Hearing in Noise Test, HINT-Brazil, in normal-hearing children

A Central Auditory Test reveals differences between drug treatment regimens in adults living with HIV

OBJECTIVE

This exploratory study examined whether central auditory tests show differences between people living with HIV (PLWH) treated with two predominant antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) regimens.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

STUDY SAMPLE

253 PLWH (mean age 39.8 years) from the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre, China.

METHODS

The Hearing in Noise Test speech reception threshold (SRT) assessed central auditory function and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) assessed cognition. The relationship between ART regimen and SRT was evaluated with multivariable linear regression incorporating age, HIV duration, and peripheral hearing ability. Multivariable logistic regression was used to ascertain if SRT and ART regimen predicted MoCA impairment.

RESULTS

The two predominant ART regimens differed by one drug (zidovudine or tenofovir). Participants taking the zidovudine-containing regimen had poorer SRT performance (p=.012) independent of age and hearing thresholds. MoCA scores did not differ between drug regimens, but a negative relationship was found between SRT and MoCA impairment (p=.048).

CONCLUSIONS

ART regimens differed in their association with central auditory test performance likely reflecting neurocognitive changes in PLWH taking the zidovudine-containing regimen. Central auditory test performance also marginally predicted cognitive impairment, supporting further assessment of central auditory tests to detect neurocognitive deficits in PLWH.

Assessment of Central Auditory Processing in Children Using a Novel Tablet-Based Platform: Application for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate whether a portable, tablet-based central auditory processing (CAP) test system using native language training videos and administered by minimally trained community health workers can produce CAP results comparable to previously published norms. Our secondary aim was to determine subject parameters that influence test results.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Community-based settings in Chontales, Nicaragua, New Hampshire, and Florida.

PATIENTS

English- and/or Spanish-speaking children and adolescents (n = 245; average age, 12.20 yr; range, 6-18 yr).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Completion of the following tests with responses comparable to published norms: Pure-tone average (PTA), gap detection threshold (GDT), fixed-level frequency threshold, masking level difference (MLD), Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), Dichotic Digits Test (DDT), and Frequency Pattern Recognition (FPR) test.

RESULTS

GDT, HINT, and DDT had comparable results to previously published normative values. MLD and FPR results differed compared with previously published normative values. Most CAP tests (MLD, GDT, HINT) results were independent of age and PTA (p = 0.1-0.9). However, DDT was associated with age and PTA (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric CAP testing can be successfully completed in remote low- and middle- income country environments using a tablet-based platform without the presence of an audiologist. Performance on DDT improved with age but deteriorated with hearing loss. Further investigation is warranted to assess the variability of FPR.

Development of the Turkish hearing in noise test for children

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to develop the Turkish version of hearing in noise test for children (HINT-C) by providing norms and correction factors for the children in different age groups.

METHODS

A total of 77 individuals with normal hearing - 62 children (6-12 years old) and 15 adults (18-30 years old) - were included. Twelve phonemically balanced 10-sentence lists were created from the adult version of the Turkish HINT (Study 1). Age-specific norms, correction factors and maturation effects were examined using the Turkish HINT-C (Study 2).

RESULTS

Mean performances under different listening conditions and Spatial Release from Masking (SRM) advantage values were obtained for the 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-year-old and estimated for the 7-, 9-, and 11-year-old age groups, and correction factors were calculated for all children age groups. Turkish-speaking children did not achieve adult-like hearing in noise performance, until they were 12 years old.

CONCLUSIONS

Twelve phonemically balanced 10-sentence lists of Turkish HINT-C were created, and the mean performances of children in different age groups were measured. In addition to the age-specific HINT-C norms and correction factors for the 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-year-old age groups, the maturation effects were determined.

Novel cochlear implant assessment tool: Comparative analysis of children and adults

Objectives

To analyse the results of children and adults with cochlear implants (CIs) in pure tone audiometry (PTA) and speech perception tests. Tests were performed in two ways: using loudspeakers in the sound booth (SB) and with direct audio input (DAI) employing the Cochlear Latin America BOX (CLABOX).

Methods

Fifty individuals (33 adults and 17 children) participated in the study, including children aged between 8 and 13 years; of these, 15 users had bilateral CIs, 35 had unilateral CIs, and all had severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. All participants were evaluated in the SB with loudspeakers and the CLABOX with DAI. The following evaluations were conducted: PTA, speech recognition tests with the hearing in noise test (HINT).

Results

The results for PTA and HINT conducted in SB and with CLABOX presented no significant difference between children and adults.

Conclusion

The CLABOX tool presents a new possible method to evaluate PTA and speech recognition tests in adults and children, with results comparable to the conventional evaluation in the SB.

Adult Normative Data for the Adaptation of the Hearing in Noise Test in European French (HINT-5 Min)

Decreased speech-in-noise (SpIN) understanding is an early marker not only of presbycusis but also of auditory processing disorder. Previous research has shown a strong relationship between hearing disorders and cognitive limitations. It is therefore crucial to allow SpIN testing in subjects who cannot sustain prolonged diagnostic procedures. The objectives of this study were to develop a rapid and reproducible version of the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT-5 min), and to determine its adult normative values in free-field and monaural or binaural headphone conditions. Following an adaptive signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) protocol, the test used a fixed noise level, while the signal level varied to reach the 50% speech reception threshold (SRT50). The speech material consisted of five lists of 20 sentences each, all recorded in European French. The whole semi-automated procedure lasted 5 min and was administered to 83 subjects aged 19 to 49 years with no reported listening difficulties. Fifty-two subjects were retested between 7 and 8 days later. For the binaural free-field condition, the mean SRT50 was −1.0 dB SNR with a standard deviation of 1.3 dB SNR. There was no significant difference between the results obtained at test and retest, nor was there any effect of listening condition, sex, or age on SRT50. The results indicate that the procedure is robust and not affected by any learning phenomenon. The HINT-5 min was found to be both a fast and reliable marker of the ability to understand speech in background noise.