Auditory Training and Challenges Associated with Participation and Compliance

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (09) ◽  
pp. 586-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Sweetow ◽  
Jennifer Henderson Sabes
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Auditory Memory ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Noise Interference ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Listening Strategies

Background: When individuals have hearing loss, physiological changes in their brain interact with relearning of sound patterns. Some individuals utilize compensatory strategies that may result in successful hearing aid use. Others, however, are not so fortunate. Modern hearing aids can provide audibility but may not rectify spectral and temporal resolution, susceptibility to noise interference, or degradation of cognitive skills, such as declining auditory memory and slower speed of processing associated with aging. Frequently, these deficits are not identified during a typical “hearing aid evaluation.” Aural rehabilitation has long been advocated to enhance communication but has not been considered time or cost-effective. Home-based, interactive adaptive computer therapy programs are available that are designed to engage the adult hearing-impaired listener in the hearing aid fitting process, provide listening strategies, build confidence, and address cognitive changes. Despite the availability of these programs, many patients and professionals are reluctant to engage in and complete therapy. Purpose: The purposes of this article are to discuss the need for identifying auditory and nonauditory factors that may adversely affect the overall audiological rehabilitation process, to discuss important features that should be incorporated into training, and to examine reasons for the lack of compliance with therapeutic options. Possible solutions to maximizing compliance are explored. Conclusions: Only a small portion of audiologists (fewer than 10%) offer auditory training to patients with hearing impairment, even though auditory training appears to lower the rate of hearing aid returns for credit. Patients to whom auditory training programs are recommended often do not complete the training, however. Compliance for a cohort of home-based auditory therapy trainees was less than 30%. Activities to increase patient compliance to auditory training protocols are proposed.

The Need for and Development of an Adaptive Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE™) Program

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (08) ◽  
pp. 538-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Sweetow ◽  
Jennifer Henderson Sabes
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Trained Subjects ◽  
Aural Rehabilitation ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Baseline Testing ◽  
Listening Strategies ◽  
Test Objective

Auditory training has long been advocated to enhance communication but has never been time or cost-effective. This article describes the concepts underlying the development of a home-based, interactive adaptive computer program designed to engage the adult hearing-impaired listener in the hearing-aid-fitting process, provide listening strategies, build confidence, and address cognitive changes characteristic of the aging process. An investigation using a between-group, within-subject design with pre- and post-test objective and subjective measures was conducted at five clinical sites. Sixty-five subjects were randomly placed into two groups, one receiving LACE™ (Listening and Communication Enhancement) immediately following baseline testing and one serving as a control for one month and then receiving training as a crossover group. Results showed statistically significant improvements for the trained subjects on all but one of the outcome measures. Barriers facing the widespread implementation of home-based aural rehabilitation are discussed.

scholarly journals EHealth and Its Role in Supporting Audiological Rehabilitation: Patient Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators of Using a Personal Hearing Support System With Mobile Application as Part of the EVOTION Study

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa Murdin ◽  
Mark Sladen ◽  
Hannah Williams ◽  
Doris-Eva Bamiou ◽  
Athanasios Bibas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Support System ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
The Individual

BackgroundHearing loss is a major public health challenge. Audiology services need to utilise a range of rehabilitative services and maximise innovative practice afforded by technology to actively promote personalized, participatory, preventative and predictive care if they are to cope with the social and economic burden placed on the population by the rapidly rising prevalence of hearing loss. Digital interventions and teleaudiology could be a key part of providing high quality, cost-effective, patient-centred management. There is currently very limited evidence that assesses the hearing impaired patient perspective on the acceptance and usability of this type of technology.AimThis study aims to identify patient perceptions of the use of a hearing support system including a mobile smartphone app when used with Bluetooth-connected hearing aids across the everyday life of users, as part of the EVOTION project.MethodsWe applied a questionnaire to 564 participants in three countries across Europe and analysed the following topics: connectivity, hearing aid controls, instructional videos, audiological tests and auditory training.Key FindingsOlder users were just as satisfied as younger users when operating this type of technology. Technical problems such as Bluetooth connectivity need to be minimised as this issue is highly critical for user satisfaction, engagement and uptake. A system that promotes user-controllability of hearing aids that is more accessible and easier to use is highly valued. Participants are happy to utilise monitoring tests and auditory training on a mobile phone out of the clinic but in order to have value the test battery needs to be relevant and tailored to each user, easy to understand and use. Such functions can elicit a negative as well as positive experience for each user.ConclusionOlder and younger adults can utilise an eHealth mobile app to complement their rehabilitation and health care. If the technology works well, is tailored to the individual and in-depth personalised guidance and support is provided, it could assist maximisation of hearing aid uptake, promotion of self-management and improving outcomes.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Hearing Aid Technology-A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (VI) ◽  
pp. 3427-3429
Author(s):  
Animita Das
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
System On Chip ◽  
Audio Signals ◽  
Technology System ◽  
The People ◽  
Chip Technology ◽  
On Chip ◽  
System 1

Hearing aids are electroacoustic gadgets commonly worn in or behind the ear and are intended to enhance the speech Nowadays hearing aids support various application unlike the traditional ones such that it can act like headphones streaming audio signals from internet-enabled devices connected wirelessly via Bluetooth. This paper aims to review the various advancements in the hearing aid technology. System on chip technology of the microcontroller have been used in various studies to develop and design an effective hearing assistant device and help the people with hearing impairment to lead a normal life. Ten articles have been reviewed for the study and it can be concluded that IoT is the future for an efficient, cost effective hearing assistive system [1]

scholarly journals Investigating the Impact of Hearing Aid Use and Auditory Training on Cognition, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Interaction in Adults With Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Crossover Trial (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Nkyekyer ◽  
Denny Meyer ◽  
Peter J Blamey ◽  
Andrew Pipingas ◽  
Sunil Bhar
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Hearing Aid Use

BACKGROUND Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit among older adults. Some of the psychosocial consequences of this condition include difficulty in understanding speech, depression, and social isolation. Studies have shown that older adults with hearing loss show some age-related cognitive decline. Hearing aids have been proven as successful interventions to alleviate sensorineural hearing loss. In addition to hearing aid use, the positive effects of auditory training—formal listening activities designed to optimize speech perception—are now being documented among adults with hearing loss who use hearing aids, especially new hearing aid users. Auditory training has also been shown to produce prolonged cognitive performance improvements. However, there is still little evidence to support the benefits of simultaneous hearing aid use and individualized face-to-face auditory training on cognitive performance in adults with hearing loss. OBJECTIVE This study will investigate whether using hearing aids for the first time will improve the impact of individualized face-to-face auditory training on cognition, depression, and social interaction for adults with sensorineural hearing loss. The rationale for this study is based on the hypothesis that, in adults with sensorineural hearing loss, using hearing aids for the first time in combination with individualized face-to-face auditory training will be more effective for improving cognition, depressive symptoms, and social interaction rather than auditory training on its own. METHODS This is a crossover trial targeting 40 men and women between 50 and 90 years of age with either mild or moderate symmetric sensorineural hearing loss. Consented, willing participants will be recruited from either an independent living accommodation or via a community database to undergo a 6-month intensive face-to-face auditory training program (active control). Participants will be assigned in random order to receive hearing aid (intervention) for either the first 3 or last 3 months of the 6-month auditory training program. Each participant will be tested at baseline, 3, and 6 months using a neuropsychological battery of computer-based cognitive assessments, together with a depression symptom instrument and a social interaction measure. The primary outcome will be cognitive performance with regard to spatial working memory. Secondary outcome measures include other cognition performance measures, depressive symptoms, social interaction, and hearing satisfaction. RESULTS Data analysis is currently under way and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in June 2018. CONCLUSIONS Results from the study will inform strategies for aural rehabilitation, hearing aid delivery, and future hearing loss intervention trials. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03112850; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03112850 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xz12fD0B).

Can a Commercially Available Auditory Training Program Improve Audiovisual Speech Performance?

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (3S) ◽  
pp. 308-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dania Rishiq ◽  
Aparna Rao ◽  
Tess Koerner ◽  
Harvey Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Speech Performance ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
B Test ◽  
Experimental Group

Purpose The goal of this study was to determine whether hearing aids in combination with computer-based auditory training improve audiovisual (AV) performance compared with the use of hearing aids alone. Method Twenty-four participants were randomized into an experimental group (hearing aids plus ReadMyQuips [RMQ] training) and a control group (hearing aids only). The Multimodal Lexical Sentence Test for Adults (Kirk et al., 2012) was used to measure auditory-only (AO) and AV speech perception performance at three signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Participants were tested at the time of hearing aid fitting (pretest), after 4 weeks of hearing aid use (posttest I), and again after 4 weeks of RMQ training (posttest II). Results Results did not reveal an effect of training. As expected, interactions were found between (a) modality (AO vs. AV) and SNR and (b) test (pretest vs. posttests) and SNR. Conclusion Data do not show a significant effect of RMQ training on AO or AV performance as measured using the Multimodal Lexical Sentence Test for Adults.

A Portable Hearing Test Program for the Public Schools

1980 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 218-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Ciani
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Public School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Test Program ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hearing Test ◽  
Check Procedure

A hearing aid test prograrn was developed, using portable electroacoustic equipment, to assess and improve the condition of hearing aids worn by Cincinnati public school children. Hearing aid checks were performed semi-annually for both school auditory training equipment and personal hearing aids. The program's results have shown the need for an additional mid-year check and subsequent maintenance for school auditory training equipment. A bonus of the program has been the visibility it has afforded the hearing aid check procedure.

Efficacy of Linear Frequency Transposition on Consonant Identification in Quiet and in Noise

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (08) ◽  
pp. 465-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Kuk ◽  
Denise Keenan ◽  
Petri Korhonen ◽  
Chi-chuen Lau
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Frequency Region ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Linear Frequency ◽  
Test Conditions ◽  
Speech Performance ◽  
Over Time

Background: Frequency transposition has gained renewed interest in recent years. This type of processing takes sounds in the unaidable high-frequency region and moves them to the lower frequency region. One concern is that the transposed sounds mask or distort the original low-frequency sounds and lead to a poorer performance. On the other hand, experience with transposition may allow the listeners to relearn the new auditory percepts and benefit from transposition. Purpose: The current study was designed to examine the effect of linear frequency transposition on consonant identification in quiet (50 dB SPL and 68 dB SPL) and in noise at three intervals—the initial fit, after one month of use (along with auditory training), and a further one month of use (without directed training) of transposition. Research Design: A single-blind, factorial repeated-measures design was used to study the effect of test conditions (three) and hearing aid setting/time interval (four) on consonant identification. Study Sample: Eight adults with a severe-to-profound high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss participated. Intervention: Participants were fit with the Widex m4-m behind-the-ear hearing aids binaurally in the frequency transposition mode, and their speech scores were measured initially. They wore the hearing aids home for one month and were instructed to complete a self-paced “bottom-up” training regimen. They returned after the training, and their speech performance was measured. They wore the hearing aids home for another month, but they were not instructed to complete any auditory training. Their speech performance was again measured at the end of the two-month trial. Data Collection and Analysis: Consonant performance was measured with a nonsense syllable test (ORCA-NST) that was developed at this facility (Office of Research in Clinical Amplification [Widex]). The test conditions included testing in quiet at 50 dB SPL and 68 dB SPL, and at 68 dB SPL in noise (SNR [signal-to-noise ratio] = +5). The hearing aid conditions included no transposition at initial fit (V1), transposition at initial fit (V2), transposition at one month post-fit (V3), and transposition at 2 months post-fit (V4). Identification scores were analyzed for each individual phoneme and phonemic class. Repeated-measures ANOVA were conducted using SPSS software to examine significant differences. Results: For all test conditions (50 dB SPL in quiet, 68 dB SPL in quiet, and 68 dB SPL in noise), a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05 level) was reached between the transposition condition measured at two months postfitting and the initial fitting (with and without transposition) for fricatives only. The difference between transposition and the no-transposition conditions at the 50 dB SPL condition was also significant for the initial and one-month intervals. Analysis of individual phonemes showed a decrease in the number of confusions and an increase in the number of correct identification over time. Conclusions: Linear frequency transposition improved fricative identification over time. Proper candidate selection with appropriate training is necessary to fully realize the potential benefit of this type of processing.

scholarly journals Auditory Training Using Remembering the Order of Sentences for the Elderly Who Wear Hearing Aids: Is it Effective for Speech Perception in Noise, Working Memory and Reasoning Ability?

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-132
Author(s):  
Donghoon Kang ◽  
So Hyun Kim ◽  
Dajung Yun ◽  
Junghwa Bahng
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Reasoning Ability ◽  
Speech Perception In Noise ◽  
Reasoning Test

Purpose: The present study examines auditory training outcomes in terms of speech perception in noise, working memory, reasoning ability, and subjective hearing aid satisfaction. Methods: Ten older adults who wear hearing aids (mean age: 71.6) voluntarily participated in the study. For the training material, 78 sentence sets composed of 3 to 5 sentences were used. During the auditory training, participants tried to remember the order of sentences. Among the 78 sentence sets, 45 contained clues and the rest did not. Each participant underwent assessments including speech perception in noise and digit spans and reasoning test and completed a self-report hearing aid satisfaction questionnaire both pre- and post-auditory training. The participants completed eight sessions of the auditory training. Results: The results showed a statistically significant increase in speech recognition ability in noise, short-term memory, and working memory, as well as satisfaction with hearing aid use. Despite a slight increase on the reasoning test, there was no statistically significant improvement.Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that the auditory training in remembering the order of sentences improved speech perception in noise, sensory and working memory, and subjective satisfaction with hearing aids. Future research can investigate more effective auditory training tools to improve the various cognitive skills and communication ability of older adults who wear hearing aids.

Is There a Hearing Aid for the Thinking Person?

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (09) ◽  
pp. 594-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ervin R. Hafter
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Precedence Effect ◽  
Auditory Prosthesis ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Echo Suppression ◽  
Listening Strategies

Background: The history of auditory prosthesis has generally concentrated on bottom-up processing, that is, on audibility. However, a growing interest in top-down processing has focused on correlations between success with a hearing aid and such higher order processing as the patient's intelligence, problem solving and language skills, and the perceived effort of day-to-day listening. Purpose: Examination of two cases of cognitive effects in hearing that illustrate less-often-studied issues: (1) Individual subjects in a study use different listening strategies, a fact that, if not known to the experimenter, can lead to errors in interpretation; (2) A measure of shared attention can point to otherwise unknown functional effects of an algorithm used in hearing aids. Research design: In the two examples described above: (1) Patients with cochlear implants served in a study of the binaural precedence effect, that is, echo suppression. (2) Individuals identifying speech-in-noise benefit from noise reduction (NR) when the criterion was improved performance in simultaneous tests of verbal memory or visual reaction times. Conclusions: Studies of hearing impairment, either in the laboratory or in a fitting session, should include study of the complex stimuli that make up the natural environment, conditions where the thinking auditory brain adopts strategies for dealing with large amounts of input data. In addition to well-known factors that must be included in communication, such things as familiarity, syntax, and semantics, the work here shows that strategic listening can affect even how we deal with seemingly simpler requirements, localizing sounds in a reverberant auditory scene and listening for speech in noise when busy with other cognitive tasks.

scholarly journals The role of cognition for speech-in-noise perception: Considering individual listening strategies related to aging and hearing loss

2020 ◽  
pp. 016502542091498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antje Heinrich
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effective Diagnosis ◽  
Listening Strategies ◽  
Noisy Background

Listening to speech in a noisy background is difficult for everyone. While such listening has historically been considered mainly in the context of auditory processing, the role of cognition has attracted considerable interest in recent years. This has been particularly true in the context of life-span research and the comparison of younger and older listeners. This article will discuss three factors that are important to consider when investigating the nature of cognitive involvement in speech-in-noise (SiN) perception: (1) the listening situation, (2) listener variables, and (3) the role of hearing aids. I argue that a similar level of intelligibility can be achieved with the support of very different skills, or listening strategies, depending on the listening situation and listener. Age as a variable is particularly instructive for this type of research as it is accompanied by auditory as well as cognitive changes. As age-related changes are not uniform, using aging as a tool for the investigation can increase the opportunity to see individual differences in contributing processes and resulting compensation strategies. In addition to highlighting different interaction effects between hearing and cognition, I will argue that our conceptual understanding of the underlying processes can only be furthered if the selection of cognitive tests and experimental procedures in SiN studies follows accepted cognitive models, so that understanding can advance on a conceptual level without reliance on a particular test. Ultimately, a better understanding of the various listening strategies available to listeners, and the conditions under which they are used, may have theoretical as well as practical implications. Theoretically, it may help us better understand phenomena such as listening effort. Practically, it may guide us toward more effective diagnosis and intervention for listening difficulties in everyday life.

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