The relationship between extended high-frequency hearing and the binaural spatial advantage in young to middle-aged firefightersa).

Relationships between extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds and speech-in-spatialized noise were examined in firefighters with a history of occupational noise and airborne toxin exposure. Speech recognition thresholds were measured for co-located and spatially separated (±90° azimuth) sentences in a competing signal using the Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences test. EHF hearing was significantly correlated with the spatial advantage, indicating that firefighters with poorer EHF thresholds experienced less benefit from spatial separation.

Short-Term Pediatric Acclimatization to Adaptive Hearing Aid Technology.

Purpose This exploratory study assessed the perceptual, cognitive, and academic learning effects of an adaptive, integrated, directionality, and noise reduction hearing aid program in pediatric users. Method Fifteen pediatric hearing aid users (6-12 years old) received new bilateral, individually fitted Oticon Opn hearing aids programmed with OpenSound Navigator (OSN) processing. Word recognition in noise, sentence repetition in quiet, nonword repetition, vocabulary learning, selective attention, executive function, memory, and reading and mathematical abilities were measured within 1 week of the initial hearing aid fitting and 2 months post fit.