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Hyperacusis is known as a reduced tolerance to sounds perceived as normal to the majority of the population. There is currently no agreed definition, diagnostic tool, or objective measure of its occurrence. The purpose of this review is to catalogue the research to date on the use of auditory evoked potentials (AEP) to assess hyperacusis. A step-by-step methodology was conducted following guidelines. Four databases were searched. A total of 3343 papers were identified. A final yield of 35 articles were retained for analysis. The analysis identified four types of aetiologies to describe the hyperacusic population in AEP studies; developmental disorders (n = 19), neurological disorders (n = 3), induced hearing damage (n = 8) and idiopathic aetiology (n = 5). Electrophysiological measures were of short (n = 16), middle (n = 13) and long (n = 19) latencies, believed to reflect the activity of the ascending and descending pathways of the auditory system from periphery to cortex. The results of this review revealed the potential use of electrophysiological measures for further understanding the mechanisms of hyperacusis. However, according to the disparity of concepts to define hyperacusis, definitions and populations need to be clarified before biomarkers specific to hyperacusis can be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to systematically review and critically appraise the literature describing the phonetic characteristics and accuracy of the consonants, vowels and tones produced by Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs). The protocol in this review was designed in conformity with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, ProQuest Central databases were searched for relevant articles which met the inclusion criteria. A total of 18 journal papers were included in this review. The results revealed that Mandarin-speaking children with CIs perform consistently more poorly in their production of consonants, in particular on fricatives, have a smaller and less well-defined vowel space, and exhibit greater difficulties in tone realisation, notably T2 and T3, when compared to their normal-hearing (NH) peers. The results from acoustic and accuracy analyses are negatively correlated with CI implantation age, but largely positively correlated with hearing age. Findings of this review highlight the factors that influence consonant, vowel and tone production in Mandarin-speaking children with CIs, thereby providing critical information for clinicians and researchers working with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article presents an overview of all Digit Triplet Tests (DTT) and digits-in-noise tests (DIN) and their variations in language, speech material, masking noise, test procedures, and targeted population. The effects on aspects of validity, reliability, and feasibility are investigated. Scoping review. All studies referring to the DTT and DIN were collected from Pubmed and Embase. Search terms "digit triplet test" and "digits in noise" were used. Citations of selected articles were scanned backwards in time (the bibliography of the already selected research article) and forward in time (articles that cited the already selected research article). The search terms yielded 95 results in total. Eventually, 39 papers were selected. Analyses showed psychometric reference-curves with steep slopes and speech reception thresholds with high measurement precision which are strongly associated with pure tone audiometry. High sensitivity and specificity to detect elevated pure tone thresholds were noted for test variants. Certain procedural modifications of the DTT and DIN can further improve the test. Additionally, large-scale application of the DTT and DIN is feasible. The DTT and DIN are a very valuable tool for screening and diagnostics for a wide variety of populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote hearing screening and assessment may improve access to, and uptake of, hearing care. This review, the most comprehensive to date, aimed to (i) identify and assess functionality of remote hearing assessment tools on smartphones and online platforms, (ii) determine if assessed tools were also evaluated in peer-reviewed publications and (iii) report accuracy of existing validation data. Protocol was registered in INPLASY and reported according to PRISMA-Extension for Scoping Reviews. In total, 187 remote hearing assessment tools (using tones, speech, self-report or a combination) and 101 validation studies met the inclusion criteria. Quality, functionality, bias and applicability of each app were assessed by at least two authors. Assessed tools showed considerable variability in functionality. Twenty-two (12%) tools were peer-reviewed and 14 had acceptable functionality. The validation results and their quality varied greatly, largely depending on the category of the tool. The accuracy and reliability of most tools are unknown. Tone-producing tools provide approximate hearing thresholds but have calibration and background noise issues. Speech and self-report tools are less affected by these issues but mostly do not provide an estimated pure tone audiogram. Predicting audiograms using filtered language-independent materials could be a universal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hearing aids are typically programmed using the individual's audiometric thresholds and verified using real-ear measures. Developments in technology have resulted in a new category of direct-to-consumer devices, which are not necessarily programmed using the individual's audiometric thresholds. This review aimed to identify whether programming hearing aids using the individual's validated audiogram-based prescription, and verified using real-ear measures, results in better outcomes for adults with hearing loss. The review was registered in PROSPERO and reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. After screening more than 1370 records, seven experimental studies met the eligibility criteria. Studies were categorised under three methods of fitting: (i) comparative fitting evaluating different settings based on the beliefs of the audiologist; (ii) client choice of preset responses; and (iii) self-fit by adjustment. The findings suggest that using a prescription based on the individual's audiogram improves outcomes relative to the comparative and client choice fitting approaches. Self-adjustment during daily use may produce equivalent (or better) outcomes than an audiogram-based prescription. The quality of evidence for the outcomes ranged from low to very low. This review has highlighted the dearth of high-quality studies on which to make evidence-based decisions on hearing aid fitting methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether hearing aid use in older adults modifies speech perception over time is not clear. To address this question, we systematically reviewed studies in which older first-time hearing aid users and controls were followed over time. The review was pre-registered in PROSPERO and performed in accordance with the statement on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The question, inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined using the Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes and Study design (PICOS) framework. Studies with no controls, studies in which participants and controls were tested at only one-time point, with no follow-up and no pre-fitting measures, or when outcome measures did not include speech measures, were excluded. 6113 studies were screened, out of which 12 studies, published between 1996 and 2021, met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the final review. 9 of the 12 studies found evidence for amplification-induced auditory plasticity in older adults, expressed in improved speech perception. The results suggest amplification-induced improvements in speech perception over time, but findings should be interpreted with caution because overall improvements were small, and the studies' quality was moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, hearing aids have been proposed for tinnitus relief in literature for more than 70 years. There is a need for recent literature to be reviewed and guide decision making in tinnitus management. This scoping review aims to provide an update of the available evidence on hearing aids for tinnitus, focussing on the effect of sound amplification or combination devices (i.e. amplification and sound generation within one device). Research studies were included if they investigated hearing aids or combination devices for tinnitus and were published after 2011. A total of 28 primary research studies were selected. Positive results of hearing aids in tinnitus patients were shown in 68% of the studies, whereas 14% demonstrated no change in tinnitus distress. However, the quality of the evidence across studies was variable. Scientific support for hearing aids and combination devices for tinnitus relief was found. The standalone effect of sound amplification and the added value of sound generators and adjustment of sound processing strategies needs further investigation. Stronger methodology in future studies is needed to reach consensus on how to optimise hearing solutions in a multidisciplinary approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically review the peer-reviewed literature on the efficacy of auditory training (AT) on auditory outcomes in post lingually deafened adults with cochlear implants (CIs). A systematic review. Searches of five electronic databases yielded 10 studies published after 2010 that met the inclusion criteria. For post lingually deafened adults with CIs, the evidence is suggestive that some AT can improve some auditory outcomes compared to no training. More specifically, the evidence suggests that phonemic training can improve identification of trained phonemes, and nonsense word training can improve sentence recognition in noise in this population. While many AT interventions are currently being used with post lingually deafened adults with CIs, the evidence for AT improving auditory outcomes is suggestive with the best evidence being for nonsense word training improving sentence recognition in noise by an average of 10% with these improvements retained at 26 weeks post-training in this population. There remains a need for high quality studies that have the capacity to demonstrate, clearly and unequivocally, which AT is most effective for improving which auditory outcomes in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telecommunication can be difficult in the presence of noise or hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to systematically review evidence regarding the effects of text supplementation (e.g. captions, subtitles) of auditory or auditory-visual signals on speech intelligibility for listeners with normal or impaired hearing. Three databases were searched. Articles were evaluated for inclusion based on the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome framework. The Effective Public Health Practice Project instrument was used to evaluate the quality of the identified articles. After duplicates were removed, the titles and abstracts of 2019 articles were screened. Forty-six full texts were reviewed; ten met inclusion criteria. The quality of all ten articles was moderate or strong. The articles demonstrated that text added to auditory (or auditory-visual) signals improved speech intelligibility and that the benefits were largest when auditory signal integrity was low, accuracy of the text was high, and the auditory signal and text were synchronous. Age and hearing loss did not affect benefits from the addition of text. Although only based on ten studies, these data support the use of text as a supplement during telecommunication, such as while watching television or during telehealth appointments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]