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The goal of the current interpretive phenomenological study grounded in Heidegger's philosophies was to explore the experience of lipreaders when society was masked during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Participants were prelingually deafened English-speaking adults who predominantly relied on lip-reading and speaking for communication. Twelve in-depth email interviews were conducted with respondents recruited via social media. Thematic techniques of Benner were employed, and six themes emerged: Limiting of World Resulting in Negative Emotions, Increased Prominence of Deafness, Balancing Safety and Communication Access, Creative Resourcefulness, Resilience and Personal Growth, and Passage of Time to Bittersweet Freedom. Insights from this study clarify the need for psychosocial support of lipreaders during times of restricted communication access and awareness of accommodations to facilitate inclusion. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(4), 18-26.].
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COVID-19 , Lectura de los Labios , Máscaras , Adulto , HumanosRESUMEN
The widespread use of face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic has created communication challenges for many individuals, particularly for those who are deaf or hard of hearing and for those who must speak through masks in suboptimal conditions. This study includes some newer mask options as well as transparent masks to help those who depend on lipreading and other facial cues. The results corroborate earlier published results for non-transparent masks, but transparent options have greater attenuation, resonant peaks, and deflect sounds in ways that non-transparent masks do not. Although transparent face coverings have poorer acoustic performance, the presence of visual cues remains important for both verbal and non-verbal communication. Fortunately, there are creative solutions and technologies available to overcome audio and/or visual barriers caused by face coverings.
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COVID-19 , Pandemias , Acústica , Humanos , Máscaras , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
The purpose of this study is to identify whether or not different materials of softball bats (wooden, aluminum, and composite) are a potential risk harm to hearing when batting players strike a 12'' core .40 softball during slow, underhand pitch typical of recreational games. Peak sound pressure level measurements and spectral analyses were conducted for three controlled softball pitches to a batting participant using each of the different bat materials in an unused outdoor playing field with regulation distances between the pitcher's mound and batter's box. The results revealed that highest recorded peak sound pressure level was recorded from the aluminum (124.6 dBC) bat followed by the composite (121.2 dBC) and wooden (120.0 dBC) bats. Spectral analysis revealed composite and wooden bats with similar broadly distributed amplitude-frequency response. The aluminum bat also produced a broadly distributed amplitude-frequency response, but there were also two very distinct peaks at around 1700 Hz and 2260 Hz above the noise floor that produced its ringing (or ping) sound after being struck. Impulse (transient) sounds less than 140 dBC may permit multiple exposures, and softball bats used in a recreational slow pitch may pose little to no risk to hearing.
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Béisbol/fisiología , Audición/fisiología , Ruido , Equipo Deportivo , Estimulación Acústica , Aluminio/química , Umbral Auditivo/fisiología , Grafito/química , Ensayo de Materiales , Fenómenos Mecánicos , Medición de Riesgo , Factores de Riesgo , Madera/químicaRESUMEN
CONTEXT: We assessed the general knowledge of health literacy and the impact of limited health literacy on patients and to society in United States (US) audiologists and speech-language pathologists in Arkansas. METHODS: A 10-item survey was completed by 198 professionals and students in communication sciences and disorders in Arkansas. The 10-items were divided into one demographic question, six patient-related health literacy questions, and three systems-related health literacy questions. RESULTS: Most professionals and students were aware that limited health literacy can be an obstacle for patients, but they were only somewhat or not aware of existing data on the average US adult reading grade level, the readability of clinic forms, or the estimated economic healthcare cost as a result of low health literacy. DISCUSSION: Increasing the awareness of health literacy and the impact of limited health literacy among all healthcare providers would be a worthwhile endeavor. More work is needed to study health literacy in various patient populations and to develop effective approaches to combat low health literacy in the field of communication sciences and disorders, as well as other healthcare disciplines, across the globe. This study suggests that health literacy awareness training may be needed, not only in Arkansas, but also throughout the US and other countries. The outcome should bridge the health literacy and communication gap between providers and their patients.
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Audiología/educación , Alfabetización en Salud , Patología del Habla y Lenguaje/educación , Adulto , Arkansas/epidemiología , Audiología/estadística & datos numéricos , Curriculum , Recolección de Datos , Humanos , Evaluación de Necesidades , Patología del Habla y Lenguaje/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudiantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Background: Cochlear implants are a neural prosthesis used to restore the perception of hearing in individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss by stimulating the auditory nerve with electrical current through a surgically implanted electrode array. The integrity of the interface between the implanted electrode array and the auditory nerve contributes to the variability in outcomes experienced by cochlear implant users. Strategies to identify and eliminate poorly encoding electrodes have been found to be effective in improving outcomes with the device, but application is limited in a clinical setting. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a clinical method used to identify and selectively deactivate cochlear implants (CI) electrodes related to poor electrode-neural interface. Methods: Thirteen adult CI users participated in a pitch ranking task to identify indiscriminate electrode pairs. Electrodes associated with indiscriminate pairs were selectively deactivated, creating an individualized experimental program. Speech perception was evaluated in the baseline condition and with the experimental program before and after an acclimation period. Participant preference responses were recorded at each visit. Results: Statistically significant improvements using the experimental program were found in at least one measure of speech perception at the individual level in four out of 13 participants when tested before acclimation. Following an acclimation period, ten out of 13 participants demonstrated statistically significant improvements in at least one measure of speech perception. Statistically significant improvements were found with the experimental program at the group level for both monosyllabic words (p = 0.006) and sentences in noise (p = 0.020). Additionally, ten participants preferred the experimental program prior to the acclimation period and eleven preferred the experimental program following the acclimation period. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that electrode deactivation may yield improvement in speech perception following an acclimation period. A majority of CI users in our study reported a preference for the experimental program. This method proved to be a suitable clinical strategy for identifying and deactivating poorly encoding electrodes in adult CI users.
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The auditory brainstem response (ABR) to tone burst stimuli of thirteen frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 48 kHz was recorded in the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), the only extant member of the placental mammal superorder Xenarthra in North America. The armadillo ABR consisted of five main peaks that were visible within the first 10 ms when stimuli were presented at high intensities. The latency of peak I of the armadillo ABR increased as stimulus intensity decreased by an average of 20 µs/dB. Estimated frequency-specific thresholds identified by the ABR were used to construct an estimate of the armadillo audiogram describing the mean thresholds of the eight animals tested. The majority of animals tested (six out of eight) exhibited clear responses to stimuli from 0.5 to 38 kHz, and two animals exhibited responses to stimuli of 48 kHz. Across all cases, the lowest thresholds were observed for frequencies from 8 to 12 kHz. Overall, we observed that the armadillo estimated audiogram bears a similar pattern as those observed using ABR in members of other mammalian clades, including marsupials and later-derived placental mammals.
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Potenciales Evocados Auditivos del Tronco Encefálico , Xenarthra , Embarazo , Animales , Femenino , Potenciales Evocados Auditivos del Tronco Encefálico/fisiología , Armadillos/fisiología , Placenta , Pruebas Auditivas , EuteriosRESUMEN
The purposes of this study were to examine the readability of published patient-related outcome (PRO) questionnaires for persons with swallowing problems, and to compare the readability results to existing data about average reading levels of English-speaking adults living in the United States. A search was conducted to identify published PRO questionnaires related to swallowing problems that traditionally are completed by patients in a self-administered format. Reading grade levels were analyzed separately for four different swallowing-related PRO questionnaires using the Flesch Reading Ease, FOG, and FORCAST formulas as computed by a readability calculations software package. Descriptive statistics were also computed across the questionnaires. The results of this study demonstrate that all four PRO questionnaires exceeded the fifth- to sixth-grade reading levels recommended by health literacy experts regardless of the formula applied. In the demand for standardization of swallowing-related quality-of-life assessment tools, developers should consider readability as another testable construct, since poor readability may affect validity, reliability, and sensitivity. The swallowing clinician should consider the average reading level needed to understand a particular PRO questionnaire when administering it to a patient or his or her proxy. Developers of PRO questionnaires should consider the reading level of respondents and include information about this when reporting psychometric data.
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Comprensión , Calidad de Vida/psicología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios/normas , Adulto , Trastornos de Deglución/psicología , Alfabetización en Salud , HumanosRESUMEN
Although there is a strong trend of satisfaction with hearing aids, recent consumer surveys indicate that there are still challenges with understanding speech in background noise and low penetration of wireless technologies using many modern-day communication and audio devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. For some listening and communication settings, many patients could benefit from assistive technology that exceeds the capabilities of their hearing aids. When patients are not wearing their hearing aids, such as during sleep, concerns about environmental awareness and safety begin to arise. This article describes some current assistive technologies and accessories that facilitate accessibility to other devices and to satisfy the patient's listening and communication needs.
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OBJECTIVES: The readability of 15 tinnitus-focused, patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires was analyzed. DESIGN: Reading grade levels were analyzed using the Flesch Reading Ease, FOG, and FORCAST formulas as computed by a readability calculations software package. RESULTS: The results of this study demonstrate that the majority of questionnaires exceeded the fifth- to sixth-grade reading levels recommended by health literacy experts regardless of the formula applied. CONCLUSIONS: In the demand for standardization of tinnitus assessment tools, developers and clinicians should consider readability as another testable construct, as poor readability may affect both validity and reliability.
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Estado de Salud , Lectura , Encuestas y Cuestionarios/normas , Acúfeno/psicología , Comprensión , Escolaridad , Humanos , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Programas InformáticosRESUMEN
The ability to detect sinusoidal spectral envelope from an unmodulated (flat) spectrum has shown a strong correlation with speech perception in quiet and noisy listening conditions in normal hearing, hearing-impaired, and cochlear implant users. In this study, the mismatch negativity (MMN) was collected from 10 normal-hearing adult listeners and used to determine if modulation detection thresholds derived electrophysiologically correlate with the psychophysically measured spectral modulation detection thresholds. MMNs were present for most participants with spectral contrasts of 10 and 20 dB, suggesting that the MMN may be a promising neurophysiologic measure of spectral envelope perception when nonbehavioral measures are desired.
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Variación Contingente Negativa/fisiología , Electroencefalografía , Enmascaramiento Perceptual/fisiología , Procesamiento de Señales Asistido por Computador , Espectrografía del Sonido , Acústica del Lenguaje , Percepción del Habla/fisiología , Adulto , Atención/fisiología , Corteza Auditiva/fisiología , Umbral Auditivo/fisiología , Potenciales Evocados Auditivos/fisiología , Femenino , Análisis de Fourier , Humanos , Percepción Sonora/fisiología , Masculino , Valores de ReferenciaRESUMEN
Disability is an important and often overlooked component of diversity. Individuals with disabilities bring a rare perspective to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because of their unique experiences approaching complex issues related to health and disability, navigating the healthcare system, creatively solving problems unfamiliar to many individuals without disabilities, managing time and resources that are limited by physical or mental constraints, and advocating for themselves and others in the disabled community. Yet, individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in STEMM. Professional organizations can address this underrepresentation by recruiting individuals with disabilities for leadership opportunities, easing financial burdens, providing equal access, fostering peer-mentor groups, and establishing a culture of equity and inclusion spanning all facets of diversity. We are a group of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) engineers, scientists, and clinicians, most of whom are active in clinical practice and/or auditory research. We have worked within our professional societies to improve access and inclusion for D/HH individuals and others with disabilities. We describe how different models of disability inform our understanding of disability as a form of diversity. We address heterogeneity within disabled communities, including intersectionality between disability and other forms of diversity. We highlight how the Association for Research in Otolaryngology has supported our efforts to reduce ableism and promote access and inclusion for D/HH individuals. We also discuss future directions and challenges. The tools and approaches discussed here can be applied by other professional organizations to include individuals with all forms of diversity in STEMM.
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BACKGROUND: Frequencies of normal and abnormal heart sounds have previously been reported, but the acoustic analyses of the frequency responses of conventional and amplified stethoscopes for different heart sounds have not yet been reported. OBJECTIVES: To compare the acoustic analysis of frequency responses of three stethoscopes (conventional and amplified) for measuring simulated heart sounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This exploratory study used Starkey SLI-ST3, Cardionics E-Scope II (both electronic) and Littmann Classic S.E. II (conventional) stethoscopes, as they share the same basic design with twin ear tubes coupled to ear tips and chest piece options (bell vs. diaphragm modes). Acoustic analyses using the diaphragm were performed in a soundproof booth and frequency response curves at 85 (the largest), 250, 400, 550 and 1050 Hz were compared for three different digitized heart sound simulations: normal, aortic valvular stenosis (AVS) and pulmonic valvular stenosis. RESULTS: Amplified stethoscopes provided the most amplification of normal and abnormal heart sounds across all five frequencies compared with the conventional stethoscope. The Starkey SLI-ST3 stethoscope was better at amplifying normal heartbeats than the Cardionics E-Scope II and Littman Classic S.E. II; however, it came last for amplifying normal heartbeats of ~85 Hz. Cardionics E-Scope II had advantages in amplifying abnormal heartbeats (i.e., aortic valvular stenosis and pulmonic valvular stenosis) over the other two stethoscopes. CONCLUSION: This study showed that amplified stethoscopes provided better amplification of normal and abnormal heart sounds across the five measured frequencies. Therefore, health professionals should interpret manufacturer claims regarding gain (dB) and frequency (Hz) with caution, and those with hearing loss should carefully investigate the "audio performance" of the stethoscopes. Future research should focus on these effects through coupling with hearing aids.
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OBJECTIVES: To determine whether (1) the auditory N1 component can be elicited to gaps in continuous narrowband noises, (2) psychophysical and electrophysiological gap thresholds (PGTs and EGTs) are similar to one another, and (3) EGTs are the same for all narrowband noise center frequencies. DESIGN: PGTs and EGTs were obtained from 18 normal-hearing young-adult listeners to gaps in continuous narrowband noises with center frequencies of 0.5, 1, or 4 kHz. PGTs were obtained with a modified Békésy-type tracking paradigm, whereas EGTs were obtained to 2-, 5-, 10-, 20-, or 50-msec gaps presented every 2.2 sec. RESULTS: (1) The auditory N1 component was recorded to gaps in narrowband noises, although they appeared morphologically different from cortical potentials obtained using the continuous broadband noise. (2) At center frequencies of 1 and 4 kHz, psychometric functions revealed close similarity between PGTs and EGTs. However, different results were present for the 0.5-kHz narrowband noise, attributed to stimulus artifact. (3) EGTs were approximately 10 msec for most participants at 1 and 4 kHz, but 20 msec at 0.5 kHz, corroborating other studies showing increases in gap threshold with lower center frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: The auditory N1 component can be recorded to gaps in continuous narrowband noises whose gap thresholds are grossly similar to those obtained psychophysically. The differences found between PGTs and EGTs with different narrowband noise center frequencies call for further investigation of narrowband noise stimuli for the study of temporal resolution.
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Atención/fisiología , Percepción Auditiva/fisiología , Potenciales Evocados Auditivos/fisiología , Percepción del Tiempo/fisiología , Estimulación Acústica , Adolescente , Adulto , Audiometría de Tonos Puros , Corteza Auditiva/fisiología , Umbral Auditivo/fisiología , Electroencefalografía , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Percepción de la Altura Tonal/fisiología , Psicoacústica , Tiempo de Reacción/fisiología , Procesamiento de Señales Asistido por Computador , Espectrografía del Sonido , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze the readability of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B procedural safeguard documents, as distributed by each of the 50 U.S. states. Results were compared to the 5th- to 6th-grade readability guideline for documents recommended by experts in health literacy and health communication. Method A commercially available readability software, Readability Studio ( Oleander Software, 2009 ), was used to assess document readability. Text-based files of each IDEA Part B procedural safeguard document were analyzed using four readability formulas: Flesch-Kincaid ( Flesch, 1965 ), Gunning fog index ( Gunning, 1952 ), Flesch Reading Ease ( Flesch, 1948 ), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook ( McLaughlin, 1969 ). Results No procedural safeguard document scored below an 11th-grade reading level. Seventy-four percent of these documents were found to be written at a graduate reading level-meaning these documents are written for a reader who is currently enrolled in a master's degree or higher education program. Conclusion In an effort to decrease barriers to parent participation in the Individualized Education Planning process, those who administer IDEA Part B procedural safeguards should be sensitive to the potential mismatch between the literacy skills of the parent/guardian and the literacy skills needed to comprehend these documents. Developers of IDEA Part B procedural safeguards should account for estimated literacy skills of the general public as ongoing revisions to these safeguards are made.
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Información de Salud al Consumidor/normas , Alfabetización , Padres/educación , Lectura , Seguridad , Instituciones Académicas , Comprensión , Personas con Discapacidad , Humanos , Discapacidades para el Aprendizaje , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Contralateral acoustic stimulation has been shown to produce a suppressive effect on the 2F1-F2 distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE). According to reports by other studies, there is a frequency-specific suppressive region between 1 and 2kHz when the contralateral broadband or narrowband noise stimulation contains energy close to or near the F2 frequencies in that region. In general the broader the bandwidth of the noise stimulation, the greater is the suppressive effect. A frequency-sensitive region between 1 and 2kHz has also been suggested as narrowband noises with center frequencies remote from the F2 frequency seems to produce suppression in the same defined region. In order to test this hypothesis, narrowband noises wide enough to elicit suppression with center frequencies unmatched to the F2 frequencies were employed in the present study. For the right ear, a strong frequency-sensitive suppressive region was noted for the F2 frequency at 2kHz, but not at 1 and 4kHz. The left ear had some suppression at 1kHz, but this effect was not as robust as seen in the right ear. The apparent suppressive differences between ears suggest a possible MOC reflex asymmetry that has not previously been described for DPOAEs. These results suggest that physiological differences between ears and possibly handedness must be taken into account when examining contralateral suppression to narrowband noises. Furthermore, the frequency contributions of the contralateral stimulus may have a greater complex interaction with the cochlear physiology than previously considered.
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Vías Auditivas/fisiología , Lateralidad Funcional/fisiología , Inhibición Neural/fisiología , Emisiones Otoacústicas Espontáneas/fisiología , Discriminación de la Altura Tonal/fisiología , Localización de Sonidos/fisiología , Estimulación Acústica , Adolescente , Adulto , Corteza Auditiva/fisiología , Cóclea/fisiología , Nervio Coclear/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Núcleo Olivar/fisiología , Reflejo/fisiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Successful communication is necessary in health-care environments. Yet the presence of noise in hospitals, operating rooms, and dental offices may have a deleterious effect on health-care personnel and patients understanding messages accurately. The presence of a surgical mask and hearing loss may further affect speech perception. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether a surgical mask had an effect on speech understanding for listeners with normal hearing and hearing impairment when speech stimuli were administered in the presence or absence of dental office noise. RESEARCH DESIGN: Participants were assigned to one of two groups based on hearing sensitivity in this quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study. STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 31 adults participated in this study (1 talker, 15 listeners with normal hearing, and 15 with hearing impairment). The normal hearing group had thresholds of 25 dB HL or better at the octave frequencies from 250 through 8000 Hz while the hearing loss group had varying degrees and configurations of hearing loss with thresholds equal to or poorer than 25 dB HL for the same octave frequencies. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Selected lists from the Connected Speech Test (CST) were digitally recorded with and without a surgical mask present and then presented to the listeners in four conditions: without a mask in quiet, without a mask in noise, with a mask in quiet, and with a mask in noise. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in the spectral analyses of the speech stimuli with and without the mask. The presence of a surgical mask, however, did not have a detrimental effect on speech understanding in either the normal-hearing or hearing-impaired groups. The dental office noise did have a significant effect on speech understanding for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the presence of a surgical mask did not negatively affect speech understanding. However, the presence of noise did have a deleterious effect on speech perception and warrants further attention in health-care environments.
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Comunicación , Relaciones Dentista-Paciente , Máscaras , Adulto , Anciano , Audiometría de Tonos Puros , Consultorios Odontológicos , Femenino , Pérdida Auditiva/complicaciones , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Ruido , Enmascaramiento Perceptual , Inteligibilidad del Habla , Percepción del Habla , Enfermedades Dentales/complicaciones , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the readability level of the Spanish versions of several audiology- and otolaryngology-related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and include a readability analysis of 2 translation approaches when available-the published version and a "functionalist" version-using a team-based collaborative approach including community members. METHOD: Readability levels were calculated using the Fry Graph adapted for Spanish, as well as the Fernandez-Huerta and the Spaulding formulae for several commonly used audiology- and otolaryngology-related PROMs. RESULTS: Readability calculations agreed with previous studies analyzing audiology-related PROMs in English and demonstrated many Spanish-language PROMs were beyond the 5th grade reading level suggested for health-related materials written for the average population. In addition, the functionalist versions of the PROMs yielded lower grade-level (improved) readability levels than the published versions. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest many of the Spanish-language PROMs evaluated here are beyond the recommended readability levels and may be influenced by the approach to translation. Moreover, improved readability may be possible using a functionalist approach to translation. Future analysis of the suitability of outcome measures and the quality of their translations should move beyond readability and include an evaluation of the individual's comprehension of the written text.
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Audiología , Alfabetización en Salud , Otolaringología , Medición de Resultados Informados por el Paciente , Lectura , Comprensión , Humanos , TraduccionesRESUMEN
PURPOSE: The purpose of this article was to provide multiple examples of how (central) auditory processing disorder ([C]APD) is being evaluated and treated at various audiology clinics throughout the United States. METHOD: The authors present 5 cases highlighting the diagnosis and treatment of (C)APD in children and adults. Similarities and differences between these cases have been showcased through detailed histories, evaluation protocol, and treatment options. When possible, the rationale for evaluation procedures and intervention processes were described and compared with guidelines and findings within the literature. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: These cases illustrate the varied processes and clinical protocols by which children and adults are evaluated, diagnosed, counseled, and treated for (C)APD. In addition, similarities and differences between the referral source, evaluation team, developmental history, comorbidities, test battery, recommendations, and remediations were described. The multiple clinic sites, diversity of clinical philosophies, variety of test measures, and diversity of patient populations make these cases ideal for showcasing the assortment of methodologies used with patients who present with histories and characteristics consistent with (C)APD.
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Trastornos de la Percepción Auditiva/diagnóstico , Trastornos del Desarrollo del Lenguaje/diagnóstico , Adulto , Audiometría de Tonos Puros , Trastornos de la Percepción Auditiva/rehabilitación , Umbral Auditivo , Niño , Manejo de la Enfermedad , Femenino , Humanos , Trastornos del Desarrollo del Lenguaje/rehabilitación , Terapia del Lenguaje , Masculino , Logopedia , Rondas de Enseñanza , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: It is generally well known that speech perception is often improved with integrated audiovisual input whether in quiet or in noise. In many health-care environments, however, conventional surgical masks block visual access to the mouth and obscure other potential facial cues. In addition, these environments can be noisy. Although these masks may not alter the acoustic properties, the presence of noise in addition to the lack of visual input can have a deleterious effect on speech understanding. A transparent ("see-through") surgical mask may help to overcome this issue. PURPOSE: To compare the effect of noise and various visual input conditions on speech understanding for listeners with normal hearing (NH) and hearing impairment using different surgical masks. RESEARCH DESIGN: Participants were assigned to one of three groups based on hearing sensitivity in this quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study. STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 31 adults participated in this study: one talker, ten listeners with NH, ten listeners with moderate sensorineural hearing loss, and ten listeners with severe-to-profound hearing loss. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Selected lists from the Connected Speech Test were digitally recorded with and without surgical masks and then presented to the listeners at 65 dB HL in five conditions against a background of four-talker babble (+10 dB SNR): without a mask (auditory only), without a mask (auditory and visual), with a transparent mask (auditory only), with a transparent mask (auditory and visual), and with a paper mask (auditory only). RESULTS: A significant difference was found in the spectral analyses of the speech stimuli with and without the masks; however, no more than â¼2 dB root mean square. Listeners with NH performed consistently well across all conditions. Both groups of listeners with hearing impairment benefitted from visual input from the transparent mask. The magnitude of improvement in speech perception in noise was greatest for the severe-to-profound group. CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirm improved speech perception performance in noise for listeners with hearing impairment when visual input is provided using a transparent surgical mask. Most importantly, the use of the transparent mask did not negatively affect speech perception performance in noise.
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Pérdida Auditiva Sensorineural/fisiopatología , Máscaras , Percepción del Habla/fisiología , Adulto , Anciano , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Audífonos , Pérdida Auditiva Sensorineural/terapia , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enmascaramiento Perceptual/fisiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study was to test the effect of the combined use of trained standardized parents and a baby simulator on students' hearing screening and parental counseling knowledge and skills. METHOD: A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design was used to assess self-ratings of confidence in knowledge and skills and satisfaction of the educational experience with standardized parents and a baby simulator. The mean age of the 14 audiology students participating in this study was 24.79 years (SD = 1.58). Participants completed a pre- and postevent questionnaire in which they rated their level of confidence for specific knowledge and skills. Six students (2 students in each scenario) volunteered to participate in the infant hearing screening and counseling scenarios, whereas others participated as observers. All participants participated in the briefing and debriefing sessions immediately before and after each of 3 scenarios. After the last scenario, participants were asked to complete a satisfaction survey of their learning experience using simulation and standardized parents. RESULTS: Overall, the pre- and post-simulation event questionnaire revealed a significant improvement in the participants' self-rated confidence levels regarding knowledge and skills. The mean difference between pre- and postevent scores was 0.52 (p < .01). The mean satisfaction level was 4.71 (range = 3.91-5.00; SD = 0.30) based on a Likert scale, where 1 = not satisfied and 5 = very satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this novel educational activity demonstrate the value of using infant hearing screening and parental counseling simulation sessions to enhance student learning. In addition, this study demonstrates the use of simulation and standardized parents as an important pedagogical tool for audiology students. Students experienced a high level of satisfaction with the learning experience.