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Seitz J, Loh K, Fels J. Listening effort in children and adults in classroom noise. Sci Rep 2024; 14:25200. [PMID: 39448716 PMCID: PMC11502858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-76932-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 10/17/2024] [Indexed: 10/26/2024] Open
Abstract
It is well known that hearing in noisy situations is more challenging than in quiet environments. This holds true for adults and especially for children. This study employed a child-appropriate dual-task paradigm to investigate listening effort in children aged six to ten years and young adults. The primary task involved word recognition, while the secondary task evaluated digit recall. Additionally, subjective perception of listening effort was assessed using a child-appropriate questionnaire. This study incorporated plausible sound reproduction and examined classroom scenarios including multi-talker babble noise with two signal-to-noise ratios (0 dB and -3 dB) in an anechoic and an acoustically simulated classroom environment. Forty-four primary school children aged six to ten (17 first- to second-graders and 18 third- to fourth-graders) and 25 young adults participated in this study. The results revealed differences in listening effort between the noise conditions in third- to fourth-graders and supported using the dual-task paradigm for that age group. For all three age groups, a greater subjective perception of listening effort in noise was found. Furthermore, a correlation between the subjective perception of listening effort and behavioural listening effort based on the experimental results was found for third- to fourth-graders and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Seitz
- Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Karin Loh
- Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen, Germany
| | - Janina Fels
- Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen, Germany
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Campbell J, Rouse R, Nielsen M, Potter S. Sensory Inhibition and Speech Perception-in-Noise Performance in Children With Normal Hearing. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:382-399. [PMID: 36480698 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated whether sensory inhibition in children may be associated with speech perception-in-noise performance. Additionally, gating networks associated with sensory inhibition were identified via standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), and the detectability of the cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) N1 response was enhanced using a 4- to 30-Hz bandpass filter. METHOD CAEP gating responses, reflective of inhibition, were evoked via click pairs and recorded using high-density electroencephalography in neurotypical 5- to 8-year-olds and 22- to 24-year-olds. Amplitude gating indices were calculated and correlated with speech perception in noise. Gating generators were estimated using sLORETA. A 4- to 30-Hz filter was applied to detect the N1 gating component. RESULTS Preliminary findings indicate children showed reduced gating, but there was a correlational trend between better speech perception and decreased N2 gating. Commensurate with decreased gating, children presented with incomplete compensatory gating networks. The 4- to 30-Hz filter identified the N1 response in a subset of children. CONCLUSIONS There was a tenuous relationship between children's speech perception and sensory inhibition. This may suggest that sensory inhibition is only implicated in atypically poor speech perception. Finally, the 4- to 30-Hz filter settings are critical in N1 detectability. SIGNIFICANCE Gating may help evaluate reduced sensory inhibition in children with clinically poor speech perception using the appropriate methodology. Cortical gating generators in typically developing children are also newly identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Campbell
- Central Sensory Processes Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Rixon Rouse
- Central Sensory Processes Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Mashhood Nielsen
- Central Sensory Processes Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Sheri Potter
- Central Sensory Processes Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
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Becker R, Hervais-Adelman A. Individual theta-band cortical entrainment to speech in quiet predicts word-in-noise comprehension. Cereb Cortex Commun 2023; 4:tgad001. [PMID: 36726796 PMCID: PMC9883620 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgad001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Speech elicits brain activity time-locked to its amplitude envelope. The resulting speech-brain synchrony (SBS) is thought to be crucial to speech parsing and comprehension. It has been shown that higher speech-brain coherence is associated with increased speech intelligibility. However, studies depending on the experimental manipulation of speech stimuli do not allow conclusion about the causality of the observed tracking. Here, we investigate whether individual differences in the intrinsic propensity to track the speech envelope when listening to speech-in-quiet is predictive of individual differences in speech-recognition-in-noise, in an independent task. We evaluated the cerebral tracking of speech in source-localized magnetoencephalography, at timescales corresponding to the phrases, words, syllables and phonemes. We found that individual differences in syllabic tracking in right superior temporal gyrus and in left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) were positively associated with recognition accuracy in an independent words-in-noise task. Furthermore, directed connectivity analysis showed that this relationship is partially mediated by top-down connectivity from premotor cortex-associated with speech processing and active sensing in the auditory domain-to left MTG. Thus, the extent of SBS-even during clear speech-reflects an active mechanism of the speech processing system that may confer resilience to noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Becker
- Corresponding author: Neurolinguistics, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Alexis Hervais-Adelman
- Neurolinguistics, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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The Swedish hearing in noise test for children, HINT-C. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021; 141:110509. [PMID: 33234330 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a Swedish version of the Hearing In Noise Test for Children (HINT-C). DESIGN In the first part, the Swedish HINT lists for adults was evaluated by children at three signal to noise ratios (SNRs), -4, -1 and +2 dB. Lists including sentences not reaching 50% recognition at +2 dB SNR were excluded and the rest constituted the HINT-C. In the second part, HINT-C was evaluated in children and adults using an adaptive procedure to determine the SNR for 50% correctly repeated sentences. Study Sample In the first part, 112 children aged 6-11 years participated while another 28 children and 9 adults participated in the second part. RESULTS Eight out of 24 tested adult HINT lists did not reach the inclusion criteria. The remaining 16 lists formed the Swedish HINT-C which was evaluated in children 6-11 years old. A regression analysis showed that the predicted SNR threshold (dB) was 0.495-0.365*age (years + months/12) and the children reached the mean adult score at an age of 10.5 years. CONCLUSIONS A Swedish version of HINT-C was developed and evaluated in children six years and older.
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Sofokleous V, Marmara M, Panagiotopoulos GK, Mouza S, Tsofidou M, Sereti A, Grigoriadi I, Petridis Ε, Sidiras C, Tsiourdas M, Iliadou VV. Test-retest reliability of the Greek Speech-in-babble test (SinB) as a potential screening tool for auditory processing disorder. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2020; 131:109848. [PMID: 31927150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.109848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There seems to exist a specific group of people considered to be at higher risk of having Auditory Processing Disorders (APD). These patients are frequently initially referred to, or managed by various professionals such as Otolaryngologists, Speech Therapists, and Occupational Therapists. It is, therefore, essential to retain a low threshold of when to refer such individuals for a formal APD diagnostic evaluation. Under these circumstances, there might be a role for the Greek Speech-in-Babble (SinB) recognition test as a screening tool for abnormal auditory processing competency. OBJECTIVE To explore the test-retest reliability of a diagnostically validated speech-in-babble test, the Greek SinB, as a potential screening tool. METHODS Ten health professionals coming from various disciplines administered the SinB test twice, under conditions similar to those encountered when using it as a screening tool, and test-retest reliability was assessed. 93 Greek-speaking individuals, of whom 27 adults and 66 children or young adolescents aged five years old or more, served as our study sample. RESULTS For the right ear, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was 0.858 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.786-0.906. Slightly better conditions apply for the left ear, as the ICC was 0.873 with 95% CI = 0.809-0.916. These 95% CIs indicate a 'good' to 'excellent' level of reliability for both ears. Spearman's rho was 0.86 and 0.71 for the right and left ear, respectively. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the test possesses the required reliability to evaluate a subject's hearing abilities under screening conditions. On these terms, it could be used to screen populations considered as being at risk for Auditory Processing Disorders. Forthcoming research should focus on establishing its efficiency by comparing the results of the screening test with that of diagnostic tests and on fine-tuning SinB as a screening tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentinos Sofokleous
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece; Department of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Athens Children's Hospital "P. & A. Kyriacou", Athens, Greece.
| | - Maria Marmara
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Stellina Mouza
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Tsofidou
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Afroditi Sereti
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioanna Grigoriadi
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Εleftherios Petridis
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Christos Sidiras
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Michael Tsiourdas
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Vivian Iliadou
- Psychoacoustics Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Houweling T, Becker R, Hervais-Adelman A. The noise-resilient brain: Resting-state oscillatory activity predicts words-in-noise recognition. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 202:104727. [PMID: 31918321 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.104727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The role of neuronal oscillations in the processing of speech has recently come to prominence. Since resting-state (RS) brain activity has been shown to predict both task-related brain activation and behavioural performance, we set out to establish whether inter-individual differences in spectrally-resolved RS-MEG power are associated with variations in words-in-noise recognition in a sample of 88 participants made available by the Human Connectome Project. Positive associations with resilience to noise were observed with power in the range 21 and 29 Hz in a number of areas along the left temporal gyrus and temporo-parietal association areas peaking in left posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG). Significant associations were also found in the right posterior superior temporal gyrus in the frequency range 30-40 Hz. We propose that individual differences in words-in-noise performance are related to baseline excitability levels of the neural substrates of phonological processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Houweling
- Neurolinguistics, Department of Psychology, University of Zürich, Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Robert Becker
- Neurolinguistics, Department of Psychology, University of Zürich, Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexis Hervais-Adelman
- Neurolinguistics, Department of Psychology, University of Zürich, Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
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Zhu S, Wong LLN, Wang B, Chen F. Assessing the Importance of Lexical Tone Contour to Sentence Perception in Mandarin-Speaking Children With Normal Hearing. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:2116-2123. [PMID: 28672378 DOI: 10.1044/2017_jslhr-h-16-0272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of lexical tone contour and age on sentence perception in quiet and in noise conditions in Mandarin-speaking children ages 7 to 11 years with normal hearing. METHOD Test materials were synthesized Mandarin sentences, each word with a manipulated lexical contour, that is, normal contour, flat contour, or a tone contour randomly selected from the four Mandarin lexical tone contours. A convenience sample of 75 Mandarin-speaking participants with normal hearing, ages 7, 9, and 11 years (25 participants in each age group), was selected. Participants were asked to repeat the synthesized speech in quiet and in speech spectrum-shaped noise at 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio. RESULTS In quiet, sentence recognition by the 11-year-old children was similar to that of adults, and misrepresented lexical tone contours did not have a detrimental effect. However, the performance of children ages 9 and 7 years was significantly poorer. The performance of all three age groups, especially the younger children, declined significantly in noise. CONCLUSIONS The present research suggests that lexical tone contour plays an important role in Mandarin sentence recognition, and misrepresented tone contours result in greater difficulty in sentence recognition in younger children. These results imply that maturation and/or language use experience play a role in the processing of tone contours for Mandarin speech understanding, particularly in noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shufeng Zhu
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lena L N Wong
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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Zhou H, Li Y, Liang M, Guan CQ, Zhang L, Shu H, Zhang Y. Mandarin-Speaking Children's Speech Recognition: Developmental Changes in the Influences of Semantic Context and F0 Contours. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1090. [PMID: 28701990 PMCID: PMC5487482 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this developmental speech perception study was to assess whether and how age group modulated the influences of high-level semantic context and low-level fundamental frequency (F0) contours on the recognition of Mandarin speech by elementary and middle-school-aged children in quiet and interference backgrounds. The results revealed different patterns for semantic and F0 information. One the one hand, age group modulated significantly the use of F0 contours, indicating that elementary school children relied more on natural F0 contours than middle school children during Mandarin speech recognition. On the other hand, there was no significant modulation effect of age group on semantic context, indicating that children of both age groups used semantic context to assist speech recognition to a similar extent. Furthermore, the significant modulation effect of age group on the interaction between F0 contours and semantic context revealed that younger children could not make better use of semantic context in recognizing speech with flat F0 contours compared with natural F0 contours, while older children could benefit from semantic context even when natural F0 contours were altered, thus confirming the important role of F0 contours in Mandarin speech recognition by elementary school children. The developmental changes in the effects of high-level semantic and low-level F0 information on speech recognition might reflect the differences in auditory and cognitive resources associated with processing of the two types of information in speech perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhou
- International Cultural Exchange School, Shanghai University of Finance and EconomicsShanghai, China
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Cognitive Science and ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Macquarie University, SydneyNSW, Australia
| | - Meng Liang
- College of Allied Health Sciences, Beijing Language and Culture UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Connie Qun Guan
- School of Foreign Studies, University of Science and Technology BeijingBeijing, China
| | - Linjun Zhang
- College of Allied Health Sciences, Beijing Language and Culture UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Hua Shu
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, MinneapolisMN, United States
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McCreery RW, Spratford M, Kirby B, Brennan M. Individual differences in language and working memory affect children's speech recognition in noise. Int J Audiol 2017; 56:306-315. [PMID: 27981855 PMCID: PMC5634965 DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2016.1266703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined how cognitive and linguistic skills affect speech recognition in noise for children with normal hearing. Children with better working memory and language abilities were expected to have better speech recognition in noise than peers with poorer skills in these domains. DESIGN As part of a prospective, cross-sectional study, children with normal hearing completed speech recognition in noise for three types of stimuli: (1) monosyllabic words, (2) syntactically correct but semantically anomalous sentences and (3) semantically and syntactically anomalous word sequences. Measures of vocabulary, syntax and working memory were used to predict individual differences in speech recognition in noise. STUDY SAMPLE Ninety-six children with normal hearing, who were between 5 and 12 years of age. RESULTS Higher working memory was associated with better speech recognition in noise for all three stimulus types. Higher vocabulary abilities were associated with better recognition in noise for sentences and word sequences, but not for words. CONCLUSIONS Working memory and language both influence children's speech recognition in noise, but the relationships vary across types of stimuli. These findings suggest that clinical assessment of speech recognition is likely to reflect underlying cognitive and linguistic abilities, in addition to a child's auditory skills, consistent with the Ease of Language Understanding model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W. McCreery
- Audibility, Perception and Cognition Laboratory, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Meredith Spratford
- Audibility, Perception and Cognition Laboratory, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Benjamin Kirby
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Marc Brennan
- Audibility, Perception and Cognition Laboratory, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
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Båsjö S, Möller C, Widén S, Jutengren G, Kähäri K. Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children. Int J Audiol 2016; 55:587-96. [PMID: 27329351 PMCID: PMC4989862 DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2016.1190871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Investigate hearing function and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old Swedish children. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted and included otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry, and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). A questionnaire was used to evaluate headphone listening habits, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. Study sample: A total of 415 children aged nine years. Results: The prevalence of a hearing threshold ≥20 dB HL at one or several frequencies was 53%, and the hearing thresholds at 6 and 8 kHz were higher than those at the low and mid frequencies. SOAEs were observed in 35% of the children, and the prevalence of tinnitus was 5.3%. No significant relationship between SOAE and tinnitus was found. Pure-tone audiometry showed poorer hearing thresholds in children with tinnitus and in children who regularly listened with headphones. Conclusion: The present study of hearing, listening habits, and tinnitus in nine-year old children is, to our knowledge, the largest study so far. The main findings were that hearing thresholds in the right ear were poorer in children who used headphones than in children not using them, which could be interpreted as headphone listening may have negative consequences to children’s hearing. Children with tinnitus showed poorer hearing thresholds compared to children without tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Båsjö
- a Audiological Research Centre, School of Health and Medical Sciences / Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro University , Örebro , Sweden .,b HEAD Graduate School, Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden
| | - Claes Möller
- a Audiological Research Centre, School of Health and Medical Sciences / Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro University , Örebro , Sweden
| | - Stephen Widén
- a Audiological Research Centre, School of Health and Medical Sciences / Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro University , Örebro , Sweden
| | - Göran Jutengren
- c School of Health Sciences, University of Borås , Borås , Sweden , and
| | - Kim Kähäri
- d Division of Audiology , Sahlgrens' Academy at Göteborg University , Göteborg , Sweden
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The Galker test of speech reception in noise; associations with background variables, middle ear status, hearing, and language in Danish preschool children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2016; 80:53-60. [PMID: 26746613 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2015.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Revised: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We tested "the Galker test", a speech reception in noise test developed for primary care for Danish preschool children, to explore if the children's ability to hear and understand speech was associated with gender, age, middle ear status, and the level of background noise. METHODS The Galker test is a 35-item audio-visual, computerized word discrimination test in background noise. Included were 370 normally developed children attending day care center. The children were examined with the Galker test, tympanometry, audiometry, and the Reynell test of verbal comprehension. Parents and daycare teachers completed questionnaires on the children's ability to hear and understand speech. As most of the variables were not assessed using interval scales, non-parametric statistics (Goodman-Kruskal's gamma) were used for analyzing associations with the Galker test score. For comparisons, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Interrelations were adjusted for using a non-parametric graphic model. RESULTS In unadjusted analyses, the Galker test was associated with gender, age group, language development (Reynell revised scale), audiometry, and tympanometry. The Galker score was also associated with the parents' and day care teachers' reports on the children's vocabulary, sentence construction, and pronunciation. Type B tympanograms were associated with a mean hearing 5-6dB below that of than type A, C1, or C2. In the graphic analysis, Galker scores were closely and significantly related to Reynell test scores (Gamma (G)=0.35), the children's age group (G=0.33), and the day care teachers' assessment of the children's vocabulary (G=0.26). CONCLUSIONS The Galker test of speech reception in noise appears promising as an easy and quick tool for evaluating preschool children's understanding of spoken words in noise, and it correlated well with the day care teachers' reports and less with the parents' reports.
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Okorie CO. Is continuous bladder irrigation after prostate surgery still needed? World J Clin Urol 2015; 4:108-114. [DOI: 10.5410/wjcu.v4.i3.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Continuous bladder irrigation (CBI) is commonly prescribed after certain prostate surgeries to help prevent the clot formation and retention that are frequently associated with these sometimes hemorrhagic surgeries. However, it remains unknown how effective CBI is in preventing clot formation/catheter blockage because these complications still frequently occur in the presence of CBI. On the other hand, the outcome of prostate surgeries has significantly improved over the years, and these surgeries have generally become much safer and, in many hands, less hemorrhagic. Newer surgical options such as holmium laser enucleation of the prostate with associated improved hemorrhagic control have also been introduced, further creating the opportunity to eliminate CBI. Furthermore, there is a lack of review articles on CBI. Hence, this article will review the evolution and contemporary role of CBI in prostate surgeries. To eliminate CBI after prostate surgeries, it is important to achieve good hemostasis during the surgeries. Having in place a policy of non-irrigation after prostate surgeries is also important if less CBI is to be the norm. A non-irrigation policy will hopefully help reduce those cases of CBI prescribed out of long-standing surgical tradition while allowing for cases prescribed out of compelling necessity. The author’s policy of a consistent non-CBI during prostate surgeries over the last 9 years will be highlighted.
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Gilliver M, Ching TYC, Sjahalam-King J. When expectation meets experience: parents' recollections of and experiences with a child diagnosed with hearing loss soon after birth. Int J Audiol 2014; 52 Suppl 2:S10-6. [PMID: 24350690 DOI: 10.3109/14992027.2013.825051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine parents' recollections of and their experiences with bringing up a child diagnosed with hearing loss at a very young age. DESIGN Based on the analysis of informal parent discussion groups, four open-ended questions were formulated to solicit information about parents' expectations following diagnosis, as well as experiences and challenges when raising a child with a hearing loss. STUDY SAMPLE Forty parents of children, aged between three to five years, who were diagnosed with hearing loss before the age of three years. RESULTS Parents' responses revealed strong support for early intervention, high expectations for their child's development, and desire for information tailored to individual needs. Parents also reported anxiety relating to their perceptions of the significance of consistent device usage on their child's development. Further concerns arose from their observations of the difficulties experienced by their child in real-world environments despite consistent device usage, and their perception of their child's language delay despite early intervention. CONCLUSIONS The findings point to a need to support parents to form realistic expectations based on current knowledge. Implications for clinicians to provide improved management of children with hearing loss are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Gilliver
- The Hearing Cooperative Research Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia National Acoustic Laboratories , Australian Hearing, Chatswood, New South Wales , Australia
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van Esch TEM, Kollmeier B, Vormann M, Lyzenga J, Houtgast T, Hällgren M, Larsby B, Athalye SP, Lutman ME, Dreschler WA. Evaluation of the preliminary auditory profile test battery in an international multi-centre study. Int J Audiol 2013; 52:305-21. [DOI: 10.3109/14992027.2012.759665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the effects of noise and speech style on word learning in typically developing school-age children. METHOD Thirty-one participants ages 9;0 (years;months) to 10;11 attempted to learn 2 sets of 8 novel words and their referents. They heard all of the words 13 times each within meaningful narrative discourse. Signal-to-noise ratio (noise vs. quiet) and speech style (plain vs. clear) were manipulated such that half of the children heard the new words in broadband white noise and half heard them in quiet; within those conditions, each child heard one set of words produced in a plain speech style and another set in a clear speech style. RESULTS Children who were trained in quiet learned to produce the word forms more accurately than those who were trained in noise. Clear speech resulted in more accurate word form productions than plain speech, whether the children had learned in noise or quiet. Learning from clear speech in noise and plain speech in quiet produced comparable results. CONCLUSION Noise limits expressive vocabulary growth in children, reducing the quality of word form representation in the lexicon. Clear speech input can aid expressive vocabulary growth in children, even in noisy environments.
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Müller R, Fleischer G, Schneider J. Pure-tone auditory threshold in school children. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2011; 269:93-100. [PMID: 21604074 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-011-1616-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/14/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
To determine pure-tone auditory thresholds, 197 screened children at a typical primary school in a German town (~70,000 inhabitants) were examined. All children underwent a tympanometry and an audiometry at 17 frequencies from 125 to 16 kHz. Regarding age effects, two groups (6-8 and 9-12 years) were analyzed. The cross-sectional research was supplemented by a follow-up study with 35 children of the first graders 3 years later. School children have the poorest hearing sensitivity at low frequencies (below 1 kHz) and the best sensitivity at the extended high frequencies above 8 kHz. Hearing thresholds are rising significantly with age. Through all frequencies, averaged improvements were 3.8 dB (right ear) and 3.7 dB (left ear) at the cross-sectional study and 3.7 dB (right ear) and 5.1 dB (left ear) at the longitudinal study. The overall deviation (left and right) from the standard thresholds for adults were 7.4 and 3.6 dB for the younger and older age groups, respectively. The ear canal volume (ECV) measured by tympanometric tests was at mean with 1.06 cm(3) for the 6- to 8-year age group significantly lower (p < 0.001) in comparison with 1.18 cm(3) for the 9- to 12-year age group. Also, girls had significant (p < 0.001) smaller ECV (mean 1.07 cm(3)) than boys (1.17 cm(3)). Auditory performance improves with rising age in school children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Müller
- Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits- und Sozialmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg, Aulweg 129, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
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17
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Stelmachowicz P, Lewis D, Hoover B, Nishi K, McCreery R, Woods W. Effects of digital noise reduction on speech perception for children with hearing loss. Ear Hear 2010; 31:345-55. [PMID: 20081536 PMCID: PMC2864336 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0b013e3181cda9ce] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although numerous studies have investigated the effects of single-microphone digital noise-reduction algorithms for adults with hearing loss, similar studies have not been conducted with young hearing-impaired children. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of a commonly used digital noise-reduction scheme (spectral subtraction) in children with mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing losses. It was hypothesized that the process of spectral subtraction may alter or degrade speech signals in some way. Such degradation may have little influence on the perception of speech by hearing-impaired adults who are likely to use contextual information under such circumstances. For young children who are still developing various language skills, however, signal degradation may have a more detrimental effect on the perception of speech. DESIGN Sixteen children (eight 5- to 7-yr-olds and eight 8- to 10-yr-olds) with mild to moderately severe hearing loss participated in this study. All participants wore binaural behind the ear hearing aids where noise-reduction processing was performed independently in 16 bands with center frequencies spaced 500 Hz apart up to 7500 Hz. Test stimuli were nonsense syllables, words, and sentences in a background of noise. For all stimuli, data were obtained with noise reduction (NR) on and off conditions. RESULTS In general, performance improved as a function of speech to noise ratio for all three speech materials. The main effect for stimulus type was significant and post hoc comparisons of stimulus type indicated that speech recognition was higher for sentences than that for both nonsense syllables and words, but no significant differences were observed between nonsense syllables and words. The main effect for NR and the two-way interaction between NR and stimulus type were not significant. Significant age group effects were observed, but the two-way interaction between NR and age group was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with previous findings from studies with adults, results suggest that the form of NR used in this study does not have a negative effect on the overall perception of nonsense syllables, words, or sentences across the age range (5 to 10 yrs) and speech to noise ratios (0, +5, and +10 dB) tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Stelmachowicz
- Boys Town National Research Hospital (Hearing Aid Research Laboratory), Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA.
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18
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Vance M, Rosen S, Coleman M. Assessing speech perception in young children and relationships with language skills. Int J Audiol 2010; 48:708-17. [PMID: 19863356 DOI: 10.1080/14992020902930550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Few materials are available to assess speech perceptual skills in young children without hearing impairments. However, children with a range of developmental conditions are at risk of speech discrimination deficits. Tasks that reliably assess speech perception skills are thus necessary for research and clinical practice. The development and application of two speech perception tests are described. Data were collected from 105 children, aged 4-5 years, attending mainstream schools, on two tasks, mispronunciation detection and non-word XAB, in quiet and in a background of multi-talker babble. Children's receptive language skills were also measured. Performance on mispronunciation detection was significantly better than on the XAB non-word task, and significantly better in quiet than in babble. Performance significantly improved with age, and speech discrimination was significantly related to receptive language abilities. Scores obtained in quiet and in babble were highly correlated and findings suggest there may be no advantage to testing in noise, except to avoid ceiling effects on performance. These tasks prove useful in the assessment of young children who may have speech discrimination deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Vance
- Department of Human Communication Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK.
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19
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Establishment of Age-Specific Normative Data for the Canadian French Version of the Hearing in Noise Test for Children. Ear Hear 2008; 29:453-66. [DOI: 10.1097/01.aud.0000310792.55221.0c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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20
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Cullington HE, Zeng FG. Speech recognition with varying numbers and types of competing talkers by normal-hearing, cochlear-implant, and implant simulation subjects. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2008; 123:450-61. [PMID: 18177173 DOI: 10.1121/1.2805617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Cochlear-implant users perform far below normal-hearing subjects in background noise. Speech recognition with varying numbers of competing female, male, and child talkers was evaluated in normal-hearing subjects, cochlear-implant users, and normal-hearing subjects utilizing an eight-channel sine-carrier cochlear-implant simulation. Target sentences were spoken by a male. Normal-hearing subjects obtained considerably better speech reception thresholds than cochlear-implant subjects; the largest discrepancy was 24 dB with a female masker. Evaluation of one implant subject with normal hearing in the contralateral ear suggested that this difference is not caused by age-related disparities between the subject groups. Normal-hearing subjects showed a significant advantage with fewer competing talkers, obtaining release from masking with up to three talker maskers. Cochlear-implant and simulation subjects showed little such effect, although there was a substantial difference between the implant and simulation results with talker maskers. All three groups benefited from a voice pitch difference between target and masker, with the female talker providing significantly less masking than the male. Child talkers produced more masking than expected, given their fundamental frequency, syllabic rate, and temporal modulation characteristics. Neither a simulation nor testing in steady-state noise predicts the difficulties cochlear-implant users experience in real-life noisy situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen E Cullington
- Hearing and Speech Laboratory, University of California, Irvine, 364 Med Surge II, Room 315, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
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Basta D, Dahme A, Todt I, Ernst A. Relationship between Intraoperative eCAP Thresholds and Postoperative Psychoacoustic Levels as a Prognostic Tool in Evaluating the Rehabilitation of Cochlear Implantees. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 12:113-8. [PMID: 17264474 DOI: 10.1159/000097797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2006] [Accepted: 09/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A sufficient correlation between objective (e.g. eCAP of the auditory nerve) and psychoacoustic data has not yet been possible due to high interindividual variability in cochlear implantees. Therefore, the application of objective data in the evaluation of speech rehabilitation after cochlear implantation was investigated. eCaps of all electrodes were measured intraoperatively. The 'threshold' and 'comfort' levels, speech recognition and pure tone thresholds were determined at follow-up. The correlation coefficient was calculated between eCap thresholds and psychoacoustic levels. This correlation coefficient was ranked with other individual items in relation to their influence on the development of speech recognition. Only the duration of preimplant deafness, the pure tone hearing threshold and the correlation between eCAP and psychoacoustic levels have a significant influence on the rehabilitation within this selection of variables. Based on these results, an individualized mathematical modeling approach was introduced to predict the development of postoperative speech recognition by incorporating objective data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Basta
- Department of Otolaryngology at ukb, Hospital of the University of Berlin (Charité Medical School), Berlin, Germany.
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