scholarly journals The influence of non-linear frequency compression on the perception of music by adults with a moderate to severe hearing loss: Subjective impressions

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinda Uys ◽  
Lidia Pottas ◽  
Bart Vinck ◽  
Catherine Van Dijk
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Severe Hearing Loss ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Linear Frequency ◽  
Musical Perception ◽  
Non Linear

Objective: To date, the main direction in frequency-lowering hearing aid studies has been in relation to speech perception abilities. With improvements in hearing aid technology, interest in musical perception as a dimension that could improve hearing aid users’ quality of life has grown. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of non-linear frequency compression (NFC) on hearing aid users’ subjective impressions of listening to music. Design & sample: A survey research design was implemented to elicit participants’ (N=40) subjective impressions of musical stimuli with and without NFC. Results: The use of NFC significantly improved hearing aid users’ perception of the musical qualities of overall fidelity, tinniness and reverberance. Although participants preferred to listen to the loudness, fullness, crispness, naturalness and pleasantness of music with the use of NFC, these benefits were not significant. Conclusion: The use of NFC can increase hearing aid users’ enjoyment and appreciation of music. Given that a relatively large percentage of hearing aid users express a loss of enjoyment of music, audiologists should not ignore the possible benefits of NFC, especially if one takes into account that previous research indicates speech perception benefits with this technology.

scholarly journals The Effect of Hearing Aid Use on Cognition in Older Adults: Can We Delay Decline or Even Improve Cognitive Function?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Sarant ◽  
David Harris ◽  
Peter Busby ◽  
Paul Maruff ◽  
Adrian Schembri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Visual Learning ◽  
Hearing Aid Use

Hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor for dementia in older adults. Whether hearing aid use can delay the onset of cognitive decline is unknown. Participants in this study (aged 62–82 years) were assessed before and 18 months after hearing aid fitting on hearing, cognitive function, speech perception, quality of life, physical activity, loneliness, isolation, mood, and medical health. At baseline, multiple linear regression showed hearing loss and age predicted significantly poorer executive function performance, while tertiary education predicted significantly higher executive function and visual learning performance. At 18 months after hearing aid fitting, speech perception in quiet, self-reported listening disability and quality of life had significantly improved. Group mean scores across the cognitive test battery showed no significant decline, and executive function significantly improved. Reliable Change Index scores also showed either clinically significant improvement or stability in executive function for 97.3% of participants, and for females for working memory, visual attention and visual learning. Relative stability and clinically and statistically significant improvement in cognition were seen in this participant group after 18 months of hearing aid use, suggesting that treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids may delay cognitive decline. Given the small sample size, further follow up is required.

scholarly journals Effects of Adaptive Non-linear Frequency Compression in Hearing Aids on Mandarin Speech and Sound-Quality Perception

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Qi ◽  
Xueqing Chen ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Xianhui Wang ◽  
Xin Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Compression Algorithm ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Quality Perception ◽  
Linear Frequency ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Non Linear

ObjectiveThis study was aimed at examining the effects of an adaptive non-linear frequency compression algorithm implemented in hearing aids (i.e., SoundRecover2, or SR2) at different parameter settings and auditory acclimatization on speech and sound-quality perception in native Mandarin-speaking adult listeners with sensorineural hearing loss.DesignData consisted of participants’ unaided and aided hearing thresholds, Mandarin consonant and vowel recognition in quiet, and sentence recognition in noise, as well as sound-quality ratings through five sessions in a 12-week period with three SR2 settings (i.e., SR2 off, SR2 default, and SR2 strong).Study SampleTwenty-nine native Mandarin-speaking adults aged 37–76 years old with symmetric sloping moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss were recruited. They were all fitted bilaterally with Phonak Naida V90-SP BTE hearing aids with hard ear-molds.ResultsThe participants demonstrated a significant improvement of aided hearing in detecting high frequency sounds at 8 kHz. For consonant recognition and overall sound-quality rating, the participants performed significantly better with the SR2 default setting than the other two settings. No significant differences were found in vowel and sentence recognition among the three SR2 settings. Test session was a significant factor that contributed to the participants’ performance in all speech and sound-quality perception tests. Specifically, the participants benefited from a longer duration of hearing aid use.ConclusionFindings from this study suggested possible perceptual benefit from the adaptive non-linear frequency compression algorithm for native Mandarin-speaking adults with moderate-to-profound hearing loss. Periods of acclimatization should be taken for better performance in novel technologies in hearing aids.

The Impact of Hearing Aids on Quality of Life of Hearing Impaired Individuals

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatima Zafar ◽  
Hafiz Muhammad Usama Basheer ◽  
Amber Hassan ◽  
Wajeeha Zaib ◽  
Tehmeena Waheed
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Residual Activity ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
P Value ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
The Impact

The regular use of hearing aids (more than 8 hours a day) benefits people in hearing for bettercommunication than those who are less-likely to use hearing aids Objective: The objective of thestudy was to assess the impact of hearing aids on the quality of life of hearing impaired individualsMethods: In this cross-sectional study total 50 participants were recruited by convenient samplingtechnique from Lahore, Pakistan. 50 patients who were diagnosed with hearing loss and wererecommended with hearing aids of both genders were included in the study. The International OutcomeInventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzedthrough Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 Results: In this research 50hearing impaired individuals who were hearing aid users, participated. The mean age of participants was64.10+15.88 years. Among which 25 (50%) were males and 25(50%) were females. The average time ofhearing aid use was 3.88 hours, majority of patients responded that hearing aid helped quite a lot in thedaily routine (mean score of IOI-HA, 3.62), have moderate difficulty in residual activity (mean score of IOIHA,3.26), moderately satisfied with their hearing aid (mean score of IOI-HA, 3.28), moderately affect theparticipation restriction (mean score of IOI-HA, 3.20), impact of their hearing loss bothered moderately(mean score of IOI-HA, 3.14) and quality of life (QOL) was very much better (3.90). There was insignificantassociation between the QOL of males and females (p-value>0.05) Conclusions: It was concluded fromthe study that the hearing aids have a greater impact on the quality of life and socio-economic aspectsof hearing impaired individuals. Hearing loss is such a problem, which separates certain community ofhearing impaired individuals from the normal population. Individuals with hearing impairment not onlyhave to face personal communication problems but also it affects their health, independency and qualityof life in their daily routine.

Effect of Cochlear Implantation on Quality of Life in Adults with Unilateral Hearing Loss

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 259-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret T. Dillon ◽  
Emily Buss ◽  
Meredith A. Rooth ◽  
English R. King ◽  
Ellen J. Deres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Cochlear Implantation ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Unilateral Hearing Loss ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Speech Perception In Noise ◽  
Contralateral Ear

Objective: Patients with moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss in 1 ear and normal hearing in the contralateral ear, known as unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or single-sided deafness (SSD), may experience improved quality of life with the use of a cochlear implant (CI) in the affected ear. Quality of life assessment before and after implantation may reveal changes to aspects of hearing beyond those explicitly evaluated with behavioral measures. Methods: The present report completed 2 experiments investigating quality of life outcomes in CI recipients with UHL. The first experiment assessed quality of life during the 1st year of device use with 3 questionnaires: the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Twenty subjects were evaluated preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-activation. Quality of life results were compared over the study period using traditional scoring methods and the SSQ pragmatic subscales. Subscales specific to localization and speech perception in noise were compared to behavioral measures at the preoperative and 12-month intervals. The 2nd experiment evaluated quality of life preoperatively and at the 12-month interval for CI recipients with UHL and CI recipients with bilateral hearing loss, including conventional CI users and those listening with electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS). The 3 cohorts differed in CI candidacy criteria, including the amount of residual hearing in the contralateral ear. Results: For subjects with moderate-to-profound UHL, receipt of a CI significantly improved quality of life, with benefits noted as early as 1 month after initial activation. The UHL cohort reported less perceived difficulty at the pre- and postoperative intervals than the conventional CI and EAS cohorts, which may be due to the presence of the normal-hearing ear. Each group experienced a significant benefit in quality of life on the APHAB with CI use. Conclusions: Cochlear implantation in cases of substantial UHL may offer significant improvements in quality of life. Quality of life measures revealed a reduction in perceived tinnitus severity and subjective improvements in speech perception in noise, spatial hearing, and listening effort. While self-report of difficulties were lower for the UHL cohort than the conventional CI and EAS cohorts, subjects in all 3 groups reported an improvement in quality of life with CI use.

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