American Journal of Audiology

PURPOSE: Noise reduction technologies in hearing aids provide benefits under controlled conditions. However, differences in their real-life effectiveness are not established. We propose that a deep neural network (DNN)-based noise reduction system trained on naturalistic sound environments will provide different real-life benefits compared to traditional systems. METHOD: Real-life listening experiences collected with Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) of participants who used two premium models of hearing aid are compared...

PURPOSE: Uncorrected hearing loss can result in detrimental sequelae. Research addressing clinical presentation and genetic testing would inform clinical decision making. METHOD: A retrospective chart review of 96 patients aged 1 month to 46 years (median age = 6 years) diagnosed with hearing loss or deafness and who underwent genetic testing at University of Rochester Medical Center from 2011 to 2021. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests examined the relationship between a diagnostic positive genetic test result and various characteristics of hearing loss, including congenital ( n = 52), noncongenital ( n = 34), prelingual ( n = 53), postlingual ( n = 33), progressive ( n = 13), not progressive ( n = 47), bilateral ( n = 67), unilateral ( n = 26), sensorineural ( n = 68), conductive ( n = 14), mixed ( n = 5), syndromic ( n = 10), and nonsyndromic ( n = 87) hearing loss...

PURPOSE: middle-ear mechanics. In contrast to standard tympanometry, which is generally measured at a single stiffness-dominated low frequency, WAI detects mechanical effects on both the mass and stiffness properties of the middle ear across a wide range of frequencies, resulting in a more comprehensive assessment of middle-ear mechanics in healthy and pathological ears. Despite a plethora of research demonstrating the clinical utility of this measure, clinical adoption of WAI is still limited...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the auditory performance and speech perception of 104 children with isolated large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS) and 523 children with no inner ear malformation (IEM) for 5 years after cochlear implantation, in order to explore whether isolated LVAS can affect the long-term hearing and speech rehabilitation of deaf children after cochlear implantation. METHOD: A cohort study was established consisting of 627 children who underwent cochlear implantation at Beijing Tongren Hospital from 1999 to 2016...

PURPOSE: U.S. national data for otoscopic examinations of 13,055 individuals aged 6-80+ years included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey surveys for 2011-2012, 2015-2016, and 2017-2020 were analyzed and described. METHOD: Analyses were primarily descriptive and relied on prevalence estimates, supported by logistic-regression analyses, and distribution-free medians. Otoscopic examinations were performed by trained technicians with review and supervision by a clinical audiologist...

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to observe sensory gating-related networks underlying cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) peak components in individuals with and without minimal tinnitus, as measured using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). This analysis was performed on previously published sensory gating responses in normal-hearing adults with and without minimal tinnitus. METHOD: Independent component analysis was performed for each individual CAEP gating component (Pa, P50, N1, and P2)...

PURPOSE: The Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study is a randomized clinical trial designed to determine the effects of a best-practice hearing intervention versus a successful aging health education control intervention on cognitive decline among community-dwelling older adults with untreated mild-to-moderate hearing loss. We describe the baseline audiologic characteristics of the ACHIEVE participants. METHOD: Participants aged 70-84 years ( N = 977; M age = 76...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to (a) compare the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory (RHHI) and pure-tone average (PTA) in their abilities to predict hearing aid use and (b) report the optimal cut-point values on the RHHI and PTA that predict hearing aid use. METHOD: Participants were from a community-based cohort study. We evaluated the ability of the RHHI and PTA as (a) continuous variables and (b) binary variables characterized by the optimal cut point determined by the Youden Index to predict hearing aid use...

PURPOSE: Critical thinking is a crucial component of health care, and its importance has been recognized in training medical professionals. This study reports critical thinking skills for entering doctor of audiology (AuD) students and the trajectory of the change in critical thinking skills measured 2 times over a period of 3 years. METHOD: This longitudinal, descriptive, and exploratory design was implemented for programmatic review. Critical thinking skills were measured using the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT; Insight Assessment) upon entering the program and compared to measurements during the final month of academic coursework...

PURPOSE: For half a century, psycholinguists have been exploring the idea that developmental language disorders may have their roots in suprathreshold auditory dysfunctions, but results are inconclusive. Typical studies focus on relationships between temporal processing abilities and measures of various language skills at the time of testing, a proximal account. This study expanded that focus by testing three novel hypotheses: (a) Spectral processing impairments may be more responsible for language-learning deficits than temporal processing impairments...

PURPOSE: The goal was to evaluate whether implicit talker familiarization via an interactive computer game, designed for this study, could improve children's word recognition in classroom noise. It was hypothesized that, regardless of age, children would perform better when recognizing words spoken by the talker who was heard during the game they played. METHOD: Using a one-group pretest-posttest experimental design, this study examined the impact of short-term implicit voice exposure on children's word recognition in classroom noise...

PURPOSE: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized regulations for over-the-counter hearing aids (OTC-HAs) on August 17, 2022. Little is known about the comparative performance of OTC-HAs and prescription HAs. This study compared amplification accuracy of prescription HAs and direct-to-consumer devices (DTCDs, including personal sound amplification products [PSAPs] and OTC-HAs). METHOD: Eleven devices were programmed to meet prescriptive targets in an acoustic manikin for three degrees of hearing loss...

PURPOSE: In the present report, we reviewed the role of cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) as an objective measure during the evaluation and management process in children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). METHOD: We reviewed the results of CAEP recordings in 66 patients with ANSD aged between 2 months and 12 years and assessed the relationship between their characteristics (prevalence, morphology, latencies, and amplitudes) and various clinical features, including the mode of medical management...

PURPOSE: Hyperacusis often leads to debilitating psychosocial consequences, but there is no standard protocol for its diagnosis and management in the United States. In this study, we surveyed U.S. clinical audiologists to understand their education and clinical practices surrounding the evaluation and treatment of hyperacusis. METHOD: An online survey was distributed to clinical audiologists across the United States. Survey responses were quantified using descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis...

PURPOSE: Persons with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) are at high risk for ototoxicity due to the routine use of intravenous aminoglycoside (IV-AG) antibiotics in respiratory infection management. Additionally, factors that contribute to ototoxicity-related symptom development and severity in PwCF are unknown. Given the increased risk of ototoxicity in people with diabetes, we explored the association between cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) and self-reported ototoxicity symptoms (tinnitus and vestibular problems) in PwCF treated with aminoglycosides...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to reveal occupational effects on the hearing of hot air balloon (HAB) pilots and examine the relationship between the duration of experience and these effects. METHOD: This study included 31 male HAB pilots and a control group of 32 male participants. Tympanometry, eustachian tube function (ETF) test, pure-tone audiometry, and transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) tests were performed. RESULTS: Pure-tone audiometry results were significantly worse at 125, 500, and 6000 Hz in the right ear and 125, 500, 4000, and 6000 Hz in the left ear in the HAB group than the control group...

PURPOSE: This study discusses the history and current state of the newborn hearing screening program in Québec and aims to assess general challenges associated with establishing universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) programs. METHOD: We reviewed the statistics of the occurrence and long-term effects of congenital hearing loss and the immediate and long-term benefits of UNHS and its limitations. The resources for this study included financial reports related to establishing UNHS in different health care systems; Canadian provincial, territorial, and federal regulations and publications; local and nationwide media; and interviews health care staff and program managers...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using computerized auditory training in the auditory perception of speech in children who use electronic devices through a systematic review of the literature. METHOD: This is a systematic review based on the elaboration of the following guiding question: In hearing-impaired children who use electronic devices, how effective is the use of computerized auditory training in the auditory perception of speech? The Cochrane Library, Embase, LILACS, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases and gray literature (Google Scholar and ProQuest) were consulted...

PURPOSE: Tinnitus is highly prevalent among U.S. military Veterans, yet referral to, and use of, tinnitus rehabilitation services to improve quality of life and functional status with tinnitus is low. Veterans with tinnitus often have other health issues that overlap or exacerbate the impact of tinnitus, potentially complicating referral and rehabilitative pathways. This qualitative study explores views on the daily impacts of tinnitus and experiences with tinnitus-related health care among Veterans...

PURPOSE: Hearing loss simulation (HLS) has been recommended for clinical teaching and counseling of patients and their families, so that they can experience hearing impairment. However, few validated procedures for simulating hearing loss are available to instructors and practicing clinicians. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Immersive Hearing Loss and Prosthesis Simulator (I-HeLPS) on reducing hearing sensitivity and word recognition to determine its adequacy for educational and clinical use...