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The aim of this study was to assess feasibility of using electrophysiological auditory steady-state response (ASSR) masking for detecting dead regions (DRs). Fifteen normally hearing adults were tested using behavioral and electrophysiological tasks. In the electrophysiological task, ASSRs were recorded to a 2 kHz exponentially amplitude-modulated tone (AM2) presented within a notched threshold equalizing noise (TEN) whose center frequency (CF NOTCH ) varied. We hypothesized that, in the absence of DRs, ASSR amplitudes would be largest for CF NOTCH at/or near the signal frequency. In the presence of a DR at the signal frequency, the largest ASSR amplitude would occur at a frequency ( f max ) far away from the signal frequency. The AM2 and the TEN were presented at 60 and 75 dB SPL, respectively. In the behavioral task, for the same maskers as above, the masker level at which an AM and a pure tone could just be distinguished, denoted AM2ML, was determined, for low (10 dB above absolute AM2 threshold) and high (60 dB SPL) signal levels. We also hypothesized that the value of f max would be similar for both techniques. The ASSR f max values obtained from grand average ASSR amplitudes, but not from individual amplitudes, were consistent with our hypotheses. The agreement between the behavioral f max and ASSR f max was poor. The within-session ASSR-amplitude repeatability was good for AM2 alone, but poor for AM2 in notched TEN. The ASSR-amplitude variability between and within participants seems to be a major roadblock to developing our approach into an effective DR detection method.

Background sounds have a disruptive effect on our ability to remember visual information. It has been shown that speech is the sound that has the most disruptive effects on our ability to remember information. This phenomenon was called as Irrelevant Speech Effect (ISE; Colle & Welsh,1976; Salamé & Baddeley, 1982). A number of researchers have studied the effect of non-tonal languages on the ISE (see, for example, Salamé and Baddeley,1982; Jones and Macken, 1993; Jones et al., 1990; Ellermeier et al., 2015 and Hunter, 2021). They each focused on the semanticity and familiarity of languages and compared these aspects between different non-tonal languages. All of them found that non-tonal languages cannot affect the size of the ISE; however, they did not investigate tonal languages. There is little literature that investigates the ISE for tonal languages. One study that does look at this area is the research of Wu et al. (2021), although they used tracking eye movement when doing reading work to test the size of ISE rather than serial recall tasks. This project will use several different languages to study the disruptive effects of speech on visual memory. Thus, we are looking to recruit normal-hearing participants with different native languages, aged 18-40 years. The outcomes of this research will improve our understanding of the negative impact of background noise on our ability to remember visual information. Results could inform interventions for people with different native languages who find other peoples' conversations distracting or disturbing when working in open-plan offices, or other places with high levels of background speech noise.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-tia-10.1177_23312165221137116 for Exploring the Correlations Between Measures of Listening Effort in Adults and Children: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis by Callum Shields, Mark Sladen, Iain Alexander Bruce, Karolina Kluk and Jaya Nichani in Trends in Hearing

This PhD project investigates the differences in sound level perception between musicians and non-musicians, and the possible contribution of the vestibular system to these differences. Given the anatomical proximity of the auditory and vestibular organs, and their common labyrinths in the inner ear, it is thought that they are related to each other (Todd & Cody, 2000). It has been suggested that musicians differ from non-musicians in their perception of sound level such as music level-preference and loudness of pure tones. This could be caused by more musical experience and enhanced auditory attention, and it is possible that the vestibular system contributes to these differences in perception (Liu et al., 2018; Todd & Lee, 2015).

Analysis of cervical and ocular VEMPs (vestibular evoked myogenic potentials) in people who do and do not stutter. Testing uses air and bone conduction.

Hearing aid fitting is still based on the results of the audiogram only, resulting in large numbers of patients being dissatisfied with their hearing aids. The results of the advanced suprathreshold tests are not incorporated into the "fitting formulae, that suggest the initial settings of a hearing aid, yet. An updated fitting formula that makes use of all test results will lead to a more personalised fitting, to a higher sound quality in general, prevent particularly bad fittings for patients with less common types of hearing loss, and thus lead to a higher uptake and more people benefiting from hearing aids.

Analysis of patient-reported measures of fatigue, sleep, and dietary consumption in those with Meniere's Disease to determine if any relationships exist between these factors and the frequency and severity of acute attacks of Meniere's Disease.

This is a PhD project that investigates the effect of female sex hormones (i.e., oestrogen and progesterone) on auditory function. In this project, the aim is to look at the sex differences in the fluctuation of the auditory function between women and men during a certain period of time. In addition, it will investigate the possible effect of the variation of female sex hormones on hearing function during menstrual cycle.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ‘real-life’ benefit of preserved acoustic low-frequency hearing in children with a CI, resulting in better understanding of the benefits of preserved natural hearing in complex listening situations and so enable parents and children to make an informed choice about implantation. Accomplishing this will ensure that the maximum number of children and young people benefit from this life changing intervention. Objectives of this study are: i) To meaningfully evaluate the ‘real-life’ benefit of preserved low-frequency acoustic hearing in children with CI using a test battery. ii) To establish the effect of accounting for HP in CI programming (i.e. child’s preferred programming settings) on real-life benefit from HP in children with HPCI? Comparison of subjects whose CI is programmed without reference to residual hearing thresholds vs subjects whose CI is programmed with reference to residual hearing thresholds. iii) To establish compliance to the study protocol test battery, the number of tests fully completed. (see attached file 'Background Information Protocol' for further details on background information and rationale)

The loss of inner hair cells and/or neurons in the cochlea leads to cochlear dead regions (DRs). One of the consequences of DRs is noisy transmission of information from the cochlea to the brain, which results in poorer than expected perception of speech in noise. DRs can be detected using behavioural masking techniques such as threshold-equalizing noise (TEN) test. However, the TEN test although fast and easy to perform, requires participant's active cooperation and thus is not suitable for use with infants, young children and adults who cannot provide behavioural responses. Recently, Kang et al. (2018, doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21754-7) proposed electrophysiological Acoustic Change Complex (ACC) as an objective test for diagnosing cochlear dead regions, but with limited evidence supporting their proposed approach. Thus, the first step towards addressing this gap is to develop and assess objective ACC detection method. Here, we evaluated three methods of detecting the ACC based on: i) root mean square of N1-P2 amplitude as reported in Kang et al. (2018); ii) Signal-to-Noise Ratio as recommended by British Society of Audiology; and iii) bootstrap by multiple resampling of the original data in a random manner and calculating measure of variance in the N1-P2 amplitude to noise floor ratio from the resampled data. We have also examined the relationship between ACC amplitude, threshold and stimulus frequency/intensity. Twenty three normally hearing adults were tested. The ACC was evoked by either 1-kHz or 4-kHz pure tone presented simultaneously with the TEN at signal-to-noise ratios between 0 and 15 dB, in 3dB steps relative to the TEN level. We found that the bootstrap method was most efficient at detecting ACC and was two-times faster to administer than the commonly used British Society of Audiology method. We also found that the threshold of ACC detection is frequency dependent, i.e. the higher the frequency, the higher the level of signal needed to evoke ACC. Thus, frequency-dependent ACC norms need to be established before this method can be used for detection of cochlear DRs in children and adults who cannot provide behavioural responses., Funding:National Institute for Health Research: IS-BRC-1215-20007

This is a PhD project that investigates the effect of female sex hormones (i.e., oestrogen and progesterone) on auditory function. In this project, it will investigate the effect of the female sex hormones levels on the changes in auditory function in post-menopausal women over the course of five weeks.

The ubiquitous anthropogenic low-frequency noise impedes communication by masking animal signals. To overcome this communication barrier, animals may increase the frequency, amplitude and delivery rate of their acoustic signals, making them more easily heard. However, a direct impact of intermittent, high-level aircraft noise on birds’ behaviour living close to a runway has not been studies in detail. 2. We recorded common chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita songs near two airports and nearby control areas, and we measured sound levels in their territories at Manchester airport. The song recordings were made in between aircraft movements, when ambient sound levels were similar between airport and control populations. We also conducted playback experiments at the airport and a control population to test the salience of airport, and control population specific songs. 3. In contrast to the general pattern of increased song frequency in noisy areas, we show that common chiffchaffs at airports show a negative relationship between noise exposure level and song frequency. 4. Experimental data show that chiffchaffs living near airports also respond more aggressively to song playback. 5. Since the decrease in song frequency results in increased overlap with aircraft noise, these findings cannot be explained as an adaptation to improve communication. The increased levels of aggression suggests that chiffchaffs, like humans, might be affected behaviourally by extreme noise pollution. These findings should influence environmental impact assessments for airport expansions globally.

Supplemental Material for Speech Auditory Brainstem Responses in Adult Hearing Aid Users: Effects of Aiding and Background Noise, and Prediction of Behavioral Measures by Ghada BinKhamis, Antonio Elia Forte, Tobias Reichenbach, Martin O’Driscoll and Karolina Kluk in Trends in Hearing