ABR thresholds (58.81 ± 19.11 dB nHL) in the other ears (n = 38) with hearing loss (p = 0.00). When both ears were evaluated together and the right and left ears were evaluated separately, no difference was found between LS CE-Chirp ABR thresholds and 4 kHz hearing thresholds (p = 0.66, 0.80, and 0.69, respectively).

Conclusion:  In adults with hearing loss, the LS CE-Chirp provides ABR thresholds closer to the behavioral hearing thresholds at 2 and 4 kHz compared with the click stimulus. Notably, there was no difference between LS CE-Chirp ABR thresholds and the 4 kHz behavioral hearing thresholds. We concluded that the LS CE-Chirp can be used effectively in the estimation of behavioral hearing thresholds in adults with hearing loss.