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Biomedical subjects

R K Surr

Publications and source records attributed to R K Surr.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

A clinical trial of the ReSound IC4 hearing device.

A manufacturer-sponsored clinical trial was conducted of ReSound Corporation's IC4 hearing device (HD), an in-the-ear application of their two-channel, fast-acting, wide-dynamic range compression sound processor. This study was a follow-up to an earlier clinical trial of ReSound's behind-the-ear version of the same sound processor, the BT2 Personal Hearing System (Walden, B. E., Surr, R. K., Cord, M. T., & Pavlovic, C. V. (1998). A clinical trial of the ReSound BT2 Personal Hearing System. American Journal of Audiology, 7, 85-100). Forty adult males with gradually sloping, moderate sensorineural hearing losses participated. All were experienced hearing aid users who wore linear Class D instruments with input compression limiting at the time of their enrollment in this study. The Connected Speech Test, presented at several presentation levels and under various conditions of signal degradation, and the scales and subscales of the Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit were used to evaluate hearing aid performance and benefit under four relatively independent prototype listening situations (Walden, B. E., Demorest, M. E., & Hepler, E. L. (1984). Self-report approach to assessing benefit derived from amplification. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 27, 49-56). Aided performance with the IC4 HD was compared with (a) unaided performance, (b) performance of persons with normal hearing, and (c) performance with linear amplification. Participants with hearing loss obtained significant benefit from the IC4 HD, although IC4-aided performance remained well below that of unaided performance of persons with normal hearing, especially on laboratory measures of speech recognition. Furthermore, small mean performance advantages were observed for the IC4 HD compared to linear hearing aids, although there was substantial variability across participants. Finally, when given a choice to either purchase the IC4 HD at a discount from the manufacturer or continue using their own government-issued linear hearing aids, the majority of the participants chose to purchase the IC4 HD.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) as a hearing aid outcome measure.

This study assessed the effects of hearing aids on the perception of tinnitus using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). THI benefit scores (unaided-aided) were examined in relation to hearing aid benefit as measured with the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) inventory. The THI benefit was also related to the users' ratings of overall satisfaction with their hearing aids. Thirty-four novice hearing aid users with complaints of hearing loss and tinnitus participated in the study. Outcome measures were obtained 6 weeks after the hearing aid fittings. The results showed that hearing aid use reduced tinnitus handicap significantly, but, typically, the effect was small. The association between overall satisfaction ratings and THI benefit scores was weak. In contrast, the overall satisfaction ratings were strongly related to benefit on the speech subscales (average of Ease of Communication, Reverberation, and Background Noise) but not on the Aversiveness subscale of the APHAB. The weak relationship observed between THI benefit and benefit on the speech subscales of the APHAB suggested that the two inventories were not redundant. The results of the study suggest that the THI can make a useful contribution to the overall profile of hearing aid benefit for new hearing aid users with tinnitus.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Long-term versus short-term hearing aid benefit.

This study compared hearing aid benefit obtained 6 weeks and a minimum of 1 year after fitting to determine if changes occurred over time. Fifteen individuals with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing losses, who were successful users of linear amplification, were fitted binaurally with the Resound BT2 Personal Hearing System. These hearing aids are programmable in two frequency bands that provide wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) amplification. The manufacturer's recommended loudness growth in octave bands (LGOB) and audiogram programming algorithm and fitting procedures were used. Following an initial 6-week period and again following a minimum of 1 year of use, the Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (PHAB) was administered. Similarly, speech recognition performance was tested using the Connected Speech Test (CST) in a six-talker speech babble at 50 dBA, +10 signal-to-noise (S/N); 60 dBA, +5 SNR; and 70 dBA, +2 SNR; and in quiet with a reverberation time of 0.78 seconds. Significant aided benefit was shown. These short-term benefit scores for the PHAB and CST were compared with those obtained after 1 year of full-time use. Results revealed no significant change in hearing aid benefit with long-term use, suggesting that a 6-week acclimatization period is sufficiently long for clinical trials of this type of WDRC amplification.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Comparison of linear and K-Amp circuits.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate hearing aid user preference for Linear Class D or Class D with K-Amp circuit. DESIGN: Eighteen subjects, experienced with Class A hearing aid use, were given a choice of binaural hearing aids with either Linear Class D circuits or Class D with K-Amp circuits after consecutive 30 day trial periods with each set of instruments. The patients also rated the benefit obtained from each circuit using the Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (PHAB). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the number of subjects who chose one or the other of the circuits. Further, the PHAB scores showed no statistically significant differences between the two circuits. In most cases, the instruments rated highest on each of the subscales by an individual subject were also the ones preferred based on the 30 day trial. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing aids with either Class D Linear or Class D with K-Amp circuits provided significant benefit in many everyday listening environments for individuals with a mild to moderate degree of hearing loss. Subjective choice between the Linear Class D and the K-Amp circuits was relatively evenly divided.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of three hearing aid fittings using the Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) Test.

This study compared the effects of three different hearing aids on subjective ratings of speech intelligibility. Insertion gain measurements on KEMAR indicated that the hearing aid fittings differed primarily in midfrequency gain. The test passages of the Speech Intelligibility Rating Test (SIR) were recorded onto tape through each hearing aid. The processed passages were presented monaurally to 13 subjects with hearing loss limited to frequencies above 2000 Hz. They rated five passages through each frequency responses (FR) in a randomized order. Each subject was retested within 2 or 3 days to assess test-retest reliability. Results indicated that the FR with the most midfrequency amplification did not differ significantly from the aid with the least amount of midfrequency gain. However, the FR with intermediate midfrequency gain received significantly lower ratings than did FR with most gain. Examination of the data from individual subjects indicated that the SIR results did not show differences among the FRs for the majority of subjects.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1988

New hearing aid users' perception of the "hearing aid effect".

The negative attitude elicited by the presence of a hearing aid has been termed the "hearing aid effect." The purpose of this study was to examine the negative reactions associated with hearing aids among new hearing aid users themselves and their perception of the hearing aid effect in their immediate environment. This was accomplished through a questionnaire completed just prior to hearing aid fitting and again 6 months after initial use of amplification. The responses to the questionnaires were compared between individuals who had chosen either in the ear or behind the ear type hearing aids, and between those using either monaural or binaural instruments. The effect of age on the data was also examined. The results indicated that the hearing aid effect was not expected or perceived very widely among these subjects, as only about 10% of them reported sensing negative attitudes to the use of hearing aids. Positive responses to the benefits of hearing aid use from other people often fell short of expectations.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Effect of monaural hearing aid use on dichotic test results for individuals with high-frequency hearing impairment.

It is well documented that the majority of individuals with normal hearing have a right ear advantage for dichotic speech material. There is evidence, however, that individuals with flat sensorineural hearing loss demonstrate a left ear advantage after they have used amplification on the left side. The present study examined whether these findings could be extended to a population with high-frequency hearing impairment. The subjects were administered dichotic consonant-vowel syllable tests prior to a monaural hearing aid fitting, and the tests were repeated after 1 month and again after 6 months of hearing aid use. The results revealed a group right ear advantage prior to the hearing aid fitting, although there was considerable individual variability. No consistent changes in the test scores were shown to be associated with monaural hearing aid use in either the right ear or the left ear.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Three experiments on the California Consonant Test.

Three experiments were conducted using the California Consonant Test (CCT). Initially, performance-intensity functions were obtained for both normal hearers, and those with high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Results demonstrated almost a linear function for both subject groups (approaching asymptote at 50 dB SL) as compared to the typical sigmoidal function obtained with conventional word recognition tests. Experiment II compared results of the CCT to those of the N.U. No. 6 lists in 60 subjects with high frequency hearing loss. Consistent with previous findings, relatively high word recognition scores were obtained for the NU-6 materials whereas the range of scores on the CCT approximated a normal distribution. Experiment III examined the internal consistency and split-half reliability of the CCT. Despite significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) correlation coefficients, the wide variability between half-list scores among individual listeners doses not support the use of half-list testing.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Factors influencing use of hearing aids.

A follow-up questionnaire was mailed to new hearing aid users. The questionnaire responses of 430 persons, 73% of the sample, were related to age, audiometric, and hearing aid evaluation data obtained at the time of fitting. Reported usage of the aids was also analyzed in terms of the type of fitting and according to length of postfitting training. Further, the reasons for limited or nonuse were tabulated. The population in the present study, in comparison with that of previous investigations, was characterized by relatively young age and predominantly noise-induced, sensorineural type hearing loss, with mild hearing loss for speech; these factors led to a high proportion of selective amplification fittings. Reported overall use did not differ among the types of aids. Overall use declined with increasing age, and the majority of persons in this population used their aids selectively rather than on a full-time basis. Length of postfitting training appeared to increase hearing aid use. Mean audiometric and hearing aid evaluation data remained relatively constant across four usage categories: "always," "often," "occasionally," and "never." Excessive background noise and lack of need constituted 63% of the reasons given for limited use or nonuse.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Measurement of the acoustic reflex without a pressure seal.

Obtaining a hermetic seal in the external auditory canal is often a major obstacle in impedance audiometry. In the present study, the acoustic reflex threshold was determined for three groups of subjects, first with and then without a pressure-tight seal. It was found that for subjects with normal hearing or sensorineural hearing loss and normal tympanograms, 96% of the measurements obtained without a pressure seal were within 5 dB of those obtained with a seal. Among the subjects who exhibited negative middle ear pressure, the acoustic reflex could be measured consistently at the point of maximum compliance, while no response was observed without a pressure seal.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of multi-talker competing speech on the variability of the California Consonant Test.

The interference effects of multi-talker speech babble on the California Consonant Test scores were examined. Phoneme recognition was assessed in a sound field in quiet and under 4 message-to-competition ratio conditions for normal-hearing subjects and in three MCR conditions for listeners with bilateral high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. The noise interference functions for both subject groups were characterized by a gradual decline in recognition performance as the signal-to-noise ratio decreased. The slope of the function for the 2 groups was parallel with the mean scores for the hearing-impaired subjects approximately 30% lower than those for the normal hearers. Test-retest reliability across conditions was examined via correlational analysis and by computing test-retest difference scores for individual subjects. These data are discussed in terms of sampling theory for full-list and half-list presentations and probabilities of measurement error for determining significance between 2 scores.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of audiometric configuration on speech-band thresholds in sensorineural hearing loss subjects.

Pure-tone and speech-band thresholds were compared for adults with varying degrees of sensorineural hearing impairments. The results demonstrated that the speech-band stimuli underestimated the degree of hearing loss in the high frequencies (2000 to 4000 HZ) for individuals with sloping audiometric configuration. Probable reasons for the threshold discrepancies and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of amplification on tinnitus among new hearing aid users.

A tinnitus questionnaire was completed by 200 new hearing aid users. The results indicated that 62% experienced tinnitus, with 43.5% reporting frequent or continuous presence. Thirteen of the 200 patients rated their tinnitus as severe. Approximately one-half of the respondents with tinnitus reported that their hearing aids provided either partial or total relief from tinnitus. If the tinnitus was rated severe, partial instead of total relief was the most commonly reported effect. A few individuals indicated residual inhibition. A subjective evaluation of the aids' performance revealed that relief from tinnitus was frequently rated an important aspect of the user's satisfaction.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Performance of high frequency impaired listeners with conventional and extended high frequency amplification.

This study sought to determine if a high-pass hearing aid can provide increased improvement in word recognition and consonant discrimination over that of a conventional high frequency emphasis hearing aid in listeners with hearing loss limited to frequencies above 1 000 Hz. Word and consonant discrimination were assessed in quiet and in the presence of 12 talker speech babble for 10 subjects under three listening conditions: (1) unaided; (2) wearing a conventional high frequency emphasis hearing aid, and (3) wearing an experimental high-pass instrument. The speech testing materials included: (1) Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6; (2) California Consonant Test, and (3) eight voiceless English consonants. Results suggested that both instruments provided similar benefit in quiet for improving word recognition and resolving consonant errors. For the noise condition, however, the experimental high-pass aid provided a considerable advantage in both word recognition and consonant identification and was particularly sensitive to reducing within- and between-manner voiceless consonant confusions. Furthermore, measurements of real-ear gain revealed that the high-pass aid afforded considerably greater acoustic gain above 4 000 Hz than that shown for the conventional high frequency emphasis hearing aid,20

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of benefits provided by different hearing aid technologies.

The performance of 40 hearing-impaired adults with the GN ReSound digital BZ5 hearing instrument was compared with performance with linear hearing aids with input compression limiting (AGC-I) or two-channel analog wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) instruments. The BZ5 was evaluated with an omnidirectional microphone, dual-microphone directionality, and a noise reduction circuit in combination with dual-microphone directionality. Participants were experienced hearing aid users who were wearing linear AGC-I or analog WDRC instruments at the time of enrolment. Performance was assessed using the Connected Speech Test (CST) presented at several presentation levels and under various conditions of signal degradation and by the Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (PHAB). Subjective ratings of speech understanding, listening comfort, and sound quality/naturalness were also obtained using 11-point interval scales. Small performance advantages were observed for WDRC over linear AGC-I, although WDRC did not have to be implemented digitally for these performance advantages to be realized. Substantial performance advantages for the dual microphones over the omnidirectional microphone were observed in the CST results in noise, but participants generally did not perceive these large advantages in everyday listening. The noise reduction circuit provided improved listening comfort but little change in speech understanding.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of age on clinical hearing aid evaluation results.

A retrospective analysis of clinical hearing aid evaluation data was done to examine the aided and unaided speech discrimination ability in quiet and in noise across five age categories. The subjects, ranging in age from 30 to 90 years, 20 in each decade, were matched for degree and slope of sensorineural hearing loss. There were no statistically significant differences in aided or unaided speech discrimination scores in quiet or in noise among the different age groups. Phonetically balanced word list scores in noise showed significantly greater improvement than those obtain in quiet.

Adult↗