scholarly journals Impact of Hearing Loss and Amplification on Performance on a Cognitive Screening Test

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (07) ◽  
pp. 648-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle H. Saunders ◽  
Ian Odgear ◽  
Anna Cosgrove ◽  
Melissa T. Frederick
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Hearing Ability ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThere have been numerous recent reports on the association between hearing impairment and cognitive function, such that the cognition of adults with hearing loss is poorer relative to the cognition of adults with normal hearing (NH), even when amplification is used. However, it is not clear the extent to which this is testing artifact due to the individual with hearing loss being unable to accurately hear the test stimuli.The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether use of amplification during cognitive screening with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) improves performance on the MoCA. Secondarily, we investigated the effects of hearing ability on MoCA performance, by comparing the performance of individuals with and without hearing impairment.Participants were 42 individuals with hearing impairment and 19 individuals with NH. Of the individuals with hearing impairment, 22 routinely used hearing aids; 20 did not use hearing aids.Following a written informec consent process, all participants completed pure tone audiometry, speech testing in quiet (Maryland consonant-nucleus-consonant [CNC] words) and in noise (Quick Speech in Noise [QuickSIN] test), and the MoCA. The speech testing and MoCA were completed twice. Individuals with hearing impairment completed testing once unaided and once with amplification, whereas individuals with NH completed unaided testing twice.The individuals with hearing impairment performed significantly less well on the MoCA than those without hearing impairment for unaided testing, and the use of amplification did not significantly change performance. This is despite the finding that amplification significantly improved the performance of the hearing aid users on the measures of speech in quiet and speech in noise. Furthermore, there were strong correlations between MoCA score and the four frequency pure tone average, Maryland CNC score and QuickSIN, which remain moderate to strong when the analyses were adjusted for age.It is concluded that the individuals with hearing loss here performed less well on the MoCA than individuals with NH and that the use of amplification did not compensate for this performance deficit. Nonetheless, this should not be taken to suggest the use of amplification during testing is unnecessary because it might be that other unmeasured factors, such as effort required to perform or fatigue, were decreased with the use of amplification.

Perceived Hearing Handicap of Patients with Unilateral or Mild Hearing Loss

1997 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig W. Newman ◽  
Gerald A. Hug ◽  
Gary P. Jacobson ◽  
Sharon A. Sandridge
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Intersubject Variability ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Hearing Handicap ◽  
Mild Hearing Loss ◽  
The Individual

Using the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA), we assessed self-perceived hearing handicap in a sample of 63 patients having either unilaterally normal hearing or a mild hearing loss (pure tone average ≤40 dB hearing level). Large intersubject variability in responses to the HHIA confirmed observations that reactions to minimal hearing impairment vary greatly among patients. The individual differences in responses highlight the importance of quantifying the perceived communication and psychosocial handicap, which cannot be determined from the audiogram alone. An item examination of responses to the HHIA revealed a number of emotional and social-situational problems encountered by patients with minimal hearing loss.

scholarly journals Cochlear Implantation in Patients with Keratitis-Ichthyosis-Deafness Syndrome: A Report of Two Cases

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Birgul Gumus ◽  
Armagan Incesulu ◽  
Mehmet Ozgur Pinarbasli
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Cochlear Implantation ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
External Ear ◽  
Ear Canal ◽  
External Ear Canal ◽  
Brainstem Response ◽  
Visual Disturbances

Background.Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome is a syndrome which presents with hearing loss and visual and keratinization disorders. In such patients, hearing aids cannot be effectively used in the rehabilitation of hearing loss because of the frequent blockage of the external ear canal with epithelial debris and due to dry and tense skin of the external ear canal. Moreover, severe or profound hearing loss also limits the benefits gained from the conventional hearing aids. On the other hand, cochlear implantation is a method that has been used in limited cases in the literature.Case Report.This study presents the results of cochlear implantation applied in our clinic to two children who had been diagnosed with KID. Audiological assessments before and after the cochlear implant operation were performed using pure-tone audiometry, immittance audiometry, and auditory brainstem response (ABR), and the postoperative follow-up was conducted using pure-tone audiometry.Conclusion.Skin problems, visual disturbances, and other additional problems complicate the short-term and long-term rehabilitation after implantation in individuals with KID syndrome. Close monitoring should be exercised due to possible skin complications that may develop during the postoperative period. The families and rehabilitation teams should be warned about the possible visual disturbances and skin complications.

scholarly journals Η συμβολή των ωτοακουστικών εκπομπών στη μελέτη της κοχλιακής λειτουργίας σε ασθενείς με υποθυρεοειδισμό

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Βασίλειος Ψαλτάκος
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Otoacoustic Emissions ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Otoacoustic Emission ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Anatomic Site ◽  
Cochlear Function ◽  
Hearing Thresholds

Although several reports exist concerning the occurrence of hearing loss in patients withdisorders of thyroid function, there are still several unsettled issues, such as theincidence and the severity of hearing impairment, the anatomic site of the auditorypathway involved, and the possible pathogenetic mechanisms. Both congenitalhypothyroidism and environmentally based iodine deficiency are established causes ofhearing loss in humans and rodents. Congenital thyroid deficiency in humans can resultin a profound, hearing deficit, which may be prevented by early hormonal replacementtreatment in infants with hypothyroidism. However, the effect of acute or chronichypothyroidism in adults has not been adequately studied, and most information hasbeen obtained from animal experiments, whereas research in humans has been basicallybased on behavioral audiometry. The use of otoacoustic emissions may provide moreinsight into the hearing function of these patients than pure-tone audiometry, since it isconsidered as a sensitive test of the cochlear status. The aim of this study was toevaluate the hearing in a group of patients with acute hypothyroidism, using bothconventional audiometry and transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs). Material and methods:A group of 52 patients with thyroid carcinoma who underwent total thyroidectomy wasstudied prospectively, All patients were examined before surgery and 6-8 weekspostoperatively. During this period there was no replacement with levothyroxine and themagnitude of thyroxin depletion was monitored by serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. On preoperative encounter with each patient, a detailed questionnaire of historyof hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, previous ear infections, noise exposure, medications,and recent upper respiratory tract infection was completed. Patients were excluded ifthey were older than 50 years, in order to avoid the phenomenon of presbycusis, or ifthey had a history of cochleovestibular, vascular or neurologic disease, or any other riskfactor for hearing impairment. Pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry and transientlyevoked otoacoustic emissions were performed. A group of healthy volunteers of similarage and sex were used for comparison.Results:(1) Tympanograms were normal, either on initial testing (75%) or on repeat testing(25%).(2) Audiometry showed elevation of all postoperative hearing thresholds, whereas thethresholds varied significantly across frequency.(3) TEOAE testing showed response signal to noise ratios lower in the postoperativesession (hypothyroid state) than in the preoperative session on all measured frequencies.(4) Emission levels varied significantly across frequency, with maximum responseobserved at 2 kHz.(5) Comparison of significant pure-tone and otoacoustic emission shifts for individualears showed more ears affected in otoacoustic emission testing, indicating subclinicalcochlear involvement.(6) Comparison of hearing thresholds and otoacoustic emission levels between patientsand controls showed significant differences on postoperative testing. Conclusions:Acute hypothyroidism in adults causes elevation of hearing thresholds and reducedotoacoustic emissions. The effect on otoacoustic emissions is greater, indicatingsubclinical damage of the cochlear function.

scholarly journals Association of Midlife Hypertension with Late-Life Hearing Loss

2019 ◽  
Vol 161 (6) ◽  
pp. 996-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas S. Reed ◽  
Matthew G. Huddle ◽  
Joshua Betz ◽  
Melinda C. Power ◽  
James S. Pankow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Diastolic Blood Pressure ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Objective To investigate the association of midlife hypertension with late-life hearing impairment. Study Design Data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, an ongoing prospective longitudinal population-based study (baseline, 1987-1989). Setting Washington County, Maryland, research field site. Subjects and Methods Subjects included 248 community-dwelling men and women aged 67 to 89 years in 2013. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure were measured at each of 5 study visits from 1987-1989 to 2013. Hypertension was defined by elevated systolic or diastolic blood pressure or antihypertensive medication use. A 4-frequency (0.5-4 kHz) better-hearing ear pure tone average in decibels hearing loss (dB HL) was calculated from pure tone audiometry measured in 2013. A cutoff of 40 dB HL was used to indicate clinically significant moderate to severe hearing impairment. Hearing thresholds at 5 frequencies (0.5-8 kHz) were also considered separately. Results Forty-seven participants (19%) had hypertension at baseline (1987-1989), as opposed to 183 (74%) in 2013. The SBP association with late-life pure tone average differed by the time of measurement, with SBP measured at earlier visits associated with poorer hearing; the difference in pure tone average per 10–mm Hg SBP measured was 1.43 dB HL (95% CI, 0.32-2.53) at baseline versus −0.43 dB HL (95% CI, −1.41 to 0.55) in 2013. Baseline hypertension was associated with higher thresholds (poorer hearing) at 4 frequencies (1, 2, 4, 8 kHz). Conclusion Midlife SBP was associated with poorer hearing measured 25 years later. Further analysis into the longitudinal relationship between hypertension and hearing impairment is warranted.

scholarly journals Measurement of Hearing Impairment among Greenlandic School-Children: Association Between Self-Reported Data and Clinical Examinations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Schnohr ◽  
Jakob Schmidt Jensen ◽  
Cecilie Friis Skovsen ◽  
Preben Homøe ◽  
Birgit Niclasen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Clinical Examination ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Self Reports

Abstract Background: Ear infections is the leading cause of hearing impairment among children world-wide and a major public health problem in many indigenous populations. Early onset of hearing impairment compromise communication skills and social and psychological development, and monitoring the prevalence in a population is important to assess the need for interventions both at the school-, societal and clinical settings in a population.Methods: 185 children from 5th to 10th grade from Sisimiut town and the nearby settlements participated in a clinical examination to have ear-examination and pure tone audiometry. Participants filled out a questionnaire at home with their parents before the clinical examination, and hearing impairment was collected as individual self-reports and as audiometric measurements. Ear examinations was assessed by two clinicians and if any discrepancy between self-reports and clinical measures they were re-assessed.Results: A total of 185 children between 9 and 15 years of age (median: 11 years, IQR: 10-13) were included, 60% (n=111) were girls. 247 (70%) of the 355 available otoscopies were clinically assessed as normal. Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was 0.31. Eighteen children (10%) were found to have hearing impairment using a PTA of ≥ 25 dB for either low or high frequencies or both as threshold in one or both ears. 32 children (17%) reported hearing impairment to the extent that they were not able to keep up in school, of which half reported that it had lasted for more than one year. 7 of the 32 children reporting hearing impairment (22%) reported that the extent of their hearing impairment was affecting their classroom experience so they were not able to follow. None of the children had hearing aids. Conclusion: Self-reported and clinically screening for hearing impairment are two different concepts. Even though the two concepts are statistically correlated, the correlation coefficients are low. The contextual processing in which perceived hearing impairment is assessed in a social environment seems to conceptually differ from the measure of hearing by pure tone audiometry. Since both measure hearing impairment, the choice of measure should relate to the purpose and method of the investigation.

Hearing Losses, Hearing Aids, and Children with Language Disorders

1973 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R. Kleffner
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Clinical Management ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Educational Placement ◽  
Pure Tones

Theoretical interpretations and terminological practices can interfere with appropriate clinical management of hearing losses in children with language disorders. De-emphasis of the significance of hearing losses for pure tones in children who present problems in language development is unwarranted. The value of the pure-tone result in determining the nature and severity of hearing impairment is well established. The child with a hearing loss for pure tones must be given the benefit of whatever amplification and educational placement considerations are indicated by his loss, regardless of the diagnostic classifications or speculations evoked by other problems he may present.

scholarly journals Screening for Hearing Impairment in Older Adults by Smartphone-Based Audiometry, Self-Perception, HHIE Screening Questionnaire, and Free-Field Voice Test: Comparative Evaluation of the Screening Accuracy With Standard Pure-Tone Audiometry

10.2196/17213 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e17213
Author(s):  
Lok Yee Joyce Li ◽  
Shin-Yi Wang ◽  
Cheng-Jung Wu ◽  
Cheng-Yu Tsai ◽  
Te-Fang Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Perception

Background Hearing impairment is the most frequent sensory deficit in humans, affecting more than 360 million people worldwide. In fact, hearing impairment is not merely a health problem, but it also has a great impact on the educational performance, economic income, and quality of life. Hearing impairment is therefore an important social concern. Objective We aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of self-perception, Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening (HHIE-S) questionnaire, free-field voice test, and smartphone-based audiometry as tests for screening moderate hearing impairment in older adults in China. Methods In this study, 41 patients were recruited through a single otology practice. All patients were older than 65 years. Patients with otorrhea and cognitive impairment were excluded. Moderate hearing impairment was defined as mean hearing thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz >40 dB hearing loss (pure-tone average > 40 dB hearing loss). All patients completed 5 hearing tests, namely, the self-perception test, HHIE-S questionnaire test, free-field voice test, smartphone-based audiometry test, and standard pure-tone audiometry by the same audiologist. We compared the results of these tests to the standard audiogram in the better-hearing ear. Results The sensitivity and the specificity of the self-perception test were 0.58 (95% CI 0.29-0.84) and 0.34 (95% CI 0.19-0.54), respectively. The sensitivity and the specificity of the HHIE-S questionnaire test were 0.67 (95% CI 0.35-0.89) and 0.31 (95% CI 0.316-0.51), respectively. The sensitivity and the specificity of the free-field voice test were 0.83 (95% CI 0.51-0.97) and 0.41 (95% CI 0.24-0.61), respectively. The sensitivity and the specificity of the smartphone-based audiometry test were 0.92 (95% CI 0.60-0.99) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.56-0.89), respectively. Smartphone-based audiometry correctly diagnosed the presence of hearing loss with high sensitivity and high specificity. Conclusions Smartphone-based audiometry may be a dependable screening test to rule out moderate hearing impairment in the older population.

scholarly journals Validation of a Personalized Hearing Screening Mobile Health Application for Persons with Moderate Hearing Impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1035
Author(s):  
Lok-Yee Joyce Li ◽  
Shin-Yi Wang ◽  
Jinn-Moon Yang ◽  
Chih-Jou Chen ◽  
Cheng-Yu Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Conductive Hearing Loss ◽  
Bone Conduction ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Hearing Screening ◽  
Self Test ◽  
Conductive Hearing ◽  
Air Conduction

Hearing impairment is a frequent human sensory impairment. It was estimated that over 50% of those aged >75 years experience hearing impairment in the United States. Several hearing impairment–related factors are detectable through screening; thus, further deterioration can be avoided. Early identification of hearing impairment is the key to effective management. However, hearing screening resources are scarce or inaccessible, underlining the importance of developing user-friendly mobile health care systems for universal hearing screening. Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) act as platforms for personalized hearing screening to evaluate an individual’s risk of developing hearing impairment. We aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of smartphone-based air conduction and bone conduction audiometry self-tests with that of standard air conduction and bone conduction pure-tone audiometry tests. Moreover, we evaluated the use of smartphone-based air conduction and bone conduction audiometry self-tests in conductive hearing loss diagnosis. We recruited 103 patients (206 ears) from an otology clinic. All patients were aged ≥20 years. Patients who were diagnosed with active otorrhea was excluded. Moderate hearing impairment was defined as hearing loss with mean hearing thresholds >40 dB. All patients underwent four hearing tests performed by a board-certified audiologist: a smartphone-based air conduction audiometry self-test, smartphone-based bone conduction audiometry self-test, standard air-conduction pure-tone audiometry, and standard bone conduction pure-tone audiometry. We compared and analyzed the results of the smartphone-based air conduction and bone conduction audiometry self-tests with those of the standard air conduction and bone conduction pure-tone audiometry tests. The sensitivity of the smartphone-based air conduction audiometry self-test was 0.80 (95% confidence interval CI = 0.71–0.88) and its specificity was 0.84 (95% CI = 0.76–0.90), respectively. The sensitivity of the smartphone-based bone conduction audiometry self-test was 0.64 (95% CI = 0.53–0.75) and its specificity was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.62–0.78). Among all the ears, 24 were diagnosed with conductive hearing loss. The smartphone-based audiometry self-tests correctly diagnosed conductive hearing loss in 17 of those ears. The personalized smartphone-based audiometry self-tests correctly diagnosed hearing loss with high sensitivity and high specificity, and they can be a reliable screening test to rule out moderate hearing impairment among the population. It provided patients with moderate hearing impairment with personalized strategies for symptomatic control and facilitated individual case management for medical practitioners.

scholarly journals Change in Self-Evaluation of Hearing Status According to Age: A Population-Based Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 861-867
Author(s):  
Seok-Youl Choi ◽  
Jee Won Moon ◽  
June Choi ◽  
Jae-Jun Song ◽  
Gi Jung Im ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Hearing Threshold ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Evaluation

Background and Objectives Self-reported hearing levels determined by self-report questionnaires are not always correlated with the audiometric hearing level. It is necessary to ascertain the subjectively perceived normal hearing threshold to determine the need for hearing aids at the appropriate time. The objective is to identify the level of correlation between the self-reported hearing level and the audiometric hearing level and ascertain the subjectively perceived normal hearing threshold for each age group.Subjects and Method This cross-sectional study, using the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V, looked at participants with hearing loss who were aged ≥40 years. Pure tone audiometry was conducted bilaterally. Self-reported hearing level was ascertained via survey enquiring about hearing loss. The level of correlation between self-reported hearing level and audiometric hearing level, age-specific patterns of hear-ing self-evaluation and subjectively perceived normal hearing values at which participants complained of hearing loss were main outcomes.Results Mean audiometric thresholds (MATs) increased with the age and degree of self-reported hearing level. The accuracy of self-reported hearing level compared to the audiometric threshold decreased with age both in the better-ear and worse-ear groups. Younger participants tended to overestimate their hearing impairment, while older participants tended to underestimate it. Subjectively perceived normal hearing thresholds increased with age and they were very close to the MATs for each age group.Conclusion Results can be useful for devising different age-group specific pure tone audi-ometry-based diagnostic criteria for self-reported hearing loss, which can be used to determine the need for hearing aid in a timely manner.

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