陡降型老年性聋患者时间分辨率的改变

目的评估陡降型老年性聋患者的时间分辨率改变情况。方法年龄匹配的陡降型老年性聋患者及听力正常者,分别接受调幅检测及间隔检测以评估其时间分辨率。为了评估老年性聋患者听力正常频率的时间分辨率,调幅检测的载波和间隔检测的间隔标记信号采用低通噪声。结果与年龄匹配的听力正常受试者相比,即使信号的频谱限制在陡降型老年性聋患者听力完全正常的频率,老年性聋患者的调幅检测和间隔检测能力仍然下降,特别是在远离截止频率的频率,时间分辨率下降更加显著。结论陡降型老年性聋患者的低频区听力基本正常,但是其低频区的时间分辨率仍是降低的。     

An adaptive clinical test of temporal resolution: Age effects

Abstract

Objective: Children with auditory processing disorder, as well as older adults with and without hearing loss, often report difficulty understanding speech in the presence of noise. There is evidence that deficient temporal resolution contributes to this difficulty. The purpose of this study was to establish within-channel (WC) and across-channel (AC) gap detection thresholds (GDTs) for participants ages 7 to 84 years. Design: GDTs were measured using narrow-band noise markers for two conditions of the Adaptive Tests of Temporal Resolution (ATTR): WC and AC. Study Sample: Participants were 29 children (ages 7-12 years) with normal hearing, 30 younger adults (ages 22-41 years) with normal hearing, and 60 older adults (ages 50 to 84 years) with varying hearing sensitivity. Results: GDTs are smallest and least variable for younger adults with normal hearing and are largest and most variable for the youngest children (ages 7-8 years). The GDTs of the other groups fell between those of the younger adults and youngest children. Group differences were more apparent for AC than WC conditions. Conclusions: WC and AC gap detection ability changes across the lifespan. The ATTR is an efficient tool for the assessment of temporal resolution at both ends of the lifespan.

Sumario

Objetivo: Los niños con trastornos en el procesamiento auditivo, así como los adultos con o sin hipoacusia, frecuentemente reportan dificultades para entender el lenguaje en presencia de ruido. Existe evidencia que las deficiencias en la resolución temporal contribuyen a esta dificultad. El propósito de este estudio fue establecer los umbrales de detección de brechas (GDT) dentro de los canales (WC) y a través de los canales (AC) para los participantes con edades entre 7 y 84 años. Diseño: Los GDT se midieron usando marcadores de ruido de banda estrecha para dos condiciones con la Prueba Adaptativa de Resolución Temporal (ATTR): WC y AC. Muestra: Los participantes fueron 29 niños (edades de 7 a 12 años) con audición normal, 30 adultos jóvenes (edades 22 a 41 años) con audición normal y 60 adultos mayores (edades de 50 a 84 años) con diferentes niveles de audición. Resultados: Los GDT son más pequeños y menos variables en los adultos jóvenes con audición normal, y más grandes y variables para en los niños pequeños (edades 7 a 8 años). Los GDT de los otros grupos se ubicaron entre los de los adultos jóvenes y los niños. Las diferencias grupales fueron más aparentes en la condición AC que en la WC. Conclusiones: La habilidad en la detección de brecha WC y AC cambia durante la vida. El ATTR es una herramienta eficiente para la evaluación de la resolución temporal en ambos extremos de la vida.     

The Norwegian Hearing in Noise Test

Abstract

Objective: The Toy Discrimination Test measures children's ability to discriminate spoken words. Previous assessments of reliability tested children with normal hearing or mild hearing impairment, and most studies used a version of the test without a masking sound. We assessed test-retest reliability for children with hearing impairment using maskers of broadband noise and two-talker babble. Design: Stimuli were presented from a loudspeaker. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was varied adaptively to estimate the speech-reception threshold (SRT) corresponding to 70.7% correct performance. Participants completed each masked condition twice. Study sample: Fifty-five children with permanent hearing impairment participated, aged 3.0 to 6.3 years. Thirty-four children used acoustic hearing aids; 21 children used cochlear implants. Results: For the noise masker, the within-subject standard deviation of SRTs was 2.4 dB, and the correlation between first and second SRT was + 0.73. For the babble masker, corresponding values were 2.7 dB and + 0.60. Reliability was similar for children with hearing aids and children with cochlear implants. Conclusions: The results can inform the interpretation of scores from individual children. If a child completes a condition twice in different listening situations (e.g. aided and unaided), a difference between scores ≥ 7.5 dB would be statistically significant (p <.05).     

The Japanese Hearing in Noise Test

The modified Pohlman sound probe was used to provide a prognostic evaluation of the results of surgery in otospongiosis by means of transtympanic exploration. Based on the reactions obtained with this probe, it is possible to recognize theoretically the degree of cochlear involvement ‘direct bone conduction coefficient’ and to indicate which component of the hearing defect - conductive or perceptive - prevails in a given case of otospongiosis.

Sur la base de travaux antérieurs concernant la conduction osseuse et la mise en ?uvre de la sonde de Pohlman, nous avons élaboré une méthode d'observation de la conduction osseuse directe dans l'otospongiose. Les mesures peuvent ětre faites à l'aide d'une tympanoponction ou tympanotomie pendant la stapédectomie. Nous avons constaté que les résultats obtenus à l'aide de la sonde peuvent constituer une indication sur les résultats probables d'une stapédectomie. Cette méthode permet théroriquement de prévoir si chez le malade il y a une prépondérance de transmission ou de perception.     

The Bulgarian Hearing in Noise Test

Children with auditory processing disorders (APD) were fitted with Phonak EduLink FM devices for home and classroom use. Baseline measures of the children with APD, prior to FM use, documented significantly lower speech-perception scores, evidence of decreased academic performance, and psychosocial problems in comparison to an age- and gender-matched control group. Repeated measures during the school year demonstrated speech-perception improvement in noisy classroom environments as well as significant academic and psychosocial benefits. Compared with the control group, the children with APD showed greater speech-perception advantage with FM technology. Notably, after prolonged FM use, even unaided (no FM device) speech-perception performance was improved in the children with APD, suggesting the possibility of fundamentally enhanced auditory system function.     

The gaps-in-noise test: Gap detection thresholds in normal-hearing young adults

The aim of this study was to establish parameters for the gaps-in-noise test in normal-hearing young adults. One hundred subjects (50 males and 50 females) received an audiological evaluation to rule out hearing loss and auditory processing disorder. The gaps-in-noise test was then conducted on all subjects. The mean gap detection threshold was 4.19 ms. A psychometric function by gap duration was constructed, revealing that the percentage of correct responses was less than or equal to 5% for a gap duration of 2 ms, 10–30% for a gap duration of 3 ms, 60–70% for a gap duration of 4 ms, and over 96% for gap durations of 5 ms or longer. The results suggest that the data obtained can be applied as reference values for future testing. In the subjects evaluated, the gaps-in-noise test proved to be consistent with low variability.     

The Canadian French Hearing in Noise Test

Abstract

Objective: To create a user-operated pure-tone audiometry method based on the method of maximum likelihood (MML) and the two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) paradigm with high test-retest reliability without the need of an external operator and with minimal influence of subjects’ fluctuating response criteria. User-operated audiometry was developed as an alternative to traditional audiometry for research purposes among musicians. Design: Test-retest reliability of the user-operated audiometry system was evaluated and the user-operated audiometry system was compared with traditional audiometry. Study sample: Test-retest reliability of user-operated 2AFC audiometry was tested with 38 naïve listeners. User-operated 2AFC audiometry was compared to traditional audiometry in 41 subjects. Results: The repeatability of user-operated 2AFC audiometry was comparable to traditional audiometry with standard deviation of differences from 3.9 dB to 5.2 dB in the frequency range of 250–8000 Hz. User-operated 2AFC audiometry gave thresholds 1–2 dB lower at most frequencies compared to traditional audiometry. Conclusions: User-operated 2AFC audiometry does not require specific operating skills and the repeatability is acceptable and similar to traditional audiometry. User operated 2AFC audiometry is a reliable alternative to traditional audiometry.     

The Castilian Spanish Hearing in Noise Test

Long-latency auditory evoked potential (AEP) amplitudes were reduced during voluntary thumb movement. The cerebral component N₁₀₀ did not change during the movement. By contrast, the cerebral potential P₂₀₀ and N₁₀₀-P₂₀₀ amplitudes were attenuated during the motor task compared to control. This report cannot clearly distinguish if the attenuation obtained in the AEP during the performance of the movement is related to motor events in the cerebral cortex causing 'gating' or to other factors such as habituation or vigilance changes.     

Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) performance of individuals with central auditory processing disorders from 5 to 25 years of age

Objective

The aim of the present study was to assess the auditory temporal resolution ability in individuals with central auditory processing disorders, to examine the maturation effect and to investigate the relationship between the performance on a temporal resolution test with the performance on other central auditory tests.

Methods

Participants were divided in two groups: 131 with Central Auditory Processing Disorder and 94 with normal auditory processing. They had pure-tone air-conduction thresholds no poorer than 15 dB HL bilaterally, normal admittance measures and presence of acoustic reflexes. Also, they were assessed with a central auditory test battery. Participants who failed at least one or more tests were included in the Central Auditory Processing Disorder group and those in the control group obtained normal performance on all tests. Following the auditory processing assessment, the Random Gap Detection Test was administered to the participants. A three-way ANOVA was performed. Correlation analyses were also done between the four Random Gap Detection Test subtests data as well as between Random Gap Detection Test data and the other auditory processing test results.

Results

There was a significant difference between the age-group performances in children with and without Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Also, 48% of children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder failed the Random Gap Detection Test and the percentage decreased as a function of age. The highest percentage (86%) was found in the 5-6 year-old children. Furthermore, results revealed a strong significant correlation between the four Random Gap Detection Test subtests. There was a modest correlation between the Random Gap Detection Test results and the dichotic listening tests. No significant correlation was observed between the Random Gap Detection Test data and the results of the other tests in the battery.

Conclusion

Random Gap Detection Test should not be administered to children younger than 7 years old because other reduced capacities might influence their performance. Also, Random Gap Detection Test assesses a specific auditory ability, different than the one evaluated with the other auditory tests. Finally, it is suggested to test individuals at only one frequency of the Random Gap Detection Test because results provide similar information than when assessing them on all subtests.     

Effect of noise exposure on gap detection in rats

The effects of intense (110–120 dB) noise exposure (broadband noise for one hour) on temporal resolution was estimated in rats by measuring the behavioural gap detection threshold (GDT). Changes in GDT after 120 dB noise exposure were compared with changes in the threshold and amplitude of middle latency responses (MLR) recorded in response to tone stimuli. GDT values increased from 1.6 to 4.3 or 7.8 ms after exposure to 110 or 115 dB SPL, respectively; GDT recovered to pre-exposure values in 3–7 days. Three main types of noise-induced changes were observed after 120 dB SPL exposure: (I) GDT changes similar to those following noise exposure to 115 dB SPL and maximal hearing threshold shifts (TSs) at high frequencies of about 45 dB; (II) more pronounced changes in GDT (up to 60 ms) with maximal hearing threshold shifts of about 65 dB and (III) a lack of reliable responses to gap during the first weeks post-exposure with maximal hearing threshold shifts of about 80 dB. An increased GDT was present two months after noise exposure in animals with types II and III post-exposure changes; enhanced MLR amplitudes were also found in most of these in the first post-exposure week. The pronounced deficit in gap detection in some rats after 120 dB SPL noise exposure may signal the presence of a noise-induced tinnitus.     

噪声间隙听性脑干反应研究进展

噪声间隙听性脑干反应(gap in noise auditory brainstem response,GIN ABR)是由无声间隙分隔的刺激声诱发的听性脑干反应,由前导标记(leading marker)和尾随标记(trailing marker)两部分组成。根据前导和尾随刺激声的频率,可将其分为通道内和跨通道噪声间隙听性脑干反应。GIN ABR多用于研究动物的间隙检测能力,还未广泛应用于临床,但此项测试在时间分辨率的测量及耳鸣的评估等方面具有较大意义。目前国内有关GIN ABR的研究较少,本文就噪声间隙听性脑干反应的原理、影响因素、临床应用等方面的国内外研究进展进行综述,为基础和临床研究提供参考。     

Effects of Randomizing Signal Level and Duration on Temporal Gap Detection

Although discriminable changes in stimulus energy or overall duration may accompany the silent temporal gap, there is little evidence that these extraneous cues confound the measurement of temporal gap detection threshold. In this report we show that (1) under conditions where gap detection thresholds are large in relation to the duration of the standard, extraneous cues may confound gap detection leading to underestimates of the true threshold, and (2) randomization of overall stimulus level and duration can successfully remove confounding energy and duration cues without distracting the listener's attention from the temporal-gap cue.