Here’s the second in a series of discussions on severe hearing loss: Transitioning the Patient with Severe Hearing Loss to New Hearing aids. Gradual adjustments, moving from a familiar frequency response to a new one can be tolerated. A smooth transition may require counseling.
Posted in Hearing, Technology
Tagged galster, hearing, hearing aids, jason galster, research
This month’s review is the first in a series that will discuss the treatment of severe hearing loss.
Prescribing Compression for Severe Hearing Loss
Souza, P.E., Jenstad, L.M. & Folino, R. (2005). Using multichannel wide-dynamic range compression in severely hearing-impaired listeners: effects on speech recognition and quality. Ear and Hearing 26(2), 120-131.
Posted in Hearing, Technology
Tagged compression, galster, hearing, hearing aids, jason galster
This post describes the NAL-NL2 prescriptive formula. Included are differences between the NAL-NL1 and NAL-NL2.
http://blog.starkeypro.com/bid/75435/Understanding-the-NAL-NL2
Keidser, G., Dillon, H., Flax, M., Ching, T. & Brewer, S. (2011). The NAL-NL2 prescription procedure. Audiology Research 1 (e24), 88-90.
Posted in Hearing, Internet, Technology
Tagged galster, hearing aids, hearing research, hearing science, jason galster
AudiologyOnline.com has posted a summary of Spectral iQ. A means for replicated high-frequency speech cues at lower frequencies; a process called spectral envelope warping (SEW).
http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=2420
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Tagged galster, hearing aids, hearing research, hearing science, jason galster
In this update Dr. Stevens and I discuss a recent meta review from Jenstad and Moon. The authors sift through the available literature analyzing factors that contribute to purchase and use of hearing aids. The most relevant articles provide valuable insight into the decision making and needs of patients seeking treatment for hearing loss.
http://blog.starkeypro.com/bid/74326/What-motivates-hearing-aid-use
Jenstad, L. & Moon, J. (2011). Systematic review of barriers and facilitators to hearing aid uptake in older adults. Audiology Research 1:e25, 91-96.
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Tagged galster, hearing aids, hearing research, jason galster
In this month’s update we discuss Wu & Bentler 2010. The authors made valuable observations on the impact of visual cues to directional microphone benefit and preference.
http://blog.starkeypro.com/bid/73206/Do-hearing-aid-wearers-benefit-from-visual-cues
Wu, Y-H. & Bentler, R.A. (2010) Impact of visual cues on directional benefit and preference: Part I – laboratory tests. Ear and Hearing 31(1), 22-34.
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Tagged galster, hearing, hearing aids, jason galster
Many audiologists notice that the benefits that patients’ field experience with directional microphones differs from controlled test environments, particularly laboratory environments. In this 2004 article Cord and colleagues provide some insight into these differences that are observed in the lab and real-world.
Cord, M., Surr, R., Walden, B. & Dyrlund, O. (2004). Relationship between laboratory measures of directional advantage and everyday success with directional microphone hearing aids.Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 15, 353-364.
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Tagged galster, hearing, hearing aids, hearing research, jason galster
This paper introduces a new method for frequency lowering in hearing aids. Many individuals with high-frequency hearing loss do not have access to the highest frequency components of speech. Technologies such as Spectral iQ are designed to move the highest frequency information to lower frequencies, which for most patients results in increased audibility for those sounds.
Galster, J.A., Valentine, S., Dundas, J.A., & Fitz, K. (2011). Spectral iQ: Audibly improving access to high-frequency sounds. Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Technology Paper.
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Tagged galster, hearing, hearing aids, hearing loss, hearing research, hearing science, jason galster, research
Appropriate prescription of MPO is an often overlooked parameter. A fair amount of research exists that would suggest inappropriate application of MPO will significantly decrease the likelihood of hearing aid acceptance. In this article review Dr. Kuk and colleagues discuss some possible negative outcomes related to the under-prescription of MPO. The authors go on to suggest that the addition of digital noise reduction may mitigate some of these negative outcomes.
http://blog.starkeypro.com/bid/70080/Are-you-prescribing-an-appropriate-MPO
Kuk, F., Peeters, H., Korhonen, P. & Lau, C. (2010). Effect of MPO and noise reduction on speech recognition in noise. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, submitted November 2010.
Posted in Hearing, Technology
Tagged auditory, galster, hearing, hearing aids, hearing loss, hearing research, jason galster, research
In this throwback to 2003 Jenstad and colleagues completed a study that evaluated consistency in interpretation of patient complaints and the actions that would be taken to address these complaints. Their findings show excellent agreement between the interpretation and subsequent actions made by two independent groups of survey respondents.
http://blog.starkeypro.com/bid/69065/Addressing-patient-complaints-when-fine-tuning-a-hearing-aid
Jenstad, L.M., Van Tasell, D.J. & Ewert, C. (2003). Hearing aid troubleshooting based on patient’s descriptions. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 14 (7).
Posted in Hearing, Technology
Tagged acoustics, audio, auditory, galster, hearing, hearing aids, hearing loss, hearing research, hearing science, jason galster, research