Otitis media sequelae and hearing in adolescence after administration of an 11-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine in infancy: a prospective cohort study with long-term follow-up of the ARIVAC trial.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been shown in randomised controlled trials and epidemiological studies to prevent acute otitis media caused by vaccine serotype pneumococci, although their role in preventing complications of acute otitis media is less clear. We hypothesised that the 11-valent PCV would reduce the long-term sequelae of acute otitis media, including moderate-to-severe ear disease and hearing loss.

Methods: This prospective cohort study, referred to as 11PCV study, included follow-up after 16-20 years of children previously enrolled in 2000-04, at age 6 weeks to 6 months, in the randomised, placebo-controlled, ARIVAC trial of 11-valent PCV for the prevention of radiographical pneumonia.

Clinical Genetic Testing for Hearing Loss: Implications for Genetic Counseling and Gene-Based Therapies.

Genetic factors contribute significantly to congenital hearing loss, with non-syndromic cases being more prevalent and genetically heterogeneous. Currently, 150 genes have been associated with non-syndromic hearing loss, and their identification has improved our understanding of auditory physiology and potential therapeutic targets. Hearing loss gene panels offer comprehensive genetic testing for hereditary hearing loss, and advancements in sequencing technology have made genetic testing more accessible and affordable.

Assessing Neural Synchrony in the Cochlear Nerve to Electrical Stimulation in Children With Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder.

Objectives: This study reported phase locking values (PLVs) that quantified the trial-to-trial phase coherence of electrically evoked compound action potentials in children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders (ANSD) and children with Gap Junction Beta 2 (GJB2) mutations, a patient population without noticeable cochlear nerve damage.

Design: PLVs were measured at three electrode locations in 11 children with ANSD and 11 children with GJB2 mutations. Smaller PLVs indicated poorer neural synchrony.

Speech Discrimination in Infancy Predicts Language Outcomes at 30 Months for Both Children with Normal Hearing and Those with Hearing Differences.

Background: Speech discrimination assessments are used to validate amplification fittings of older children who are hard of hearing (CHH). Unfortunately, speech discrimination is not assessed clinically ≤24 months and in turn no studies have investigated the relationship between speech discrimination during infancy and later language development among CHH.

Objective: To examine the relationship between an individual infant's speech discrimination measured at 9 months and their expressive/receptive spoken language at 30 months for children with normal hearing (CNH) and CHH.

Relationship between Behavioral Infant Speech Perception and Hearing Age for Children with Hearing Loss.

(1) Background: Research has demonstrated that early intervention for children who are hard-of-hearing (CHH) facilitates improved language development. Early speech perception abilities may impact CHH outcomes and guide future intervention. The objective of this study was to examine the use of a conditioned head turn (CHT) task as a measure of speech discrimination in CHH using a clinically feasible protocol.

Protocol for Rapid, Accurate, Electrophysiologic, Auditory Assessment of Infants and Toddlers.

Background: Audiologists often lack confidence in results produced by current protocols for diagnostic electrophysiologic testing of infants. This leads to repeat testing appointments and slow protocols which extend the time needed to complete the testing and consequently delay fitting of amplification. A recent publication (Sininger et al50) has shown how new technologies can be applied to electrophysiologic testing systems to improve confidence in results and allow faster test protocols.

Meeting the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Standards in a Large Metropolitan Children's Hospital: Barriers and Next Steps.

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine how a large metropolitan children's hospital's practices align with the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 1-3-6 guidelines (diagnose hearing loss by 3 months of age, fitted with hearing aids within 1 month of diagnosis, and enroll in early intervention by 6 months of age) and examine variables that have impacted meeting these guidelines. This hospital is not a birthing hospital. Therefore, the first recommendation (hearing screen by 1 month of age) was not evaluated.

Large-scale otoscopic and audiometric population assessment: A pilot study.

Objective: Large-scale otoscopic and audiometric assessment of populations is difficult due to logistic impracticalities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We report a novel assessment methodology based on training local field workers, advances in audiometric testing equipment and cloud-based technology.

Methods: Prospective observational study in Bohol, Philippines.

The relationship between mismatch response and the acoustic change complex in normal hearing infants.

Objective: To examine the utility of the mismatch response (MMR) and acoustic change complex (ACC) for assessing speech discrimination in infants.

Methods: Continuous EEG was recorded during sleep from 48 (24 male, 20 female) normally hearing aged 1.77 to -4.

Evaluation of Speed and Accuracy of Next-Generation Auditory Steady State Response and Auditory Brainstem Response Audiometry in Children With Normal Hearing and Hearing Loss.

Objectives: The first objective of this study was to compare the predicted audiometric thresholds obtained by auditory steady state response (ASSR) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) in infants and toddlers when both techniques use optimal stimuli and detection algorithms. This information will aid in determining the basis for large discrepancies in ABR and ASSR measures found in past studies. The hypothesis was that advancements in ASSR response detection would improve (lower) thresholds and decrease discrepancies between the thresholds produced by the two techniques.

Air-Bone Gaps Contribute to Functional Hearing Preservation in Cochlear Implantation.

Objective: To examine the incidence and effect of postoperative air-bone gaps in subjects who received cochlear implants for the purpose of hearing preservation.

Study Design: Prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized, repeated measures within subject design.

Setting: Ten tertiary care institutions.

Refining Stimulus Parameters in Assessing Infant Speech Perception Using Visual Reinforcement Infant Speech Discrimination: Sensation Level.

Background: Speech perception measures have long been considered an integral piece of the audiological assessment battery. Currently, a prelinguistic, standardized measure of speech perception is missing in the clinical assessment battery for infants and young toddlers. Such a measure would allow systematic assessment of speech perception abilities of infants as well as the potential to investigate the impact early identification of hearing loss and early fitting of amplification have on the auditory pathways.