scholarly journals Tool Development for Human Audible Spectrum Compensation

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1-2.) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Gonçalves Filomena Soares ◽  
Vítor Carvalho ◽  
José Machado
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Tool Development ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
Tactile Communication ◽  
Human Hearing ◽  
Hearing Damage ◽  
Hearing Compensation

Communication relies on good understanding. Humans relate to each other through visual, audible and tactile communication. It is imperative that the audible communication message reaches the receiver in good conditions, in order to keep a healthy, smooth and understandable speech. There are some disturbances in human speech and communication when hearing damage is present. Nowadays, hearing loss is a frequent injury, caused by noise pollution, daily stress or noisy workplaces. Yet, it can be treated by several ways. This project consists in developing a tool that captures the emitter's voice audible spectrum, filters the noise and other frequencies, and compensates the message, enabling the listener/receiver understanding. The purpose of this research is not aimed to substitute nor compete with hearing aids in the market, which are well-developed, certified and prescribed by Otorhinolaryngology clinicians. The focus of this study is to identify the issues of human hearing loss and to develop an algorithm for hearing compensation by using filtering techniques in a simulated environment applied to a hearing model.

scholarly journals The hearing aid dilemma: amplification, compression, and distortion of the neural code

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Armstrong ◽  
Chi Chung Lam ◽  
Shievanie Sabesan ◽  
Nicholas A. Lesica
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Neural Code ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Processing Strategies ◽  
Sensitivity And Selectivity ◽  
Human Hearing ◽  
New Processing

AbstractHearing aids are the only available treatment for mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss, but often fail to improve perception in difficult listening conditions. To identify the reasons for this failure, we studied the underlying neural code using large-scale single-neuron recordings in gerbils, a common animal model of human hearing. We found that a hearing aid restored the sensitivity of neural responses, but failed to restore their selectivity. The low selectivity of aided responses was not a direct effect of hearing loss per se, but rather a consequence of the strategies used by hearing aids to restore sensitivity: compression, which decreases the spectral and temporal contrast of incoming sounds, and amplification, which produces high intensities that distort the neural code even with normal hearing. To improve future hearing aids, new processing strategies that avoid this tradeoff between neural sensitivity and selectivity must be developed.

scholarly journals Predicting Parameters for Audiological Complications in Pediatric Patients Affected by Meningitis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Bozzola ◽  
Giulia Spina ◽  
Pasquale Marsella ◽  
Alessandro Scorpecci ◽  
Cristina Mascolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Glucose Level ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Hearing Damage

Abstract Objective Meningitis is one of the most common causes of acquired sensorineural hearing loss in childhood. The aim of this study was to identify parameters predicting long-term audiological complications in meningitis. Methods Patients under 18 years admitted to the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital between March 2001 and February 2019 with a diagnosis of meningitis entered the study. Audiological complications had been investigated during hospitalization and at follow-up. Results During the study period, 425 patients were enrolled. Sensorineural hearing loss was observed in 48 patients (11.3%). Multivariate analysis has shown that female gender predisposes to the development of permanent hearing loss after meningitis. Hearing impairment was associated with pneumococcal etiology (p < 0.001), lethargy (p = 0.027), reduced cerebrospinal fluid glucose level (26.18 mg/dL, p = 0.004), increase in both C-reactive protein (17.77 mg/dL, p = 0.001), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (106.3 mm/h, p = 0.004). At follow-up, 19 patients had a persisting hearing damage, 7 recovered their hearing capacity and 20 were lost to follow-up. Among patients with permanent hearing damage, treatment was necessary in 16 patients. In details, 6 patients required external hearing aids and 10 patients required a cochlear implant. Conclusions Female gender, lethargy at onset, reduced cerebrospinal fluid glucose level, increased inflammation index, and pneumococcal etiology are correlated with sensorineural hearing damage in meningitis patients.

scholarly journals Transducer Type and Design Influence on the Hearing Loss Compensation Behaviour of the Electromagnetic Middle Ear Implant in a Finite Element Analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 867108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Houguang Liu ◽  
Shirong Ge ◽  
Gang Cheng ◽  
Jianhua Yang ◽  
Zhushi Rao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Middle Ear ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Electromagnetic Transducer ◽  
Middle Ear Implant ◽  
The Masses ◽  
Hearing Compensation ◽  
Transducer Type

Several types of electromagnetic transducer for the middle ear implants (MEIs) have been developed as an alternative to conventional hearing aids for the rehabilitation of sensorineural hearing loss. Electromagnetic transducer type and design are thought to have a significant influence on their hearing compensation performance. To investigate these effects, a middle ear computational model was constructed based on a complete set of microcomputerized tomography section images of a human ear. Its validity was confirmed by comparing the model predicted motions with published experimental measurements. The result shows that the eardrum driving transducer (EDT) is superior to the floating mass transducer (FMT) in hearing compensation when the transducer mass is small but inferior to the FMT when the mass gets bigger. The incus body driving transducer (IBDT) is the most ineffective type of transducer for hearing compensation. Moreover, the masses of the EDT and the FMT decrease the transducer performance mainly at higher frequencies: the greater the transducer mass, the lower the displacement of the stapes excited by these transducers. On the other hand, the IBDT driving rod stiffness decreases transducer's performance severely at low frequencies and its adverse effect on transducer performance increases with the decrease of the stiffness of the IBDT driving rod.

scholarly journals Predicting Parameters for Audiological Complications in Pediatric Patients Affected by Meningitis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
elena bozzola ◽  
Giulia Spina ◽  
Pasquale Marsella ◽  
Alessandro Scorpecci ◽  
Cristina Mascolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Intervention Adaptation ◽  
Electrode Insertion ◽  
Hearing Damage ◽  
Glucose Reduction

Abstract Background. Meningitis is one of the most common causes of acquired sensorineural hearing loss in childhood.The aim of the study is to identify parameters predicting long-term audiological complications in meningitis.Methods.Patients under 18 years, admitted to the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital between March 2001 and February 2019 with meningitis were included. Audiological complications regarding treatment and follow-up were investigated: recovery or persistence of the deficit, therapeutic intervention, adaptation to prosthesis.Results. In the study425 patients were included. Sensorineural hearing loss was observed in 46 patients (11%) with a statistically significant association with pneumococcal etiology (p <0.001) and sleepy state onset (p = 0.027). Blood glucose reduction (26.18 mg / dL) (p = 0.004), C-Reactive Protein (17.77 mg/dL) (p=0.01) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (106.3 mm/h) (p=0.04) increase, were documented. At follow-up, hearing damage was persistent in 19 patients, 7 patients recovered their hearing capacity and 20 patients were lost to follow-up; among patients with permanent hearing damage, treatment was necessary in 16 patients: external hearing aids (6 cases), cochlear implant (10 cases) with incomplete electrode insertion because of cochlear fibrosis and/or ossification development (4 cases).Conclusion.Thepresence of sleepiness at the onset, blood glucose reduction, inflammation index increase and pneumococcal etiology, have been identified as risk factors for sensorineural hearing damage in meningitis patients.

The Relationship Between Hearing Loss Self-Management and Hearing Aid Benefit and Satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Convery ◽  
Gitte Keidser ◽  
Louise Hickson ◽  
Carly Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Hearing Aid Benefit ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Hearing loss self-management refers to the knowledge and skills people use to manage the effects of hearing loss on all aspects of their daily lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Method Thirty-seven adults with hearing loss, all of whom were current users of bilateral hearing aids, participated in this observational study. The participants completed self-report inventories probing their hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between individual domains of hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Results Participants who reported better self-management of the effects of their hearing loss on their emotional well-being and social participation were more likely to report less aided listening difficulty in noisy and reverberant environments and greater satisfaction with the effect of their hearing aids on their self-image. Participants who reported better self-management in the areas of adhering to treatment, participating in shared decision making, accessing services and resources, attending appointments, and monitoring for changes in their hearing and functional status were more likely to report greater satisfaction with the sound quality and performance of their hearing aids. Conclusion Study findings highlight the potential for using information about a patient's hearing loss self-management in different domains as part of clinical decision making and management planning.

FM Verification for the 21 st Century

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leisha Eiten ◽  
Dawna Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Current Technology ◽  
The Past ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss

Background: For children with hearing loss, the benefits of FM systems in overcoming deleterious effects of noise, distance, and reverberation have led to recommendations for use beyond classroom settings. It is important that audiologists who recommend and fit these devices understand the rationale and procedures underlying fitting and verification. Objectives: This article reviews previousguidelines for FM verification, addresses technological advances, and introduces verification procedures appropriate for current FM and hearing-aid technology. Methods: Previous guidelines for verification of FM systems are reviewed. Those recommendations that are appropriate for current technology are addressed, as are procedures that are no longer adequate for hearing aids and FM systems utilizing more complex processing than in the past. Technological advances are discussed, and an updated approach to FM verification is proposed. Conclusions: Approaches to verification andfitting of FM systems must keep pace with advances in hearing-aid and FM technology. The transparency approach addressed in this paper is recommended for verification of FM systems coupled to hearing aids.

What Do We Want Them To Be When They Grow Up?

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31
Author(s):  
Lyn Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Profound Hearing Loss ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
Learning To Listen

Abstract Learning to listen and speak are well-established preludes for reading, writing, and succeeding in mainstream educational settings. Intangibles beyond the ubiquitous test scores that typically serve as markers for progress in children with hearing loss are embedded in descriptions of the educational and social development of four young women. All were diagnosed with severe-to-profound or profound hearing loss as toddlers, and all were fitted with hearing aids and given listening and spoken language therapy. Compiling stories across the life span provides insights into what we can be doing in the lives of young children with hearing loss.

Modified Earpieces and CROS for High Frequency Hearing Losses

1968 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 204-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dodds ◽  
Earl Harford
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Sound Field ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Test Results ◽  
High Frequency Hearing Loss ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
Difficult Cases

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.

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