1
|
Smith ML, Winn MB, Fitzgerald MB. A Large-Scale Study of the Relationship Between Degree and Type of Hearing Loss and Recognition of Speech in Quiet and Noise. Ear Hear 2024; 45:915-928. [PMID: 38389129 PMCID: PMC11175802 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Understanding speech in noise (SIN) is the dominant complaint of individuals with hearing loss. For decades, the default test of speech perception in routine audiologic assessment has been monosyllabic word recognition in quiet (WRQ), which does not directly address patient concerns, leading some to advocate that measures of SIN should be integrated into routine practice. However, very little is known with regard to how SIN abilities are affected by different types of hearing loss. Here, we examine performance on clinical measures of WRQ and SIN in a large patient base consisting of a variety of hearing loss types, including conductive (CHL), mixed (MHL), and sensorineural (SNHL) losses. DESIGN In a retrospective study, we examined data from 5593 patients (51% female) who underwent audiometric assessment at the Stanford Ear Institute. All individuals completed pure-tone audiometry, and speech perception testing of monaural WRQ, and monaural QuickSIN. Patient ages ranged from 18 to 104 years (average = 57). The average age in years for the different classifications of hearing loss was 51.1 (NH), 48.5 (CHL), 64.2 (MHL), and 68.5 (SNHL), respectively. Generalized linear mixed-effect models and quartile regression were used to determine the relationship between hearing loss type and severity for the different speech-recognition outcome measures. RESULTS Patients with CHL had similar performance to patients with normal hearing on both WRQ and QuickSIN, regardless of the hearing loss severity. In patients with MHL or SNHL, WRQ scores remained largely excellent with increasing hearing loss until the loss was moderately severe or worse. In contrast, QuickSIN signal to noise ratio (SNR) losses showed an orderly systematic decrease as the degree of hearing loss became more severe. This effect scaled with the data, with threshold-QuickSIN relationships absent for CHL, and becoming increasingly stronger for MHL and strongest in patients with SNHL. However, the variability in these data suggests that only 57% of the variance in WRQ scores, and 50% of the variance in QuickSIN SNR losses, could be accounted for by the audiometric thresholds. Patients who would not be differentiated by WRQ scores are shown to be potentially differentiable by SIN scores. CONCLUSIONS In this data set, conductive hearing loss had little effect on WRQ scores or QuickSIN SNR losses. However, for patients with MHL or SNHL, speech perception abilities decreased as the severity of the hearing loss increased. In these data, QuickSIN SNR losses showed deficits in performance with degrees of hearing loss that yielded largely excellent WRQ scores. However, the considerable variability in the data suggests that even after classifying patients according to their type of hearing loss, hearing thresholds only account for a portion of the variance in speech perception abilities, particularly in noise. These results are consistent with the idea that variables such as cochlear health and aging add explanatory power over audibility alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Smith
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Stanford Ear Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Matthew B Winn
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Matthew B Fitzgerald
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Stanford Ear Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fitzgerald MB, Ward KM, Gianakas SP, Smith ML, Blevins NH, Swanson AP. Speech-in-Noise Assessment in the Routine Audiologic Test Battery: Relationship to Perceived Auditory Disability. Ear Hear 2024; 45:816-826. [PMID: 38414136 PMCID: PMC11175785 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Self-assessment of perceived communication difficulty has been used in clinical and research practices for decades. Such questionnaires routinely assess the perceived ability of an individual to understand speech, particularly in background noise. Despite the emphasis on perceived performance in noise, speech recognition in routine audiologic practice is measured by word recognition in quiet (WRQ). Moreover, surprisingly little data exist that compare speech understanding in noise (SIN) abilities to perceived communication difficulty. Here, we address these issues by examining audiometric thresholds, WRQ scores, QuickSIN signal to noise ratio (SNR) loss, and perceived auditory disability as measured by the five questions on the Speech Spatial Questionnaire-12 (SSQ12) devoted to speech understanding (SSQ12-Speech5). DESIGN We examined data from 1633 patients who underwent audiometric assessment at the Stanford Ear Institute. All individuals completed the SSQ12 questionnaire, pure-tone audiometry, and speech assessment consisting of ear-specific WRQ, and ear-specific QuickSIN. Only individuals with hearing threshold asymmetries ≤10 dB HL in their high-frequency pure-tone average (HFPTA) were included. Our primary objectives were to (1) examine the relationship between audiometric variables and the SSQ12-Speech5 scores, (2) determine the amount of variance in the SSQ12-Speech5 scores which could be predicted from audiometric variables, and (3) predict which patients were likely to report greater perceived auditory disability according to the SSQ12-Speech5. RESULTS Performance on the SSQ12-Speech5 indicated greater perceived auditory disability with more severe degrees of hearing loss and greater QuickSIN SNR loss. Degree of hearing loss and QuickSIN SNR loss were found to account for modest but significant variance in SSQ12-Speech5 scores after accounting for age. In contrast, WRQ scores did not significantly contribute to the predictive power of the model. Degree of hearing loss and QuickSIN SNR loss were also found to have moderate diagnostic accuracy for determining which patients were likely to report SSQ12-Speech5 scores indicating greater perceived auditory disability. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these data indicate that audiometric factors including degree of hearing loss (i.e., HFPTA) and QuickSIN SNR loss are predictive of SSQ12-Speech5 scores, though notable variance remains unaccounted for after considering these factors. HFPTA and QuickSIN SNR loss-but not WRQ scores-accounted for a significant amount of variance in SSQ12-Speech5 scores and were largely effective at predicting which patients are likely to report greater perceived auditory disability on the SSQ12-Speech5. This provides further evidence for the notion that speech-in-noise measures have greater clinical utility than WRQ in most instances as they relate more closely to measures of perceived auditory disability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B. Fitzgerald
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Kristina M. Ward
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Steven P. Gianakas
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Michael L. Smith
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Nikolas H. Blevins
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Austin P. Swanson
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tomaz A, Peron KA, Suzuki FADB, Monteiro SRG, Chandrasekhar SS, Penido NO. Standard and Extend High-Frequency Audiometry in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Impacts on Tinnitus and Mental Health. Otol Neurotol 2024; 45:e366-e375. [PMID: 38511269 DOI: 10.1097/mao.0000000000004168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the results of auditory assessment in standard (SA) and extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry, associating the findings with sudden tinnitus and mental health of patients with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). STUDY DESIGN Prospective, cohort study. SETTING Outpatient otology clinic in a tertiary care hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Patients experiencing unilateral SSNHL were evaluated with pure-tone audiometry performed at frequencies of 250 to16,000 Hz, tinnitus pitch and loudness matching tests, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Analog and Visual Scale (AVS) for bothersome tinnitus, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS Eighteen patients with unilateral SSNHL were assessed. After starting treatment, there was a significant improvement in the SA (71.1 dB to 50 dB; p < 0.001*) and EHF audiometry (64.5 dB to 54.4 dB; p < 0.001*) thresholds at 15 days, and this persisted at 30 days of follow-up. Significant improvements were seen for tinnitus in loudness, VAS, and THI and for mental health in the realms of anxiety and depression by HADS. Despite improvements in SA, persistent EHF hearing loss was accompanied by persistent tinnitus, but it was of diminished loudness. CONCLUSION Despite improvement in pure-tone thresholds by SA, a subset of unilateral SSNHL patients did not experience hearing recovery in EHF thresholds and reported persistent tinnitus. We postulate that their diminished anxiety and better mental health may be related to both hearing improvement in standard audiometry and reduction in tinnitus loudness. This pilot prospective study investigates the utility of performing EHF audiometry to better understand outcomes in patients with SSNHL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreza Tomaz
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kelly Abdo Peron
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flavia Alencar de Barros Suzuki
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia Roberta Gesteira Monteiro
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Norma Oliveira Penido
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mishra SK, Rodrigo H, Balan JR. Exploring the Influence of Extended High-Frequency Hearing on Cochlear Functioning at Lower Frequencies. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38820241 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-23-00652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Diminished basal cochlear function, as indicated by elevated hearing thresholds in the extended high frequencies (EHFs), has been associated with lower levels of click-evoked and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions measured at lower frequencies. However, stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs) at low-probe levels are reflection-source emissions that do not share the same generation mechanism as distortion-source emissions. The primary objective of the present study was to examine the influence of hearing thresholds in the EHFs on SFOAEs measured at lower frequencies. METHOD SFOAEs were recorded from both ears in 45 individuals with normal hearing thresholds in the conventional audiometric frequencies (0.25-8 kHz). Hearing thresholds were also measured at EHFs (10, 12.5, and 16 kHz). SFOAE magnitudes and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were averaged across 1, 2, and 4 kHz probe frequencies and also averaged for high-probe frequencies (2 and 4 kHz). RESULTS SFOAE magnitudes and SNRs were significantly higher for ears with better EHF hearing relative to poorer EHF hearing, categorized based on the median split. In addition, hearing in the EHFs significantly contributed to the variance in all SFOAE measures, except for the high-frequency SFOAE magnitudes model. However, hearing thresholds at the probe frequencies did not significantly contribute to the variance in SFOAEs. CONCLUSIONS The study findings suggest that alterations in the basal cochlea, as revealed by EHF hearing thresholds, could be associated with diminished cochlear functioning in relatively apical regions, shown by SFOAEs at lower frequencies, in individuals with normal audiograms. These findings underscore the significance of considering EHF thresholds in audiological evaluations, as alterations in these frequencies may reflect broader cochlear health status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta K Mishra
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Hansapani Rodrigo
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg
| | - Jithin R Balan
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Takahashi S, Zhou Y, Cheatham MA, Homma K. The frequency dependence of prestin-mediated fast electromotility for mammalian cochlear amplification. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.22.595389. [PMID: 38826260 PMCID: PMC11142200 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.22.595389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Prestin's voltage-driven motor activity confers sound-elicited somatic electromotility in auditory outer hair cells (OHCs) and is essential for the exquisite sensitivity and frequency selectivity of mammalian hearing. Lack of prestin results in hearing threshold shifts across frequency, supporting the causal association of variants in the prestin-coding gene, SLC26A5 , with human hearing loss, DFNB61. However, cochlear function can tolerate reductions in prestin-mediated OHC electromotility. We found that two deafness-associated prestin variants, p.A100T and p.P119S, do not deprive prestin of its fast motor function but significantly reduce membrane expression, leading to large reductions in OHC electromotility that were only ∼30% of wildtype (WT). Mice harboring these missense variants suffered congenital hearing loss that was worse at high frequencies; however, they retained WT-like auditory brainstem response thresholds at 8 kHz, which is processed at the apex of the mouse cochlea. This observation suggests the increasing importance of prestin-driven cochlear amplification at higher frequencies relevant to mammalian hearing. The observation also suggests the promising clinical possibility that small enhancements of OHC electromotility could significantly ameliorate DFNB61 hearing loss in human patients. SIGNIFICANCE Prestin is abundantly expressed in the auditory outer hair cells and is essential for normal cochlear operation. Hence, reduction of prestin expression is often taken as indicative of reduced cochlear function in diseased or aged ears. However, this assumption overlooks the fact that cochlear function can tolerate large reductions in prestin motor activity. DFNB61 mouse models generated and characterized in this study provide an opportunity to gauge the amount of prestin motor activity needed to sustain normal hearing sensitivity. This knowledge is crucial not only for understanding the pathogenic roles of deafness-associated variants that impair OHC electromotility but also for unraveling how prestin contributes to cochlear amplification.
Collapse
|
6
|
Schirmer J, Wolpert S, Dapper K, Rühle M, Wertz J, Wouters M, Eldh T, Bader K, Singer W, Gaudrain E, Başkent D, Verhulst S, Braun C, Rüttiger L, Munk MHJ, Dalhoff E, Knipper M. Neural Adaptation at Stimulus Onset and Speed of Neural Processing as Critical Contributors to Speech Comprehension Independent of Hearing Threshold or Age. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2725. [PMID: 38731254 PMCID: PMC11084258 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13092725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: It is assumed that speech comprehension deficits in background noise are caused by age-related or acquired hearing loss. Methods: We examined young, middle-aged, and older individuals with and without hearing threshold loss using pure-tone (PT) audiometry, short-pulsed distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (pDPOAEs), auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs), speech comprehension (OLSA), and syllable discrimination in quiet and noise. Results: A noticeable decline of hearing sensitivity in extended high-frequency regions and its influence on low-frequency-induced ABRs was striking. When testing for differences in OLSA thresholds normalized for PT thresholds (PTTs), marked differences in speech comprehension ability exist not only in noise, but also in quiet, and they exist throughout the whole age range investigated. Listeners with poor speech comprehension in quiet exhibited a relatively lower pDPOAE and, thus, cochlear amplifier performance independent of PTT, smaller and delayed ABRs, and lower performance in vowel-phoneme discrimination below phase-locking limits (/o/-/u/). When OLSA was tested in noise, listeners with poor speech comprehension independent of PTT had larger pDPOAEs and, thus, cochlear amplifier performance, larger ASSR amplitudes, and higher uncomfortable loudness levels, all linked with lower performance of vowel-phoneme discrimination above the phase-locking limit (/i/-/y/). Conslusions: This study indicates that listening in noise in humans has a sizable disadvantage in envelope coding when basilar-membrane compression is compromised. Clearly, and in contrast to previous assumptions, both good and poor speech comprehension can exist independently of differences in PTTs and age, a phenomenon that urgently requires improved techniques to diagnose sound processing at stimulus onset in the clinical routine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Schirmer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Stephan Wolpert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Konrad Dapper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Moritz Rühle
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Jakob Wertz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Marjoleen Wouters
- Department of Information Technology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 126, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; (M.W.); (S.V.)
| | - Therese Eldh
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Katharina Bader
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Etienne Gaudrain
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR5292, Inserm U1028, Université Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier-Bâtiment 462–Neurocampus, 95 Boulevard Pinel, 69675 Bron CEDEX, France;
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Hanzeplein 1, BB21, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Deniz Başkent
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Hanzeplein 1, BB21, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Sarah Verhulst
- Department of Information Technology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 126, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; (M.W.); (S.V.)
| | - Christoph Braun
- Magnetoencephalography-Centre and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- Center for Mind and Brain Research, University of Trento, Palazzo Fedrigotti-corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Matthias H. J. Munk
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ernst Dalhoff
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.S.); (S.W.); (K.D.); (M.R.); (J.W.); (T.E.); (K.B.); (W.S.); (L.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sendesen E, Türkyılmaz MD. Listening handicap in tinnitus patients with normal extended high frequencies from the perspective of the autonomic nervous system-Effort or fatigue? Auris Nasus Larynx 2024; 51:659-665. [PMID: 38704893 DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2024.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In previous studies, the results regarding the presence of listening effort or fatigue in tinnitus patients were inconsistent. The reason for this inconsistency could be that extended high frequencies, which can cause listening handicap, were not within normal limits. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the listening skills in tinnitus patients by matching the normal hearing thresholds at all frequencies, including the extended high frequency. METHODS Eighteen chronic tinnitus patients and thirty matched healthy controls having normal pure-tone average with symmetrical hearing thresholds was included. Subjects were evaluated with 0.125-20 kHz pure-tone audiometry, Montreal cognitive assessment test (MoCA), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Matrix Test, Pupillometry. RESULTS Pupil dilatation in the 'coding' phase of the sentence presented in tinnitus patients was less than in the control group (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the groups for Matrix test scores (p > 0.05) Also, there was no statistically significant correlation between THI and Pupillometry components nor between MoCA (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Even though tinnitus patients had normal hearing in the range of 0.125-20 kHz, their autonomic nervous system responses during listening differed from healthy subjects. This difference was interpreted for potential listening fatigue in tinnitus patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eser Sendesen
- Department of Audiology, Hacettepe University, Sıhhiye, Ankara 06100, Turkey.
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Asghar S, Ali Z, Abdullah A, Naveed S, Ahmad MS, Rafi TSM. Sensorineural hearing loss among type 2 diabetic patients and its association with peripheral neuropathy: a cross-sectional study from a lower middle-income country. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e081035. [PMID: 38692716 PMCID: PMC11086572 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite potential links between diabetes and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), routine hearing assessments for diabetic patients are not standard practice. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of SNHL and its association with diabetes-related factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Diabetes Clinic, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan, from May to September 2021. A total of 396 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria participated after informed consent. Data collection involved a sociodemographic profile, Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument examination followed by pure-tone audiometry and laboratory tests including haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c). HL was defined using better ear four-frequency pure-tone average of ≥26 dB HL and graded as per WHO criteria. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. χ2, independent t-test and multinomial logistic regression analyses were applied. P<0.05 at 95% CI was considered significant. RESULTS Our study revealed a high prevalence of SNHL among patients with T2DM. Mild HL was seen in 55.8%, while 18.7% suffered from moderate HL. Common audiological symptoms included difficulty understanding speech in noisy surroundings (44.2%), balance problems (42.9%), sentence repetition (35.9%), tinnitus (32.3%) and differentiating consonants (31.1%). Hearing impairment predominantly affected low (0.25-0.5 kHz) and high (4-8 kHz) frequencies with a significant difference at 4 kHz among both sexes (t (394)=2.8, p=0.004). Peripheral neuropathy was significantly associated with SNHL on multinomial logistic regression after adjusting with age, sex, body mass index and the presence of any comorbidities. Diabetes duration, HbA1c or family history of diabetes was found unrelated to SNHL severity. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights the substantial prevalence of SNHL among patients with T2DM and emphasises the importance of targeted audiological care as part of a holistic approach to diabetes management. Addressing HL early may significantly improve communication and overall quality of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saba Asghar
- Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Zeeshan Ali
- Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ali Abdullah
- Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Saldías O'Hrens M, Castro C, Espinoza VM, Stoney J, Quezada C, Laukkanen AM. Spectral features related to the auditory perception of twang-like voices. LOGOP PHONIATR VOCO 2024:1-18. [PMID: 38656176 DOI: 10.1080/14015439.2024.2345373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To the best of our knowledge, studies on the relationship between spectral energy distribution and the degree of perceived twang-like voices are still sparse. Through an auditory-perceptual test we aimed to explore the spectral features that may relate with the auditory-perception of twang-like voices. METHODS Ten judges who were blind to the test's tasks and stimuli rated the amount of twang perceived on seventy-six audio samples. The stimuli consisted of twenty voices recorded from eight CCM singers who sustained the vowel [a:] in different pitches, with and without a twang-like voice. Also, forty filtered and sixteen synthesized-manipulated stimuli were included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Based on the intra-rater reliability scores, four judges were identified as suitable to be included in the analyses. Results showed that the frequency of F1 and F2 correlated strongly with the auditory-perception of twang-like voices (0.90 and 0.74, respectively), whereas F3 showed a moderate negative correlation (-0.52). The frequency difference between F1 and F3 showed a strong negative correlation (-0.82). The mean energy between 1-2 kHz and 2-3 kHz correlated moderately (0.51 and 0.42, respectively). The frequency of F4 and F5, and the energy above 3 kHz showed weak correlations. Since the spectral changes under 2 kHz have been associated with the jaw, lips, and tongue adjustments (i.e. vowel articulation) and a higher vertical laryngeal position might affect the frequency of all formants (including F1 and F2), our results suggest that vowel articulation and the laryngeal height may be relevant when performing twang-like voices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Castro
- Departamento de Fonoaudiología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department Speech and Language Pathology, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- PhD Program in Health Sciences and Engineering, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | | | - Justin Stoney
- New York Vocal Coaching Studio Inc, New York, NY, USA
| | - Camilo Quezada
- Departamento de Fonoaudiología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Anne-Maria Laukkanen
- Speech and Voice Research Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ma X, Shen W, Yang S, Wang F. The significance of extended high-frequency audiometry in tinnitus patients with normal hearing as evaluated via conventional pure tone audiometry. J Laryngol Otol 2024; 138:381-387. [PMID: 38148683 DOI: 10.1017/s0022215123000920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was designed to determine whether extended high-frequency audiometry was capable of better differentiating between participants with normal hearing who did or did not have subjective tinnitus. METHODS A total of 96 study participants were enrolled: 36 patients with unilateral tinnitus, 28 patients with bilateral tinnitus and 32 volunteers as controls. All 96 participants exhibited normal audiometry findings and hearing thresholds. Extended high-frequency audiometry was used to evaluate these patients. RESULTS There were differences between the extended high-frequency hearing thresholds of affected and unaffected ears in those with unilateral tinnitus, and in the 20-29-year-old bilateral tinnitus group, at 11.2, 12.5 and 14 kHz. Unilateral tinnitus subgroups had higher extended high-frequency hearing thresholds than those in control subjects, at all extended high frequencies. CONCLUSION Extended high-frequency audiometry can offer additional information regarding the hearing status of patients with tinnitus who exhibit normal pure tone thresholds when analysed via conventional hearing thresholds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Ma
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Senior Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, Beijing, China
- State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Beijing, China
| | - Weidong Shen
- Senior Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, Beijing, China
- State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Shiming Yang
- Senior Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, Beijing, China
- State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Fangyuan Wang
- Senior Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, Beijing, China
- State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Liu J, Stohl J, Overath T. Hidden hearing loss: Fifteen years at a glance. Hear Res 2024; 443:108967. [PMID: 38335624 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.108967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Hearing loss affects approximately 18% of the population worldwide. Hearing difficulties in noisy environments without accompanying audiometric threshold shifts likely affect an even larger percentage of the global population. One of the potential causes of hidden hearing loss is cochlear synaptopathy, the loss of synapses between inner hair cells (IHC) and auditory nerve fibers (ANF). These synapses are the most vulnerable structures in the cochlea to noise exposure or aging. The loss of synapses causes auditory deafferentation, i.e., the loss of auditory afferent information, whose downstream effect is the loss of information that is sent to higher-order auditory processing stages. Understanding the physiological and perceptual effects of this early auditory deafferentation might inform interventions to prevent later, more severe hearing loss. In the past decade, a large body of work has been devoted to better understand hidden hearing loss, including the causes of hidden hearing loss, their corresponding impact on the auditory pathway, and the use of auditory physiological measures for clinical diagnosis of auditory deafferentation. This review synthesizes the findings from studies in humans and animals to answer some of the key questions in the field, and it points to gaps in knowledge that warrant more investigation. Specifically, recent studies suggest that some electrophysiological measures have the potential to function as indicators of hidden hearing loss in humans, but more research is needed for these measures to be included as part of a clinical test battery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Liu
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
| | - Joshua Stohl
- North American Research Laboratory, MED-EL Corporation, Durham, USA
| | - Tobias Overath
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Schilder AGM, Wolpert S, Saeed S, Middelink LM, Edge ASB, Blackshaw H, Pastiadis K, Bibas AG. A phase I/IIa safety and efficacy trial of intratympanic gamma-secretase inhibitor as a regenerative drug treatment for sensorineural hearing loss. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1896. [PMID: 38429256 PMCID: PMC10907343 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45784-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of Notch signalling with a gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI) induces mammalian hair cell regeneration and partial hearing restoration. In this proof-of-concept Phase I/IIa multiple-ascending dose open-label trial (ISRCTN59733689), adults with mild-moderate sensorineural hearing loss received 3 intratympanic injections of GSI LY3056480, in 1 ear over 2 weeks. Phase I primary outcome was safety and tolerability. Phase lla primary outcome was change from baseline to 12 weeks in average pure-tone air conduction threshold across 2,4,8 kHz. Secondary outcomes included this outcome at 6 weeks and change from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks in pure-tone thresholds at individual frequencies, speech reception thresholds (SRTs), Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) amplitudes, Signal to Noise Ratios (SNRs) and distribution of categories normal, present-abnormal, absent and Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults/Elderly (HHIA/E). In Phase I (N = 15, 1 site) there were no severe nor serious adverse events. In Phase IIa (N = 44, 3 sites) the average pure-tone threshold across 2,4,8 kHz did not change from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks (estimated change -0.87 dB; 95% CI -2.37 to 0.63; P = 0.252 and -0.46 dB; 95% CI -1.94 to 1.03; P = 0.545, respectively), nor did the means of secondary measures. DPOAE amplitudes, SNRs and distribution of categories did not change from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks, nor did SRTs and HHIA/E scores. Intratympanic delivery of LY3056480 is safe and well-tolerated; the trial's primary endpoint was not met.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne G M Schilder
- National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, University College London Hospitals Trust, London, UK
| | - Stephan Wolpert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Shakeel Saeed
- National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, University College London Hospitals Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Albert S B Edge
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Helen Blackshaw
- National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kostas Pastiadis
- 1st Department of Otolaryngology, Hippocration Hospital Athens, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios G Bibas
- 1st Department of Otolaryngology, Hippocration Hospital Athens, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Buss E, Kane SG, Young KS, Gratzek CB, Bishop DM, Miller MK, Porter HL, Leibold LJ, Stecker GC, Monson BB. Effects of Stimulus Type on 16-kHz Detection Thresholds. Ear Hear 2024; 45:486-498. [PMID: 38178308 PMCID: PMC10922353 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Audiometric testing typically does not include frequencies above 8 kHz. However, recent research suggests that extended high-frequency (EHF) sensitivity could affect hearing in natural communication environments. Clinical assessment of hearing often employs pure tones and frequency-modulated (FM) tones interchangeably regardless of frequency. The present study was designed to evaluate how the stimulus chosen to measure EHF thresholds affects estimates of hearing sensitivity. DESIGN The first experiment used standard audiometric procedures to measure 8- and 16-kHz thresholds for 5- to 28-year olds with normal hearing in the standard audiometric range (250 to 8000 Hz). Stimuli were steady tones, pulsed tones, and FM tones. The second experiment tested 18- to 28-year olds with normal hearing in the standard audiometric range using psychophysical procedures to evaluate how changes in sensitivity as a function of frequency affect detection of stimuli that differ with respect to bandwidth, including bands of noise. Thresholds were measured using steady tones, pulsed tones, FM tones, narrow bands of noise, and one-third-octave bands of noise at a range of center frequencies in one ear. RESULTS In experiment 1, thresholds improved with increasing age at 8 kHz and worsened with increasing age at 16 kHz. Thresholds for individual participants were relatively similar for steady, pulsed, and FM tones at 8 kHz. At 16 kHz, mean thresholds were approximately 5 dB lower for FM tones than for steady or pulsed tones. This stimulus effect did not differ as a function of age. Experiment 2 replicated this greater stimulus effect at 16 kHz than at 8 kHz and showed that the slope of the audibility curve accounted for these effects. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to prior expectations, there was no evidence that the choice of stimulus type affected school-age children more than adults. For individual participants, audiometric thresholds at 16 kHz were as much as 20 dB lower for FM tones than for steady tones. Threshold differences across stimuli at 16 kHz were predicted by differences in audibility across frequency, which can vary markedly between listeners. These results highlight the importance of considering spectral width of the stimulus used to evaluate EHF thresholds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Buss
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stacey G. Kane
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Health Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kathryn S. Young
- Department of Health Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chloe B. Gratzek
- Department of Health Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Danielle M. Bishop
- Center for Hearing Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Margaret K. Miller
- Center for Hearing Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Heather L. Porter
- Center for Hearing Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Lori J. Leibold
- Center for Hearing Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | | | - Brian B. Monson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Saade M, Fernandez K, Little C, Schwam ZG, Cosetti M. Utility of Extended High-Frequency Audiograms in Clinical Practice. Laryngoscope 2024; 134:907-910. [PMID: 37497866 DOI: 10.1002/lary.30890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry elicits pure-tone thresholds at frequencies above 8 kHz, which are not included in routine clinical testing. This study explores the utility of EHF audiometry in patients with various audiologic symptoms despite normal-hearing thresholds at ≤8 kHz. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of all patients receiving conventional (250-8 kHz) and EHF (9-20 kHz) audiometry at a tertiary otological referral center between April 2021 and August 2022. Only patients with audiologic symptoms and pure-tone thresholds ≤25 dB HL at ≤8 kHz bilaterally on routine testing were included in subsequent analysis. EHF-PTA was defined for each ear as an average of the air conduction thresholds at 9.0, 10.0, 11.2, 12.5, 14.0, 16.0, 18.0, and 20.0 kHz. RESULTS Of the 50 patients who received EHF testing, 40 had audiologic symptoms and normal conventional audiograms at ≤8 kHz. Twenty-five of the 40 (62.5%) were found to have hearing loss in the highest frequencies. Patients with EHF hearing loss (EHF-HL) were more likely to report subjective hearing loss. Age was significantly greater in those with EHF-HL compared with those without EHF-HL, and age was positively correlated with the degree of EHF-HL. CONCLUSION EHF testing correlates with audiologic symptoms in patients with normal testing at ≤8 kHz and may be considered when standard audiometry is normal. Additional data are warranted to create an evidenced-based, clinical algorithm for EHF audiometry that can guide treatment, direct mitigation strategies, and potentially identify those at higher risk of hearing loss over time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 134:907-910, 2024.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mia Saade
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Karla Fernandez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christine Little
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zachary G Schwam
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maura Cosetti
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Sendesen E, Turkyilmaz D. WITHDRAWN: Listening handicap in tinnitus patients by controlling extended high frequencies - Effort or fatigue? Auris Nasus Larynx 2024; 51:198-205. [PMID: 37137796 DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2023.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This article has been withdrawn: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been withdrawn at the request of the editor and publisher. The publisher regrets that an error occurred which led to the premature publication of this paper. This error bears no reflection on the article or its authors. The publisher apologizes to the authors and the readers for this unfortunate error.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eser Sendesen
- Department of Audiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Kalnak N, Nakeva von Mentzer C. Listening and Processing Skills in Young School Children with a History of Developmental Phonological Disorder. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:359. [PMID: 38338244 PMCID: PMC10855919 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12030359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a lack of longitudinal studies on the broad-based outcomes in children with Developmental Phonological Disorder (DPD). The aim of this study was to investigate listening and processing skills in a clinical sample of 7-to-10-year-old children diagnosed with DPD in their preschool years and compare these to same-aged typically developing (TD) children. The Evaluation of Children's Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPS) was completed by parents of 115 children with DPD and by parents of 46 TD children. The total ECLiPS mean score, and the five subscale mean scores, the proportion of children with clinically significant difficulties (≤10th percentile), and the proportion of children with co-occurrence of clinically significant difficulties on more than one subscale, were calculated. Results showed that the ECLiPS mean scores did not differ between the groups. There was no difference between groups regarding language and literacy, but a higher proportion of children with DPD than TD had difficulties in the total score, speech, and auditory processing, environmental and auditory sensitivity, and pragmatic and social skills. In addition, 33.9% of children with DPD had clinically significant difficulties in two or more subscales compared to 10.9% of TD children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nelli Kalnak
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Helsingborg Hospital, 251 87 Helsingborg, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Nakeva von Mentzer
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden
- SpecEDL—Special Education, Development and Learning, Örebro University, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden
- Disability Research, Örebro University, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Çolak H, Aydemir BE, Sakarya MD, Çakmak E, Alniaçik A, Türkyilmaz MD. Subcortical Auditory Processing and Speech Perception in Noise Among Individuals With and Without Extended High-Frequency Hearing Loss. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:221-231. [PMID: 37956878 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The significance of extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing (> 8 kHz) is not well understood so far. In this study, we aimed to understand the relationship between EHF hearing loss (EHFHL) and speech perception in noise (SPIN) and the associated physiological signatures using the speech-evoked frequency-following response (sFFR). METHOD Sixteen young adults with EHFHL and 16 age- and sex-matched individuals with normal hearing participated in the study. SPIN performance in right speech-right noise, left speech-left noise, and binaural listening conditions was evaluated using the Turkish Matrix Test. Additionally, subcortical auditory processing was assessed by recording sFFRs elicited by 40-ms /da/ stimuli. RESULTS Individuals with EHFHL demonstrated poorer SPIN performances in all listening conditions (p < .01). Longer latencies were observed in the V (onset) and O (offset) peaks in these individuals (p ≤ .01). However, only the V/A peak amplitude was found to be significantly reduced in individuals with EHFHL (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the importance of EHF hearing and suggest that EHF hearing should be considered among the key elements in SPIN. Individuals with EHFHL show a tendency toward weaker subcortical auditory processing, which likely contributes to their poorer SPIN performance. Thus, routine assessment of EHF hearing should be implemented in clinical settings, alongside the evaluation of standard audiometric frequencies (0.25-8 kHz).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Çolak
- Department of Audiology, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Audiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | | | - Eda Çakmak
- Department of Audiology, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Wertz J, Rüttiger L, Bender B, Klose U, Stark RS, Dapper K, Saemisch J, Braun C, Singer W, Dalhoff E, Bader K, Wolpert SM, Knipper M, Munk MHJ. Differential cortical activation patterns: pioneering sub-classification of tinnitus with and without hyperacusis by combining audiometry, gamma oscillations, and hemodynamics. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1232446. [PMID: 38239827 PMCID: PMC10794389 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1232446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The ongoing controversies about the neural basis of tinnitus, whether linked with central neural gain or not, may hamper efforts to develop therapies. We asked to what extent measurable audiometric characteristics of tinnitus without (T) or with co-occurrence of hyperacusis (TH) are distinguishable on the level of cortical responses. To accomplish this, electroencephalography (EEG) and concurrent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) were measured while patients performed an attentionally demanding auditory discrimination task using stimuli within the individual tinnitus frequency (fTin) and a reference frequency (fRef). Resting-state-fMRI-based functional connectivity (rs-fMRI-bfc) in ascending auditory nuclei (AAN), the primary auditory cortex (AC-I), and four other regions relevant for directing attention or regulating distress in temporal, parietal, and prefrontal cortex was compiled and compared to EEG and concurrent fNIRS activity in the same brain areas. We observed no group differences in pure-tone audiometry (PTA) between 10 and 16 kHz. However, the PTA threshold around the tinnitus pitch was positively correlated with the self-rated tinnitus loudness and also correlated with distress in T-groups, while TH experienced their tinnitus loudness at minimal loudness levels already with maximal suffering scores. The T-group exhibited prolonged auditory brain stem (ABR) wave I latency and reduced ABR wave V amplitudes (indicating reduced neural synchrony in the brainstem), which were associated with lower rs-fMRI-bfc between AAN and the AC-I, as observed in previous studies. In T-subjects, these features were linked with elevated spontaneous and reduced evoked gamma oscillations and with reduced deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb) concentrations in response to stimulation with lower frequencies in temporal cortex (Brodmann area (BA) 41, 42, 22), implying less synchronous auditory responses during active auditory discrimination of reference frequencies. In contrast, in the TH-group gamma oscillations and hemodynamic responses in temporoparietal regions were reversed during active discrimination of tinnitus frequencies. Our findings suggest that T and TH differ in auditory discrimination and memory-dependent directed attention during active discrimination at either tinnitus or reference frequencies, offering a test paradigm that may allow for more precise sub-classification of tinnitus and future improved treatment approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Wertz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Bender
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Uwe Klose
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert S. Stark
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Konrad Dapper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jörg Saemisch
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ernst Dalhoff
- Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Bader
- Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan M. Wolpert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias H. J. Munk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sendesen E, Kılıç S, Erbil N, Aydın Ö, Turkyilmaz D. An Exploratory Study of the Effect of Tinnitus on Listening Effort Using EEG and Pupillometry. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2023; 169:1259-1267. [PMID: 37172313 DOI: 10.1002/ohn.367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous behavioral studies on listening effort in tinnitus patients did not consider extended high-frequency hearing thresholds and had conflicting results. This inconsistency may be related that listening effort is not evaluated by the central nervous system (CNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS), which are directly related to tinnitus pathophysiology. This study matches hearing thresholds at all frequencies, including the extended high-frequency and reduces hearing loss to objectively evaluate listening effort over the CNS and ANS simultaneously in tinnitus patients. STUDY DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING University hospital. METHODS Sixteen chronic tinnitus patients and 23 matched healthy controls having normal pure-tone averages with symmetrical hearing thresholds were included. Subjects were evaluated with 0.125 to 20 kHz pure-tone audiometry, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), electroencephalography (EEG), and pupillometry. RESULTS Pupil dilation and EEG alpha band in the "coding" phase of the sentence presented in tinnitus patients was less than in the control group (p < .05). VAS score was higher in the tinnitus group (p < .01). Also, there was no statistically significant relationship between EEG and pupillometry components and THI or MoCA (p > .05). CONCLUSION This study suggests that tinnitus patients may need to make an extra effort to listen. Also, pupillometry may not be sufficiently reliable to assess listening effort in ANS-related pathologies. Considering the possible listening difficulties in tinnitus patients, reducing the listening difficulties, especially in noisy environments, can be added to the goals of tinnitus therapy protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eser Sendesen
- Department of Audiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Samet Kılıç
- Department of Audiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nurhan Erbil
- Department of Biophysics, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Özgür Aydın
- Department of Biophysics, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Jacewicz E, Alexander JM, Fox RA. Introduction to the special issue on perception and production of sounds in the high-frequency range of human speecha). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:3168-3172. [PMID: 37966331 DOI: 10.1121/10.0022496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
The frequency range audible to humans can extend from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but only a portion of this range-the lower end up to 8 kHz-has been systematically explored because extended high-frequency (EHF) information above this low range has been considered unnecessary for speech comprehension. This special issue presents a collection of research studies exploring the presence of EHF information in the acoustic signal and its perceptual utility. The papers address the role of EHF hearing in auditory perception, the impact of EHF hearing loss on speech perception in specific populations and occupational settings, the importance of EHF in speech recognition and in providing speaker-related information, the utility of acoustic EHF energy in fricative sounds, and ultrasonic vocalizations in mice in relation to human hearing. Collectively, the research findings offer new insights and converge in showing that not only is EHF energy present in the speech spectrum, but listeners can utilize EHF cues in speech processing and recognition, and EHF hearing loss has detrimental effects on perception of speech and non-speech sounds. Together, this collection challenges the conventional notion that EHF information has minimal functional significance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Jacewicz
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Joshua M Alexander
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Robert A Fox
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Waechter S, Brännström KJ. Magnitude of extended high frequency hearing loss associated with auditory related tinnitus distress, when controlling for magnitude of hearing loss at standard frequenciesa). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:2821-2827. [PMID: 37921455 DOI: 10.1121/10.0022255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Impaired thresholds at extended high frequencies (EHF) are tightly linked to the prevalence of tinnitus, but little is known about how EHF status relates to tinnitus characteristics. In the present study, 93 individuals with tinnitus underwent standard (from 0.125 to 8 kHz) and EHF (from 10 to 16 kHz) audiometry and indicated their degree of tinnitus distress by completing the tinnitus functional index and their perceived tinnitus loudness by using a numeric rating scale. Partial correlation analyses indicated that the magnitude of EHF loss was significantly associated with degree of auditory related tinnitus distress (r = 0.343, p < 0.001) when controlling for pure tone average at standard frequencies and compensating for multiple testing. It is concluded that EHF status is related specifically to auditory related tinnitus distress, but not to intrusive-, sense of control-, cognitive-, sleep-, relaxation-, quality of life-, emotional-related tinnitus distress, total tinnitus distress, or perceived tinnitus loudness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Waechter
- Department of Clinical Science Lund, Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - K Jonas Brännström
- Department of Clinical Science Lund, Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Balan JR, Rodrigo H, Saxena U, Mishra SK. Explainable machine learning reveals the relationship between hearing thresholds and speech-in-noise recognition in listeners with normal audiograms. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:2278-2288. [PMID: 37823779 DOI: 10.1121/10.0021303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Some individuals complain of listening-in-noise difficulty despite having a normal audiogram. In this study, machine learning is applied to examine the extent to which hearing thresholds can predict speech-in-noise recognition among normal-hearing individuals. The specific goals were to (1) compare the performance of one standard (GAM, generalized additive model) and four machine learning models (ANN, artificial neural network; DNN, deep neural network; RF, random forest; XGBoost; eXtreme gradient boosting), and (2) examine the relative contribution of individual audiometric frequencies and demographic variables in predicting speech-in-noise recognition. Archival data included thresholds (0.25-16 kHz) and speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) from listeners with clinically normal audiograms (n = 764 participants or 1528 ears; age, 4-38 years old). Among the machine learning models, XGBoost performed significantly better than other methods (mean absolute error; MAE = 1.62 dB). ANN and RF yielded similar performances (MAE = 1.68 and 1.67 dB, respectively), whereas, surprisingly, DNN showed relatively poorer performance (MAE = 1.94 dB). The MAE for GAM was 1.61 dB. SHapley Additive exPlanations revealed that age, thresholds at 16 kHz, 12.5 kHz, etc., on the order of importance, contributed to SRT. These results suggest the importance of hearing in the extended high frequencies for predicting speech-in-noise recognition in listeners with normal audiograms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jithin Raj Balan
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Hansapani Rodrigo
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas 78539, USA
| | - Udit Saxena
- Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society, Medical College and Hospital, Ahmedabad, 380060, India
| | - Srikanta K Mishra
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Bhatt IS, Ramadugu SK, Goodman S, Bhagavan SG, Ingalls V, Dias R, Torkamani A. Polygenic Risk Score-Based Association Analysis of Speech-in-Noise and Hearing Threshold Measures in Healthy Young Adults with Self-reported Normal Hearing. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2023; 24:513-525. [PMID: 37783963 PMCID: PMC10695896 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-023-00911-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Speech-in-noise (SIN) traits exhibit high inter-subject variability, even for healthy young adults reporting normal hearing. Emerging evidence suggests that genetic variability could influence inter-subject variability in SIN traits. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered the polygenic architecture of various adult-onset complex human conditions. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) summarize complex genetic susceptibility to quantify the degree of genetic risk for health conditions. The present study conducted PRS-based association analyses to identify PRS risk factors for SIN and hearing threshold measures in 255 healthy young adults (18-40 years) with self-reported normal hearing. METHODS Self-reported SIN perception abilities were assessed by the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12). QuickSIN and audiometry (0.25-16 kHz) were performed on 218 participants. Saliva-derived DNA was used for low-pass whole genome sequencing, and 2620 PRS variables for various traits were calculated using the models derived from the polygenic risk score (PGS) catalog. The regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors for SSQ12, QuickSIN, and better ear puretone averages at conventional (PTA0.5-2), high (PTA4-8), and extended-high (PTA12.5-16) frequency ranges. RESULTS Participants with a higher genetic predisposition to HDL cholesterol reported better SSQ12. Participants with high PRS to dementia revealed significantly elevated PTA4-8, and those with high PRS to atrial fibrillation and flutter revealed significantly elevated PTA12.5-16. CONCLUSION These results indicate that healthy individuals with polygenic risk of certain health conditions could exhibit a subclinical decline in hearing health measures at young ages, decades before clinically meaningful SIN deficits and hearing loss could be observed. PRS could be used to identify high-risk individuals to prevent hearing health conditions by promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ishan Sunilkumar Bhatt
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Sai Kumar Ramadugu
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Shawn Goodman
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Srividya Grama Bhagavan
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Valerie Ingalls
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Raquel Dias
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Ali Torkamani
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Science Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Roup CM, Ferguson SD, Lander D. The relationship between extended high-frequency hearing and the binaural spatial advantage in young to middle-aged firefightersa). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:2055-2059. [PMID: 37782123 DOI: 10.1121/10.0021172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Relationships between extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds and speech-in-spatialized noise were examined in firefighters with a history of occupational noise and airborne toxin exposure. Speech recognition thresholds were measured for co-located and spatially separated (±90° azimuth) sentences in a competing signal using the Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences test. EHF hearing was significantly correlated with the spatial advantage, indicating that firefighters with poorer EHF thresholds experienced less benefit from spatial separation. The correlation between EHF thresholds and spatial hearing remained significant after controlling for age. Deficits in EHF and spatial hearing suggest firefighters may experience compromised speech understanding in job-related complex acoustic environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Roup
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 1070 Carmack Road, 110 Pressey Hall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Sarah D Ferguson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 1070 Carmack Road, 110 Pressey Hall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Devan Lander
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 1070 Carmack Road, 110 Pressey Hall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jacewicz E, Fox RA, Holt CE. Dialect and gender perception in relation to the intelligibility of low-pass and high-pass filtered spontaneous speecha). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:1667-1683. [PMID: 37702431 PMCID: PMC10501805 DOI: 10.1121/10.0020906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Most cues to speech intelligibility are within a narrow frequency range, with its upper limit not exceeding 4 kHz. It is still unclear whether speaker-related (indexical) information is available past this limit or how speaker characteristics are distributed at frequencies within and outside the intelligibility range. Using low-pass and high-pass filtering, we examined the perceptual salience of dialect and gender cues in both intelligible and unintelligible speech. Setting the upper frequency limit at 11 kHz, spontaneously produced unique utterances (n = 400) from 40 speakers were high-pass filtered with frequency cutoffs from 0.7 to 5.56 kHz and presented to listeners for dialect and gender identification and intelligibility evaluation. The same material and experimental procedures were used to probe perception of low-pass filtered and unmodified speech with cutoffs from 0.5 to 1.1 kHz. Applying statistical signal detection theory analyses, we found that cues to gender were well preserved at low and high frequencies and did not depend on intelligibility, and the redundancy of gender cues at higher frequencies reduced response bias. Cues to dialect were relatively strong at low and high frequencies; however, most were in intelligible speech, modulated by a differential intelligibility advantage of male and female speakers at low and high frequencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Jacewicz
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Robert A Fox
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Christopher E Holt
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kharlamov V, Brenner D, Tucker BV. Examining the effect of high-frequency information on the classification of conversationally produced English fricativesa). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:1896-1902. [PMID: 37756577 DOI: 10.1121/10.0021067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
This study examines the role of frequencies above 8 kHz in the classification of conversational speech fricatives [f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, h] in random forest modeling. Prior research has mostly focused on spectral measures for fricative categorization using frequency information below 8 kHz. The contribution of higher frequencies has received only limited attention, especially for non-laboratory speech. In the present study, we use a corpus of sociolinguistic interview recordings from Western Canadian English sampled at 44.1 and 16 kHz. For both sampling rates, we analyze spectral measures obtained using Fourier analysis and the multitaper method, and we also compare models without and with amplitudinal measures. Results show that while frequency information above 8 kHz does not improve classification accuracy in random forest analyses, inclusion of such frequencies can affect the relative importance of specific measures. This includes a decreased contribution of center of gravity and an increased contribution of spectral standard deviation for the higher sampling rate. We also find no major differences in classification accuracy between Fourier and multitaper measures. The inclusion of power measures improves model accuracy but does not change the overall importance of spectral measures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Kharlamov
- Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, USA
| | | | - Benjamin V Tucker
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Shadle CH, Chen WR, Koenig LL, Preston JL. Refining and extending measures for fricative spectra, with special attention to the high-frequency rangea). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:1932-1944. [PMID: 37768114 PMCID: PMC10540850 DOI: 10.1121/10.0021075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Fricatives have noise sources that are filtered by the vocal tract and that typically possess energy over a much broader range of frequencies than observed for vowels and sonorant consonants. This paper introduces and refines fricative measurements that were designed to reflect underlying articulatory and aerodynamic conditions These show differences in the pattern of high-frequency energy for sibilants vs non-sibilants, voiced vs voiceless fricatives, and non-sibilants differing in place of articulation. The results confirm the utility of a spectral peak measure (FM) and low-mid frequency amplitude difference (AmpD) for sibilants. Using a higher-frequency range for defining FM for female voices for alveolars is justified; a still higher range was considered and rejected. High-frequency maximum amplitude (Fh) and amplitude difference between low- and higher-frequency regions (AmpRange) capture /f-θ/ differences in English and the dynamic amplitude range over the entire spectrum. For this dataset, with spectral information up to 15 kHz, a new measure, HighLevelD, was more effective than previously used LevelD and Slope in showing changes over time within the frication. Finally, isolated words and connected speech differ. This work contributes improved measures of fricative spectra and demonstrates the necessity of including high-frequency energy in those measures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine H Shadle
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06519, USA
| | - Wei-Rong Chen
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06519, USA
| | - Laura L Koenig
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06519, USA
| | - Jonathan L Preston
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Hamza Y, Farhadi A, Schwarz DM, McDonough JM, Carney LH. Representations of fricatives in subcortical model responses: Comparisons with human consonant perception. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:602-618. [PMID: 37535429 PMCID: PMC10550336 DOI: 10.1121/10.0020536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Fricatives are obstruent sound contrasts made by airflow constrictions in the vocal tract that produce turbulence across the constriction or at a site downstream from the constriction. Fricatives exhibit significant intra/intersubject and contextual variability. Yet, fricatives are perceived with high accuracy. The current study investigated modeled neural responses to fricatives in the auditory nerve (AN) and inferior colliculus (IC) with the hypothesis that response profiles across populations of neurons provide robust correlates to consonant perception. Stimuli were 270 intervocalic fricatives (10 speakers × 9 fricatives × 3 utterances). Computational model response profiles had characteristic frequencies that were log-spaced from 125 Hz to 8 or 20 kHz to explore the impact of high-frequency responses. Confusion matrices generated by k-nearest-neighbor subspace classifiers were based on the profiles of average rates across characteristic frequencies as feature vectors. Model confusion matrices were compared with published behavioral data. The modeled AN and IC neural responses provided better predictions of behavioral accuracy than the stimulus spectra, and IC showed better accuracy than AN. Behavioral fricative accuracy was explained by modeled neural response profiles, whereas confusions were only partially explained. Extended frequencies improved accuracy based on the model IC, corroborating the importance of extended high frequencies in speech perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasmeen Hamza
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Afagh Farhadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Douglas M Schwarz
- Depts. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Joyce M McDonough
- Department of Linguistics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Laurel H Carney
- Depts. of Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Koerner TK, Gallun FJ. Speech understanding and extended high-frequency hearing sensitivity in blast-exposed veteransa). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:379-387. [PMID: 37462921 DOI: 10.1121/10.0020174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Auditory difficulties reported by normal-hearing Veterans with a history of blast exposure are primarily thought to stem from processing deficits in the central nervous system. However, previous work on speech understanding in noise difficulties in this patient population have only considered peripheral hearing thresholds in the standard audiometric range. Recent research suggests that variability in extended high-frequency (EHF; >8 kHz) hearing sensitivity may contribute to speech understanding deficits in normal-hearing individuals. Therefore, this work was designed to identify the effects of blast exposure on several common clinical speech understanding measures and EHF hearing sensitivity. This work also aimed to determine whether variability in EHF hearing sensitivity contributes to speech understanding difficulties in normal-hearing blast-exposed Veterans. Data from 41 normal- or near-normal-hearing Veterans with a history of blast exposure and 31 normal- or near-normal-hearing control participants with no history of head injury were employed in this study. Analysis identified an effect of blast exposure on several speech understanding measures but showed no statistically significant differences in EHF thresholds between participant groups. Data showed that variability in EHF hearing sensitivity did not contribute to group-related differences in speech understanding, although study limitations impact interpretation of these results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tess K Koerner
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR & D), National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Frederick J Gallun
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR & D), National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Monson BB, Ananthanarayana RM, Trine A, Delaram V, Christopher Stecker G, Buss E. Differential benefits of unmasking extended high-frequency content of target or background speech. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:454-462. [PMID: 37489913 PMCID: PMC10371353 DOI: 10.1121/10.0020175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Current evidence supports the contribution of extended high frequencies (EHFs; >8 kHz) to speech recognition, especially for speech-in-speech scenarios. However, it is unclear whether the benefit of EHFs is due to phonetic information in the EHF band, EHF cues to access phonetic information at lower frequencies, talker segregation cues, or some other mechanism. This study investigated the mechanisms of benefit derived from a mismatch in EHF content between target and masker talkers for speech-in-speech recognition. EHF mismatches were generated using full band (FB) speech and speech low-pass filtered at 8 kHz. Four filtering combinations with independently filtered target and masker speech were used to create two EHF-matched and two EHF-mismatched conditions for one- and two-talker maskers. Performance was best with the FB target and the low-pass masker in both one- and two-talker masker conditions, but the effect was larger for the two-talker masker. No benefit of an EHF mismatch was observed for the low-pass filtered target. A word-by-word analysis indicated higher recognition odds with increasing EHF energy level in the target word. These findings suggest that the audibility of target EHFs provides target phonetic information or target segregation and selective attention cues, but that the audibility of masker EHFs does not confer any segregation benefit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian B Monson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
| | - Rohit M Ananthanarayana
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
| | - Allison Trine
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
| | - Vahid Delaram
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
| | - G Christopher Stecker
- Spatial Hearing Laboratory, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Emily Buss
- Department of Otolaryngology/HNS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Bell A, Jedrzejczak WW. Cooling the Cochlea: Slowing Down Metabolism May Be a Way of Protecting Hearing from Surgical Trauma. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:1187. [PMID: 37511999 PMCID: PMC10383704 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59071187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: This narrative review of the literature explores the effect of body temperature on hearing. In particular, its focus is on extended high frequency (EHF) hearing-the range beyond the standard audiometric limit of 8 kHz. Such high frequencies are the first to be affected by noise-induced hearing loss, and so monitoring them can provide an early warning sign of incipient damage. Materials and Methods: This review builds on a personal literature database of 216 references covering the general topic of EHF hearing; the procedure was to then identify papers related to whole-body or cochlear cooling. A starting point was the paper by Munjal et al. who in 2013 reported changes of up to 15-30 dB in the EHF thresholds of subjects who had undergone cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) surgery, which typically involves mild to moderate hypothermia-cooling of the blood-to reduce cellular oxygen demand and minimise tissue damage. Results: Reviewing the surrounding literature, we find that although CBP surgery by itself can impair hearing thresholds, lower body and cochlear temperatures in general provide neuroprotective effects. A connection between hearing loss and CBP surgery has been periodically documented, but the mechanism behind it has yet to be conclusively identified. Conclusions: The observations reviewed here tend to confirm the otoprotective effects of cooling. We consider that the high sensitivity of EHF thresholds to temperature is a major factor that has not been sufficiently recognised, although it has important implications for otological research and practice. Two important inferences are that, first, monitoring EHF thresholds might have considerable value in audiology, and, second, that lowering temperature of the cochlea during cochlear implantation might provide substantially better hearing preservation, as some researchers have already suggested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Bell
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - W Wiktor Jedrzejczak
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, ul. Mochnackiego 10, 02-042 Warsaw, Poland
- World Hearing Centre, ul. Mokra 17, 05-830 Kajetany, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Xu S, Hou C, Han X, Hu Y, Yang H, Shang Y, Chen W, Zeng Y, Ying Z, Sun Y, Qu Y, Lu Y, Fang F, Valdimarsdóttir UA, Song H. Adverse health consequences of undiagnosed hearing loss at middle age: A prospective cohort study with the UK Biobank. Maturitas 2023; 174:30-38. [PMID: 37243993 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hearing impairment is common in the middle-aged population but remains largely undiagnosed and untreated. The knowledge about to what extent and how hearing impairment matters for health is currently lacking. Thus, we aimed to comprehensively examine the adverse health consequences as well as the comorbidity patterns of undiagnosed hearing loss. STUDY DESIGN Based on the prospective cohort of the UK Biobank, we included 14,620 individuals (median age 61 years) with audiometry-determined (i.e., speech-in-noise test) objective hearing loss and 38,479 individuals with subjective hearing loss (i.e., tested negative but with self-reported hearing problems; median age 58 years) at recruitment (2006-2010), together with 29,240 and 38,479 matched unexposed individuals respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Cox regression was used to determine the associations of both hearing-loss exposures with the risk of 499 medical conditions and 14 cause-specific deaths, adjusting for ethnicity, annual household income, smoking and alcohol intake, exposure to working noise, and BMI. Comorbidity patterns following both exposures were visualized by comorbidity modules (i.e., sets of connected diseases) identified in the comorbidity network analyses. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 9 years, 28 medical conditions and mortality related to nervous system disease showed significant associations with prior objective hearing loss. Subsequently, the comorbidity network identified four comorbidity modules (i.e., neurodegenerative, respiratory, psychiatric, and cardiometabolic diseases), with the most pronounced association noted for the module related to neurodegenerative diseases (meta-hazard ratio [HR] = 2.00, 95%confidence interval [CI] 1.67-2.39). For subjective hearing loss, we found 57 associated medical conditions, which were partitioned into four modules (i.e., diseases related to the digestive, psychiatric, inflammatory, and cardiometabolic systems), with meta-HRs varying from 1.17 to 1.25. CONCLUSIONS Undiagnosed hearing loss captured by screening could identify individuals with at greater risk of multiple adverse health consequences, highlighting the importance of screening for speech-in-noise hearing impairment in the middle-aged population, for potential early diagnosis and intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shishi Xu
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Can Hou
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Han
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao Hu
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huazhen Yang
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanan Shang
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenwen Chen
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Zeng
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiye Ying
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yajing Sun
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanyuan Qu
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Lu
- Institute of Rare Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fang Fang
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Unnur A Valdimarsdóttir
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Huan Song
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Center of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Mishra SK, Fu QJ, Galvin JJ, Galindo A. Suprathreshold auditory processes in listeners with normal audiograms but extended high-frequency hearing lossa). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:2745. [PMID: 37133816 DOI: 10.1121/10.0019337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Hearing loss in the extended high-frequency (EHF) range (>8 kHz) is widespread among young normal-hearing adults and could have perceptual consequences such as difficulty understanding speech in noise. However, it is unclear how EHF hearing loss might affect basic psychoacoustic processes. The hypothesis that EHF hearing loss is associated with poorer auditory resolution in the standard frequencies was tested. Temporal resolution was characterized by amplitude modulation detection thresholds (AMDTs), and spectral resolution was characterized by frequency change detection thresholds (FCDTs). AMDTs and FCDTs were measured in adults with or without EHF loss but with normal clinical audiograms. AMDTs were measured with 0.5- and 4-kHz carrier frequencies; similarly, FCDTs were measured for 0.5- and 4-kHz base frequencies. AMDTs were significantly higher with the 4 kHz than the 0.5 kHz carrier, but there was no significant effect of EHF loss. There was no significant effect of EHF loss on FCDTs at 0.5 kHz; however, FCDTs were significantly higher at 4 kHz for listeners with than without EHF loss. This suggests that some aspects of auditory resolution in the standard audiometric frequency range may be compromised in listeners with EHF hearing loss despite having a normal audiogram.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta K Mishra
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Qian-Jie Fu
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - John J Galvin
- House Institute Foundation, Los Angeles, California 90075, USA
| | - Andrea Galindo
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas 78539, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Pauli N, Sunnergren O, Florentzson R. High frequency hearing 25 years after transmyringeal ventilation tube treatment. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2023; 167:111509. [PMID: 36907111 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The main aim of the study was to compare hearing outcome between a healthy control group and patients treated with transmyringeal ventilation tubes, 25 years after primary surgery. Another aim was to analyse the relation between ventilation tube treatment in childhood and the occurrence of persistent middle ear pathology 25 years later. METHODS In 1996, children treated with transmyringeal ventilation tubes were recruited for a prospective study on the outcome of ventilation tube treatment. In 2006, a healthy control group were recruited and examined together with the original participants (case group). All participants in the 2006 follow-up were eligible for this study. A clinical ear microscopy examination including eardrum pathology grading and high frequency audiometry (10-16 kHz) was carried out. RESULTS A total of 52 participants were available for analysis. Hearing outcome was worse in the treatment group (n = 29) compared to the control group (n = 29), both in regard to standard frequency range hearing, (0.5-4 kHz), and high frequency hearing (HPTA3 10-16 kHz). Almost half the case group (48%) had eardrum retraction to some extent, compared to 10% in the control group. No case of cholesteatoma was found in this study and eardrum perforation was rare (<2%). CONCLUSION In the long term, high frequency hearing (HPTA3 10-16 kHz) was more often affected in the patients with transmyringeal ventilation tube treatment during childhood compared with the healthy controls. Middle ear pathology of greater clinical significance was rare.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Pauli
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Ola Sunnergren
- Region Jönköping County, Ryhov Hospital, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Rut Florentzson
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Remenschneider AK, Cheng JT, Herrmann BS, Rosowski JJ. Characterization and Clinical Use of Bone Conduction Transducers at Extended High Frequencies. Hear Res 2023; 429:108688. [PMID: 36628803 PMCID: PMC9953386 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Measurement of bone conduction (BC) hearing thresholds at extended high frequencies (EHF; above 8 kHz) is of clinical interest but is technically complicated by limitations in standard BC transducer output, a lack of calibration standards and sparse clinical data from human subjects. A recently described calibration scheme using an artificial mastoid and interposed accelerometer is applied in this study to characterize and compare acceleration and computed force outputs over the 4-20 kHz range of two standard BC transducers: the RadioEar® B71 and B81, as well as two non-standard, commercially available BC transducers: the Tascam® HP-F200 and the Aftershokz® AS400. Measures of linear output growth, harmonic distortion and acoustic radiation are assessed and compared across devices. A maximum linear input voltage is established for each BC transducer using measurements of linear output growth and total harmonic distortion. At maximum linear input level, the Tascam shows superior force output by 25 to 40 dB above 8 kHz and the widest dynamic EHF range. Acoustic radiation per output force was lowest for the Tascam, whereas the AS400 behaved more like an air conduction earphone than a force generator. In a cohort of 15 normal hearing volunteers, BC thresholds, measured with the Tascam and reported in dB re 1 rms μN, were consistent with historical measures of EHF BC thresholds in similar subjects using an alternative BC transducer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron K Remenschneider
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Tao Cheng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Barbara S Herrmann
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - John J Rosowski
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Monson BB, Trine A. Extending the High-Frequency Bandwidth and Predicting Speech-in-Noise Recognition: Building on the Work of Pat Stelmachowicz. Semin Hear 2023; 44:S64-S74. [PMID: 36970650 PMCID: PMC10033195 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1764133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent work has demonstrated that high-frequency (>6 kHz) and extended high-frequency (EHF; >8 kHz) hearing is valuable for speech-in-noise recognition. Several studies also indicate that EHF pure-tone thresholds predict speech-in-noise performance. These findings contradict the broadly accepted "speech bandwidth" that has historically been limited to below 8 kHz. This growing body of work is a tribute to the work of Pat Stelmachowicz, whose research was instrumental in revealing the limitations of the prior speech bandwidth work, particularly for female talkers and child listeners. Here, we provide a historical review that demonstrates how the work of Stelmachowicz and her colleagues paved the way for subsequent research to measure effects of extended bandwidths and EHF hearing. We also present a reanalysis of previous data collected in our lab, the results of which suggest that 16-kHz pure-tone thresholds are consistent predictors of speech-in-noise performance, regardless of whether EHF cues are present in the speech signal. Based on the work of Stelmachowicz, her colleagues, and those who have come afterward, we argue that it is time to retire the notion of a limited speech bandwidth for speech perception for both children and adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian B. Monson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, Illinois
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
| | - Allison Trine
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Le Prell CG, Clavier OH, Bao J. Noise-induced hearing disorders: Clinical and investigational tools. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:711. [PMID: 36732240 PMCID: PMC9889121 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A series of articles discussing advanced diagnostics that can be used to assess noise injury and associated noise-induced hearing disorders (NIHD) was developed under the umbrella of the United States Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence Pharmaceutical Interventions for Hearing Loss working group. The overarching goals of the current series were to provide insight into (1) well-established and more recently developed metrics that are sensitive for detection of cochlear pathology or diagnosis of NIHD, and (2) the tools that are available for characterizing individual noise hazard as personal exposure will vary based on distance to the sound source and placement of hearing protection devices. In addition to discussing the utility of advanced diagnostics in patient care settings, the current articles discuss the selection of outcomes and end points that can be considered for use in clinical trials investigating hearing loss prevention and hearing rehabilitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen G Le Prell
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Science, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
| | | | - Jianxin Bao
- Gateway Biotechnology Inc., St. Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Surveillance for ototoxicity in platinum-based chemotherapy using mobile health audiometry with extended high frequencies. J Laryngol Otol 2023; 137:61-67. [PMID: 35611593 PMCID: PMC9834705 DOI: 10.1017/s0022215122001281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated mobile health enabled surveillance in ototoxicity. METHOD This was a longitudinal study of 32 participants receiving chemotherapy. Baseline and exit audiograms that included conventional and extended high frequency audiometry were recorded within the patient's treatment venue using a validated mobile health audiometer. RESULTS Average hearing thresholds at baseline were within the normal range (81.2 per cent left; 93.8 per cent right), reducing at exit testing (71.9 per cent left; 78.1 per cent right). Half of participants presented with a threshold shift according to ototoxicity monitoring criteria. The frequencies affected the most were between 4000 and 16 000 Hz, with left ears significantly more affected than right ears. Noise levels exceeded the maximum permissible ambient noise levels in up to 43.8 per cent of low frequencies (250-1000 Hz). CONCLUSION Mobile health supported audiometry proved to be an efficacious tool for ototoxicity monitoring at the treatment venue. Changes in hearing ability over time could be tracked, improving surveillance in patients with full treatment schedules.
Collapse
|
39
|
Shehabi AM, Prendergast G, Guest H, Plack CJ. Binaural temporal coding and the middle ear muscle reflex in audiometrically normal young adults. Hear Res 2023; 427:108663. [PMID: 36502543 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Noise exposure may damage the synapses that connect inner hair cells with auditory nerve fibers, before outer hair cells are lost. In humans, this cochlear synaptopathy (CS) is thought to decrease the fidelity of peripheral auditory temporal coding. In the current study, the primary hypothesis was that higher middle ear muscle reflex (MEMR) thresholds, as a proxy measure of CS, would be associated with smaller values of the binaural intelligibility level difference (BILD). The BILD, which is a measure of binaural temporal coding, is defined here as the difference in thresholds between the diotic and the antiphasic versions of the digits in noise (DIN) test. This DIN BILD may control for factors unrelated to binaural temporal coding such as linguistic, central auditory, and cognitive factors. Fifty-six audiometrically normal adults (34 females) aged 18 - 30 were tested. The test battery included standard pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, MEMR using a 2 kHz elicitor and 226 Hz and 1 kHz probes, the Noise Exposure Structured Interview, forward digit span test, extended high frequency (EHF) audiometry, and diotic and antiphasic DIN tests. The study protocol was pre-registered prior to data collection. MEMR thresholds did not predict the DIN BILD. Secondary analyses showed no association between MEMR thresholds and the individual diotic and antiphasic DIN thresholds. Greater lifetime noise exposure was non-significantly associated with higher MEMR thresholds, larger DIN BILD values, and lower (better) antiphasic DIN thresholds, but not with diotic DIN thresholds, nor with EHF thresholds. EHF thresholds were associated with neither MEMR thresholds nor any of the DIN outcomes, including the DIN BILD. Results provide no evidence that young, audiometrically normal people incur CS with impacts on binaural temporal processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adnan M Shehabi
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, UK; Department of Audiology and Speech Therapy, Birzeit University, Palestine.
| | | | - Hannah Guest
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Christopher J Plack
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, UK; Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, UK
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Saxena U, Mishra SK, Rodrigo H, Choudhury M. Functional consequences of extended high frequency hearing impairment: Evidence from the speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing scale. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:2946. [PMID: 36456291 DOI: 10.1121/10.0015200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hearing loss in the extended high frequencies, despite a normal audiogram, could affect speech-in-noise recognition. However, it is not known if extended high frequency (EHF) hearing loss is associated with everyday listening and communication deficits. The present study aimed to determine the functional effects of impaired EHF hearing among adults using the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ). A secondary objective was to evaluate the relationship between objective (speech-in-noise recognition) and subjective (SSQ) measures of hearing function. Listeners with EHF hearing loss provided lower SSQ ratings compared with their EHF-normal counterparts. The lower ratings could not be attributed to the age or standard audiogram of the listeners. Ratings from more than 50% of EHF-impaired listeners were below the 2 SD cutoff point obtained from EHF-normal listeners. The mean speech recognition threshold was poorer for EHF-impaired listeners, and a poorer speech recognition threshold was associated with lower SSQ ratings, i.e., poorer self-reported hearing ability. For some listeners, EHF hearing loss could be the missing link between self-reported hearing difficulty in the presence of a normal audiogram. These findings provide evidence for the functional deficits associated with EHF hearing loss and invoke the need for future investigations into the management of EHF loss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Udit Saxena
- Department of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology, GMERS Medical College & Hospital, Ahmedabad 380060, India
| | - Srikanta K Mishra
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Hansapani Rodrigo
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas 78539, USA
| | - Moumita Choudhury
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Extended High-Frequency Hearing Thresholds in Tinnitus With a Normal Audiogram. Ear Hear 2022; 43:1643-1652. [PMID: 35612517 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Current evidence supports the growing application of extended high-frequency (EHF: 9 to 20 kHz) audiometry in hearing research, which likely results from the high vulnerability of this frequency region to damage induced by known auditory risk factors. The present systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to investigate whether adults with a normal audiogram and tinnitus show increased EHF hearing thresholds relative to control peers. DESIGN A comprehensive search was undertaken on electronic databases consisting of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley, and Google Scholar using combined keywords: "tinnitus," "extended high frequency," "normal audiogram," and "hidden hearing loss." RESULTS From 261 articles found by searching databases, nine studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. A significant difference was observed between tinnitus and control groups in the effect size analysis of hearing thresholds at 10, 12.5, 14, 16, and 18 kHz ( p ≤ 0.001), and the I-square heterogeneity analysis was below 50% in all studies ( p ≥ 0.131). Visual inspection by the Funnel plot and Egger's regression test ( p ≥ 0.211) also exhibited no publication bias in the meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS Our findings are in support of the idea that in most cases, tinnitus is associated with some degree of cochlear mechanical dysfunction, which may not be detected by conventional audiometry alone. This finding underscores the significance of EHF audiometry in clinical practice, which may help both early identification of individuals susceptible to developing tinnitus and reduce the number of new cases through preventive counseling programs.
Collapse
|
42
|
Mishra SK, Saxena U, Rodrigo H. Hearing Impairment in the Extended High Frequencies in Children Despite Clinically Normal Hearing. Ear Hear 2022; 43:1653-1660. [PMID: 35470812 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Pediatric hearing impairment, regardless of degree and type, has a detrimental effect on speech perception, cognition, oral language development, academic outcomes, and literacy. Hearing assessment in the clinic is limited to 8 kHz although humans can hear up to 20 kHz. Hearing impairment in the extended high frequencies (EHFs > 8 kHz) can occur despite clinically normal hearing. However, to date, the nature and effects of EHF hearing impairment in children remain unknown. The goals of the present study were to determine the effects of EHF hearing impairment on speech-in-noise recognition in children and to examine whether hearing impairment in the EHFs is associated with altered cochlear functioning in the standard frequencies. DESIGN A volunteer sample of 542 participants (4 to 19 years) with clinically normal audiograms were tested. Participants identified with EHF impairment were assigned as cases in a subsequent case-control study. EHF loss was defined as hearing thresholds greater than 20 dB in at least one EHFs (10, 12.5, or 16 kHz). Speech recognition thresholds in multi-talker babble were measured using the digit triplet test. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions ( f2 = 2, 3, 4, and 5 kHz) were measured to assess cochlear functioning. RESULTS Thresholds in the EHFs were as reliable as those in the standard frequency range. Thirty-eight children had EHF hearing impairment regardless of a clinically normal audiogram. A linear mixed-effects model revealed that children with EHF hearing impairment had higher (poorer) mean speech recognition threshold than children with normal EHF sensitivity ( estimate = 2.14 dB, 95% CI: 1.36 to 3.92; effect size = small). The overall magnitude of distortion product otoacoustic emissions was lower for children with EHF impairment ( estimate = -2.47 dB, 95% CI: -4.60 to -0.73; effect size = medium). In addition, the pure-tone average for standard audiometric frequencies was relatively higher for EHF-impaired children ( estimate = 3.68 dB, 95% CI: 2.56 to 4.80; effect size = small). CONCLUSIONS Hearing impairment in the EHFs is common in children despite clinically normal hearing and can occur without a history of otitis media. EHF impairment is associated with poorer speech-in-noise recognition and preclinical cochlear deficits in the lower frequencies where hearing thresholds are normal. This study highlights the clinical need to identify EHF impairments in children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta K Mishra
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas, USA
| | - Udit Saxena
- MAA Institute of Speech & Hearing, Hyderabad, India
| | - Hansapani Rodrigo
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Sanchez VA, Arnold ML, Moore DR, Clavier O, Abrams HB. Speech-in-noise testing: Innovative applications for pediatric patients, underrepresented populations, fitness for duty, clinical trials, and remote services. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:2336. [PMID: 36319253 PMCID: PMC9722269 DOI: 10.1121/10.0014418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Speech perception testing, defined as providing standardized speech stimuli and requiring a listener to provide a behavioral and scored response, has been an integral part of the audiologic test battery since the beginning of the audiology profession. Over the past several decades, limitations in the diagnostic and prognostic validity of standard speech perception testing as routinely administered in the clinic have been noted, and the promotion of speech-in-noise testing has been highlighted. This review will summarize emerging and innovative approaches to speech-in-noise testing with a focus on five applications: (1) pediatric considerations promoting the measurement of sensory and cognitive components separately; (2) appropriately serving underrepresented populations with special attention to racial, ethnic, and linguistic minorities, as well as considering biological sex and/or gender differences as variables of interest; (3) binaural fitness for duty assessments of functional hearing for occupational settings that demand the ability to detect, recognize, and localize sounds; (4) utilization of speech-in-noise tests in pharmacotherapeutic clinical trials with considerations to the drug mechanistic action, the patient populations, and the study design; and (5) online and mobile applications of hearing assessment that increase accessibility and the direct-to-consumer market.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Sanchez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, MDC 73, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Michelle L Arnold
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - David R Moore
- Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA
| | | | - Harvey B Abrams
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Snapp HA, Schaefer Solle N, Millet B, Rajguru SM. Subclinical Hearing Deficits in Noise-Exposed Firefighters. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11028. [PMID: 36078744 PMCID: PMC9518181 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191711028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world and firefighters are at increased risk of NIHL due to their frequent exposure to hazardous levels of noise during service. Adverse effects of NIHL include acceleration of age-related hearing loss and an increased risk of cognitive decline. A critical challenge in addressing NIHL is the delayed clinical presentation of symptoms and lack of sensitive tools for early detection. To study the early clinical symptoms of NIHL in this high-risk group, we collected hearing function data including behavioral audiometric thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) in 176 firefighters during annual physical assessments. Results revealed significant deficits in cochlear outer hair cell function in the presence of normal audiograms. Additionally, 55% of firefighters self-reported changes in hearing, while 20% self-reported concerns about their balance. This study is the first to characterize DPOAEs in firefighters who display decreased DPOAE amplitudes with increasing years in the fire service. These effects were observed even when controlling for hearing loss and age and are suggestive of a link between hearing loss and occupational exposure to hazardous noise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hillary A. Snapp
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA or
| | - Natasha Schaefer Solle
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Barbara Millet
- Department of Interactive Media, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
| | - Suhrud M. Rajguru
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA or
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
- RestorEar Devices LLC, Kirkland, WA 98033, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Monson BB, Buss E. On the use of the TIMIT, QuickSIN, NU-6, and other widely used bandlimited speech materials for speech perception experiments. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:1639. [PMID: 36182310 PMCID: PMC9473723 DOI: 10.1121/10.0013993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The use of spectrally degraded speech signals deprives listeners of acoustic information that is useful for speech perception. Several popular speech corpora, recorded decades ago, have spectral degradations, including limited extended high-frequency (EHF) (>8 kHz) content. Although frequency content above 8 kHz is often assumed to play little or no role in speech perception, recent research suggests that EHF content in speech can have a significant beneficial impact on speech perception under a wide range of natural listening conditions. This paper provides an analysis of the spectral content of popular speech corpora used for speech perception research to highlight the potential shortcomings of using bandlimited speech materials. Two corpora analyzed here, the TIMIT and NU-6, have substantial low-frequency spectral degradation (<500 Hz) in addition to EHF degradation. We provide an overview of the phenomena potentially missed by using bandlimited speech signals, and the factors to consider when selecting stimuli that are sensitive to these effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian B Monson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
| | - Emily Buss
- Department of Otolaryngology/HNS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Jain S, Narne VK, Nataraja NP, Madhukesh S, Kumar K, Moore BCJ. The effect of age and hearing sensitivity at frequencies above 8 kHz on auditory stream segregation and speech perception. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:716. [PMID: 35931505 DOI: 10.1121/10.0012917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The effects of age and mild hearing loss over the extended high-frequency (EHF) range from 9000 to 16 000 Hz on speech perception and auditory stream segregation were assessed using four groups: (1) young with normal hearing threshold levels (HTLs) over both the conventional and EHF range; (2) older with audiograms matched to those for group 1; (3) young with normal HTLs over the conventional frequency range and elevated HTLs over the EHF range; (4) older with audiograms matched to those for group 3. For speech in quiet, speech recognition thresholds and speech identification scores did not differ significantly across groups. For monosyllables in noise, both greater age and hearing loss over the EHF range adversely affected performance, but the effect of age was much larger than the effect of hearing status. Stream segregation was assessed using a rapid sequence of vowel stimuli differing in fundamental frequency (F0). Larger differences in F0 were required for stream segregation for the two groups with impaired hearing in the EHF range, but there was no significant effect of age. It is argued that impaired hearing in the EHF range is associated with impaired auditory function at lower frequencies, despite normal audiometric thresholds at those frequencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saransh Jain
- All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, University of Mysore, Mysuru-570006 (Kar.), India
| | - Vijaya Kumar Narne
- Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61481, Saudi Arabia
| | - N P Nataraja
- JSS Institute of Speech and Hearing, University of Mysore, Mysuru-570004 (Kar.), India
| | - Sanjana Madhukesh
- Department of Speech and Hearing, Manipal College of Health Professionals, Manipal-576104 (Kar.), India
| | - Kruthika Kumar
- District Disabled Rehabilitation Centre, Chikmagalur-577126 (Kar.), India
| | - Brian C J Moore
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Waechter S, Wilson WJ, Magnusson M, Brännström KJ. Extended High Frequency Hearing, but Not Tinnitus, Is Associated With Every-Day Cognitive Performance. Front Psychol 2022; 13:913944. [PMID: 35774957 PMCID: PMC9237571 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Research into the potential associations between tinnitus and cognition has investigated specific cognitive domains in laboratory settings despite adults with tinnitus reporting broad cognitive difficulties in every-day life. To address this limitation, the present study compared performance and perceived exertion on a visual office-like task in 38 adults with tinnitus (19 with normal hearing and 19 with hearing loss) and 38 adults without tinnitus (19 with normal hearing and 19 with hearing loss) matched for age, sex and educational background. All participants were also assessed for hearing, anxiety and depression, and participants with tinnitus were also assessed for tinnitus handicap. No associations were found between presence of tinnitus and cognitive performance (mean total rate correct score on the visual office-like task being 2.9 for the tinnitus group, 2.8 for the control group, p = 0.612) and perceived exertion (mean ratings of perceived exertion on the Borg CR10-scale being 5.8 for the tinnitus group, 6.5 for the control group, p = 0.063) on the visual office-like task when corrected for standard (0.125 to 8 kHz) and extended high frequency (10 to 16 kHz) hearing thresholds, anxiety, and depression. The correction for extended high frequency average (10, 12.5, 14, and 16 kHz) hearing threshold was significant for performance (p = 0.009) but not perceived exertion on the visual office-like task. Overall, the results showed extended high frequency hearing, but not tinnitus, was associated with every-day cognitive performance. This indicates clinical testing of hearing thresholds above 8 kHz could support clinicians’ identification and management of cognitive difficulties. One management method suggested by the current findings would include provision of auditory stimulation at frequencies exceeding the frequency response of many current hearing aids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Waechter
- Department of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Sebastian Waechter,
| | - Wayne J. Wilson
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Måns Magnusson
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - K. Jonas Brännström
- Department of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Shehabi AM, Prendergast G, Guest H, Plack CJ. The Effect of Lifetime Noise Exposure and Aging on Speech-Perception-in-Noise Ability and Self-Reported Hearing Symptoms: An Online Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:890010. [PMID: 35711902 PMCID: PMC9195834 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.890010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal research shows that aging and excessive noise exposure damage cochlear outer hair cells, inner hair cells, and the synapses connecting inner hair cells with the auditory nerve. This may translate into auditory symptoms such as difficulty understanding speech in noise, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. The current study, using a novel online approach, assessed and quantified the effects of lifetime noise exposure and aging on (i) speech-perception-in-noise (SPiN) thresholds, (ii) self-reported hearing ability, and (iii) the presence of tinnitus. Secondary aims involved documenting the effects of lifetime noise exposure and aging on tinnitus handicap and the severity of hyperacusis. Two hundred and ninety-four adults with no past diagnosis of hearing or memory impairments were recruited online. Participants were assigned into two groups: 217 "young" (age range: 18-35 years, females: 151) and 77 "older" (age range: 50-70 years, females: 50). Participants completed a set of online instruments including an otologic health and demographic questionnaire, a dementia screening tool, forward and backward digit span tests, a noise exposure questionnaire, the Khalfa hyperacusis questionnaire, the short-form of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing scale, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, a digits-in-noise test, and a Coordinate Response Measure speech-perception test. Analyses controlled for sex and cognitive function as reflected by the digit span. A detailed protocol was pre-registered, to guard against "p-hacking" of this extensive dataset. Lifetime noise exposure did not predict SPiN thresholds, self-reported hearing ability, or the presence of tinnitus in either age group. Exploratory analyses showed that worse hyperacusis scores, and a greater prevalence of tinnitus, were associated significantly with high lifetime noise exposure in the young, but not in the older group. Age was a significant predictor of SPiN thresholds and the presence of tinnitus, but not of self-reported hearing ability, tinnitus handicap, or severity of hyperacusis. Consistent with several lab studies, our online-derived data suggest that older adults with no diagnosis of hearing impairment have a poorer SPiN ability and a higher risk of tinnitus than their younger counterparts. Moreover, lifetime noise exposure may increase the risk of tinnitus and the severity of hyperacusis in young adults with no diagnosis of hearing impairment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adnan M. Shehabi
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Audiology and Speech Therapy, Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine
| | - Garreth Prendergast
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Guest
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. Plack
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Tai Y, Mertes IB, Chappell J, Jeon CB, Husain FT. Comparison of otoacoustic emissions in tinnitus and hyperacusis in adults with normal hearing sensitivity. Int J Audiol 2022; 62:442-452. [PMID: 35439083 DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2022.2052980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effect of tinnitus and/or hyperacusis on distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measures in adults with normal hearing thresholds from 0.25 to 8 kHz, while accounting for extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds.Design: A behavioural study consisted of comprehensive audiological assessment, validated tinnitus and hyperacusis questionnaires, DPOAE amplitudes and input/output (I/O) functions.Study sample: Data of 56 participants with normal hearing were included for the analysis. Participants were categorised into four groups: (1) without tinnitus or hyperacusis, (2) with tinnitus only, (3) with hyperacusis only, and (4) with both tinnitus and hyperacusis.Results: The groups with tinnitus showed elevated EHF thresholds compared with those without tinnitus. DPOAE amplitudes were not significantly affected by tinnitus and/or hyperacusis status; however, they were significantly affected by EHF thresholds. Further, no appreciable differences in DPOAE I/O functions were found across groups.Conclusions: The reported non-significant differences in DPOAEs in individuals with tinnitus and/or hyperacusis do not support a peripheral mechanism or an interaction between peripheral and central mechanisms underlying tinnitus or hyperacusis. Our findings, however, suggest the need to assess basal cochlear function (e.g. EHF thresholds) for a better understanding of differences in DPOAE measures in tinnitus and/or hyperacusis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yihsin Tai
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Ian B Mertes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jenise Chappell
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Carolyn B Jeon
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Fatima T Husain
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Kamerer AM, Harris SE, Kopun JG, Neely ST, Rasetshwane DM. Understanding Self-reported Hearing Disability in Adults With Normal Hearing. Ear Hear 2022; 43:773-784. [PMID: 34759207 PMCID: PMC9010339 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite a diagnosis of normal hearing, many people experience hearing disability (HD) in their everyday lives. This study assessed the ability of a number of demographic and auditory variables to explain and predict self-reported HD in people regarded as audiologically healthy via audiometric thresholds. DESIGN One-hundred eleven adults (ages 19 to 74) with clinically normal hearing (i.e., audiometric thresholds ≤25 dB HL at all octave and interoctave frequencies between 0.25 and 8 kHz and bilaterally symmetric hearing) were asked to complete the 12-item version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12) as a measure of self-reported HD. Patient history and a number of standard and expanded measures of hearing were assessed in a multivariate regression analysis to predict SSQ12 score. Patient history included age, sex, history of noise exposure, and tinnitus. Hearing-related measures included audiometry at standard and extended high frequencies, word recognition, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and FM detection threshold. RESULTS History of impulse noise exposure, speech-intelligibility index, and FM detection threshold accurately predicted SSQ12 and were able to account for 40% of the SSQ12 score. These three measures were also able to predict whether participants self-reported HD with a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 86%. CONCLUSIONS Although participant audiometric thresholds were within normal limits, higher thresholds, history of impulse noise exposure, and FM detection predicted self-reported HD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Judy G. Kopun
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE 68131
| | | | | |
Collapse
|