No abstract available.
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* ; Rehabilitation*

Hearing Loss, Unilateral ; rehabilitation ; Humans

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the characteristics of patients according to the degree and audiogram shape of hearing loss and the association of these characteristics with hearing aids (HA) choice, return rate, and cause of return. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 460 individuals who received HAs from 2011 to 2015. The relationships between type of HA and age, primary and accompanying symptoms, HA choice and return and cause of return were evaluated according to the degree and pattern of hearing loss. RESULTS: HA type did not differ significantly according to the degree and pattern of hearing loss. Intensity of hearing loss was greater in male than in female (p<0.05). Open and completely-in-canal types of HA decreased with age (p<0.05). As degree of hearing loss intensified, behind-the-ear and in-the-ear types increased and Open type decreased (p<0.05). The HA return rate was 9.7%, but was not associated with degree or pattern of hearing loss. The main causes of HA return were costs, psychological fears and adaptive failure. CONCLUSIONS: Choice of HA is affected by age, sex, and degree and pattern of hearing loss. HA for hearing rehabilitation in patients with hearing loss can be personalized according to each patient's characteristics and tendencies.
Female ; Hearing Aids* ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Male ; Rehabilitation

The aim of present study is to evaluate and compare speech intelligibility in hearing impaired children with cochlear implants (CI) and hearing aid (HA) users and children with normal hearing (NH). The sample consisted of 45 Persian-speaking children aged 3 to 5-years-old. They were divided into three groups, and each group had 15, children, children with CI and children using hearing aids in Hamadan. Participants was evaluated by the test of speech intelligibility level. Results of ANOVA on speech intelligibility test showed that NH children had significantly better reading performance than hearing impaired children with CI and HA. Post-hoc analysis, using Scheffe test, indicated that the mean score of speech intelligibility of normal children was higher than the HA and CI groups; but the difference was not significant between mean of speech intelligibility in children with hearing loss that use cochlear implant and those using HA. It is clear that even with remarkabkle advances in HA technology, many hearing impaired children continue to find speech production a challenging problem. Given that speech intelligibility is a key element in proper communication and social interaction, consequently, educational and rehabilitation programs are essential to improve speech intelligibility of children with hearing loss.
Child* ; Cochlear Implants* ; Hearing Aids* ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Rehabilitation ; Speech Intelligibility*

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.
Hearing Aids* ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Noise* ; Rehabilitation ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

For auditory rehabilitation in patients with hearing loss, air conduction hearing aids are primarily considered. However, when applying to patients with congenital atresia or chronic ear infection, limitations are expected and conventional bone conduction hearing aids may be used in these cases. Nevertheless, since bone conduction hearing aids also were found to have a number of drawbacks such as poor sound quality, high battery consumption, poor aesthetics, and headache by the pressure from the device against the skull, the bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) has been introduced as an effective means to overcome such limitations. Whereas traditional bone conductors are transcutaneous and they works by exerting pressure against the skull, BAHA works percutaneously. Three cases of BAHA insertion surgery are presented along with the indications and surgical methods of BAHA surgery.
Bone Conduction ; Ear ; Esthetics ; Headache ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Rehabilitation ; Skull ; Suture Anchors

The cochlear dead regions are common exist in the case of moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Patients with dead regions have demonstrated poor understanding of speech in noise and report less satisfaction with hearing aids than patients with no dead regions. Dead regions are assumed to occur if a hearing-impaired listener can be shown to be using off-place listening. A correctly diagnosed dead regions facilitates accurate and informed aural rehabilitation.
Cochlea ; physiopathology ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; diagnosis ; rehabilitation ; Humans

The first cochlear implant was approved about 30 years ago. It just provided a limited sensation of sound and facilitated lip-reading based communication. Recent advances in the cochlear implant system and surgical techniques have enabled the majority of recipients to communicate orally without visual cues. The cochlear implantation has become a standard means of auditory rehabilitation for profound sensorineural deafness. To evaluate candidacy for cochlear implantation, an objective and behavioural audiological test, imaging and functional studies to identify the status of the cochlea and the auditory nerve, and evaluation of additional medical conditions are needed. Although the cochlear implantation can restore auditory function, sound perceived with the cochlear implant is different from normal hearing. Therefore postoperative rehabilitation is crucial for good speech performance. Nowadays, the indications for cochlear implantation have been extended. Hearing loss patients with residual low-frequency hearing could be candidates for cochlear implantation. Therefore, residual hearing preservation during cochlear implantation has been an important issue. In addition, bilateral cochlear implantation, cochlear implantation for single-sided deafness and fully implantable cochlear implant systems have been receiving more attention. The purpose of this article is to review current knowledge concerning the cochlear implantation.
Cochlea ; Cochlear Implantation* ; Cochlear Implants* ; Cochlear Nerve ; Cues ; Deafness ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Rehabilitation* ; Sensation

Various bone conduction hearing aids have been widely used to improve hearing fuction for the last 30 years. Sophono(R), a newly introduced device without percutaneous abutment, improved disadvantages of previously used bone conduction hearing aids. Recently, we experienced a case of Sophono(R) implantation in a patient presenting with mixed hearing loss followed by tumor surgery. The patient gained air conduction threshold of 60 dB HL compared to preoperative pure tone audiogram and a speech discrimination test in noisy environment showed improved results. Furthermore, the patient has had no cutaneous complications since implantation. The results of this case demonstrate the feasibility of implanting Sophono(R) in patients similar to this case. Considering its advantages of MRI compatibility and non-invasive surgery, as well as esthetical benefit, Sophono(R) implantation could be a preferable option for hearing rehabilitation.
Bone Conduction ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Unilateral* ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma* ; Rehabilitation* ; Speech Discrimination Tests

Social concerns about sensorineural hearing loss have been increasing with the advent of an aging society. As most hearing loss is incurable and permanent, audiologic rehabilitation is the only option for restoring hearing. Sensorineural hearing loss includes both sensory loss of the cochlea and functional loss of the 8th cranial nerve. Because sensorineural hearing loss patients often have difficulty in understanding and locating specific sounds amidst the other ambient noise, functional amplification with hearing aids in sensorineural hearing loss is challenging work. By applying digital signal processing techniques to hearing aids, hearing rehabilitation has undergone remarkable development in recent years. Herein, the basic concepts underlying digital signal processing are reviewed briefly, followed by a short historical background of hearing aid development. The principles of hearing aid selection, counselling, frequent problems encountered in hearing aid fitting and validation are also discussed.
Aging ; Cochlea ; Correction of Hearing Impairment ; Cranial Nerves ; Hearing ; Hearing Aids* ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* ; Humans ; Noise ; Rehabilitation* ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted