The effect of stimulation rate on speech perception in individuals using Nucleus Freedom Cochlear Implant

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of high electrical stimulation rates in cochlearimplants (CI) on speech perception. Four participants using Nucleus Freedom CI and five adultparticipants with normal hearing performed a vowel consonant vowel (VCV) consonant (iCi)recognition task in quiet and a (Bamford-Kowal-Bench) BKB sentence recognition task in noise at +10dB signal to noise ratio (SNR). The performance of the participants was measured for three stimulationrates, namely 1800 pulses per second per channel (pps/ch), 2400 pps/ch and 3500 pps/ch, with theAdvanced Combination Encoder Revised i.e. ACE (RE) speech coding strategy. Participants withnormal hearing were also studied to see the effect of overlap on CI acoustic modelling. The speechperception results of the participants using the Nucleus Freedom system were compared with those ofparticipants with normal hearing on CI acoustic modelling. The VCV test scores were further analyzedfor feature transmission errors in place and manner of articulation as well as in voicing features. Theresults showed that there was no advantage of high stimulation rates for both consonant recognition inquiet and sentence recognition in noise. The CI acoustic models were found to be useful in studyingthe effect of rates in those using a CI. Although CI acoustic model with overlap lead to poorperformance in consonant recognition in quiet and sentence recognition in noise test, they seemed to be the better approximation of the scores among the users of C

Hearing help-seeking and rehabilitation: Perspectives of adults with hearing impairment

Objective: This study investigated the perspectives of adults with hearing impairment on hearing help-seeking and rehabilitation. Design: Individual semi-structured interviews were completed. Study sample: In total, 34 adults with hearing impairment in four countries (Australia, Denmark, UK, and USA) participated. Participants had a range of experience with hearing help-seeking and rehabilitation, from never having sought help to being satisfied hearing-aid users. Results: Qualitative content analysis identified four main categories ('perceiving my hearing impairment', 'seeking hearing help', 'using my hearing aids', and 'perspectives and knowledge') and, at the next level, 25 categories. This article reports on the densest categories: they are described, exemplified with interview quotes, and discussed. Conclusions: People largely described hearing help-seeking and rehabilitation in the context of their daily lives. Adults with hearing impairment rarely described clinical encounters towards hearing help-seeking and rehabilitation as a connected process. They portrayed interactions with clinicians as isolated events rather than chronologically-ordered steps relating to a common goal. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed

The ICF core sets for hearing loss project: International expert survey on functioning and disability of adults with hearing loss using the international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF)

OBJECTIVE : To identify relevant aspects of functioning, disability, and contextual factors for adults with hearing loss (HL) from hearing health professional perspective summarized using the ICF classification as reference tool. DESIGN : Internet-based cross-sectional survey using open-ended questions. Responses were analysed using a simplified content analysis approach to link concept to ICF categories according to linking rules. STUDY SAMPLE : Hearing health professionals (experts) recruited through e-mail distribution lists of professional organizations and personal networks of ICF core set for hearing loss steering committee members. Stratified sampling according to profession and world region enhanced the international and professional representation. RESULTS : Sixty-three experts constituted the stratified sample used in the analysis. A total of 1726 meaningful concepts were identified in this study, resulting in 209 distinctive ICF categories, with 106 mentioned by 5% or more of respondents. Most categories in the activities & participation component related to communication, while the most frequent environmental factors related to the physical environment such as hearing aids or noise. Mental functions, such as confidence or emotional functions were also frequently highlighted. CONCLUSIONS : More than half (53.3%) of the entire ICF classification categories were included in the expert survey results. This emphasizes the importance of a multidimensional tool, such as the ICF, for assessing persons with hearing loss.Oticon Foundation and Hörselforskningsfonden (Swedish hearing research foundation)http://informahealthcare.com/loi/ijahb201