| dc.description.abstract | ABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare conventional processing with nonlinear
frequency compression (NLFC) in hearing aids for young children with bilateral hearing loss.
Methods: Sixty-four children aged between 2 and 7 years with bilateral hearing aids were
recruited. Evaluations of cortical responses, speech intelligibility rating, consonant perception
and functional performance were completed with the children wearing their personal hearing
aids with conventional processing. The children were then refitted with new hearing aids with
NLFC processing. Following a 6 week familiarization period, they were evaluated again
while using their hearing aids with NLFC activated.
Results: The mean speech intelligibility rating and the number of cortical responses present
for /s/ were significantly higher when children were using NLFC processing than
conventional processing in their hearing aids (p < 0.05). Parents judged the children’s
functional real life performance with the NLFC hearing aids to be similar or better than that
with the children’s own hearing aids in both quiet and noisy situations. The mean percent
consonant score was higher with NLFC processing compared to conventional processing, but
the difference did not reach the 5% significance level (p = 0.056). An overall figure of merit
(FOM) was calculated by averaging the standardized difference scores between processing
schemes for all measures. Regression analysis revealed that, on average, greater advantage
for NLFC processing was associated with poorer hearing at 4 kHz.
Conclusions: Compared to conventional processing, the use of NLFC was, on average,
effective in increasing audibility of /s/ as measured by cortical evaluations, and higher ratings
on speech intelligibility and functional performance in real life by parents. On average,
greater benefits from NLFC processing was associated with poorer hearing at 4 kHz. | en_US |
