Examining the Quality of Life of Hearing-Impaired Children in Nepal with Cochlear Implants: Perspectives From Parents.

Millions of people worldwide suffer from hearing loss, a common sensory condition. However, new developments in cochlear implants have drastically transformed children's lives. However, there is still much to learn about the complex effects of cochlear implant interventions on children's lives and the unique difficulties experienced by Nepalese families. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate parents' perspectives regarding the quality of life of children with cochlear implants in Nepal. This study utilized the 'Children with Cochlear Implants: Parental Perspectives' (CCIPP) questionnaire, focusing on parents' viewpoints to assess the quality of life of Nepalese children with cochlear implants. A purposive sampling approach encompassed 22 families who completed the questionnaire. The study showed good parental ratings; the mean overall quality of life score was more than three (out of five), indicating significant gains following cochlear implantation. The greatest scores were for communication abilities, but issues with the implantation procedure and educational components persisted. A strong relationship existed between communication and several quality-of-life dimensions, highlighting communication's critical role in improving social interactions, well-being, and self-reliance. From the viewpoint of the parents of Nepalese children with cochlear implants, the current research represents a significant change in our knowledge of their quality of life. Even though there have been significant gains, targeted interventions are necessary to address post-implantation problems and educational challenges. The study recommends customized support networks and academic achievements to help Nepal's children with cochlear implant treatments.

Auditory cortical functioning in individuals with misophonia: an electrophysiological investigation.

PURPOSE: Misophonia is characterized by a reduced tolerance for specific sound triggers. This aspect has been relatively underexplored in audiology, with limited research from the audiological angle. Our primary objective is to compare the auditory late latency response (ALLR) findings between individuals with misophonia and those without it. METHODS: A study compared individuals with significant misophonia to a healthy control group. Thirty misophonia participants were categorized into mild and moderate-to-severe groups based on their Amsterdam Misophonia Scale scores. The latency and amplitude of auditory response peaks were analyzed across the groups using the ALLR. Statistical tests included Shapiro-Wilk for data normality, one-way ANOVA for group differences, and Bonferroni post hoc analysis for detailed variation sources. RESULTS: The result showed a significant difference in latency of P1 and N1 peaks (p < 0.05) of ALLR between the groups in both ears. This suggests a deficit in auditory processing at the cortical level in individuals with misophonia. CONCLUSION: Our study substantiates the potential utility of the ALLR as a valuable instrument for evaluating misophonia, particularly from the audiological standpoint.

Understanding misophonia from an audiological perspective: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Misophonia is a neurophysiological disorder in which certain sounds trigger an intensely emotional or physiological response caused by an increased autonomic nervous system reaction to the triggers. Misophonia is a relatively new condition, and the neurophysiological mechanism behind this condition is not known yet. The assessment and management of misophonia need a team approach. Audiologists are vital members of the team. However, their roles in this condition are not well-understood. The study aims to review the neurophysiological mechanism of misophonia, highlighting the mechanism involved in the audiological pathway and directing the discussion toward applications of findings in the assessment and management of misophonia from the audiological perspective. METHODS: We reviewed 12 articles from different databases to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms of misophonia. Most of the studies selected were experimental designs involving individuals with misophonia. RESULTS: The result of the review revealed abnormal activation and connection among the different higher cortical structures in participants with misophonia. By signifying various neurophysiological and neuroradiological findings, the review confirms that misophonia is a neurophysiological disorder that may border between audiology, neurology, and psychiatry. Assessment of study quality reported an overall low risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the need to include an audiologist as a team member in the evaluation and management of misophonia.

Development and Standardization of Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adult (Screening Version) in Nepali Language.

Hearing handicap inventory for adult- screening version (HHIA-S) is one of the widely used questionnaire for assessing hearing handicap among adult population over the short period of time. This questionnaire has been translated in many languages worldwide including Indian, Sweden, and Spanish. However, there is lack of such questionnaire in Nepali language. Hence, this study is aimed at developing and standardizing the HHIA-S questionnaire in Nepali language. The English version of the HHIA-S was translated to the Nepali language using the translation-back-translation method. Further, it was given to 10 native Nepali speakers for content validation. The final HHIA-S Nepali version was then administered to 70 normal native Nepali speakers and 50 hearing impaired Nepali speaker. The responses were analyzed, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated to measure the internal consistency of the questionnaire. Results showed that the HHIA-S Nepali version has a Cronbach's alpha score of 0.94 for normal hearing group and 0.93 for hearing impaired group, which is considered good reliability. The HHIA-S Nepali version developed in this study is found to be valid and reliable. Hence, it can be used as a screening tool for assessing hearing handicap among Nepali population. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03082-5.