Effects of age and task difficulty on ERP responses to novel sounds presented during a speech-perception-in-noise test.

Objective: Event-related potentials (ERPs) to task-irrelevant novel sounds have been shown to increase in amplitude with increasing task difficulty and might therefore reflect listening effort. Here we investigated whether this effect is similar in two groups of younger and older listeners with normal hearing.

Methods: Novel sounds were presented during a speech-perception-in noise test and task difficulty was adjusted decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) relative to the individual 50% correct speech recognition SNR (easy +10 dB, medium +2dB, hard 0 dB).

Novel sounds as a psychophysiological measure of listening effort in older listeners with and without hearing loss.

Objective: To investigate whether task-irrelevant novel sounds presented during an auditory task can provide information about the level of listening effort.

Methods: Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded for novel sounds presented during two Experiments, a frequency discrimination task and a speech-perception-in-noise (SPIN) test, each with varying degrees of task difficulty (easy, medium, hard). Difficulty was adjusted to the individual frequency discrimination threshold and 50% speech recognition signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), respectively.

Gender and hearing aids: patterns of use and determinants of nonregular use.

Objective: Research addressing gender and hearing has focused mainly on differences in the auditory systems of men and women, communication, and psychological issues. Differences between men and women in the use of hearing aids are less clear. To date, no study has examined the effects of gender on hearing aid use as a primary aim.

Late auditory evoked potentials in elderly long-term hearing-aid users with unilateral or bilateral fittings.

This study investigated the effects of long-term unilateral and bilateral amplification on central auditory processing in elderly people with symmetrical hearing loss using late auditory evoked potentials. It was hypothesized that in the unilateral setting stimulation of the aided ear would yield an acclimatization effect with larger amplitudes and shorter latencies of the components P1, N1 and P2 compared to those of the unaided ear. Auditory evoked potentials were elicited by 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz pure tones at 55, 70 and 85 dB SPL presentation level delivered either to the left or right ear.

Survey on hearing aid outcome in Switzerland: associations with type of fitting (bilateral/unilateral), level of hearing aid signal processing, and hearing loss.

The present investigation further analysed results of a previously reported survey with a large sample of hearing aid owners (Bertoli et al, 2009) to determine the individual and technological factors related to hearing aid outcome. In particular the associations of hearing loss, level of signal processing, and fitting type (bilateral versus unilateral fitting) with hearing aid use, satisfaction with and management of the aid were evaluated. A sub-group with symmetrical hearing loss was analysed (n = 6027).

Survey on hearing aid use and satisfaction in Switzerland and their determinants.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficiency of the Swiss hearing aid dispensing system, and to determine factors contributing to successful hearing aid provision. A national cross sectional survey was performed using a postal questionnaire with 8707 adult hearing aid owners (response rate 62%). To correct results for a potential non-response bias, 193 randomly selected non-respondents were contacted by telephone.

Transmission pathways of vibratory stimulation as measured by subjective thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions.

To clarify the contribution of the skull contents to the transmission of bone vibratory stimuli, and to examine the characteristics of such stimuli, we compared auditory thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels with a bone vibrator placed on various sites of the head, including the eye. The best audiometric thresholds and the highest DPOAE levels were obtained with the vibrator placed on the mastoid of the measuring side, or on the "ultrasound-window" of the temple. The audiometric thresholds obtained with the bone vibrator on the eye were similar to those of the forehead, and about 10 dB higher than at the best sites.

Lack of standard N2 in elderly participants indicates inhibitory processing deficit.

We analyzed the cortical responses to standard stimuli presented in an auditory oddball paradigm from two groups of young and elderly participants in unattended and attended conditions. A sustained negativity (N2) followed N1 and P2 in the responses of the young participants. This negativity was reduced or absent in the elderly.

Effects of age, age-related hearing loss, and contralateral cafeteria noise on the discrimination of small frequency changes: psychoacoustic and electrophysiological measures.

The aim of the study was to examine central auditory processes compromised by age, age-related hearing loss, and the presentation of a distracting cafeteria noise using auditory event-related potentials (ERPs). In addition, the relation of ERPs to behavioral measures of discrimination was investigated. Three groups of subjects participated: young normal hearing, elderly subjects with normal hearing for their age, and elderly hearing-impaired subjects.

Temporal resolution in young and elderly subjects as measured by mismatch negativity and a psychoacoustic gap detection task.

Objectives: The speech understanding difficulties of elderly persons with age-related hearing loss may be related in part to reduced auditory temporal resolution. To investigate the effects of aging on temporal resolution, the electrophysiological and psychoacoustic detection thresholds for a very short silent gap within a pure tone were determined, and the relation between the two test results was examined.

Methods: Behavioral gap detection thresholds were determined in 10 young and 10 elderly normally hearing subjects using an adaptive test procedure.