Audiology (United States)

To describe the reasons leading to cochlear reimplantation and discuss implications related to technological failures and manufacturer recalls. Retrospective cohort study over a 40-year period. Tertiary academic referral center. Children and adults who underwent cochlear reimplantation between May 1, 1984, and May 1, 2024. Patients were evaluated, treated, and followed at our center. Cochlear reimplantation. Incidence of cochlear reimplantation, reasons for explantation, and delay between implantation and reimplantation, stratified by age and device manufacturer. A total of 3885 cochlear devices were implanted (66% adults). We report 257 reimplantations, including 86 (33%) pediatric cases at a mean age of 9.6 years. Patients were affected by 4 industry-issued recalls. The overall reimplantation rate was 6.6%, with comparable rates in children (6.5%) and adults (6.7%). Manufacturer-specific reimplantation rates were 12.6% for Advanced Bionics, 3.4% for Cochlear, 8.9% for Oticon, and 1.8% for MED-EL. Recalls and hard failures equally accounted for 70.8% of reimplantations. On average, reimplantations occurred 6.5 years after implantation, and 5.8 years in pediatric cases. Reimplantation delays were significantly reduced for recalls compared with hard failures (-3.7y; P <0.01) and other causes (-4.7y; P <0.01). About half (50.4%) of reimplantations occurred within 5 years, and 80.2% within 10 years. This study highlights the complexity of cochlear reimplantation from both technological and human perspectives in a large population. Given the multifaceted burdens of cochlear reimplantation, future efforts should focus on improving device reliability and care pathways to reduce the need for reimplantation.

ObjectivesTo investigate the correlation between laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and psychological distress in a sample of adult Italian patients.MethodsLPR was assessed using the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Reflux Finding Score (RFS), and 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring. Psychological distress was evaluated with the following clinical tools: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Associations between RSI, RFS, and psychological scores were analyzed.ResultsA total of 45 patients with LPR (Study Group, SG) and 29 healthy volunteers (Control Group, CG) were included in the study. Psychological assessments revealed significant differences between the CG and SG, except for the ISI. The HAM-A score was 6.79 ± 6.5 in the CG versus 9.53 ± 5.8 in the SG (p = 0.025), with similar results for the HADS (p = 0.029). For the HAM-D, mean scores in both groups were below the threshold for mild depressive symptoms, though SG scores were just below the cut-off (CG: 4.86 ± 5.1; SG: 6.89 ± 4.1; p = 0.010). The PSS-10 indicated mild to moderate perceived stress, with significantly higher scores in the SG (CG: 13.90 ± 5.5; SG: 21.62 ± 8.1; p = 0.000). RSI scores were positively correlated with HAM-D, HADS, and HAM-A scores.ConclusionsPsychological distress is significantly higher in LPR patients compared to healthy controls. These preliminary findings suggest that psychological factors should be considered in the management of LPR.

In the last decades, novel bone transmission devices have been developed, such as active-transcutaneous devices, which maintain the integrity of the skin and direct vibratory stimulation of the bone. There is no consensus regarding the minimum age to carry out the surgery and it is a topic for continued debate. We present a case of a male patient, 3 years of age, diagnosed with hemifacial microsomia and bilateral atresia of the external auditory canal, among other malformations. Despite making multiple adjustments to the bone conduction hearing aid, limited gain of function and auditory perception were observed in the patient. Implantation of an active bone conduction hearing aid, MED-EL brand, Bonebridge™ model, was thus proposed to improve auditory perception. We present the results of treatment and follow-up.

Air-conduction (AC) and bone-conduction (BC) thresholds were measured to evaluate standard reference thresholds and recommend revisions to audiometer standards. AC and BC thresholds were measured from listeners with normal hearing (NH) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) at three sites. NH participants (n = 53) were selected based on age (18-25 years old), normal AC thresholds, tympanometry, otoscopy, and absence of otologic disease. SNHL participants (n = 49) were selected based on AC thresholds, tympanometry, otoscopy, and absence of otologic disease. AC thresholds obtained from NH listeners averaged 3.7 dB hearing level (HL). Air-bone gaps (ABGs) occurred in NH and SNHL listeners above 2000 Hz and in SNHL listeners at 250 Hz. Corrections to standard reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels are recommended. ABGs in listeners without conductive pathology result from incorrect reference threshold levels for frequencies above 2000 Hz. False ABGs increase with hearing-loss magnitude, probably the result of the effects of ambient and internal noise for low-level BC stimuli. False ABGs place patients at risk for unnecessary medical and surgical intervention. Reference threshold levels should achieve two objectives: (1) AC thresholds from young NH listeners should average 0 dB HL; and (2) ABGs from listeners with normal middle-ear function should average 0 dB.

음성장애 평가 시, 음성문제로 인해 개인이 느끼는 불편감, 삶의 질 등의 주관적인 자기보고식 평가의 중요성이 대두되고 있다. 자기보고식 설문은 대상자가 직접 읽고 실시하는 것이므로, 대상자가 문항을 충분히 이해하지 못하면 평가 결과에 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 이에, 본 연구에서는 현재 임상에서 사용되고 있는 한국어판 음성장애 자기보고식 설문지 11가지(KVHI, KAVI, KVQOL, K-SVHI, K-VAPP, K-VPPC, TVSQ, K-VDCQ, K-VFI, K-VTDS, K-VoiSS)를 선정하여 텍스트 등급 및 복잡도, 어휘 빈도 및 등급, 어휘 다양도의 가독성 분석을 실시하였다. 추가적으로 한국어판과 대응하는 원판 설문지와 아동용 설문지에 대한 가독성 평가를 실시하여 한국어판 성인용 설문지와의 결과 차이를 알아보았다. 연구 결과, 한국어판 성인용 음성장애 설문지는 문해력이 낮은 집단에게 사용하는 것에 어려움이 없을 것으로 밝혀졌다. 평가자는 대상자의 읽기 수준에 따라 평가를 진행해야 하며, 추후 개발 및 수정에도 읽기 난이도를 고려할 필요가 있다.

Dysphonia is well known as one of the otolaryngological symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The vocal changes of the COVID-19 condition have been reported in terms of parameters of multi-dimensional voice assessment, including acoustic analysis, auditory-perceptual evaluation, and psychometric assessment. However, there has not been a daily followup study in patients with acute COVID-19 infection. In this study, a 41-year-old male performed daily voice recordings of vowel phonation and passage-reading tasks during the self-quarantine period of one week. Compared to the normal voice status of the prepandemic period, voice abnormalities peaked on day two after the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and recovered after one week.

Consensus about which questionnaire to use is necessary when it comes to evaluation of tinnitus. In Denmark, the Tinnitus Handicap Index is currently used. However, for evaluating treatment-related outcomes, the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) has been optimised for this and is being used in several countries. In this study, we aimed to provide validation of a professionally translated Danish version of the TFI to safely implement this questionnaire in clinical and scientific settings. At the Department of Audiology at Hospital West Jutland, Denmark, 133 adult patients suffering from tinnitus with or without hearing loss completed the Danish version of the TFI questionnaire (TFI-Da). Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability with Pearson's correlation. Internal consistency was calculated for the total TFI score producing an excellent Crohnbach's alpha of 0.96. Crohnbach's alpha scores were also acceptable for all subgroups with values > 0.7. The test-retest reliability in terms of Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.848 for the total TFI scores and was acceptable for all subgroups. Our study showed a very high internal consistency and test-retest reliability when using the Danish version of the TFI questionnaire. Therefore, we recommend TFI-Da as the standard questionnaire for tinnitus patients in Denmark, especially for evaluation of treatment impact. none. not relevant.

As bone-conduction thresholds vary with the coupling force between the vibrator and the head, it is important that the coupling force be within the range specified by audiometer standards. The development and validation of AMBAND, an elastic headband for coupling an audiometric bone vibrator to the head, in either the mastoid or forehead position, is described. The headband was constructed from woven, fold-over elastic with Velcro attachment points to produce the proper force on the head for various head sizes. Force measurements were made with a digital force gauge on five artificial heads, representing adult females, adult males, children (age 6 years), infants (age 6 months), and newborns with the bone vibrator in the mastoid and forehead positions. Additional measurements were made with the Radioear P-3333 spring band that is in common use. Force measurements were highly repeatable within a given headband and across headbands. Force measurements for AMBAND were within the range specified by the ANSI S3.6-2018. The Radioear P-3333 spring band produced force levels that exceeded the specified range and had higher variability compared with AMBAND. AMBAND can be used to couple audiometric bone vibrators to the head in the forehead and mastoid positions during bone-conduction testing to provide accurate threshold measurements.

Abstract&#x0D; The aim of the study was to develop an algorithm for the interaction between an audiologist and speech-language therapist in initial amplification for hearing impaired children.&#x0D; Methods. 219 children aged 2 months to 16 years with hearing impairments were divided into 2 groups. The experimental group consisted of children who got a special course of medical, psychological and pedagogical rehabilitation at the stage of initial fitting, based on the new algorithm of interdisciplinary interaction between an audiologist and a speech-language therapist. The control group included children with traditional procedure of hearing aids fitting, in which the audiologist didnt interact with the speech therapist.&#x0D; Results. An algorithm for the interaction of an audiologist and speech-language therapist included 3 stages of hearing aids fitting (preparation, initial fitting, adaptation and fine tuning of hearing aids), the tasks of each specialist at these stages were identified, including the parents involvement in the process of fitting, a development of the protocol for the exchange of information between specialists. The algorithm was implemented in a special course of medical-psychological-pedagogical rehabilitation in the Center of Pediatric Audiology. It was found that in 1 month after the primary fitting among children who underwent this course, significantly more children used hearing aids for more than 8 hours a day and reached the integral criterion of effective hearing aids fitting compared with the control group. These children also took less time to adjust their hearing aid settings during repeated fitting sessions.&#x0D; Conclusion. A structured interdisciplinary interaction between an audiologist and speech-language therapist at the stage of initial amplification significantly increases the effectiveness of medical technology for restoring hearing function in children.

Introduction: Meniere’s disease is an inner disorder ear characterized by a group of episodically occurring symptoms: sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) "fluctuating in nature", aural fullness, tinnitus "roaring", and spinning vertigo. Incidence was reported to be between 7 to upwards of 150 per 100,000 persons with no racial or sex difference. Peak age incidence is between 40-60 years old and average age of onset is usually 50 years. Diagnosis is made by clinical picture of the characteristic tirade which has to consider atypical forms also, objective measures like, Echo G, VNG and VEMP and of course basic audiological evaluation of the degree, type and configuration of hearing loss. Management includes dietary treatment with Meniere's diet, medications like diuretics or steroids, surgical intervention with hearing preservation procedures or even labyrinthectomy or sedatives. Conclusions: Meniere's disease is a considerable diagnosis to make and for better quality of life all measures of treatments have to be considered.