Patrícia Danieli Campos

Habilidades de ordenação temporal em usuários de implante coclear multicanal

O processamento das pistas acusticas dos sons da fala depende da adequada percepcao da frequencia e da duracao dos estimulos enquanto sequencia de eventos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar as habilidades de ordenacao temporal em usuarios de IC multicanal. METODO: 14 individuos com audicao normal, formadores do grupo controle equiparados em idade e genero com 14 usuarios de IC, que formaram o grupo experimental, foram avaliados e comparados quanto ao Teste de Padroes de Frequencia (TPF) e Teste de Padroes de Duracao (TPD). RESULTADOS: Os usuarios de IC apresentaram bom desempenho nas tarefas de ordenacao temporal, com resultados medios de 48,7% no TPF e 59,6% no TPD. Para o grupo controle, o desempenho medio no TPF foi de 63,4% e no TPD de 64,6%. Nao foi obtida diferenca significativa estatisticamente entre os resultados dos grupos controle e experimental. CONCLUSAO: O IC proporcionou desempenho favoravel nas tarefas que exigem habilidades de ordenacao temporal para os individuos avaliados neste estudo.

Hearing aid handling skills: relationship with satisfaction and benefit

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate hearing aid handling skills for new and experienced users and to assess if such skills influence user’s benefit and satisfaction. Methods: Seventy four participants (mean age of 70.43), experienced (n=37) or new hearing aid users (n=37) performed the tasks of “Practical Hearing Aid Skills Test” (PHAST), which were scored on a five-point Likert scale — higher scores indicate better hearing aid handling skills. Experienced users answered the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) and the hearing aid benefit for handicap reduction was calculated by the hearing handicap inventory (HHIA/HHIE). Results: Medians for PHAST total scores of 79 and 71% were obtained for experienced and new users, respectively — there were no significant difference between groups. Lower PHAST scores were observed for the tasks of volume control manipulation and telephone usage. Moderate correlations were obtained between IOI benefit and quality of life items and the PHAST scores. There was no correlation between the results of PHAST and demographic data of the participants.

Unilateral hearing loss: benefits and satisfaction from the use of hearing aids

UNLABELLED A unilateral hearing loss is characterized by reduced hearing in one ear. The problems caused by sensory deprivation can be minimized with the use of hearing aids (HA). AIM To analyze the correlation between the prescribed grain and the insertion gain difference and with the results obtained regarding the benefit and satisfaction with the use of hearing aids in unilateral hearing impaired patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Prospective study with 15 subjects, mean age of 41.6 years, of both genders, users of hearing aids effectively. We used the International Questionnaire Results for hearing aids (International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids - IOI-HA), measured with a probe microphone. RESULTS The mean values in the analyses of the IOI-HA per item were positive and higher than four points. In relation to the objective measures, the frequencies in which we obtained the gain values which were closer to the target were: 1K Hz, 2K Hz and 500 Hz, respectively. CONCLUSION The satisfaction of individuals using hearing aid unilaterally is not completely correlated to the prescribed gain, because even if the target is not being reached in some frequencies, the individuals were pleased as to the use of their hearing aids.

Teste prático das habilidades de manuseio do aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (PHAST): resultados na adaptação e comparação da confiabilidade entre avaliadores

Purpose: To evaluate the results of the “Practical Hearing Aid Skills Test (PHAST)” in new HA users. To assess the inter-rater reliability of the PHAST. Methods: Descriptive, longitudinal analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial. The PHAST was administered to 60 new users of behind-the-ear and in-the-ear instruments, immediately and 10 days after the hearing aid fitting. The assessments were recorded and later analyzed and scored by one or two independent evaluators. Results: About 55% of the participants showed fair and poor performance on the PHAST. Battery replacement and hearing aid insertion tasks were the most difficult to complete. Total scores as well as “opening battery compartment” and “hearing aid insertion” tasks scores, improved significantly between the first and second administration of the PHAST. The PHAST performance was correlated with the participant’s age. Inter-rater reliability was high and significant concerning the total score and for six PHAST individual tasks. Conclusion: New hearing aid users have different hearing aid handling skills that increase in the initial periods of HA use. The PHAST can be used in the audiology clinic, allowing for a more systematic record of such skills.

Temporal organization skills in cochlear implants recipients

UNLABELLED Processing acoustic clues from the sounds of speech depends on the proper perception of the frequency and duration of stimuli as a sequence of events. AIM To assess the capacity for temporal organization in users of multichannel CI. METHOD 14 normal hearing individuals formed the control group, matching in age and gender other 14 users of multichannel CI, who made up the study group, and they were assessed and compared as to the Frequency Patterns Test (FPT) and Duration Patterns Test (DPT). RESULTS CI users had good performance in temporal organization tasks, with mean results of 48.7% in the FPT and 59.6% in the DPT. For the control group, mean performance at the FPT was of 63.4% and in the DPT of 64.6%. We did not see statistically significant difference between the results from the control and study groups. CONCLUSION The CI provided favorable performance in the tasks that required temporal organization skill for individuals evaluated in this study.

Comparison: real and simulated ear insertion gain

UNLABELLED The development of hearing aid (HA) software programming does not replace the analysis of real ears with probe microphones. AIM To compare simulated insertion gain in HA software programming and real ear insertion gain. METHOD A prospective study of 62 patients (aged from 29 to 93 years; 30 male and 32 female). All patients presented unilateral (n=14) or bilateral (n=48) and mild to profound sensorineural hearing impairment. 110 ears assessed. Data was gathered from medical records and the insertion gain was obtained in real ears for comparison with the simulated insertion gain in HA software programming. Statistical tests were applied to analyze the correlation of data - difference of real ear and simulated insertion gain. RESULTS HA software programming simulated insertion gain was higher than real ear insertion gain obtained with probe microphone measures. There were statistically significant frequency differences. Age did not correlate with the difference of real ear and simulated measures. CONCLUSION The use of real ear measures is important during verification of HA.

Verificação da prótese auditiva realizada face a face e via teleconsulta: medidas repetidas

ABSTRACTPurpose : to evaluate the repeated measurements of the real ear unaided response (REUR), real ear aided response (REAR) and insertion gain (REIG) conducted as face to face (F) and via telecounselling (T). Method : longitudinal prospective study. Four measures of REUR, REAR and REIG (carried out with speech noise stimulus presented at 65 dB SPL at 0 ° azimuth) were obtained in 19 ears in normal hearing adults, face to face and via synchronous telecounsellings with remote control of the real ear equipment and interactive video. Polycom PVX software was used for desktop sharing and video and audio transmission. The Loca Area Network (LAN) USP was used for the connection (transmission rate: 384 kbps). Dahlberg’s casual errors were calculated for obtaining the measures for frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz. Results : casual errors between F and T measures were very similar, being greater for frequencies above 4 kHz. The differences between F and T measures were no greater than the variability reported for real ear measures.