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Sheila Moodie

Publications and source records attributed to Sheila Moodie.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

The DSL method for pediatric hearing instrument fitting: historical perspective and current issues.

The Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method was originally developed in the early 1980s to provide clinicians with a systematic, science-based approach to pediatric hearing instrument fitting that ensures audibility of amplified speech by accounting for factors that are uniquely associated with the provision of amplification to infants and young children who have hearing loss. This review identifies and describes several of the primary factors that have been considered in the development of the DSL Method. Specifically, the issues discussed relate to: (1) the definition and measurement of relevant acoustic, electroacoustic and audiometric variables; (2) how the external ear acoustics of infants and young children are accounted for in the DSL Method for both audiometric assessment and in the fitting of amplification; and (3) how the DSL Method has evolved concurrently with developments in hearing instrument and electroacoustic measurement technologies. Finally, current issues in the field are identified that have motivated the development of version 5.0 of the DSL Method for hearing instrument fitting.

Algorithms↗

The Desired Sensation Level multistage input/output algorithm.

The Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method was revised to support hearing instrument fitting for infants, young children, and adults who use modern hearing instrument technologies, including multichannel compression, expansion, and multimemory capability. The aims of this revision are to maintain aspects of the previous versions of the DSL Method that have been supported by research, while extending the method to account for adult-child differences in preference and listening requirements. The goals of this version (5.0) include avoiding loudness discomfort, selecting a frequency response that meets audibility requirements, choosing compression characteristics that appropriately match technology to the user's needs, and accommodating the overall prescription to meet individual needs for use in various listening environments. This review summarizes the status of research on the use of the DSL Method with pediatric and adult populations and presents a series of revisions that have been made during the generation of DSL v5.0. This article concludes with case examples that illustrate key differences between the DSL v4.1 and DSL v5.0 prescriptions.

Adolescent↗

Clinical protocols for hearing instrument fitting in the Desired Sensation Level method.

A discussion of the protocols used particularly in the clinical application of the Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method is presented in this chapter. In the first section, the measurement and application of acoustic transforms is described in terms of their importance in the assessment phase of the amplification fitting process. Specifically, the implications of individual ear canal acoustics and their impact on accurately defining hearing thresholds are discussed. Detailed information about the statistical strength of the real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) measurement and how to obtain the measure in young infants is also provided. In addition, the findings of a study that examined the relationship between behavioral and electrophysiologic thresholds in real-ear SPL is described. The second section presents information related to the electroacoustic verification of hearing instruments. The RECD is discussed in relation to its application in simulated measurements of real-ear hearing instrument performance. In particular, the effects of the transducer and coupling method during the RECD measurement are described in terms of their impact on verification measures. The topics of insertion gain, test signals, and venting are also considered. The third section presents three summary tables that outline the hearing instrument fitting process for infants, children, and adults. Overall, this chapter provides both clinical and scientific information about procedures used in the assessment and verification stages of the DSL Method.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗