BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The association between hearing impairment and cognitive function has been established in previous studies. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of conventional hearing aids and middle ear implants on cognitive function. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: This study included 22 participants who underwent middle ear implantation between October 2013 and September 2016. Their mean age at surgery was 70 years. Using Pure tone audiometry (PTA), the Speech discrimination test (SDT), and the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) questionnaire, we compared audiologic benefits of three conditions [without hearing aids, with conventional hearing aids, or with Vibrant Sound bridge (VSB)]. Cognitive ability was evaluated using neuropsychological testings (Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery) at intervals of approximately eight weeks. RESULTS: The results of PTA showed a 7.96 dB HL gain with conventional hearing aids and a 10.00 dB HL gain with the use of VSB. SDT results showed a 4.10% gain with conventional hearing aids and a 10% gain with the use of VSB. Results of the APHAB questionnaire showed a significant increase with the use of VSB compared to conventional hearing aids. In the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination, a slight improvement was observed after middle ear implantation. In the Digit Span Test and Korean-Boston Naming Test, a significant improvement was seen with the use of VSB compared to conventional hearing aids. CONCLUSION: The use of middle ear implants in rehabilitation of hearing communication in patients showed improvements in cognitive abilities, compared to the use of conventional hearing aids.
Audiometry ; Cognition* ; Ear, Middle* ; Hearing Aids* ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Ossicular Prosthesis* ; Rehabilitation ; Speech Discrimination Tests

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate hearing and outer cells function in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Our investigation was a prospective case control study. METHODS: A total of 31 psoriatic arthritis patients (62 ears) and 31 healthy control subjects (62 ears) were enrolled in the study. We investigated hearing changes of patients and controls via pure tone audiometry, speech discrimination scores, tympanometry, acoustic reflex, and transient product otoacoustic emission. RESULTS: The mean age of psoriatic arthritis patients was 36.1+/-8.5 years (range, 14 to 62 years). The average age of the control group was 37.9+/-8.1 years (range, 16 to 62 years). There were statistically significant differences between pure tone audiometry in all frequencies and right and left emission at the 4.0 and 1.0 in psoriatic arthritis patients versus controls (P<0.05). This difference was evident, especially at high frequencies. There was no statistically significant difference between the ages and genders of the patient and control groups (P>0.05). Both audiological and otoacoustic emissions were not significantly different between right and left ear (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the audiological and otoacoustic findings; it is likely that the cochlear outer hair cells become subtly damaged in psoriatic arthritis patients, consequently leading to changes in hearing thresholds. These data suggest that it is important to screen psoriatic arthritis patients for hearing changes with otoacoustic emissions and audiologic tests regularly.
Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Arthritis, Psoriatic* ; Audiometry ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Audiometry, Speech ; Case-Control Studies ; Cochlea* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Ear ; Hair* ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous ; Prospective Studies ; Reflex, Acoustic

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

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare speech audiometry test results of the conventional Hahm's list with those of Korean standard word lists for adults (KS-WL-A) using both live voice and compact disc (CD) speech presentation modes. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Eighty patients with sensorineural hearing loss and 23 control subjects with normal hearing participated in the study. Each hearing loss group comprised 20 subjects (mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe hearing loss groups). Speech audiometry was performed to measure the speech recognition threshold (SRT) and word recognition score. KS-WL-A was presented either through a live voice mode or recorded CD materials. Test words from Hahm's list were presented using the live voice mode only. Pure tone audiometry was also conducted for all subjects. RESULTS: Differences between the SRT and pure tone average were within 6 dB in all subgroups in all three stimulation methods, indicating high reliability of the SRT in both the conventional and Korean standard methods. The moderate, moderately severe, and severe hearing loss groups showed lower word recognition scores in the CD mode with KS-WL-A than with the two live voice modes. CONCLUSION: Both the live voice mode and CD mode showed reliable speech audiometry test results in normal and hearing-impaired subjects. Although the CD mode is recommended to standardize test methods and reduce test errors, the live voice mode might be more effective for patients with moderate to severe hearing loss.
Adult* ; Audiometry ; Audiometry, Speech* ; Compact Disks ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Speech Discrimination Tests ; Speech Reception Threshold Test ; Voice

A speech discrimination test is a test using a list of 25 phonetically balanced monosyllables. It is often overlooked but significant enough for pure tone audiometry. Many physicians have performed pure tone audiometry but without a speech discrimination test. A 73-year-old woman visited our clinic complaining of sudden bilateral hearing loss. Pure tone audiometry showed only bilateral high frequency loss. However, speech discrimination had decreased markedly. We decided to follow-up after 1 week of Ginexin-F(R) (ginkgo leaf extract) and Nafril(R) (nafronyl oxalate). She felt a gait disturbance within 2 days. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left thalamic hemorrhage. After a 1 month hospitalization, the hematoma subsided, and speech discrimination recovered 3 months later. Acute hearing loss due to thalamic hemorrhage that recovered has never been reported. We report the first case of retrocochlear hearing loss that occurred with a thalamic hemorrhage in a patient who recovered.
Aged ; Audiometry ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gait ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrocochlear Diseases* ; Speech Discrimination Tests ; Speech Perception ; Thalamus

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the scoring formula and evaluate the lists equivalence of Mandarin Quick Speech-in-Noise (M-Quick SIN) test materials in mainland China, and for standardizing our research. METHOD: Double 39 subjects with normal hearing were participated in part one and part two of our experiments, respectively. 20, 18, 15, 13, 10, 8, 5, 3, 0, -2, -5, -7, -10 dB SNR were presented in part one; and 20, 15, 10, 5, 0, -5 dB SNR were presented in part two. The results were analyzed by SPSS 13.0. RESULT: SNR-50 was -2.24 dB SNR and "SNR loss = 24.5--correct words" was defined as the scoring formula. All the 13 lists had the e quivalent difficulty. CONCLUSION Defined "SNR loss = 24.5--correct words" as the scoring formula of M-Quick SIN, and the 13 lists had better difficulty equivalence, which could be used in our further clinical research.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Noise ; Speech ; Speech Discrimination Tests ; standards ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo apply the classic leakage integrate-and-fire models, based on the mechanism of the generation of physiological auditory stimulation, in the information processing coding of cochlear implants to improve the auditory result.

METHODSThe results of algorithm simulation in digital signal processor (DSP) were imported into Matlab for a comparative analysis.

RESULTSCompared with CIS coding, the algorithm of membrane potential integrate-and-fire (MPIF) allowed more natural pulse discharge in a pseudo-random manner to better fit the physiological structures.

CONCLUSIONThe MPIF algorithm can effectively solve the problem of the dynamic structure of the delivered auditory information sequence issued in the auditory center and allowed integration of the stimulating pulses and time coding to ensure the coherence and relevance of the stimulating pulse time.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the abilities speech perception of post-lingual cochlear implant patients by Mandarin Hearing In Noise Test(MHINT), get the performance-intensity function (P-I function). METHOD: The material was MHINT adults' version, including 12 lists, 20 sentences per list. Twenty-two cochlear implant patients were the subjects, age from 14 to 56. Three adaptive rules were used during the test. Firstly Rule 3 would be done. If subject could finish the test, then Rule 2 and Rule 1 would be used. Got the Reception threshold of sentences and speech recognition score of subjects, then got performance-intensity function (PI function). RESULT: Among those 22 subjects, 5 of them could be tested in all three rules, 3 could be tested in Rule 2 and Rule 3, 7 of them could be tested with Rule 3, and 7 of the CI users could not be tested even with Rule 3. All of the PI functions for CI users are shifted 10 dB or more above the normal PI functions. Most CI users thought that MHINT was hard for them. CONCLUSION When use new adaptive scoring rules for MHINT, most CI users could be tested with the modified HINT scoring rules, although three subjects could not be tested. Compared with normal hearing subjects, all CI users required positive S/N ratios to perform the HINT measures.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cochlear Implantation ; Cochlear Implants ; Female ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Language ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Noise ; Speech Discrimination Tests ; Speech Perception ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of cochlear electrode coverage and different insertion region on speech recognition, especially tone perception of cochlear implant users whose native language is Mandarin Chinese. METHOD: Setting seven test conditions by fitting software. All conditions were created by switching on/off respective channels in order to simulate different insertion position. Then Mandarin CI users received 4 Speech tests, including Vowel Identification test, Consonant Identification test, Tone Identification test-male speaker, Mandarin HINT test (SRS) in quiet and noise. RESULT: To all test conditions: the average score of vowel identification was significantly different, from 56% to 91% (Rank sum test, P < 0.05). The average score of consonant identification was significantly different, from 72% to 85% (ANOVNA, P < 0.05). The average score of Tone identification was not significantly different (ANOVNA, P > 0.05). However the more channels activated, the higher scores obtained, from 68% to 81%. CONCLUSION This study shows that there is a correlation between insertion depth and speech recognition. Because all parts of the basement membrane can help CI users to improve their speech recognition ability, it is very important to enhance verbal communication ability and social interaction ability of CI users by increasing insertion depth and actively stimulating the top region of cochlear.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cochlear Implantation ; methods ; Cochlear Implants ; Deafness ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Speech Discrimination Tests ; Speech Perception ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To standard test method of Korean speech audiometry, we developed an audio compact disk, the KsoM-07 (Korean Society of Otolaryngolgy, Monosyllabic, 2007) word lists and evaluated them for clinical usage. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The monitored live voice (MLV) of a female talker was digitally recorded with a Beltone audiometer and the GoldWave program. The calibration for each word was done by calculating the root-mean-square (RMS) at the moving time of 300 ms using MATLAB(R) (7.0 version, The MathWorks, Inc. Natick, Massachusetts, USA) and the GoldWave (v 5.25 GoldWave Inc. St. John's, NL, Canada) program. The discrimination score was measured in 20 normal subjects to obtain psychometric function curve of each word and to compare the homogeneity of two lists. The first verification methods for new speech materials were done by comparing the discrimination scores of the flat type and the descending types at 150 sensorineural hearing loss with similar pure tone threshold. RESULTS: 44% of MLV recording was above +/-3 dB deviation and had to be recalibrated. Two lists showed equal difficulty or homogeneity in normal subjects. Discrimination scores were statistically different among the groups with respect to hearing level and the slope of audiogram. CONCLUSION: KsoM-07 word lists were relatively homogeneous and showed differences between the descending type and the flat type of hearing loss. Therefore, KsoM-07 word lists can be useful in evaluating the impairment found in the descending type of sensorineural hearing loss as well as in serving as a new speech test material for Korean monosyllabic words.
Audiometry, Speech ; Calibration ; Compact Disks ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Female ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Massachusetts ; Psychometrics ; Speech Discrimination Tests ; Speech Intelligibility ; Voice