An Application of the Articulation Index to Hearing Aid Fitting

1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Rankovic

The application of the articulation index (Al) model to the fitting of linear amplification was evaluated for 12 subjects with sensorineural hearing loss. Comparisons were made of amplification characteristics specified by the NAL (Byrne & Dillon, 1986) and POGO (McCandless & Lyregaard, 1983) prescriptions, as well as a procedure that attempted to maximize the Al (AlMax). For all subjects, the relationship between percent-correct scores on a nonsense syllable test and Als was monotonic for the two prescriptions, indicating that the Al was effective for comparing conditions typical of those recommended clinically. However, subjects having sloping high-frequency hearing losses demonstrated nonmonotonicity due to poor performance in the AlMax condition. For these subjects, the AlMax condition required much more gain at high than at low frequencies, circumstances that Skinner (1980) warned will cause less-than-optimal performance for individuals having sloping high-frequency hearing loss.

2018 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Peng ◽  
Chaojie Fan ◽  
Lin Hu ◽  
Shuangling Peng ◽  
Pengpeng Xie ◽  
...  

ObjectiveHearing loss caused by high levels of noise is a potential occupational health disorder among train drivers around the world. This study aims to investigate the relationship between tunnel driving occupational environment and hearing loss in train drivers, to provide some insights into helping reduce hearing loss among train drivers.MethodsThis study analysed cross-sectional data for 1214 train drivers who work at China Railway Guangzhou Group. Health examination was taken by physicians with professional licences, and audiometric testing was performed by health technicians in a sound-isolated room. T/R is defined as the ratio of the length of the tunnels to the length of the railway along drivers’ work routes. Different multivariate models and stratified models were established for sensitivity analysis. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the ORs of hearing loss associated with tunnel driving occupational environment.ResultsThe adjusted OR for high-frequency hearing loss in association with the highest T/R levels (30%–45%) versus the lowest T/R levels (<15%) was 3.72 (95% CI 1.43 to 9.69). The corresponding OR for speech-hearing loss was 1.75 (95% CI 0.38 to 8.06). The sensitivity analysis shows our results are suitable for various alternative models.ConclusionsThis study found that there was a significant association between tunnel driving occupational environment and hearing loss. Train drivers who work in a higher T/R environment have worse hearing loss.


2012 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
pp. 1003-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C. J. Moore ◽  
Brian R. Glasberg ◽  
Martin Stoev ◽  
Christian Füllgrabe ◽  
Kathryn Hopkins

1968 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 204-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dodds ◽  
Earl Harford

Persons with a high frequency hearing loss are difficult cases for whom to find suitable amplification. We have experienced some success with this problem in our Hearing Clinics using a specially designed earmold with a hearing aid. Thirty-five cases with high frequency hearing losses were selected from our clinical files for analysis of test results using standard, vented, and open earpieces. A statistical analysis of test results revealed that PB scores in sound field, using an average conversational intensity level (70 dB SPL), were enhanced when utilizing any one of the three earmolds. This result was due undoubtedly to increased sensitivity provided by the hearing aid. Only the open earmold used with a CROS hearing aid resulted in a significant improvement in discrimination when compared with the group’s unaided PB score under earphones or when comparing inter-earmold scores. These findings suggest that the inclusion of the open earmold with a CROS aid in the audiologist’s armamentarium should increase his flexibility in selecting hearing aids for persons with a high frequency hearing loss.


Author(s):  
Wei Gong ◽  
Liangliang Zhao ◽  
Ling Li ◽  
Thais C. Morata ◽  
Wei Qiu ◽  
...  

A survey was administered to 385 noise-exposed workers from an auto parts factory and 1268 non-noise-exposed health department employees in China. Individual 8 h A-weighted equivalent sound levels (LAeq,8h), earplug personal attenuation ratings (PARs), and pure-tone audiometric tests were performed. The average LAeq,8h of noise-exposed workers was 87 dB (A) with a mean PAR of 7 dB. The prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss was 65% for noise-exposed workers and 33% for the non-noise-exposed employees. The use of earplugs had no observable effect on the prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss of the study participants (OR 0.964, 95% CI 0.925–1.005, p = 0.085). No significant relationship between the effectiveness offered by earplug use and high-frequency hearing thresholds at 3, 4, and 6 kHz was found (t = −1.54, p = 0.125). The mandatory requirement of earplug use without individualized training on how to wear HPDs correctly had no detectable effect on the prevention of hearing loss at the auto parts factory. The hearing conservation program at the surveyed factory was not effective. Periodic hearing tests, earplug fit testing, expanding the offer of different types of hearing protection, and employee education about the importance of protecting their hearing were recommended to the occupational health and safety program.


1993 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Cullen ◽  
M. J. Cinnamond

The relationship between diabetes and senbsorineural hearing loss has been disputed. This study compares 44 insulin-dependent diabetics with 38 age and sex matched controls. All had pure tone and speech audiometry performed, with any diabetics showing sensorineural deafness undergoing stapedial reflecx decat tests. In 14 diabetics stapedial reflex tests showed no tone decay in any patient, but seven showed evidence of recruitment. Analysis of vaiance showed the diabetics to be significantly deafer than the control population.The hearing loss affected high frequencies in both sexes, but also low frequencies in the male. Speech discrimination scores showed no differences. Further analysis by sex showed the males to account for most of the differences. Analysys of the audiograms showered mostly a high tone loss. Finally duration of disbetes, insulin dosage and family history of diabtes were not found to have a significant effect on threshold.


1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 2603-2614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Carlson ◽  
James F. Willott

Carlson, Stephanie and James F. Willott. Caudal pontine reticular formation of C57BL/6J mice: responses to startle stimuli, inhibition by tones, and plasticity. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 2603–2614, 1998. C57BL/6J (C57) mice were used to examine relationships between the behavioral acoustic startle response (ASR) and the responses of neurons in the caudal pontine reticular formation (PnC) in three contexts: 1) responses evoked by basic startle stimuli; 2) the prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm; and 3) the effects of high-frequency hearing loss and concomitant neural plasticity that occurs in middle-aged C57 mice. 1) Responses (evoked action potentials) of PnC neurons closely paralleled the ASR with respect to latency, threshold, and responses to rapidly presented stimuli. 2) “Neural PPI” (inhibition of responses evoked by a startle stimulus when preceded by a tone prepulse) was observed in all PnC neurons studied. 3) In PnC neurons of 6-mo-old mice with high-frequency (>20 kHz) hearing loss, neural PPI was enhanced with 12- and 4-kHz prepulses, as it is behaviorally. These are frequencies that have become “overrepresented” in the central auditory system of 6-mo-old C57 mice. Thus neural plasticity in the auditory system, induced by high-frequency hearing loss, is correlated with increased salience of the inhibiting tones in both behavioral and neural PPI paradigms.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e0151467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhijit Dandapat ◽  
Benjamin J. Perrin ◽  
Christine Cabelka ◽  
Maria Razzoli ◽  
James M. Ervasti ◽  
...  

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