Brian M. Kreisman

Improvements in Speech Understanding With Wireless Binaural Broadband Digital Hearing Instruments in Adults With Sensorineural Hearing Loss

This investigation examined whether speech intelligibility in noise can be improved using a new, binaural broadband hearing instrument system. Participants were 36 adults with symmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss (18 experienced hearing instrument users and 18 without prior experience). Participants were fit binaurally in a planned comparison, randomized crossover design study with binaural broadband hearing instruments and advanced digital hearing instruments. Following an adjustment period with each device, participants underwent two speech-in-noise tests: the QuickSIN and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT). Results suggested significantly better performance on the QuickSIN and the HINT measures with the binaural broadband hearing instruments, when compared with the advanced digital hearing instruments and unaided, across and within all noise conditions.

Psychosocial status of children with auditory processing disorder.

BACKGROUND Children with hearing loss often exhibit reduced psychosocial status compared to children with normal hearing. It is reasonable to assume that psychosocial function may also be affected in children diagnosed with auditory processing disorder (APD). However, there are no published studies specifically addressing the psychosocial health of children with APD. PURPOSE This investigation examined relationships between APD and psychosocial status, with an aim to examine nonauditory factors that may influence quality of life of children diagnosed with APD. RESEARCH DESIGN A two-matched group design was employed. Participants and their mothers completed appropriate versions of the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Project Charts for Adolescents (COOP-A), the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS). STUDY SAMPLE Participants consisted of 19 children (aged 9.5-17.8 yr; mean = 11.9) diagnosed with APD and 20 gender- and age-matched (mean = 12.8 yr) children with no evidence of APD by history or audiological assessment. Primary caretakers (mothers) of the participants also completed psychosocial questionnaires according to their perception of their participating childs function. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data were collected at a single visit, following APD diagnosis. Data from each questionnaire were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods for two-group comparisons. RESULTS Analysis of child reports revealed significantly greater psychosocial difficulty in the APD group on subscales of the COOP-A and BASC-2. Increased problems in the APD group were also reported by parents on subscales of the COOP-A, BASC-2, and SSRS. Eta-squared values for all significant findings indicated moderate to large effect sizes, suggesting findings may be generalized to other children in this age group. No between-group differences were found on any subscale for APD children with or without a confirmed or suspected language disorder. CONCLUSION We found that children with APD exhibit increased psychosocial difficulty in several areas compared to children without APD.

Validity of hearing impairment calculation methods for prediction of self-reported hearing handicap

Workers compensation for hearing loss caused by occupational noise exposure is calculated by varying methods, from state to state within the United States (US), with many employing arithmetic formulas based on the pure-tone audiogram, to quantify hearing loss. Several assumptions unsupported or weakly supported by empirical data underlie these formulas. The present study evaluated the ability of various arithmetic hearing impairment calculations to predict a self-reported hearing handicap in a sample of presenting with sensorineural hearing loss. 204 adults (127 male, 77 female) ranging in age from 18 to 94 served as participants. The sample was selected to exclude patients who had been referred for hearing testing for a medicolegal examination or a hearing conservation appointment. A hearing handicap was measured by the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults/for the Elderly (HHIA/E). The covariance analysis of linear structural equations was used to assess the relative strength of correlation with the HHIA/E score among the six formulas and various forms of pure-tone average. The results revealed that all the hearing impairment calculations examined were significantly, but weakly, correlated with the self-reported hearing impairment scores. No significant differences among the predictive abilities of the impairment calculations were evident; however, the average binaural impairment assigned differed significantly among the six calculations examined. Individuals who demonstrated 0% impairment had significantly lower (i.e., better) HHIA/E scores compared to those with non-zero impairment for each formula. These results supported the idea that audiometric data provided an insufficient explanation for real-world hearing difficulties.

A case law review of the individuals with disabilities education act for children with hearing loss or auditory processing disorders.

BACKGROUND In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), and it has been revised and modified several times. At the time of this writing, this law was most recently amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (Pub. L. No. 108-446, 118 Stat. 2647, December 3, 2004), which took effect on July 1, 2005. Colloquially the law is still referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Children with hearing loss or auditory processing disorder (APD) may qualify for services under IDEA. However, a review of the literature found no review of case law for such children. PURPOSE This article provides a comprehensive review of case law involving the IDEA and children with hearing loss or APD from the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. courts of appeals. RESEARCH DESIGN We conducted a systematic review of case law. A LexisNexis search for cases involving IDEA and children with hearing loss or APDs was conducted. For the purpose of the present case review, all appellate decisions (cases accepted by the U.S. courts of appeals or the U.S. Supreme Court) were included if they found that the child had hearing loss or APD, regardless of the reason for the appeal under IDEA. In the instance of multiple cases that involved the same two parties, these cases are summarized together to provide the legal context. Brief explanations of IDEA and the federal judicial process as it pertains to IDEA disputes are presented. Following these explanations, a chronological review of IDEA appellate cases concerning students with hearing loss or APD is provided. RESULTS The IDEA cases reviewed focus on three main issues: placement of the child, methodology of teaching, and the provision of services. CONCLUSIONS This case law review provides a helpful summary of higher court cases for educational audiologists and parents of children with hearing loss or APDs, as well as educators, individualized education program team members, school administrators, and legal representatives involved in IDEA cases.

Study measures impact of hearing aids plus FM on the quality of life in older adults

Presbycusis, or hearing loss associated with the aging process, is one of the most common chronic conditions afflicting the older adult population today. Almost half the population over 65 years exhibits some degree of hearing impairment.1-4 The major consequence of presbycusis is difficulty in communication, particularly in noisy and/or reverberant listening situations.5-7 Due to these communicative difficulties, reduced psychosocial functioning in this population has often been reported. In particular, declines in social interaction, intimate relations, self-concept, psychological status, and cognition have been noted.3,8-13 For example, Mulrow et al. evaluated the effect of hearing loss on quality of life in older men.3 Results revealed that the presence of hearing loss was highly associated with decline in emotional, social, and communication performance. Additionally, Sherer and Frisina evaluated the effects of minimal hearing impairment on quality of life.14 This investigation found that the subjects with hearing impairment reported greater communicative, social, and emotional handicap, as well as lower selfesteem and social satisfaction, than did individuals without measurable hearing loss. In addition to psychosocial effects, hearing loss has also been shown to compromise physical health status.8,15,16 Carabellese et al. reported that elderly persons with hearing deficit were at an increased risk for difficulties in accomplishing activities of daily living.8 Additionally, Bess et al. reported that presbycusis was associated with an increased incidence of health-related diseases, such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and osteoarthritis.15 Moreover, this study indicated that the greater the hearing impairment, the greater the prevalence of these healthrelated dysfunctions. One possible solution to the aforementioned declines in psychosocial and functional health status is the use of amplification. Past studies have revealed that persons using amplification reported fewer depressive feelings, richer social relationships, and higher quality of life than those who did not.17,18 For example, Mulrow et al. evaluated elderly veterans with hearing impairment after the provision of hearing aids.18 They noted improvements in social, emotional, and communication areas. Crandell found that the use of amplification could also positively affect functional health status.19 In his study, 20 elderly individuals with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated via the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP),20 the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36),21 and the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB).22 The forms were administered before the fitting of hearing aids and at 3 and 6 months afterward. APHAB scores indicated improved communicative function with the use of amplification. After 3 months of hearing aid use, statistically significant improvements in physical and psychosocial functioning, as measured by the SIP, were noted. This positive trend remained stable for 6 months after the initial fitting. Although not statistically significant, slight improvements in the SF-36 were also noted. Although prior studies have evaluated the psychosocial and functional health benefits of hearing aids, none have examined the benefits of frequency modulation (FM) systems. When a personal FM system is employed, the speaker’s voice is picked up via an FM wireless microphone located near his/her mouth where the detrimental effects of reverberation and noise are minimal. The acoustic signal is then converted to an electrical waveform and transmitted via an FM signal to a receiver tuned to the same frequency. The electrical signal is then amplified, converted back to an acoustical waveform, and conveyed to the listener. We are currently conducting research on the possible psychosocial and physical health benefits of hearing aids that incorporate recent FM technologies.

Stimulated Reverberation And Speech Perception

master’s degree in audiology at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he worked with Aage Moller, PhD, studying temporal encoding in the auditory nerve and brainstem. His interests in auditory neural mechanisms appear to have moved up the pathways to higher areas of processing, as he is now studying development and maturation of the central auditory system, working with Anu Sharma, PhD, his adviser for this research. While Phillip states that science and research are his true passion, he also finds time to enjoy music, art, and brewing beer. E-mail: pgilley@utdallas.edu.

Computer model studies to predict qualitative and quantitative measures of speech intelligibility in class rooms

Computer model studies were used to predict qualitative and quantitative measures of speech intelligibility in classrooms under realistic conditions of background noise and reverberation. Fifteen different acoustical measurements related to speech intelligibility were made at multiple locations in three actual classrooms and in computer models of the classrooms. Speech intelligibility (MRT) tests were given to human subjects in each of the actual classrooms at five signal‐to‐noise ratios. Speech intelligibility tests were also prepared from aural simulations obtained by convolving anechoic speech tracts with impulse responses obtained in the computer models. Correlations (R2) between acoustical measures made in the full size classrooms and the computer models of the classrooms of 0.92 to 0.99 with standard errors of 0.033 to 7.311 were found. The scores on the speech intelligibility tests given in the actual rooms in the five noise conditions were closely duplicated in the equivalent tests conducted in a ...