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Biomedical subjects

T L Wiley

Publications and source records attributed to T L Wiley.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Recognition of speech produced in noise.

A two-part study examined recognition of speech produced in quiet and in noise by normal hearing adults. In Part I 5 women produced 50 sentences consisting of an ambiguous carrier phrase followed by a unique target word. These sentences were spoken in three environments: quiet, wide band noise (WBN), and meaningful multi-talker babble (MMB). The WBN and MMB competitors were presented through insert earphones at 80 dB SPL. For each talker, the mean vocal level, long-term average speech spectra, and mean word duration were calculated for the 50 target words produced in each speaking environment. Compared to quiet, the vocal levels produced in WBN and MMB increased an average of 14.5 dB. The increase in vocal level was characterized by increased spectral energy in the high frequencies. Word duration also increased an average of 77 ms in WBN and MMB relative to the quiet condition. In Part II, the sentences produced by one of the 5 talkers were presented to 30 adults in the presence of multi-talker babble under two conditions. Recognition was evaluated for each condition. In the first condition, the sentences produced in quiet and in noise were presented at equal signal-to-noise ratios (SNR(E)). This served to remove the vocal level differences between the speech samples. In the second condition, the vocal level differences were preserved (SNR(P)). For the SNR(E) condition, recognition of the speech produced in WBN and MMB was on average 15% higher than that for the speech produced in quiet. For the SNR(P) condition, recognition increased an average of 69% for these same speech samples relative to speech produced in quiet. In general, correlational analyses failed to show a direct relation between the acoustic properties measured in Part I and the recognition measures in Part II.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Recreational firearm use and hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between recreational firearm use and high-frequency hearing loss in a population of older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, population-based cohort study. SETTING: The midwestern community of Beaver Dam, Wis. PARTICIPANTS: A population-based sample of 3753 participants (83% of those eligible), aged 48 to 92 years, participated in the baseline phase of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lifetime and past year self-reported firearm use during target shooting and hunting were assessed by interview. Hearing thresholds were measured by pure-tone audiometry. RESULTS: After age and other factors were adjusted for, men (n = 1538) who had ever regularly engaged in target shooting (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.19) or who had done so in the past year (odds ratio, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-3.46) were more likely to have a marked high-frequency hearing loss than those who had not. Risk of having a marked high-frequency hearing loss increased 7% for every 5 years the men had hunted (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.12). Thirty-eight percent of the target shooters and 95% of the hunters reported never wearing hearing protection while shooting in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that use of recreational firearms is associated with marked high-frequency hearing loss in men. There is a need for further education of users of recreational firearms regarding the risk of hearing impairment associated with firearm use and the availability and importance of appropriate hearing protection.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Moderate alcohol consumption and hearing loss: a protective effect.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if moderate alcohol consumption is associated inversely with hearing loss in a large population based study of older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional population based cohort study. Data are from the 1993-1995 examinations for the population based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) (n = 3571) and the Beaver Dam Eye Study (BDES) (n = 3722). SETTING: Midwestern community of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. PARTICIPANTS: Residents of Beaver Dam aged 43 to 84 in 1987-1988 were eligible for the BDES (examinations in 1988-1990 and 1993-1995). During 1993-1995, this same cohort was eligible to participate in the baseline examination for the EHLS. MEASUREMENTS: Hearing thresholds were measured by pure tone air and bone conduction audiometry (250-8000 Hz.). History of alcohol consumption in the past year, heavy drinking (ever), medical history, occupation, noise exposure, and other lifestyle factors were ascertained by a questionnaire that was administered as an interview. RESULTS: In multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for potential confounders, moderate alcohol consumption (>140 grams/week) was inversely associated with hearing loss (PTA(.5,1,2,4 > 25 dB HL); odds ratio [OR] = .71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .52, .97; where PTA is pure tone average). A similar association was found for moderate hearing loss (PTA(.5,1,2,4 > 40 dB HL); OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.32, 0.74). Alcohol consumption was associated inversely with the odds of having a low frequency hearing loss (OR = 0.61) or a high frequency hearing loss (OR = 0.60). These findings did not vary significantly by age or gender. There was an increase in the odds of having a high frequency hearing loss (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.75), in those with a history of heavy drinking (> or =4 drinks/day). Including cardiovascular disease or its related factors did not significantly attenuate the protective effect. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence of a modest protective association of alcohol consumption and hearing loss in these cross-sectional data. This finding is in agreement with a small body of evidence suggesting that hearing loss is not an inevitable component of the aging process.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Self-reported hearing handicap and audiometric measures in older adults.

As part of an epidemiologic study of hearing disorders in older adults, audiometric thresholds (250-20,000 Hz), word recognition performance (Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 word lists in quiet and in competing message), and Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening (HHIE-S) scores were evaluated for 3178 adults ranging in age from 48 to 92 years. Overall, higher HHIE-S scores were more prevalent for older age groups and for greater degrees of hearing loss. After adjusting for the degree of hearing loss, the probability of reporting a hearing disability (handicap) decreased with age.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Word recognition performance for Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 word lists in quiet and in competing message.

Word recognition norms were determined for the Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (NU-6) released on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Disc 1.1. Word recognition performance (in quiet and in competing message) was measured at 12 presentation levels for 24 young adults with normal hearing. Test-retest reliability also was evaluated. Word recognition scores for VA Disc 1.1 were generally higher than those reported for VA Disc 1.0. The differences in NU-6 scores across disc versions, however, were small and unlikely to affect clinical decisions based on word recognition tests. Score differences on test-retest for the VA Disc 1.1 version of the NU-6 with a competing message background also were small and unlikely to affect clinical outcomes. Overall, based on comparisons of scores for the disc versions of the NU-6, it appears that the two different recordings can be used interchangeably for clinical applications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Aging and middle ear resonance.

Tympanograms for probes ranging from 250 through 2000 Hz were evaluated for 467 older adults. Measures of middle ear resonant frequency were compared across age groups (48-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-90 years) and gender. No significant age group trends were observed for middle ear resonant frequency. Middle ear resonant frequencies were significantly higher for older women than for older men, but the differences were small.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of hearing loss in older adults in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study.

There are no recent population-based data on the prevalence of hearing loss in older adults using standard audiometric testing. The population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study was designed to measure the prevalence of hearing loss in adults aged 48-92 years, residing in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Hearing thresholds were measured with standardized protocols using pure-tone air- and bone-conduction audiometry in sound-treated booths. The examination also included an otoscopic evaluation, screening tympanogram, and a questionnaire on hearing-related medical history, noise exposure, other potential risk factors, and self-perceived hearing handicap. Of the 4,541 eligible people, 3,753 (82.6%) participated in the hearing study (1993-1995). The average age of participants was 65.8 years, and 57.7% were women. The prevalence of hearing loss was 45.9%. The odds of hearing loss increased with age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.88 for 5 years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.80-1.97) and were greater for men than women (OR = 4.42, 95% CI 3.73-5.24). The male excess of hearing loss remained statistically significant after adjusting for age, education, noise exposure, and occupation (OR = 3.65). These results demonstrate that hearing loss is a very common problem affecting older adults. Epidemiologic studies are needed to understand the genetic, environmental, and sex-related determinants of age-related hearing loss and to identify potential intervention strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Cigarette smoking and hearing loss: the epidemiology of hearing loss study.

CONTEXT: Clinical studies have suggested that cigarette smoking may be associated with hearing loss, a common condition affecting older adults. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between smoking and hearing loss. DESIGN: Population-based, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Community of Beaver Dam, Wis. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 48 to 92 years. Of 4541 eligible subjects, 3753 (83%) participated in the hearing study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The examination included otoscopy, screening tympanometry, and pure-tone air-conduction and bone-conduction audiometry. Smoking history was ascertained by self-report. Hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) greater than 25-dB hearing level in the worse ear. RESULTS: After adjusting for other factors, current smokers were 1.69 times as likely to have a hearing loss as nonsmokers (95% confidence interval, 1.31-2.17). This relationship remained for those without a history of occupational noise exposure and in analyses excluding those with non-age-related hearing loss. There was weak evidence of a dose-response effect. Nonsmoking participants who lived with a smoker were more likely to have a hearing loss than those who were not exposed to a household member who smoked (odds ratio, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-3.74). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that environmental exposures may play a role in age-related hearing loss. If longitudinal studies confirm these findings, modification of smoking habits may prevent or delay age-related declines in hearing sensitivity.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Aging and high-frequency hearing sensitivity.

As part of a large population-based study of hearing and aging, ultra high-frequency (9-20 kHz) threshold measures are reported for 3396 participants grouped by age (48-59 years, n = 1233; 60-69 years, n = 1031; 70-79 years, n = 851; 80-92 years, n = 281). Ultra high-frequency (UHF) thresholds were higher for older age groups. The percentage of unmeasurable responses also was significantly higher for older age groups and for higher frequencies in the UHF range. The observed age effects remained significant after adjusting for gender. In general, UHF thresholds were significantly higher for men compared to those for women at lower UHF frequencies (9-14 kHz), but were not significantly different by gender for the highest UHF frequencies (16, 18, and 20 kHz). After accounting for hearing loss at traditional audiometric frequencies (250-8000 Hz), the age effect still remained; even for comparable degrees of sensorineural hearing loss, participants in older age groups evidenced higher UHF thresholds.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Low prevalence of hearing aid use among older adults with hearing loss: the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the prevalence of hearing aid use among older adults with hearing loss and to identify factors associated with those currently using hearing aids. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: The south-central Wisconsin community of Beaver Dam. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1629 adults, aged 48 to 92 years, who have hearing loss and are participating in the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study and the Beaver Dam Eye Study. MEASUREMENTS: A hearing-related risk factor and medical history questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (screening version), screening tympanometry, pure-tone air- and bone-conduction audiometry, and word recognition tests were administered by trained examiners using standard protocols. RESULTS: The prevalence of current hearing aid use among those with a hearing loss (pure-tone average > 25 decibels hearing level over 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hertz, worse ear) was 14.6%. The prevalence was 55% in a subset of the most severely affected participants. In univariate analyses, current hearing aid use was associated with age, severity of loss, word recognition scores, self-reported hearing loss, self-perceived hearing handicap, and history of noise exposure. Factors associated with current hearing aid use in multivariate logistic regression models were age, severity of loss, education, word recognition scores, Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (screening version) score, and self-report of a hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS: Few older adults with hearing loss are currently utilizing hearing aids. Improved screening and intervention programs to identify older adults who would benefit from amplification are needed to improve hearing-related quality of life for this large segment of the population.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

Association of NIDDM and hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of NIDDM with hearing loss in a large population-based study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from population-based longitudinal studies of aging conducted in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, were used in these analyses. Hearing thresholds were determined by pure-tone air- and bone-conduction audiometry performed by trained technicians following American Speech-Language-Hearing Association specifications. Hearing loss was defined as the pure-tone average of the frequencies 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz greater than 25 decibels hearing level in the worse ear. Diabetes status was determined by self-report of physician-diagnosed diabetes or by elevated glucose or glycated hemoglobin levels at examination. RESULTS: Of 3,571 study participants, 344 were classified as having NIDDM. Subjects with NIDDM were more likely to have a hearing loss than were subjects without diabetes (59 vs. 44%). After results were adjusted for age, this difference was not statistically significant. After individuals with hearing loss patterns inconsistent with presbycusis were excluded, there was an association between NIDDM and hearing loss when controlling for potential confounders (odds ratio [OR] 1.41, 95% CI 1.05-1.88). There was no association between duration of diabetes or glycemic control and hearing loss. Individuals with NIDDM and nephropathy were more likely to have a hearing loss than were those with NIDDM but no nephropathy (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.04-5.00). CONCLUSIONS: These data are suggestive of a weak association between NIDDM and hearing loss.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Aging and word recognition in competing message.

As part of an epidemiologic study of hearing disorders in older adults, word recognition performance (NU-6 word lists in quiet and in competing message) was evaluated for 3189 adults grouped by age (48-59 years, n = 1176; 60-69 years, n = 979; 70-79 years, n = 794; 80-92 years, n = 240). Overall, scores for all measures were worse for older age groups and worse for men than for women. Word recognition scores in competing message were poorer than word recognition scores in quiet for all subjects and age groups. Further, differences in scores across age groups and gender were greater for the word recognition test in competing message than for the word recognition test in quiet. Although degree of hearing loss accounted for the largest portion of variation in word recognition scores, the observed age and gender differences remained significant after adjusting for the degree of sensorineural hearing loss.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1997

Word recognition performance in various background competitors.

Word recognition performance was measured for 18 normal-hearing subjects using the female talker version of the Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (NU-6) in the presence of three background competitors: (1) a meaningful multitalker competing message consisting of three male and three female talkers (forward multitalker competing message [FCM]), (2) the same multitalker competing message recorded in reverse to eliminate semantic content (backward multitalker competing message [BCM]), and (3) an amplitude-modulated speech-spectrum noise (SSN) having the same long-term average spectrum and amplitude fluctuations as the meaningful multitalker competing message. The meaningful competitor had a significantly more deleterious effect on recognition performance compared to performance for the two nonmeaningful competitors. Furthermore, the nonmeaningful speech competitor produced a significantly greater degradation in performance than that for the SSN.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Performance norms for the VA compact disc versions of CID W-22 (Hirsh) and PB-50 (Rush Hughes) word lists.

The purpose of this study was to establish normative articulation functions for the Hirsh recordings of the CID W-22 word lists and te Rush Hughes recordings of the PB-50 word lists as recorded on the VA compact disc. Twenty-four young adults with normal hearing listened to both sets of materials presented in quiet at 12 levels (0-56 dB HL). Presentation levels on average needed to be 10 dB higher for the PB-50 word lists to obtain word recognition performance scores equal to those for the W-22s. Maximum word recognition scores of 95 to 100 percent were obtained for the W-22s at lower presentation levels (> 40 dB HL), compared to 80 to 90 percent for the PB-50s at the maximum presentation level (56 dB HL). Mean slopes for the W-22 and PB-50 functions were 4.1 percent/dB and 1.9 percent/dB, respectively. Test-retest reliability was judged to be clinically appropriate for both sets of materials. Item analyses revealed a substantially skewed distribution toward easy items for the W-22 word lists compared to a more balanced distribution of item difficulty for the PB-50 lists. List equivalency was also judged to be clinically appropriate for the PB-50 word lists.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Interexaminer reliability of otoscopic signs and tympanometric measures for older adults.

To accurately classify hearing loss and otic disorders among older adults, examiners must be able to consistently assess otoscopic signs and perform middle-ear screening tympanograms. As part of a population-based study of hearing loss in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, the interexaminer reliability of otoscopic examinations and screening tympanograms was evaluated using 45 replicate examinations. Data from 1941 participants 48 to 91 years of age were used to compare otoscopic and tympanometric results. Overall agreement for nine otoscopic signs ranged from 73 percent (vascularity) to 100 percent (drainage). There were small examiner differences in tympanometric measures of equivalent ear-canal volume (Vea) and tympanogram width. No significant differences were observed for peak compensated static acoustic admittance and tympanogram peak pressure. Our findings suggest that examiners can be trained to consistently and accurately assess otoscopic signs and obtain reliable tympanometric results.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1996

Tympanometric measures in older adults.

Tympanometric measures were obtained in 1240 adults (2147 ears) ranging in age from 48 to 90 years. All subjects reported a negative history of otic disease, passed an otoscopic examination, and did not present a significant air-bone gap based on pure-tone audiometry. Relative to findings for younger adults, tympanometric measures for older adults in the present study showed greater variability, a slightly lower mean peak compensated static acoustic admittance (peak Ytm), and a significantly higher mean equivalent ear-canal volume (Vea). Across age in the present study, Vea tended to decrease with age and tympanogram width (TW) tended to increase with age. Relative to measures for females, males in the present study tended to have higher peak Ytm values, higher Vea values, and slightly lower TW values. Overall, our findings indicate a need to adopt criteria that account for age and gender effects in tympanometry protocols for older adults.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1991

Test-retest reliability in tympanometry.

Test-retest reliability for tympanometric measures was evaluated across five sessions in 20 subjects with normal hearing and normal middle-ear function. Tympanograms were obtained on each ear for probe frequencies of 226, 678, and 1000 Hz using both ascending and descending directions of pressure change. Across all conditions, the tympanometric measure that consistently demonstrated the highest test-retest reliability was compensated static acoustic admittance. Test-retest correlations for peak compensated static acoustic admittance measures were higher than those for ambient measures across all probe frequencies and both directions of pressure change; the differences in correlations for peak and ambient measures, however, reached significance only for 226-Hz conditions. Across-session correlations for tympanogram width did not differ significantly for measures referenced to the lowest tympanogram tail and those referenced to +200 daPa.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗