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Increasing hearing aid adoption through multiple environmental listening utility
Abstract
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... Rates of hearing aid acceptance are generally low. For example, in the United States, "over the last 20 years, hearing aid adoption has remained stubbornly at about one in five adults with an admitted hearing loss" (Kochkin, 2007), whereas in the United Kingdom, of the 29% of people aged 55 to 74 years that have a better ear > 25 dB hearing loss (averaged over 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in the better ear) only 6% currently have hearing aids (Davis, Smith, Ferguson, Stephens, & Gianopoulos, 2007). With hearing aid outcomes being poorest for first-time users in the United States, 26% of people end up wearing their hearing aids less than 4 hr a day, 11% less than once a year (Kochkin, 2007), and in the United Kingdom, a total of 22% of all people fitted with hearing aids discontinue using them (Davis et al., 2007). ...
... For example, in the United States, "over the last 20 years, hearing aid adoption has remained stubbornly at about one in five adults with an admitted hearing loss" (Kochkin, 2007), whereas in the United Kingdom, of the 29% of people aged 55 to 74 years that have a better ear > 25 dB hearing loss (averaged over 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in the better ear) only 6% currently have hearing aids (Davis, Smith, Ferguson, Stephens, & Gianopoulos, 2007). With hearing aid outcomes being poorest for first-time users in the United States, 26% of people end up wearing their hearing aids less than 4 hr a day, 11% less than once a year (Kochkin, 2007), and in the United Kingdom, a total of 22% of all people fitted with hearing aids discontinue using them (Davis et al., 2007). The critical questions then are (a) can we better identify which older adults with hearing impairment seeking help for the first time would benefit from hearing aids and (b) if so, would outcomes then improve? ...
It is widely accepted that hearing loss increases markedly with age, beginning in the fourth decade ISO 7029 (2000). Age-related hearing loss is typified by high-frequency threshold elevation and associated reductions in speech perception because speech sounds, especially consonants, become inaudible. Nevertheless, older adults often report additional and progressive difficulties in the perception and comprehension of speech, often highlighted in adverse listening conditions that exceed those reported by younger adults with a similar degree of high-frequency hearing loss (Dubno, Dirks, & Morgan) leading to communication difficulties and social isolation (Weinstein & Ventry). Some of the age-related decline in speech perception can be accounted for by peripheral sensory problems but cognitive aging can also be a contributing factor. In this article, we review findings from the psycholinguistic literature predominantly over the last four years and present a pilot study illustrating how normal age-related changes in cognition and the linguistic context can influence speech-processing difficulties in older adults. For significant progress in understanding and improving the auditory performance of aging listeners to be made, we discuss how future research will have to be much more specific not only about which interactions between auditory and cognitive abilities are critical but also how they are modulated in the brain.
... The primary method of intervention is through the use of hearing aids (Gatehouse 2002). Previous literature has reported the importance of hearing aid performance in different acoustic environments for continued user satisfaction (Kochkin 2007). Digital signal processing (DSP) features, such as digital noise reduction, directional microphones, and wide dynamic range compression for use in multiple environments, are aimed at improving speech audibility and clarity (Lansbergen and Dreschler 2020;Picou 2020). ...
Objectives
To investigate the difference in outcome measures and drivers of user preference between premium and entry-level hearing aids using group concept mapping.
Design
A single-blind crossover trial was conducted. Aided behavioural outcomes measured were loudness rating, speech/consonant recognition, and speech quality. Preference between hearing aids was measured with a 7-point Likert scale. Group concept mapping was utilised to investigate preference results. Participants generated statements based on what influenced their preferences. These were sorted into categories with underlying themes. Participants rated each statement on a 5-point Likert scale of importance.
Study sample
Twenty-three adult participants (mean: 62.4 years; range: 24–78) with mild to moderately severe bilateral SNHL (PTA500–4000 Hz > 20 dB HL).
Results
A total of 83 unique statements and nine distinct clusters, with underlying themes driving preference, were generated. Clusters that differed significantly in importance between entry-level and premium hearing aid choosers were: Having access to smartphone application-based user-controlled settings, the ability to stream calls and music, and convenience features such as accessory compatibility.
Conclusion
This study has identified non-signal-processing factors which significantly influenced preference for a premium hearing aid over an entry-level hearing aid, indicating the importance of these features as drivers of user preference.
... Numerous studies suggest that even individuals with milder degrees of hearing loss face significant speech recognition difficulties in noisy environments [14][15][16][17]. These deficits persist even when state-of-theart amplification devices with noise reduction systems are used [18,19], indicating that non-auditory factors may also be contributing to these deficits. ...
Growing evidence suggests alterations in cognitive control processes in individuals with varying degrees of age-related hearing loss (ARHL); however, alterations in those with unaided mild ARHL are understudied. The current study examined two cognitive control processes, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition, in 21 older adults with unaided mild ARHL and 18 age- and education-matched normal hearing (NH) controls. All participants underwent comprehensive audiological and cognitive evaluations including Trail Making Test-B, Verbal Fluency, Stroop, and two Go/NoGo tasks. Group differences in cognitive flexibility and inhibition as well as associations between peripheral and central hearing ability and measures of cognitive flexibility and inhibition were investigated. Findings revealed that the ARHL group took significantly longer to complete the Stroop task and had higher error rates on NoGo trials on both Go/NoGo tasks relative to the NH controls. Additionally, poorer peripheral and central hearing were associated with poorer cognitive flexibility and inhibitory
control. Our findings suggest slower and more inefficient inhibitory control in the mild ARHL group relative to the NH group and add to decades of research on the association between hearing and
cognition.
... Study done by Howard-Jones et al showed that hearing impaired were unable to use this modulation information and scores were not better when compared to their scores for narrow band noises. [10][11][12] This reduced masking release was also seen in the present study for most type of noises. Only restaurant noise and noise in auto travel showed better scores than that of audiometric noises at +10 dB SNR. ...
p class="abstract"> Background: This study was done to identify the effect that environmental noises have on speech perception of individual with sensorineural hearing loss. The objectives were to develop evidence-based approach to support the need for sophisticated technology and to choose the better one for daily listening purposes of Hearing-Impaired individual to obtain a speech perception score when environmental noises are used as competing signal.
Methods: The study was executed in three phases. In phase 1, developing a noise check list and recording the noise levels at different places by using sound level meter, in phase 2, analyzing the recorded noises into spectral and temporal distributions by using software and phase 3, testing the hearing loss individual’s syllables in the presence of recorded noises.
Results: For 0 dB signal to noise ratio (SNR), the mean scores for white noise and temple noise were higher than for other noise types. The bus and auto noise conditions also showed significant difference in values between them. For +10 dB SNR, speech scores obtained for audiometry noise differed statistically from only restaurant and traffic noise. The traffic noise being the poorest differed statistically from all other noise types. On the other end of range, restaurant noise showed highest speech scores.
Conclusions: The overall the scores were a lot higher for only restaurant noise and noise of travel in auto. These showed effect of masking release and that hearing impaired are better able to understand conversations in these situations at least.</p
... The prediction and fixing of the compression parameters for the digital hearing aid is essential in arriving at the maximum satisfaction of the hearing aid users [38]. The suggestion of the threshold knee point for the hearing aid users is mainly based on the dynamic range of hearing of the patient who undergoes the hearing aid trial [39]. ...
Of late, there has been an increase in hearing impairment cases and to provide the most advantageous solutions to them is an uphill task for audiologists. Significant difficulty faced by the audiologists is in effective programming of hearing aids to provide enhanced satisfaction to the users. The main aim of our study was to develop a software intelligent system (SIS): (i) to perform the required audiological investigations for finding the degree and type of hearing loss, and (ii) to suggest appropriate values of hearing aid parameters for enhancing the speech intelligibility and the satisfaction level among the hearing aid users. In this paper, we present a Neuro-Fuzzy based SIS to automatically predict and suggest the hearing-aid parameters such as gain values, compression ratio and threshold knee point, which are needed to be fixed for different octave frequencies of sound inputs during the hearing-aid trial. The test signals for audiological investigations are generated through the standard hardware present in a personal computer system and with the aid of a software algorithm. The proposed system was validated with 243 subjects’ data collected at the Government General Hospital, Chennai, India. The calculated sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the proposed audiometer incorporated in the SIS were 98.6%, 96.4 and 98.2%, respectively, by comparing its interpretations with those of the ‘gold standard’ audiometers. Furthermore, 91% (221 of 243) of the hearing impaired subjects attained satisfaction in the first hearing aid trials itself with the gain values as recommended by the improved SIS. The proposed system reduced around 75% of the ‘trial and error’ time spent by audiologists for enhancing satisfactory usage of the hearing aid. Hence, the proposed SIS could be used to find the degree and type of hearing loss and to recommend hearing aid parameters to provide optimal solutions to the hearing aid users.
... Not surprisingly, one of the frequently mentioned situations in which hearing aid recipients seek for hearing improvement is the situation in which speech has to be recognised in noise. A device that improves hearing only in specific situations can be expected to have low overall satisfaction ratings, because of the variety in listening environments a hearing-impaired listener experiences during a day (Kochkin 2007). Therefore, it is important for recipients of a hearing device that settings are optimally adapted, depending on the specific listening environment, to assure optimal speech recognition. ...
Objectives:
To review literature on the use of manual and automatically switching multimemory devices by hearing aid and CI recipients, and to investigate if recipients appreciate and adequately use the ability to switch between programmes in various listening environments.
Design:
Literature was searched using PubMed, Embase and ISI/Web of Science. Additional studies were identified by screening reference and citation lists, and by contacting experts.
Study sample:
The search yielded 1109 records that were screened on title and abstract. This resulted in the full-text assessment of 37 articles.
Results:
Sixteen articles reported on the use of multiple programmes for various listening environments, three articles reported on the use of an automatic switching mode. All studies reported on hearing aid recipients only, no study with CI recipients fulfilled the selection criteria.
Conclusions:
Despite the high number of manual and automatically switching multimemory devices sold each year, there are remarkably few studies about the use of multiple programmes or automatic switching modes for various listening environments. No studies were found that examined the accuracy of the use of programmes for specific listening environments. An automatic switching device might be a solution if recipients are not able, or willing, to switch manually between programmes.
... Over 30% of the adult population between the ages of 65 and 74 and nearly 50% of people older than 75 have a hearing loss that affects communication and consequently psychosocial health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, https://www.nidcd.nih.gov). Despite gains achieved through advanced signal processing technology of hearing aids (HAs), users report persistent problems in speech perception in the presence of noise relative to premorbid experience (Kochkin, 2007), and rehabilitative training has been proposed to address these problems (Boothroyd, 2007;Moore and Amitay, 2007). ...
Although audiovisual (AV) training has been shown to improve overall speech perception in hearing-impaired listeners, there has been a lack of direct brain imaging data to help elucidate the neural networks and neural plasticity associated with hearing aid (HA) use and auditory training targeting speechreading. For this purpose, the current clinical case study reports functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from two hearing-impaired patients who were first-time HA users. During the study period, both patients used HAs for 8 weeks; only one received a training program named ReadMyQuips TM (RMQ) targeting speechreading during the second half of the study period for 4 weeks. Identical fMRI tests were administered at pre-fitting and at the end of the 8 weeks. Regions of interest (ROI) including auditory cortex and visual cortex for uni-sensory processing, and superior temporal sulcus (STS) for AV integration, were identified for each person through independent functional localizer task. The results showed experience-dependent changes involving ROIs of auditory cortex, STS and functional connectivity between uni-sensory ROIs and STS from pretest to posttest in both cases. These data provide initial evidence for the malleable experience-driven cortical functionality for AV speech perception in elderly hearing-impaired people and call for further studies with a much larger subject sample and systematic control to fill in the knowledge gap to understand brain plasticity associated with auditory rehabilitation in the aging population.
... Previous studies have indicated that reasons for HA nonuse include insufficient benefit in situations with background noise (Kochkin, 2007;Bertoli et al, 2009;Hartley et al, 2010;Gopinath et al, 2011) or a lack of situations in which an HA is necessary (Vuorialho et al, 2006). Few studies, however, have investigated the reported or measured use of HAs in different listening situations. ...
Background:
Previous research, mostly reliant on self-reports, has indicated that hearing aid (HA) use is related to the degree of hearing impairment (HI). No large-scale investigation of the relationship between data-logged HA use and HI has been conducted to date.
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate if objective measures of overall daily HA use and HA use in various listening environments are different for adults with mild HI compared to adults with moderate HI.
Research design:
This retrospective study used data extracted from a database of fitting appointments from an international group of HA providers. Only data from the participants' most recent fitting appointment were included in the final dataset.
Study sample:
A total of 8,489 bilateral HA fittings of adults over the age of 18 yr, conducted between January 2013 and June 2014, were included. Participants were subsequently allocated to HI groups, based on British Society of Audiology and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association audiometric descriptors.
Data collection and analysis:
Fitting data from participating HA providers were regularly transferred to a central server. The data, with all personal information except age and gender removed, contained participants' four-frequency average (at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) as well as information on HA characteristics and usage. Following data cleaning, bivariate and post hoc statistical analyses were conducted.
Results:
The total sample of adults' average daily HA use was 8.52 hr (interquartile range [IQR] = 5.49-11.77) in the left ear and 8.51 hr (IQR = 5.49-11.72) in the right ear. With a few exceptions, there were no statistical differences between hours of HA use for participants with mild HI compared to those with moderate impairment. Across all mild and moderate HI groups, the most common overall HA usage was between 8 and 12 hr per day. Other factors such as age, gender, and HA style also showed no relationship to hours of use. HAs were used, on average, for 7 hr (IQR = 4.27-9.96) per day in quiet and 1 hr (IQR = 0.33-1.41) per day in noisy listening situations.
Conclusions:
Clinical populations with mild HI use HAs as frequently as those with a moderate HI. These findings support the recommendation of HAs for adults with milder degrees of HI.
... Over 30% of the adult population between the ages of 65 and 74 and nearly 50% of people older than 75 have a hearing loss that affects communication and consequently psychosocial health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, https://www.nidcd.nih.gov). Despite gains achieved through advanced signal processing technology of hearing aids (HAs), users report persistent problems in speech perception in the presence of noise relative to premorbid experience (Kochkin, 2007), and rehabilitative training has been proposed to address these problems (Boothroyd, 2007;Moore and Amitay, 2007). ...
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of hearing aid use and the effectiveness of ReadMyQuips (RMQ), an auditory training program, on speech perception performance and auditory selective attention using electrophysiological measures. RMQ is an audiovisual training program designed to improve speech perception in everyday noisy listening environments. Design: Participants were adults with mild to moderate hearing loss who were first-time hearing aid users. After 4 weeks of hearing aid use, the experimental group completed RMQ training in 4 weeks, and the control group received listening practice on audiobooks during the same period. Cortical late event-related potentials (ERPs) and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) were administered at prefitting, pretraining, and post-training to assess effects of hearing aid use and RMQ training. An oddball paradigm allowed tracking of changes in P3a and P3b ERPs to distrac-tors and targets, respectively. Behavioral measures were also obtained while ERPs were recorded from participants. Results: After 4 weeks of hearing aid use but before auditory training , HINT results did not show a statistically significant change, but there was a significant P3a reduction. This reduction in P3a was correlated with improvement in d prime (d′) in the selective attention task. Increased P3b amplitudes were also correlated with improvement in d′ in the selective attention task. After training, this correlation between P3b and d′ remained in the experimental group, but not in the control group. Similarly, HINT testing showed improved speech perception post training only in the experimental group. The criterion calculated in the auditory selective attention task showed a reduction only in the experimental group after training. ERP measures in the auditory selective attention task did not show any changes related to training. Conclusions: Hearing aid use was associated with a decrement in involuntary attention switch to distractors in the auditory selective attention task. RMQ training led to gains in speech perception in noise and improved listener confidence in the auditory selective attention task.
... To improve the user satisfaction, the hearing aid industry sees great potential in the application of wireless technology in hearing aids [16,56,79,105]. The industry hereby has two different applications of wireless technology in mind. In the first type of wireless application, the hearing aids are equipped with wireless receivers which pick up audio signals from remote external devices. ...
One of the main complaints of hearing aid users is their degraded speech
understanding in noisy environments. Modern hearing aids therefore include noise
reduction techniques. These techniques are typically designed for a monaural
application, i.e. in a single device. However, the majority of hearing aid users
currently have hearing aids at both ears in a so-called bilateral fitting, as it
is widely accepted that this leads to a better speech understanding and user
satisfaction. Unfortunately, the independent signal processing (in particular the
noise reduction) in a bilateral fitting can destroy the so-called binaural cues,
namely the interaural time and level differences (ITDs and ILDs) which are used
to localize sound sources in the horizontal plane. A recent technological advance
are so-called binaural hearing aids, where a wireless link allows for the exchange
of data (or even microphone signals) between the two devices. An advantage is
that the signal processing can then be coordinated so that the binaural cues are
better preserved.
The goal of this thesis work is to develop a binaural noise reduction technique
for binaural hearing aids. The binaural technique should achieve further speech
intelligibility improvements (compared to a bilateral technique), while the binaural
cues of both the speech and the residual noise should also be better preserved. For
this purpose, the Speech-Distortion-Weighted Multi-channel Wiener Filter (SDW-
MWF), which is a well-known multi-microphone noise reduction technique, is
adopted in this thesis. It will be demonstrated that the SDW-MWF is particularly
suited for binaural noise reduction, both in terms of noise reduction performance
and in terms of binaural cue preservation.
The first part of the thesis gives a general introduction to the problem statement.
A theoretical binaural noise reduction framework is then presented. Finally, the
binaural SDW-MWF technique is introduced.
The second part of the thesis focuses on the noise reduction performance of the
considered binaural SDW-MWF technique. A perceptual evaluation of a realistic
adaptive implementation of the binaural SDW-MWF is presented first. It is
demonstrated that the binaural SDW-MWF indeed allows for significant speech intelligibility improvements (compared to bilateral techniques), both for normal
hearing subjects and for hearing aid users, which motivates further development
and optimizations of the technique. A theoretical analysis of new SDW-MWF
formulations is then presented. It is demonstrated that implementations based on
these expressions can lead to further improvements in noise reduction performance
(compared to the previously evaluated implementation). It is also demonstrated
that the conceptually interesting structure of these new SDW-MWF formulations
can be exploited in a number of ways. First, it is demonstrated how the structure
can be used to increase the robustness to certain estimation errors, which occur in
practice. Second, it is demonstrated that the structure also allows for a numerically
favorable implementation.
The third part of the thesis focuses on the binaural cue preservation of the
considered binaural SDW-MWF technique. First, it is proven that a full-
bandwidth binaural SDW-MWF technique (where all microphone signals can
be exchanged) preserves the binaural cues of the target speech source, while
extensions can be formulated so that the residual noise cues can also be preserved.
Second, we focus on the (speech) cue preservation of reduced-bandwidth binaural
or bilateral SDW-MWF techniques (where not all microphone signals can be
exchanged). It is then shown that the speech ITD cues are still preserved, whereas
the speech ILD cues are distorted. Novel reduced-bandwidth techniques, which
better preserve the speech ILD cues, are also proposed.
The fourth part of the thesis presents a binaural Voice Activity Detection (VAD)
algorithm, which is used to detect periods of speech activity. Many noise reduction
techniques (including the SDW-MWF) rely on a VAD, hence a robust VAD
algorithm is highly sought for. The approach here consists in utilizing the wireless
link of the binaural hearing aids to combine local VAD decisions into a superior
fused VAD decision. Two novel binaural fusion VADs, which indeed achieve an
improved performance versus the local VAD algorithms, are proposed.
... 8 He notes that the surest way to decrease the stigma of hearing aids and to increase their use (making them for the ears as routine as glasses for the eyes) is to increase their functionality: "Clearly, the utility of hearing aids must be improved if we are to achieve wider-scale acceptance of hearing aids as a solution to hearing loss." 9 Kochkin envisions a future with "miniaturized internal wireless receivers in every hearing aid." He also has quantitatively shown that increasing the utility of hearing aids will result in more hearing aid sales, positive recommendations, and brand loyalty from hearing aid users. ...
... In fact, Kochkin (2007a) reported that 16.2% of individuals who own hearing aids never wear them. While the reasons for hearing aid nonuse vary and include aspects of patients and their environment, they also often include factors related to hearing aid style (Popelka et al, 1998;Kochkin, 2005b;Kochkin, 2007b). Based on the literature and clinical experience, factors that may affect hearing aid style preferences include the following nonacoustic and acoustic variables: (1) cosmetics; (2) fit and comfort; (3) ease of use; (4) speed and convenience of service delivery; (5) feedback, (6) audibility, with its potential implications for speech understanding in quiet and in noise; (7) occlusion (objective and subjective); (8) sound quality of external sounds; (9) aided speech recognition ability in spatially separated noise; and (10) sound source localization (Cox, 1982;Upfold et al, 1990;Popelka et al, 1998;Kochkin, 2000;Noe et al, 2000;Baumfield and Dillon, 2001;Moore and Tan, 2003;Kiessling et al, 2005;Kochkin, 2005aKochkin, , 2005bKuk et al, 2005;Mueller and Ricketts, 2006;Taylor and Berkeley, 2007;West and Smith, 2007;Ricketts et al, 2008;Mueller, 2009). ...
Background:
Several self-report measures exist that target different aspects of outcomes for hearing aid use. Currently, no comprehensive questionnaire specifically assesses factors that may be important for differentiating outcomes pertaining to hearing aid style.
Purpose:
The goal of this work was to develop the Style Preference Survey (SPS), a questionnaire aimed at outcomes associated with hearing aid style differences. Two experiments were conducted. After initial item development, Experiment 1 was conducted to refine the items and to determine its psychometric properties. Experiment 2 was designed to cross-validate the findings from the initial experiment.
Research design:
An observational design was used in both experiments.
Study sample:
Participants who wore traditional, custom-fitted (TC) or open-canal (OC) style hearing aids from 3 mo to 3 yr completed the initial experiment. One-hundred and eighty-four binaural hearing aid users (120 of whom wore TC hearing aids and 64 of whom wore OC hearing aids) participated. A new sample of TC and OC users (n = 185) participated in the cross-validation experiment.
Data collection and analysis:
Currently available self-report measures were reviewed to identify items that might differentiate between hearing aid styles, particularly preference for OC versus TC hearing aid styles. A total of 15 items were selected and modified from available self-report measures. An additional 55 items were developed through consensus of six audiologists for the initial version of the SPS. In the first experiment, the initial SPS version was mailed to 550 veterans who met the inclusion criteria. A total of 184 completed the SPS. Approximately three weeks later, a subset of participants (n = 83) completed the SPS a second time. Basic analyses were conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the SPS including subscale structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness. Based on the results of Experiment 1, the SPS was revised. A cross-validation experiment was then conducted using the revised version of the SPS to confirm the subscale structure, internal consistency, and responsiveness of the questionnaire in a new sample of participants.
Results:
The final factor analysis led to the ultimate version of the SPS, which had a total of 35 items encompassing five subscales: (1) Feedback, (2) Occlusion/Own Voice Effects, (3) Localization, (4) Fit, Comfort, and Cosmetics, and (5) Ease of Use. The internal consistency of the total SPS (Cronbach's α = .92) and of the subscales (each Cronbach's α > .75) was high. Intraclass correlations (ICCs) showed that the test-retest reliability of the total SPS (ICC = .93) and of the subscales (each ICC > .80) also was high. TC hearing aid users had significantly poorer outcomes than OC hearing aid users on 4 of the 5 subscales, suggesting that the SPS largely is responsive to factors related to style-specific differences.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that the SPS has good psychometric properties and is a valid and reliable measure of outcomes related to style-specific, hearing aid preference.
Background and Objectives The purpose of this study was to figure out the clinical effectiveness of the bluetooth wireless streaming when used with a hearing aid during cell phone conversation for hearing-impaired listeners.Subjects and Method Twenty-four adults with hearing loss participated (mild: 3, moderate: 13, moderately severe: 8) in the study. The following three objective tests and one subjective questionnaire were administered to all participants; 1) consonant and Monosyllabic test in an noisy environment, 2) speech recognition test in quiet and noisy conditions, 3) listening effort test, and 4) questionnaire about sound quality and preference. Each objective test was conducted in three different cell phone conversation environments as follows; 1) unaided condition, 2) aided condition, with the bluetooth function off, and 3) aided condition, with the bluetooth function on.Results In the aided condition with the bluetooth function off, performance on consonant and monosyllabic tests was the lowest ( p ＜0.05). However, when the bluetooth function was turned on, the result showed statistically significant superior performance ( p ＜0.05). For the words and sentences test in noisy conditions, using wireless streaming feature with the hearing aids were beneficial compared to not using the feature ( p ＜0.05). However, no significant difference was found between the bluetooth off and on conditions in quiet conditions. Listening effort was significantly lower in noisy background for aided bluetooth on condition ( p ＜0.05). There was no significant difference in sound quality according to each condition, but the preference of Bluetooth feature was overwhelmingly high.Conclusion Bluetooth wireless streaming is beneficial during phone conversation in noisy environments for users of hearing aids.
Objective: To assess the speech perception benefits of binaural streaming technology for bilateral hearing aid users in two difficult listening conditions.
Design: Two studies were conducted to compare hearing aid processing features relating to telephone use and wind noise. Speech perception testing was conducted in four different experimental conditions in each study.
Study sample: Ten bilaterally-aided children in each study.
Results: Significant improvements in speech perception were obtained with a wireless feature for telephone use. Significant speech perception benefits were also obtained with wireless hearing aid features when listening to speech in simulated wind noise.
Conclusions: Binaural signal processing algorithms can significantly improve speech perception for bilateral hearing aid users in challenging listening situations.
An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.
An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.
Jin & Nelson (2006) found that although amplified speech recognition performance of hearing-impaired (HI) listeners was equal to that of normal-hearing (NH) listeners in quiet and in steady noise, nevertheless HI listeners' performance was significantly poorer in modulated noise. As a follow-up, the current study investigated whether three factors, auditory integration, low-mid frequency audibility and auditory filter bandwidths, might contribute to reduced sentence recognition of HI listeners in the presence of modulated interference. Three findings emerged. First, sentence recognition in modulated noise found in Jin & Nelson (2006) was highly correlated with perception of sentences interrupted by silent gaps. This suggests that understanding speech interrupted by either noise or silent gaps require similar perceptual integration of speech fragments available either in the dips of a gated noise or across silent gaps of an interrupted speech signal. Second, those listeners with greatest hearing losses in the low frequencies were poorest at understanding interrupted sentences. Third, low-to mid-frequency hearing thresholds accounted for most of the variability in Masking Release (MR) for HI listeners. As suggested by Oxenham and his colleagues (2003 and 2009), low-frequency information within speech plays an important role in the perceptual segregation of speech from competing background noise.
In a survey of more than 1500 current users of hearing instruments, half of which were digital, overall customer satisfaction was measured at 71% for hearing instruments 0-5 years old. Customer satisfaction with 1-year-old instruments was 78%, which placed hearing instruments in the top third of all products and services in the United States as measured by the University of Michigan. Hearing care professionals received stellar ratings approaching perfection. Overall they achieved a 92% satisfaction rating. Eighty-five percent of consumers are satisfied with the ability of their instruments to improve their hearing, meaning they are deriving tremendous benefit. In 15 listening situations, customer satisfaction ranges from 90% (one-on-one) to 59% (cell phone). Six out often consumers are satisfied with their instruments in 80% of the listening situations measured in this study. Hearing instruments are beneficial all along the hearing loss continuum. However, ratings are significantly lower for the severe-to-profound hearing loss population (i.e., the 20% of people with the most severe hearing loss). Significant opportunity remains to meet the needs of people with the greatest hearing losses. For example, fewer than 1% of consumers own an FM assistive listening system and only 25% use directional microphones or telecoils. The use of digital hearing instruments is associated with significantly higher ratings on overall satisfaction and benefit, improved sound quality, reduction in feedback, improved performance in noisy situations, and greater utility in a number of important listening situations.
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