PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S D Stephens

Publications and source records attributed to S D Stephens.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Prescription of hearing aids for the elderly: the views of general practitioners.

A questionnaire survey was carried out to examine the views of general practitioners in one Northern city regarding whether or not they thought that hearing aids should be prescribed from general practice, who they thought should prescribe them and whether or not additional resources and training would be needed if the responsibility for hearing aid prescription for the elderly was placed upon general practitioners. The survey indicated that whereas many general practitioners would be in favour of prescribing hearing aids from Health Centres, many would need extra training and resources to enable them to do so.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

An investigation of normally hearing subjects with tinnitus.

The hearing sensitivity and psychological profile of 18 young subjects with tinnitus and normal hearing were investigated by pure-tone and high-frequency audiometry, notched-noise tests, auditory-brainstem responses, evoked otoacoustic emissions and Crown-Crisp experiential index. Psychoacoustical and brainstem tests were comparable to those of 19 normally hearing subjects without tinnitus. Otoacoustic emissions were worse in ears of tinnitus subjects. Neurotic personality traits were stronger in the tinnitus subjects. These traits may be secondary to otological dysfunction, or may contribute to complaint behaviour.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Clinical investigation of hearing loss in the elderly.

The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age. Epidemiological and histopathological studies relating hearing loss to age are reviewed and clinical evidence presented suggesting that hearing loss is due not only to age but also to disease processes known to be associated with hearing threshold deterioration. 80 elderly patients presenting with a hearing problem at hospital have been studied and compared with 287 'non-complainers'. 83% of the study group were found to have factors, additional to age, contributing to their hearing loss; 50% had a medical condition previously unrecognized; 30% were taking potentially ototoxic drugs. Audiometric measurements indicate that hearing thresholds of the elderly are influenced by numerous disease processes. Patients attending hospital with hearing impairment are at greater risk of having a vascular or biochemical abnormality than a group of elderly 'non-complainers'. Elderly patients presenting with hearing loss should therefore be adequately investigated before being labelled as having presbyacusis.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Intermediate hearing tests as predictors of hearing aid acceptance.

This prospective study analyses the ability of several different intermediate hearing screening techniques to predict hearing aid acceptance in a pre-retirement population. In addition to the traditional methods of using sensitivity and specificity to analyse test performance, signal detection theory has been used to obtain a single detectability rate for each test. Questionnaires were able to identify individuals with hearing difficulties but included a significant group of people who ultimately would not accept a hearing aid. This group could be eliminated either clinically using free field speech testing, or audiometrically using warble tone thresholds, without the need for formal pure tone audiometry.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Acceptability of binaural hearing aids: a cross-over study.

Using screening questionnaires we were able to detect individuals aged 50-65 years with hearing disability in a general practice population. Those who had better ear hearing levels of 30 dB or worse were invited to take place in a cross-over study comparing the acceptability of a monaural or binaural hearing-aid fitting. Fifty-five per cent ultimately opted for a binaural fitting and had greater hearing disability and worse mean hearing levels than those who opted for a monaural fitting. They made their choice for acoustical reasons, particularly on the basis of improved localization ability.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1991

The desynchrony between complaints and signs of vestibular disorders.

As part of an early intervention study on the acceptability of auditory rehabilitative intervention, we examined patient complaints and clinical findings of balance disorders. Hallam et al. have discussed desynchrony between such findings in hospital patient populations, and the aim of the present study was to investigate these relationships in a general population. The study was conducted in two industrial villages in Wales in which questionnaires were circulated to all individuals in the 50-65 age group. A marked desynchrony between semeions and clinical findings was found. This has been related to the desynchrony between auditory impairment, disability and handicap in this population. Subjects reporting giddiness or vertigo were more disabled but not more impaired in respect of auditory measures than those not reporting such balance problems. Those with abnormal balance test results showed no auditory differences from those with normal results.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Assessing hearing problems within a community survey.

Community surveys are increasingly being used as a method of collecting health and lifestyle data. This report describes the use of a simple question on hearing difficulties within such a survey. A systematic sample of 2.5% of the electoral register of the four Parliamentary constituencies of Cardiff, Wales, was drawn. Of the 5145 individuals in the sample, 83% responded. Age and social class explained much of the variability in reported hearing difficulties. A recent fall and cigarette consumption were associated with hearing problems, but the contribution of alcohol consumption while potentially important did not reach statistical significance. This self-administered community survey provided hearing data which are consistent with other specialized studies and is a viable route for the assessment of community needs.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

A controlled trial of azapropazone in tinnitus.

A single-blind placebo-controlled trial of azapropazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is presented in 10 patients with tinnitus. Seventeen variables were assessed by questionnaire and six by a daily diary. In none of these was there a significant difference between placebo and drug. A larger trial is probably therefore not justified.

Apazone↗
PubMed1990

Implications of hearing impairment for elderly people in London and in Wales.

This paper explores some of the social implications of hearing impairment in two different populations of elderly people as they affect help-seeking activity. In both populations we found reduced out-of-door activities due to hearing loss, poor insight into the existence of hearing loss, substantial denial of such loss, insufficient support from the general practitioner and poor uptake of rehabilitation services (the hearing aid). The need for services was found to be greater in the area of greater socio-economic deprivation. These findings must be viewed together with earlier work which found a significant association between hearing loss and depression in old age.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Early intervention and rehabilitation: factors influencing outcome.

Detection of hearing disability in a pre-retirement working class population of people aged 50-65 years has been achieved using simple questionnaires. Patients who reported disability were offered rehabilitation, including hearing aids, and the hearing aids use increased from 7% to 23% of the population. Those who accepted or refused hearing aids differed only minimally in mean worse or better ear hearing levels, but markedly in terms of hearing handicap. Similarly, those who indicated that they would like help with their hearing had increased disability and handicap levels but hearing levels no different from those who did not want help. Tinnitus in addition to hearing disability increased the individual's acceptance of a hearing aid. Sex, social class and exposure to occupational noise had no significant effect.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Physical handling of hearing aids by the elderly.

In an attempt to overcome handling problems with hearing aids in elderly patients, we have examined the prevalence of anticipated handling problems in this group and their ability to cope with different types of ear moulds and hearing aids. Increased total prevalence of anticipated problems was found only in the 85+ age group, although anticipated handling problems increased markedly in the 75+ age group. Patients over 75 years found it significantly easier to handle postaural aids with modified skeleton moulds than temporary tips or standard skeletons. They also coped less well with in-the-ear aids and failed to show the increased reduction in disability found with those aids in the younger groups.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

David Edward Hughes and his audiometer.

A brief biography of David Edward Hughes is outlined. His Audiometer and its presentation are described. The response of clinicians to the device is discussed.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1979

Some tuning fork tests revisited.

The Weber, Rinne and Bing tests were examined in normally hearing and hearing impaired subjects, using different techniques. The Weber test was found to be most sensitive and reliable with the tuning fork stem placed on the upper incisors. The Rinne tests showed a transition point from Rinne positive to negative at 19 dB when performed using the normal loudness comparison technique and at 24 dB with a threshold comparison technique. The Bing test with the tuning fork placed either on the mastoid or the vertex showed a transition point from Bing positive to negative at approximately 9 dB air-bone gap.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Aural rehabilitation of hearing-impaired adults (official policy of the British Society of Audiology).

This report, which outlines the official policy of the British Society of Audiology on the aural rehabilitation of hearing impaired adults, (a) estimates the prevalence of hearing impairment in adults in the United Kingdom; (b) identifies the main problems associated with hearing impairment in adults; (c) outlines the main aural rehabilitative procedures and (d) puts forward recommendations for future developments in this area.

Adult↗