Objectives: Two main digital signal processing technologies inside the modern hearing aid to provide the best conditions for hearing aid users are directionality (DIR) and digital noise reduction (DNR) algorithms. There are various possible settings for these algorithms. The present study evaluates the effects of various DIR and DNR conditions (both separately and in combination) on listening comfort among hearing aid users.
Methods: In 18 participants who received hearing aid fitting services from the Rehabilitation School of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences regularly, we applied acceptable noise level (ANL) as our subjective measure of listening comfort. We evaluated both of these under six different hearing aid conditions: omnidirectional-baseline, omnidirectional-broadband DNR, omnidirectional-multichannel DNR, directional, directional-broadband DNR, and directional-multichannel DNR.
Results: The ANL results ranged from -3 dB to 14 dB in all conditions. The results show, among all conditions, both the omnidirectional-baseline condition and the omnidirectional-broadband DNR condition are the worst conditions for listening in noise. The DIR always reduces the amount of noise that patients received during testing. The DNR algorithm does not improve listening in noise significantly when compared with the DIR algorithms. Although both DNR and DIR algorithms yielded a lower ANL, the DIR algorithm was more effective than the DNR.
Conclusion: The DIR and DNR technologies provide listening comfort in the presence of noise. Thus, user benefit depends on how the digital signal processing settings inside the hearing aid are adjusted.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6222189 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.21053/ceo.2018.00052 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Measuring Intentional Communication in Infants at Elevated Likelihood of Autism: Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness of a Novel Coding Scale.
J Speech Lang Hear Res
January 2025
Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Purpose: Intentional communication acts, or purposefully directed vocalizations and gestures, are particularly difficult for infants at elevated likelihood for eventual diagnosis of autism. The ability to measure and track intentional communication in infancy thus has the potential to aid early identification and intervention efforts. This study assesses the validity of a novel measure of intentional communication intended for use within semistructured caregiver-infant interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRacial Differences in Discrepancies Between Subjective Ratings and Objective Assessments of Hearing Impairment.
Gerontologist
January 2025
School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Background And Objectives: To better understand racial/ethnic disparities in hearing aid use, we examined racial differences in discrepancies between subjective hearing ratings and objective hearing tests as a potential source of this disparity.
Research Design And Methods: A cross-sectional assessment was conducted using the data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Our analytic sample included 2,568 participants aged 50 and older: 1,814 non-Hispanic White Americans and 754 non-Hispanic Black Americans.
A qualitative study of the role of hearing aid use and physical fit accessories in a sample of older adults.
Int J Audiol
January 2025
National Centre for Audiology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Objective: The purpose of the study was to qualitatively describe the experiences of hearing aid and physical fit accessories use during physical activity and exercise participation in a sample of older adults with hearing loss.
Design: A prospective qualitative research design was employed with the use of focus groups with older adult participants who were fitted with hearing aids and physical fit accessories.
Study Sample: Twelve older adults with hearing loss (six experienced and six new hearing aid users, age range 64 - 88 years) were recruited in this study.
Educational Disparities in Age-related Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use across Age, Gender, and European Region.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci
January 2025
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
Objectives: Affecting one in five adults in Europe, hearing loss (HL) is linked to adverse health outcomes, including dementia. We aim to investigate educational inequalities in hearing health in Europe and how these inequalities change with age, gender, and region.
Methods: Utilizing 2004-2020 data from the Harmonised Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), a representative sample of Europeans aged 50 and above, we analyse: 1) age-standardized prevalence of HL and hearing aid (HA) use among eligible individuals; 2) educational inequalities therein using the Relative Index of Inequality (RII) across age, gender, and European regions.
Exploration of the dynamics of otic capsule and intracochlear pressure: Numerical insights with experimental validation.
J Acoust Soc Am
January 2025
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
The otic capsule and surrounding temporal bone exhibit complex 3D motion influenced by frequency and location of the bone conduction stimulus. The resultant correlation with the intracochlear pressure is not sufficiently understood, thus is the focus of this study, both experimentally and numerically. Experiments were conducted on six temporal bones from three cadaver heads, with BC hearing aid stimulation applied at the mastoid and classical BAHA locations across 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!