Effect of Sound Source Location and Spatial Hearing on the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex.

Background: There have been conflicting results on the effect of auditory stimulation on the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) with some studies indicating suppression, enhancement, or no effect. No studies to date have assessed the effect of sound source location on VOR gain or the relationship between spatial hearing ability and VOR gain.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine if VOR gain was affected by moving the location of the sound source within participants and to determine if these effects were related to spatial hearing ability.

Effects of Unilateral Hearing Loss on Speech-Evoked Auditory Brainstem Responses and Reading: A Preliminary Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses (sABRs) obtained by stimulating the ear with normal sensitivity in children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) were different from that of children with normal hearing (NH), and to explore correlations between the sABR findings and measures of reading.

Method: Eleven children with UHL and 11 children with NH were tested via the BioMARK sABR protocol using the syllable /da/; latency and amplitudes of Waves V, A, C, D, E, F, and O were measured. Participants also were tested on the Phonemic Synthesis Test (PST) and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised (WRMT-R), particularly the Reading Readiness, Basic Skills, and Comprehension subtests.

Acceptable Noise Levels and Preferred Signal-to-noise Ratios for Speech and Music.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of music versus speech on a listener's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) preferences when listening in a noise background. SNR preferences were quantified using acceptable noise level (ANL) and preferred SNR metrics. The measurement paradigm for ANL allows the listener to adjust the level of background noise while listening to the target at their most comfortable loudness level.

Multidimensional Timbre Spaces of Cochlear Implant Vocoded and Non-vocoded Synthetic Female Singing Voices.

Many post-lingually deafened cochlear implant (CI) users report that they no longer enjoy listening to music, which could possibly contribute to a perceived reduction in quality of life. One aspect of music perception, vocal timbre perception, may be difficult for CI users because they may not be able to use the same timbral cues available to normal hearing listeners. Vocal tract resonance frequencies have been shown to provide perceptual cues to voice categories such as baritone, tenor, mezzo-soprano, and soprano, while changes in glottal source spectral slope are believed to be related to perception of vocal quality dimensions such as vs.

The Use of Static and Dynamic Cues for Vowel Identification by Children Wearing Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants.

Objective: To examine vowel perception based on dynamic formant transition and/or static formant pattern cues in children with hearing loss while using their hearing aids or cochlear implants. We predicted that the sensorineural hearing loss would degrade formant transitions more than static formant patterns, and that shortening the duration of cues would cause more difficulty for vowel identification for these children than for their normal-hearing peers.

Design: A repeated-measures, between-group design was used.

Using Microphone Technology to Improve Speech Perception in Noise in Children with Cochlear Implants.

Background: Cochlear implant (CI) users are affected more than their normal hearing (NH) peers by the negative consequences of background noise on speech understanding. Research has shown that adult CI users can improve their speech recognition in challenging listening environments by using dual-microphone beamformers, such as adaptive directional microphones (ADMs) and wireless remote microphones (RMs). The suitability of these microphone technologies for use in children with CIs is not well-understood nor widely accepted.

Open-Fit Domes and Children with Bilateral High-Frequency Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Benefits and Outcomes.

Background: Open-fit domes (OFDs) coupled with behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids were designed for adult listeners with moderate-to-severe bilateral high-frequency hearing loss (BHFL) with little to no concurrent loss in the lower frequencies. Adult research shows that BHFL degrades sound localization accuracy (SLA) and that BTE hearing aids with conventional earmolds (CEs) make matters worse. In contrast, research has shown that OFDs enhance spatial hearing percepts in adults with BHFL.

Auditory and visual localization accuracy in young children and adults.

Objective: This study aimed to measure and compare sound and light source localization ability in young children and adults who have normal hearing and normal/corrected vision in order to determine the extent to which age, type of stimuli, and stimulus order affects sound localization accuracy.

Methods: Two experiments were conducted. The first involved a group of adults only.

Relationship among the physiologic channel interactions, spectral-ripple discrimination, and vowel identification in cochlear implant users.

The hypothesis of this study was that broader patterns of physiological channel interactions in the local region of the cochlea are associated with poorer spectral resolution in the same region. Electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) were measured for three to six probe electrodes per subject to examine the channel interactions in different regions across the electrode array. To evaluate spectral resolution at a confined location within the cochlea, spectral-ripple discrimination (SRD) was measured using narrowband ripple stimuli with the bandwidth spanning five electrodes: Two electrodes apical and basal to the ECAP probe electrode.

Spatial hearing in a child with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder and bilateral cochlear implants.

Objective: The neural dys-synchrony associated with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) causes a temporal impairment that could degrade spatial hearing, particularly sound localization accuracy (SLA) and spatial release from masking (SRM). Unilateral cochlear implantation has become an accepted treatment for ANSD but treatment options for the contralateral ear remain controversial. We report spatial hearing measures in a child with ANSD before and after receiving a second cochlear implant (CI).

Using the Extended Parallel Process Model to create and evaluate the effectiveness of brochures to reduce the risk for noise-induced hearing loss in college students.

Brochures containing messages developed according to the Extended Parallel Process Model were deployed to increase intentions to use hearing protection for college students. These brochures were presented to one-half of a college student sample, after which a questionnaire was administered to assess perceptions of threat, efficacy, and behavioral intentions. The other half of the sample completed the questionnaire and then received brochures.

Sound localization acuity in children with unilateral hearing loss who wear a hearing aid in the impaired ear.

Background: Disrupted binaural hearing is thought to contribute in part to the academic, social, and communication problems often associated with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) in childhood. It is not known, however, if putting a hearing aid in the impaired ear of a child with UHL will lead to bilateral or binaural benefit. This study seeks to utilize sound localization acuity measurements to assess hearing aid amplification efficacy in children with UHL.

The effects of receiver placement on probe microphone, performance, and subjective measures with open canal hearing instruments.

Background: Open canal hearing instruments differ in method of sound delivery to the ear canal, distance between the microphone and the receiver, and physical size of the devices. Moreover, RITA (receiver in the aid) and RITE (receiver in the ear) hearing instruments may also differ in terms of retention and comfort as well as ease of use and care for certain individuals. What remains unclear, however, is if any or all of the abovementioned factors contribute to hearing aid outcome.

Developing an "essential functions" rubric: purposes and applications for speech-language-hearing academic programs.

This article describes the purpose and application of an essential functions rubric for prospective and current students engaged in the study of communication sciences and disorders. Adopted in 2007 by the Council on Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD), the essential functions rubric identifies core skills and attributes in five areas: communication, motor, intellectual-cognitive, sensory/observational, and behavioral/social. CAPCSD does not intend the rubric to be prescriptive but rather expects that it will be adapted to reflect the unique mission or circumstances of each academic program.

A comparison of video versus conventional visual reinforcement in 7- to 16-month-old infants.

Purpose: To compare response patterns to video visual reinforcement audiometry (VVRA) and conventional visual reinforcement audiometry (CVRA) in infants 7-16 months of age.

Method: Fourteen normal-hearing infants aged 7-16 months (8 male, 6 female) participated. A repeated measures design was used.

Effect of masker type and age on speech intelligibility and spatial release from masking in children and adults.

Speech recognition in noisy environments improves when the speech signal is spatially separated from the interfering sound. This effect, known as spatial release from masking (SRM), was recently shown in young children. The present study compared SRM in children of ages 5-7 with adults for interferers introducing energetic, informational, and/or linguistic components.

Benefits of bilateral cochlear implants and/or hearing aids in children.

This study evaluated functional benefits from bilateral stimulation in 20 children ages 4-14, 10 use two CIs and 10 use one CI and one HA. Localization acuity was measured with the minimum audible angle (MAA). Speech intelligibility was measured in quiet, and in the presence of 2-talker competing speech using the CRISP forced-choice test.

Bilateral cochlear implants in children: localization acuity measured with minimum audible angle.

Objective: To evaluate sound localization acuity in a group of children who received bilateral (BI) cochlear implants in sequential procedures and to determine the extent to which BI auditory experience affects sound localization acuity. In addition, to investigate the extent to which a hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear can also provide benefits on this task.

Design: Two groups of children participated, 13 with BI cochlear implants (cochlear implant + cochlear implant), ranging in age from 3 to 16 yrs, and six with a hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear (cochlear implant + hearing aid), ages 4 to 14 yrs.

Bilateral cochlear implants in adults and children.

Objective: To measure the benefit (ie, sound localization and speech intelligibility in noise) of bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) in adults and in children.

Design, Setting, And Patients: Seventeen adults and 3 children underwent testing 3 months after activation of bilateral hearing. Adults received their devices in a simultaneous procedure and children in sequential procedures (3-8 years apart).