搜索结果：Hearing research

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hearing devices for adults with mild-to-severe hearing losses. Specifically, we assessed the magnitude of change across outcome domains, identified measurement tools used, and reported adverse effects associated with device use. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase. Included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults (≥ 18 years of age) with mild-to-severe hearing loss, comparing any air-conduction hearing device to passive or active controls. Effect sizes were calculated as Hedges's g, and random-effects models estimated pooled effects. Thirty-three RCTs (N = 4,471 participants) met the inclusion criteria, although pooled estimates could be derived from only a subset of trials due to limited reporting. Hearing aids demonstrated moderate-to-large benefits on hearing-related self-report outcomes compared with no-intervention or waitlist controls; however, pooled meta-analytic estimates could not be generated for this comparison because of insufficient data across trials. Compared with placebo, hearing aids yielded a small pooled effect (g ≈ 0.37), driven largely by trials including participants with comorbid Alzheimer's disease. Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) showed a pooled medium effect compared with no intervention (g ≈ 0.42), with benefits primarily observed for hearing-specific self-report outcomes and selected behavioral measures. In head-to-head comparisons, hearing aids showed a large pooled advantage over other hearing devices, including smartphone hearing aid applications (SHAAs) and extended-wear hearing aids (EWHAs; g ≈ 0.88), based on data from two trials. Across the included studies, most outcomes were self-reported (≈ 81%) and behavioral (≈ 45%), with very limited assessment of cognitive or neurophysiological domains. Nine studies reported adverse events, with only one device-related incident. Heterogeneity was high (I2 > 80%), but no publication bias was detected. Hearing aids provide substantial benefit for hearing-related self-reported outcomes in comparison to PSAPs, SHAAs, EWHAs, and placebo. However, high heterogeneity prevents reliable conclusions based on pooled estimates. There also remains limited evidence on cognitive, neurophysiological, and long-term behavioral outcomes, underscoring the need for more rigorous, domain-diverse RCTs in this field. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32086299.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a leading occupational illness globally. This study aimed to identify factors related to hearing protection device (HPD) use that were associated with NIHL and to quantify the relationship between the duration of HPD use and NIHL risk. In a cross-sectional study, 845 noise-exposed manufacturing workers in China underwent health examinations and surveys. The associations between hearing protection devices use duration, related factors, and hearing loss were analyzed using multivariable linear regression and restricted cubic spline model. Providing hearing protection and training in its use at the enterprise level were associated with less hearing loss. At the individual level, consistent full-day use of hearing protection and using earplugs instead of earmuffs were linked to significantly less hearing loss. Lower hearing thresholds were linked to longer HPD use: each additional year of use was associated with a modest (~0.3 dB) reduction in the increase of hearing thresholds. Greater protective associations were observed after approximately 3 years of continuous use. Longer duration of HPD use is associated with milder hearing loss, particularly among workers reporting sustained use for three or more years, underscoring the importance of long-term hearing protection in noisy workplaces.

Multitasking, such as listening while balancing, relies on integrated processing in the sensory, cognitive, and motor systems; systems that often decline with age. Hearing loss is linked to increased risks of both falls and cognitive decline. Improving cognitive processing through executive function (EF) training may support balance, especially in older adults with hearing loss. This randomized controlled study conducted across age groups and hearing abilities, examined the effects of a 12-week EF training program on postural outcomes (center of pressure (COP)) using an auditory-cognitive-postural dual-task paradigm. Sixty-five participants including middle-aged adults with normal hearing (MA; n = 19), older adults with normal hearing (OA; n = 23), and older adults with hearing loss who used hearing aids (OAHL; n = 23) were randomly assigned within each age group to an EF training condition or a control condition. Primary outcome measures were auditory-cognitive reaction time on an auditory 2-back working memory task and postural measures (COP path length variability), which were collected in single- and dual-task conditions. Secondary analyses examined whether sensory, cognitive, and mobility performance, as evaluated by baseline standardized assessments, predicted training-related outcomes. Across MA, OA, and OAHL groups, cognitive performance generally improved following EF training and transfer of these training effects were observed during experimental postural tasks and auditory-cognitive tasks, but differed depending on age, pure-tone hearing thresholds, and cognitive abilities. Specifically, for postural outcomes, performance improved after training, but only for older adults with better hearing, while those with poorer hearing at any age did not improve. For auditory-cognitive task performance, older adults with the poorest hearing and cognition benefited the most from training. EF training may support balance and cognition in older adults, although its benefits for balance may be limited by severe hearing loss, underscoring the value of early intervention. Registry Name: ClinicalTrials.gov. Registration/Trial number: NCT05418998. Trial URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05418998.

Breast cancer survivors face many health challenges, including tinnitus, hearing loss, and vertigo which will grow with an aging population and improved treatment outcomes. However, the prevalence of hearing/vestibular problems, racial differences, and relationships to physical function are poorly characterized in breast cancer survivors. Between July and September 2023, we surveyed the Chicago Multiethnic Epidemiologic Breast Cancer Cohort. Tinnitus, hearing loss, and vertigo were self-reported and verified through electronic health records. Physical function impairment was measured using the SF-36 10-item instrument. We fit logistic regression models for hearing/vestibular problems and linear regression models for physical function score, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors. Of 1,466 breast cancer survivors (mean [SD] age, 63.5 [11.8] years), 16.6%, 17.3%, and 8.6% reported experiencing tinnitus, hearing loss, and vertigo, respectively. Black survivors had lower odds of hearing loss (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.51; 95% CI, 0.31-0.86) but greater odds of vertigo (AOR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.34-3.89) than White survivors. Survivors with hearing/vestibular problems had higher average impairment scores (worse physical function) than those without. In the adjusted regression models, survivors who reported experiencing tinnitus (β, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.10-1.43), hearing loss (β, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.06-1.40), or vertigo (β, 1.70; 95% CI, 0.81-2.58) had a higher level of physical function impairment. This study demonstrates racial differences in hearing/vestibular problems and associations between these problems and physical function impairment. Survivorship programs should consider routine screening and interventions to improve hearing health and physical function among breast cancer survivors.

Identifying and addressing pediatric hearing loss is critical to supporting a child's development. School-based hearing screening is a mainstay of timely identification of hearing loss. The objectives of this study were to characterize the current hearing screening practices in public, charter, and private elementary schools in Minnesota. This was a cross-sectional survey with data collected between March and June 2023. Surveys assessed the presence of standardized hearing screening processes and compliance with American Academy of Audiology (AAA) or Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines. About 146 public schools, 43 charter schools, and 60 private schools met inclusion criteria and responded to the survey. There was a statistically significant difference in the rate of standardized screening between school types (&#x3c7;2&#x2009;=&#x2009;18.06; p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). Only 10.44% (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;26) of schools completed hearing screenings per AAA guidelines, and even fewer, 4.82% (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;12), completed hearing screenings according to MDH guidelines. The odds of screening per AAA or MDH guidelines were 3.50 times higher in charter schools compared to public schools (95% CI: 1.14, 10.73) and 4.61 times higher in private schools compared to public schools (95% CI: 1.73, 12.26). There is a lack of standardization in hearing screening processes in Minnesota elementary schools. Adherence to screening per AAA or MDH recommendations is low in all types of elementary schools. Charter and private schools were more likely than public schools to screen per AAA or MDH guidelines. Overall, our data demonstrate an opportunity for improvement in school-based hearing screening. N/A.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and its relationship with audiometric and balance outcomes. Participants were 27 individuals with DS (mean age: 23.3 yrs; range: 7 to 38 yrs) and 20 neurotypical controls (mean age: 23.3 yrs; range: 7 to 47 yrs). All participants completed otoscopy, audiometric testing, 226 Hz tympanometry, wideband acoustic immittance (absorbance), air and bone conduction cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing, and the video head impulse test. Balance and gait testing included gait speed, Timed Up and Go, and the Single Leg Stance. In the participants with DS, 35.2% of ears demonstrated some degree of vestibular dysfunction (i.e., absent cervical VEMP, absent ocular VEMP, or abnormal video head impulse test). A large degree of variability in both the severity (normal to profound) and type (sensorineural, conductive, and mixed) of hearing loss was found in participants with DS. VEMP response rates tended to be higher when using bone-conducted compared with air-conducted stimuli. Overall, vestibular loss was more prevalent in those with sensorineural hearing loss. Compared with participants in the neurotypical control group, participants with DS had significantly longer Timed Up and Go scores, slower gait speed in the fast condition, and poorer balance in the Single Leg Stance eyes open and eyes closed conditions. Findings from the present study confirm a large degree of heterogeneity in the severity and type of both hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction in individuals with DS. These findings represent, for the first time, a comprehensive vestibular assessment in individuals with DS. Approximately 1/3 of individuals with DS have some degree of vestibular involvement. Those with sensorineural hearing loss had higher rates of vestibular involvement. The presence of conductive hearing loss was also a factor when completing VEMP testing, and the use of bone conduction stimuli is recommended.

Hearing loss (HL) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are both significant components of the global health burden. We explored the phenotypic association between CKD and HL, along with the underlying genetic drivers, through studies ranging from clinical cohorts to genetic analyses. First, we utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and assessed the relationship between CKD and hearing loss using Cox proportional hazards models. Subsequently, we employed genome-wide genetic aggregation data to investigate the genetic drivers underlying CKD and HL. In the cohort study, 7,084 individuals were included, of whom 1,509 participants (21.3%) experienced hearing loss. Cox regression analysis showed that CKD was associated with an increased risk of hearing loss (HR=1.541, 95% CI=1.317-1.804). In genetic analysis, CKD was positively genetically correlated with HL (rg=0.155, P<0.05). Multi-trait analysis of GWAS (MTAG) and cross-phenotype association analysis (CPASSOC) from the genome-wide association study identified two significant pleiotropic SNPs (rs12149832 and rs2044993) for both CKD and HL. Transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) identified shared tissue-specific expression-trait associations, but Mendelian randomization did not reveal causal relationships (OR=1.035, 95% CI=0.973-1.101). Our cohort study confirms the clinical association between CKD and HL. Genetic analysis reveals a shared genetic link between the two conditions and potential underlying genetic drivers. These findings may provide effective strategies for preventing and managing hearing loss in clinical CKD patients.

We tested the effect of the hearing intervention vs. health education control (1:1 randomization) on 3-year physical function decline, a secondary analysis of the ACHIEVE randomized trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03243422). Pre-specified outcomes included the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) [total score and components] and grip strength. Intervention effects were modeled using linear mixed models following a pre-specified statistical analysis plan. In 956 participants (mean 76.3 years, 53% female, 12% Black race), hearing intervention did not impact change in SPPB (difference comparing intervention to control&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.00 standard deviation [SD] units, 95% confidence interval [CI]:-0.14, 0.14) or grip strength (difference&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.01 SD, 95% CI: -0.06, 0.08). However, treatment effects varied by recruitment cohort; although findings were not statistically significant, they suggest a clinically meaningful benefit (slower decline) in participants with faster rates of cognitive decline. These secondary results have direct relevance for inclusion in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Future research should be designed to test whether hearing intervention can reduce short-term declines in physical function, particularly among those experiencing cognitive decline. Continuing follow-up of the ACHIEVE study participants will yield insights into longer-term (>3 years) effects of intervention.

Despite the proven effectiveness of traditional screening devices for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs, the costs of these instruments are high to be implemented as a sustainable solution for low- and middle-income countries. Mobile Health (mHealth) hearing screeners are an alternative solution to support EHDI programs. Therefore, demand is increasing for accessible, affordable and scalable alternatives. This review reports on the validity, costs, status (commercially available/non-commercially available) of the mHealth screeners available globally for the paediatric population. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar was conducted. Articles published from 2014 and study populations of 0-18 years were eligible. Thirty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria, and 27 mHealth screeners were identified in this review. Three objective screeners were identified, OAEBuds, hearOAE and off-the-shelf OAE. Twenty-four subjective screeners were identified, mainly using pure-tone audiometry, game-based tests and speech-in-noise tests. Subjective screeners target children above 3 years of age. Sensitivity and specificity were comparable to those of traditional screeners, although the validation methodologies varied. Only one objective screener is commercially available. Few screeners are available free of cost and as open-source software. Compared to previous reviews on mHealth devices, this review captured objective hearing screeners. The review outlined the need for more mHealth-based screeners for lower age groups, particularly for infants and toddlers, as most of the identified screeners catered to an older population of more than three years of age.

Mechanotransduction within the cochlea depends on the precise architecture of hair bundles, yet our comprehension of the mechanisms that govern the formation and maintenance of the sound-receptive structure is still limited. Here, we identify Tmem30b, a phospholipid-flippase chaperone, as a critical regulator expressed in outer hair cells (OHCs). Although initially localized to the nuclear membrane at P5, Tmem30b translocates to and stabilizes within the stereocilia and the underlying cuticular plate during maturation. The Tmem30b-/- mice exhibit an early-onset hearing loss with preserved vestibular and retinal functions. Notably, the disorganization of OHC stereocilia in mutants initiates at P7, coinciding with the initial presence of Tmem30b in stereocilia. Mechanistically, Tmem30b partners with Atp8b1 to regulate phospholipid asymmetry; disruption of this complex destabilizes OHC bundles. Crucially, AAV-mediated delivery of Tmem30b to hair cells alleviates stereocilia defects in both Tmem30b-/- and Atp8b1-/- mice. Furthermore, hair cell specific overexpression of Tmem30b protects mice from noise-induced and aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss. In summary, our findings establish Tmem30b as a pivotal organizer of OHC hair bundles and highlight Tmem30b-Atp8b1-mediated lipid regulation as a therapeutic target for hearing loss.

Cisplatin-induced hearing loss (CIHL) in pediatric cancer patients is an irreversible and highly prevalent adverse effect with a devastating impact on quality of life. Sodium thiosulfate (STS) has recently been approved for systemic administration as an otoprotective agent in children. However, implementation of systemic STS has its challenges, and there is currently limited evidence to support local STS for children. This review investigates the potential value of locally administered otoprotective agents other than STS with a focus on future pediatric implementation. We conducted a systematic review on the efficacy and safety of locally applied non-STS otoprotective agents in in vivo settings. This included a summary of investigated drug delivery methods and administration routes. We identified 70 preclinical and eight clinical studies. Agents were categorized based on their biological mechanisms: anti-inflammatory, chemical deactivators, calcium blockers, biologicals, and miscellaneous mechanisms. Preclinical studies investigated 45 different agents. Dexamethasone and N-acetylcysteine were identified as efficacious agents recurrently and progressed to clinical trials. Dexamethasone was investigated in three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and three non-randomized clinical studies and showed statistically significant but not clinically relevant benefit in two trials. N-acetylcysteine was investigated in two clinical trials and one RCT and was minimally effective in the RCT and in one clinical study. Our review did not identify available studies of local alternative otoprotective agents that could reliably replace systemic STS in terms of safety and efficacy for pediatric patients. Further research on the optimal dosage, delivery method, and timing of otoprotective agents is needed.

This study aimed to investigate the association between the heterozygous GJB2 p.V37I variant and susceptibility to sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), and to explore its potential involvement in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Genetic association study with in vitro functional validation. Tertiary academic medical center. We screened 145 SSNHL patients for 25 variants in GJB2, SLC26A4, OTOF, and 12S rRNA using the SNaPshot&#xae; Multiplex Assay. GJB2 p.V37I frequency was compared with the Taiwan Biobank, and associations with hearing severity and recurrence were analyzed. Functional studies in HEI-OC1 cells transfected with wild-type or p.V37I GJB2 assessed ER stress (GRP78, CHOP) under tunicamycin by Western blot and immunofluorescence. The GJB2 p.V37I variant was identified in 39/145 SSNHL patients (26.9%) and showed significant allele enrichment compared with the general Taiwanese population (8.6%; enrichment OR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.92; P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001), suggesting a genetic susceptibility contribution. The variant was associated with a higher prevalence of moderate (OR, 1.94; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;.019) and severe (OR, 1.90; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;.013) SSNHL, as well as recurrent episodes (OR, 3.77; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;.008). In vitro, p.V37I-expressing HEI-OC1 cells, a mouse cochlear hair cell line, showed significantly elevated GRP78 and CHOP expression compared to wild-type under tunicamycin induced ER stress, as confirmed by both immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Our findings indicate that the heterozygous GJB2 p.V37I variant is associated with increased susceptibility and recurrence of SSNHL, potentially through ER stress-related mechanisms, supporting genetic screening and further mechanistic studies.

The underlying mechanisms linking age-related hearing loss (HL), and cognitive dysfunction are not well-understood. Traditionally, age-related HL was primarily related to damage of hair cells (i.e., the sensory component of HL) however, growing evidence suggests that the endocochlear potential (i.e., the metabolic component of HL) may also play a role. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the sensory and metabolic components of HL and cognitive dysfunction in 100 older adults. Forty participants were patients with mild cognitive impairment recruited during visits to the Memory Clinic at the Danish Dementia Research Centre, while 60 participants were recruited from the general public. All participants were assessed with pure-tone audiometry and a comprehensive cognitive test battery including but not limited to tests examining, episodic memory, processing speed, and executive functions. The sensory and metabolic components of the HL were estimated based on the age-related HL components model. Metabolic HL was strongly correlated with performance on tests of processing speed, moderately correlated with performances on tests of executive function, but not significantly correlated with episodic memory performance. On the other hand, sensory HL was not significantly correlated with any of the cognitive tests. When correcting for age, the correlation between metabolic HL and processing speed remained significant. Thus, participants with lower processing speed were significantly more likely to have a larger metabolic HL. These data could lend support to the idea that shared vascular pathophysiological mechanisms are a key link between age-related HL and cognitive decline.

This study aimed to examine the associations between body mass index (BMI) and hearing loss (HL), and to explore the mediating role of inflammation using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A cohort of 5489 participants aged &#x2265;20 years from six NHANES cycles (2005-2012 and 2015-2018) was evaluated. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between BMI and HL. Three models were developed: (1) the association between BMI and low-frequency (LF) HL and speech-frequency (SF) HL; (2) the association between BMI and inflammatory markers (systemic immune-inflammatory index [SII] and systemic inflammatory response index [SIRI]); and (3) the association between SII/SIRI and LFHL/SFHL. Mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the role of SII and SIRI in the relationship between BMI and HL. Among the three groups, participants with higher BMIs exhibited higher values for SII, SIRI, LFHL, and SFHL. Positive correlations were observed between BMI and inflammation, inflammation and HL, and BMI and HL in all models. Mediation analysis revealed that SII mediated 9.87% of the effect of BMI on LFHL and 8.25% on SFHL, while SIRI mediated 17.47% and 16.59% of these effects, respectively. Although modest, these consistent mediating effects suggest inflammation contributes to, but does not wholly account for, the obesity-hearing relationship. This study indicates that systemic inflammatory markers (SII and SIRI) partially mediate the association between BMI and HL. These findings suggest that inflammation represents a potential mechanistic link in obesity-related auditory dysfunction. Future longitudinal studies are needed to validate these pathways and inform targeted prevention strategies.

Seasonal variations in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) have been studied primarily using hospital data, whereas weekday variations have received little attention. The aim of this study was to analyze monthly and weekday variations in the prevalence of ISSNHL in ENT practices in Germany. Data were obtained from a&#xa0;nationwide representative practice database (Disease Analyzer, IQVIA) for the period January 2022 to December 2023. The analysis included 138 ENT practices. The total number of patients (all diagnoses) and those diagnosed with ISSNHL (ICD-10: H91.2) were recorded. The proportion of ISSNHL diagnoses among all diagnoses (prevalence) was calculated and analyzed by month and weekday. The monthly prevalence of ISSNHL was highest in January (2022: 0.81%, 2023: 0.75%) and lowest in December (2022: 0.61%, 2023: 0.67%). The highest prevalence occurred on Mondays (2022: 0.83%, 2023: 0.75%), and the lowest on Wednesdays (2022: 0.67%, 2023: 0.67%). Women were more frequently affected than men, with a&#xa0;female-to-male ratio of 1.2:1, and the highest incidence was observed in the 51-60 age group. Fluctuations in the prevalence of ISSNHL were less pronounced than fluctuations in the total number of diagnoses. The prevalence of ISSNHL in German ENT practices between 2022 and 2023 varied both by month and weekday. These fluctuations likely reflect organizational factors (e.g., holidays, office hours), while weekday variation was less pronounced than for all ENT diagnoses, consistent with ISSNHL presenting as an acute condition. No clear seasonal pattern of ISSNHL prevalence was observed. ZIELSETZUNG: Die saisonale Variation des Auftretens von idiopathischem H&#xf6;rsturz (idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, ISSNHL) wurde bisher prim&#xe4;r unter Verwendung von Krankenhausdaten untersucht, wochent&#xe4;gliche Schwankungen dagegen haben nur wenig Aufmerksamkeit erhalten. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, monatliche und wochent&#xe4;gliche Schwankungen der Pr&#xe4;valenz des ISSNHL in HNO-Praxen in Deutschland zu analysieren. Dazu dienten Daten aus einer landesweiten repr&#xe4;sentativen Praxisdatenbank (Disease Analyzer, IQVIA) aus dem Zeitraum von Januar 2022 bis Dezember 2023. Die Auswertung umfasste 138 HNO-Praxen. Es wurden die Gesamtzahl der Patienten (s&#xe4;mtliche Diagnosen) und die Zahl der Patienten mit der Diagnose eines ISSNHL (ICD-10: H91.2) erfasst. Der Anteil von ISSNHL-Diagnosen an s&#xe4;mtlichen Diagnosen (Pr&#xe4;valenz) wurde berechnet und die monatliche und wochent&#xe4;gliche Verteilung analysiert. Die monatliche Pr&#xe4;valenz von ISSNHL war am h&#xf6;chsten im Januar (2022: 0,81&#x202f;%; 2023: 0,75&#x202f;%) und am niedrigsten im Dezember (2022: 0,61&#x202f;%; 2023: 0,67&#x202f;%). Die h&#xf6;chste wochent&#xe4;gliche Pr&#xe4;valenz trat montags auf (2022: 0,83&#x202f;%; 2023: 0,75&#x202f;%), die niedrigste mittwochs (2022: 0,67&#x202f;%; 2023: 0,67&#x202f;%). Frauen waren h&#xe4;ufiger betroffen als M&#xe4;nner, das Verh&#xe4;ltnis von Frauen zu M&#xe4;nnern betrug 1,2:1; und die meisten F&#xe4;lle wurden in der Altersgruppe 51&#x2013;60 Jahre beobachtet. Die Pr&#xe4;valenz von ISSNHL schwankte in geringerem Ma&#xdf;e als die Gesamtzahl aller Diagnosen. Das Auftreten von ISSNHL in HNO-Praxen in Deutschland zwischen 2022 und 2023 zeigte sowohl monatliche als auch wochent&#xe4;gliche Schwankungen. Diese Schwankungen spiegeln wahrscheinlich organisatorische Faktoren wider (z.&#x202f;B. Ferien und Praxis&#xf6;ffnungszeiten), waren jedoch weniger ausgepr&#xe4;gt als bei der Gesamtheit aller HNO-Diagnosen, was auf den Notfallcharakter von ISSNHL widerspiegelt. Eine jahreszeitliche Variation der Pr&#xe4;valanz von ISSNHL konnte nicht festgestellt werden.

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Emotional information in speech is conveyed through prosodic cues, including variations in fundamental frequency (F0 contour), intensity, and duration. Emotion perception has been largely studied behaviorally but the neural mechanisms underlying it are not well understood. The Speech-evoked Frequency Following Response (FFR) is a non-invasive neural measure reflecting the encoding of speech acoustics in the auditory system. This study investigated the extent to which the FFR can represent prosody-related F0 contours and compared neural responses between male and female listeners. Sixteen normal-hearing adults underwent FFR recording in response to the word "balloon" spoken with sad and happy emotion by a male and a female talker. Using a pitch-tracking algorithm, F0 tracking accuracy was quantified via Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and an accuracy percentage. The results showed that the FFR can track emotional F0 contours; however, the degree of accuracy is modulated by the acoustic characteristics of emotions and talker's voice. Sad emotional speech and the male talker voice were associated with enhanced F0 tracking, consistent with their acoustic features. On the other hand, F0 tracking accuracy did not differ by listener sex. These findings provide new insights into the use of FFR as a neural measure for prosody assessment.

To fully engage caregivers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, audiologists need counseling tools that adequately convey the impact of permanent childhood hearing loss (HL) on development and the benefits of interventions like hearing technology. The present study examines the parent experience of receiving informational counseling during the diagnostic and intervention process with early amplification. We used qualitative methods to gather feedback on caregiver experiences with informational counseling. Based on themes identified from caregiver experiences, we sought to identify potential patterns that could inform counseling during early diagnosis and intervention appointments. We used a semistructured interview design to collect perspectives from a group of parents with experience in the early HL diagnostic and intervention process. Fifteen mothers and 4 fathers took part. We developed an interview guide focused on parent perceptions of their early HL counseling experiences related to the diagnosis and recommendations for intervention such as hearing aids. We also described and discussed the use of audibility-based counseling strategies as a novel tool with parent stakeholders. Several important themes emerged from our analysis of parent utterances, including difficulty explaining the diagnosis to others, challenges in understanding the implications of HL, and the broad acceptability of audibility-based counseling with some caveats. Parents in our sample tended to overestimate their child's unaided audibility. Parents may struggle to take the information learned from audiologists and communicate information about HL to friends and family. Audibility-based counseling strategies are potentially more straightforward to understand than terms like "mild" and "moderate" when describing HL and the need for hearing technology to both parents and their extended network. While parents readily provided information about their child's pure-tone average-based-based degree of HL, they tended to overestimate how much unaided audibility their child may experience. This mismatch may have clinical implications for adequately perceiving the need for intervention with hearing technology.

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