Ear and Hearing最新文献

{"title":"Emotional Vocalizations Cause Auditory Distraction That Affects Word Repetition and Behavioral Listening Effort.","authors":"Erin M Picou, Shae Morgan, Steven C Marcrum, Elizabeth D Young, Travis M Moore, Samantha J Gustafson","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001834","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Task-irrelevant sounds can be distracting, impairing speech recognition and increasing listening effort. One way to measure distraction is to evaluate performance differences between trials that do and do not contain task-irrelevant sounds. Poorer performance following irrelevant sounds is interpreted as evidence of distraction. Using this general approach, previous work has demonstrated that the degree to which irrelevant non-speech sounds are distracting is related to stimulus valence. That is, unpleasant and pleasant sounds are more distracting than neutral ones. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the presence of task-irrelevant, human vocalizations on word repetition performance and behavioral listening effort.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Eighteen adults with normal hearing participated in a dual-task paradigm where the primary task was word repetition, and the secondary task was word categorization speed, with speed being interpreted as a measure of behavioral listening effort. Immediately before 45% of the target words, a task-irrelevant vocalization was presented. Each list contained trials with and without irrelevant vocalizations; the difference in performance between trial types was interpreted as distraction. Conditions varied by background noise (quiet, noise) and by valence of the vocalization (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral). Conditions were blocked such that testing with each list of words was completed with a single combination of noise and valence vocalization. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects modeling to evaluate the effect of task-irrelevant vocalization presence, vocalization valence, and background noise on word repetition performance and behavioral listening effort.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>As expected, background noise negatively affected word repetition performance (~6 percentage points) and increased behavioral listening effort (119 msec slowing of secondary task response times). The valence of the task-irrelevant sound within a condition did not affect word repetition performance, but did affect behavioral listening effort. Response times were longer (~40 msec longer) during the conditions with pleasant or unpleasant vocalizations than during conditions when neutral vocalizations were interleaved with target words. No distraction was noted in word recognition performance; performance was similar for trials with and without task-irrelevant vocalizations. Distraction effects were evident in behavioral listening effort; response times were ~30 msec longer in trials preceded by task-irrelevant vocalizations than in trials without task-irrelevant vocalizations. The calculated distraction effects were similar across conditions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although the valence of the vocalizations generally increased listening effort, slowing secondary task times in conditions with valenced task-irrelevant vocalizations, the calculated dis","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinguishing Between Presbycusis and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss With a Joint-Otoacoustic Emission Profile.","authors":"Carolina Abdala, Tricia Benjamin, Ping Luo, Christopher A Shera","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001765","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001765","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The aim of this study was to examine whether a Joint-Otoacoustic Emission (OAE) Profile, a combined analysis of both distortion- and reflection-type OAEs in the same ear, can distinguish between hearing loss due to noise exposure versus presbycusis. Reflection- and distortion-type emissions arise via distinct cochlear generation mechanisms and have shown different sensitivity to hearing loss. By measuring both OAEs together in each ear, we hope to access and exploit two distinct intracochlear generation processes to improve the differential diagnosis of hearing loss.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A total of 122 individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss served as subjects. Seventy-five of these had hearing loss primarily due to aging, and 47 had hearing loss due to noise exposure. Rapidly swept tones (calibrated in forward pressure level) were presented to evoke distortion-product OAEs (DPOAEs) and stimulus-frequency OAEs (SFOAEs) in an interleaved fashion. Both fixed-level OAE metrics and input/output-function parameters were analyzed. The analysis was two-pronged: (1) Descriptive statistics and analyses of variance were applied to test for group differences between noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and presbycusis, and (2) Random Forest machine-learning was applied with OAE predictors to distinguish between etiologies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Group differences indicate that DPOAE level and loss at 40 dB FPL are similar between the two etiologies, while SFOAE level and loss are selectively sensitive to noise-induced hearing loss. When OAE metrics (and two non-OAE variables) were utilized by the Random Forest machine-learning algorithm, the model classified etiology with up to 95% accuracy. The most accurate predictor sets included DPOAE metrics at the two highest frequencies (8 and 12 kHz), age, and/or audiogram shape; SFOAE metrics at 8 kHz were also included in effective predictor sets but were not required to achieve peak performance.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In any given ear, DPOAEs and SFOAEs show distinct effects of and sensitivities to hearing loss. Exploiting these fundamental differences may enhance the differential diagnosis of hearing impairment and allow us to distinguish between common etiologies of hearing loss. In this study, the DPOAE at high frequencies was the most effective predictor of etiology. SFOAEs showed a selective sensitivity to NIHL, though their contribution to distinguishing etiology was limited. It is likely that findings were impacted by the relatively small cohort. Application of a Joint-OAE Profile for the differential diagnosis of hearing loss warrants further development with larger groups and varied etiologies. Identifying the dominant etiology in impaired ears could guide targeted intervention and assist in the selection of candidates for genetic and/or pharmaceutical therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"702-715"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145483970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal Speech Outcomes in Cochlear Implant Recipients Are Associated With Neural Factors Identified Using Psychophysics and Functional Brain Imaging.","authors":"Tommy Peng, Katherine R Henshall, Jamal Esmaelpoor, Mica Haneman, Linty McDonald, Maureen J Shader, Robert Luke, Colette M McKay","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001776","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001776","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>There remain large variations in cochlear implant auditory-speech perception ability, which are poorly explained by patient history factors. This study aims to better understand how combinations of speech processing limitations, identified using psychophysical and functional brain imaging measures, are associated with long-term speech understanding outcomes of new cochlear implant recipients.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Forty-three cochlear implant recipients (44 ears) were recruited to participate in a longitudinal study to evaluate limitations at various locations along the auditory processing pathway. At the periphery, intra-cochlear neural health was estimated using focused psychophysical thresholds. Higher-order across-electrode intensity discrimination ability was assessed using psychophysical \"spectral tilt.\" At the cortical level, cross-modal activation of the auditory cortex was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Speech understanding outcomes were evaluated in competing multi-talker babble noise at 1-year post-device switch-on.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that greater abilities to discriminate smaller across-electrode stimulation intensities ( R2 = 0.138, p = 0.047) and smaller cross-modal activations of the auditory cortex ( R2 = 0.216, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with better speech understanding outcomes in cochlear implant recipients. Furthermore, both measures contributed significantly to better predict speech understanding outcomes in a multiple regression model (Adj R2 = 0.312, p = 0.009).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results suggest that recipient-specific psychophysical and functional brain imaging metrics contribute significantly toward individual differences in speech understanding outcomes. Different recipients can be affected by different limitations, which can be identified using these tests, and therefore lead to potential patient-specific methods to improve their speech understanding.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"798-812"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146020835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cisplatin Differentially Damages Mammalian Vestibular End Organs.","authors":"John Lee, Hong Zhu, Wu Zhou, Lisa L Cunningham","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001772","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001772","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;Cisplatin is an effective anticancer drug that can induce cochleotoxicity in up to 50 to 60% of treated patients. However, the vestibulotoxic potential of cisplatin remains unclear. Our lab previously developed a multicycle model of cisplatin administration in mice that results in hearing loss similar to that observed clinically. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively characterize the functional and morphological consequences of cisplatin on the vestibular periphery in this mouse model.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Design: &lt;/strong&gt;Twenty-nine adult CBA/CaJ mice were assigned to control or cisplatin-treated groups. Cisplatin-treated mice received three consecutive cycles of once-daily cisplatin for 4 days followed by a 10-day recovery period. Mice underwent vestibular sensory evoked potential testing before cisplatin administration, after the final cycle of cisplatin, and 6 mo after treatment cessation. Mice also underwent vestibulo-ocular reflex testing and vestibular afferent single-unit recordings 6 mo after treatment cessation. Following testing, utricles, saccules, and horizontal semicircular canals were microdissected, and vestibular morphology was examined. To examine whether our data in mice were consistent with reports of cisplatin-induced vestibulotoxicity in patients, histopathology reports of human temporal bones were examined for evidence of cisplatin-induced vestibulotoxicity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Vestibular sensory evoked potential thresholds were significantly elevated in cisplatin-treated mice immediately after cessation of cisplatin administration and progressively worsened 6 mo later. Rotational and translational vestibulo-ocular reflexes were generally unaffected by cisplatin. Cisplatin did not cause statistically significant changes in the spontaneous firing rates of semicircular canal afferents but did cause significant decreases in their overall regularity. No statistically significant differences in the spontaneous firing rates or regularity of otolith afferents were observed. However, cisplatin-treated mice exhibited statistically significant decreases in the percentage of low-distortion otolith afferents, indicating that responses of these afferents to head translations were more variable and less precise. Cisplatin-treated mice showed significantly decreased hair cell numbers in the saccule but not in the utricle or horizontal semicircular canal. One temporal bone histopathology report from an individual treated with high cumulative cisplatin was consistent with the results of our study, showing only saccular degeneration with normal utricle and semicircular canal morphology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Our study demonstrates cisplatin's potential to affect the vestibular end organs adversely and differentially. The saccule was uniquely susceptible in our mouse model, suggesting that it may be possible to screen for cisplatin-induced vestibulotoxicity by testing saccular fun","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"777-789"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13035090/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145866421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emission Test-Retest Reliability With Forward-Pressure Level Calibration on Clinical Equipment.","authors":"Judi A Lapsley Miller, Charlotte M Reed, Zachary D Perez","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001778","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001778","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;Standard in situ calibration using sound pressure level (SPL) measured at the probe microphone for distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) testing can cause stimulus level errors up to 20 dB. Forward-pressure level (FPL) calibration, which is derived from a wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) measurement, enables accurate calibration in the presence of the standing-wave nulls that cause these errors. FPL and SPL calibration were compared to determine if FPL calibration made a clinically meaningful difference in test-retest reliability. Measurability, validity, and reliability were assessed on a prototype WAI and DPOAE system designed for clinical use.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Design: &lt;/strong&gt;Nineteen adults (38 ears) with normal hearing participated in experiment 1 (E1), which measured WAI and DPOAEs at 14 frequencies between 0.7 and 8 kHz (F2/F1 = 1.2, L1/L2 = 65/55 dB SPL) with a 4-sec sampling time. Measurements were made using the same probe fit for both calibration methods. The probe was removed and refitted, and the measurements were repeated. A within-subjects design was used. Experiment 2 (E2) was similar to E1, with 19 normal-hearing adults (33 ears), and DPOAEs measured at eight frequencies between 0.75 and 8 kHz, with a maximum 32-sec sampling time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The maximum observed difference in the pressure response between SPL and FPL was 22 dB. Refitting the probe resulted in different stimulus pressure responses and a change in the standing-wave null frequency for many participants. DPOAE measurability (the percentage of measurements with a signal to noise ratio greater than 3 dB) was high for both calibration methods. There were no significant differences between the group mean DPOAE levels at each frequency for the two calibration methods for E1, and only a 2 dB difference at 8 kHz for E2. When comparing changes in DPOAE levels between the Test and Retest conditions in E1, many ears showed good consistency, but the range was wider with more extreme outliers (up to 15 dB) for SPL calibration. In both E1 and E2, the standard error of measurement values was similar or lower, and the intraclass correlation coefficients were similar or higher for FPL calibration, especially at higher frequencies, which were more affected by standing-wave nulls. Within-session statistically derived significant emission shift criteria illustrated the magnitude of the difference between the two calibration techniques. The improvement in significant emission shift criteria for FPL calibration ranged from 0.02 to 4.10 dB in E1 and 0.37 to 3.36 dB in E2, across frequencies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;FPL calibration provided clinically meaningful improvements in test-retest reliability with SPL, especially above 4 kHz. With the longer averaging in E2, improvements in reliability were seen down to 1 kHz. Smaller changes in DPOAEs in individual ears can be reliably detected, potentially allowing for ea","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"825-834"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145835328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using Behavioral Tasks to Probe Listening Difficulties in Normal Hearing or Near-to-Normal Hearing Children Up To 14 Years Old: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Hanne Falcone, Sam Denys, Nicolas Verhaert, Astrid van Wieringen","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001758","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001758","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This systematic review aims to determine which behavioral tasks are most desirable to probe listening difficulties (LiD) in normal or near-to-normal hearing (NH) children aged 6 to 14. Evidence was collected for auditory, cognitive, and language tasks. Quality assessment was conducted to evaluate the reliability of the evidence.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A systematic review was carried out using databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, covering publications up to January 2025. Two reviewers independently screened all identified studies. Peer-reviewed case-control and cross-sectional studies on behavioral task performance in NH children with LiD (Ch + LiD), compared with children without LiD or normative data (Ch - LiD), were included. Children with a history of epilepsy, a syndrome (e.g., Down syndrome), or confirmed neurological lesions were excluded. Outcomes of behavioral tasks were compared between groups, and differentiating values of the tasks were evaluated. Relative differentiating power for similar tasks is described using color-coded bar charts. Methodological rigor of eligible studies was evaluated using the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association's Levels of Evidence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Forty-seven eligible studies were identified. Together, they included 2700 NH children, 1803 of whom had LiD. A total of 194 behavioral tasks compared the performance of Ch + LiD and Ch - LiD. Behavioral tasks were categorized into auditory, cognitive, and language tasks. Some behavioral tasks, such as gap detection tasks and dichotic listening tasks, are described more frequently than others. This is not inherently related to their differentiating power. Less frequently studied tasks, such as suprasegmental tasks, hold potential and merit further investigation. The overall median quality score is 3/7, indicating moderate quality. Only four studies were designated as high quality.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This systematic review highlights a multitude of behavioral tasks used to assess LiD in NH children up to 14 years old. A comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment, including speech-in-noise, central auditory, suprasegmental, receptive language, phonological, working memory and executive attention tasks, is needed to capture the multimodal nature of LiD. Overall, the quality of the evidence is moderate, and the variability in study designs and outcome measures is high. This hampers the generalizability of the current findings and emphasizes the need for more rigorous research.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"585-595"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145844453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Cochlear Implant Outcomes Predict Long-Term Speech Recognition.","authors":"Isabelle J Chau, Ansley J Kunnath, Andrew Gothard, Peter R Dixon, René H Gifford, Erin A Harvey, David S Haynes, Jourdan T Holder, Ankita Patro, Elizabeth L Perkins, Terrin N Tamati, Brittany N Hand, Theodore R McRackan, Aaron C Moberly","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001774","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001774","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Early identification of cochlear implant (CI) users at risk for poor audiological outcomes may allow for timely intervention to optimize long-term CI benefit. This longitudinal study aims to develop and evaluate logistic regression models that can predict patients' 12-months speech recognition performance from their early speech recognition scores and other patient factors.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>This retrospective cohort study included 625 postlingually deafened, adult CI users with bilateral hearing loss from 2 tertiary CI centers. Logistic regressions were fit to model the likelihood of a clinically significant improvement in consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) word scores at 12-months postimplantation. All models included sex, race, age at implantation, duration of deafness, and pre-CI CNC score. The model performance benefit of adding CNC improvement status (improved versus not improved, with improvement defined as scoring beyond the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of the preoperative score) at 1- or 3-months postactivation to the baseline models was evaluated by comparing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Data were combined across institutions and then separated into training and validation cohorts at a 3:1 ratio. Models were developed using the training cohort (n = 469) and then applied to the validation cohort (n = 156).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 625 patients included, 513 patients (82%) demonstrated improvement in CI-only CNC word recognition scores at 12-months postimplantation compared with their preimplantation scores. Early improvement was strongly associated with long-term outcomes. Patients were more likely to improve by 12 months if they improved by 1 month (odds ratio = 45.72) or 3 months (odds ratio = 22.22) postimplantation. Model performances were similar across the training and validation cohorts. In the validation cohort, the model using 3-months data had the highest predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.92), followed by the 1-month model (AUC = 0.88), and the baseline preoperative model (AUC = 0.77). Based on the regression coefficients obtained from the training cohort, equations can successfully estimate the probability of CNC improvement at 12 months postimplantation for CI patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Models that included CNC score improvements at 1 month demonstrated good predictive discrimination, while those incorporating 3-months improvements showed excellent discrimination in both the training and validation cohorts. This study highlights the importance of assessing early post-CI speech recognition improvement and proposes a regression model that clinicians can use in real-time to provide early estimates of their patients' probability of 12-months CNC improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"790-797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12840125/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145770012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Relationship Between Hearing Loss and Physical Activity.","authors":"Carlota Sabaté Cao, Laura Keur-Huizinga, Nicole A Huizinga, Dorothea Wendt, Eco J C de Geus, Sophia E Kramer, Adriana A Zekveld","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001757","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001757","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;This study investigated the relationship between physical activity-measured both objectively and subjectively-and hearing acuity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Design: &lt;/strong&gt;Subjective physical activity data were collected through a questionnaire reflecting participants' general activity levels. Objective physical activity was measured through accelerometer measurements recorded during daily life over two days in 6-sec epochs during awake hours. In total, 131 Dutch adults with varying levels of hearing acuity, ranging from normal hearing to severe impairment, were included. A trained algorithm classified the accelerometer data into various physical activities-such as walking, cycling, fast walking/running, and stair climbing-as well as postures, including lying down, sitting, and standing. In addition, the movement intensity of dynamic activities was quantified using the vector magnitude of the classified epochs. For each participant, the time spent on each activity or posture was expressed as a percentage of total awake time. Linear regression models were used to compare total awake time spent on each activity with participants' self-reported activity levels. Furthermore, linear mixed-effects models analyzed the effect of hearing acuity and hearing asymmetry on the time spent engaging in activities and postures, as well as on the movement intensity when being active. Given the compositional nature and homogeneous distribution of objectively measured time in each activity level, both standard and Compositional Data Analysis (CoDA) approaches were applied to assess the effect of hearing acuity measures.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The subjective and objective physical activity measures showed a modest relationship using both CoDA and standard approaches. This indicated that the two types of measures captured overlapping aspects of physical activity, supporting our assumption that both are partially valid representations of this underlying construct. A weak association was found between poorer pure-tone average in the better ear and a lower frequency of dynamic activities during the recorded period. This relationship persisted when applying the CoDA method, which also revealed a weak association between lower relative time spent walking and higher (poorer) pure-tone average in the better ear. In contrast, no significant associations were found between hearing acuity and the frequency of specific activities or postures, the intensity of dynamic activities, or subjective activity levels using the standard approach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;These findings suggest that individuals with worse hearing acuity may engage less in dynamic activities but are not necessarily characterized by low overall physical activity levels. Future research should consider the cultural context of the study population, the duration of the participant's hearing loss, and extend accelerometer monitoring periods to provide more comprehensive i","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"622-638"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145543944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward the Optimal Stimulus to Elicit the Frequency-Following Response.","authors":"Laura Jacxsens, Natàlia Gorina-Careta, Alejandro Mondéjar-Segovia, Sonia Arenillas-Alcón, Lana Biot, Emilie Cardon, Vincent Van Rompaey, Willem De Hertogh, Marc J W Lammers, Carles Escera","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001764","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001764","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The frequency-following response (FFR) is gaining momentum to investigate central auditory processing in both audiological sciences and cognitive neuroscience. In previous research, FFRs have been most often elicited by the /da/ stimulus. Recently, we introduced the diphthong /oa/, particularly for infant studies, as, in addition to underpinning fundamental frequency encoding, it provides the underpinnings of temporal fine structure encoding. However, both the /da/ and /oa/ stimuli have their limitations: the /da/ stimulus has been shown to be less effective for studying the temporal fine structure, and the /oa/ stimulus yields a smaller response. In this study, we tested the effects of manipulating vowel order and coarticulation of stimuli as factors that may affect FFR amplitudes.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>We conducted a multisite study involving 34 normal-hearing adults (aged 18 to 40) at Antwerp University Hospital and the University of Barcelona. Four different stimuli (/dao/, /doa/, /ao/, and /oa/) designed and equated for intensity were presented in three blocks of 1000 trials in randomized block order. The main FFR parameters were the F 0 and F 1 response amplitude for the /o/ and /a/ sections of the stimuli.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The F 0 amplitude was largest for the /ao/ stimulus and smallest for the /oa/ stimulus in both the /a/ and /o/ vowel segments. In contrast, the /oa/ stimulus evoked significantly higher F 1 amplitudes than all other stimuli across both segments, showing an inverse pattern relative to F 0 . The neural response delay was significantly longer for /ao/ compared with the other stimuli. Pre-stimulus root mean square amplitude did not differ across stimuli or sites, indicating consistent baseline neural activity. These amplitude findings were mirrored by significant effects in signal to noise ratio, reinforcing the robustness of the stimulus-driven differences. While a significant Stimulus × Research center interaction was found for F 0 and F 1 amplitudes in the /a/ segment, no interaction effects emerged for the remaining eight FFR parameters, supporting the overall reproducibility and robustness of stimulus effects across centers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both amplitude and signal to noise ratio findings confirm that the F 0 response is influenced by the frequency structure of the eliciting vowels and by the preceding vowels and consonants. The choice of stimulus should align with the study's goals: the /ao/ stimulus is ideal for FFR ENV studies, the /oa/ stimulus for FFR TFS studies, and the /dao/ stimulus for studies examining both, offering strong responses for both the FFR ENV and the FFR TFS . The /dao/ stimulus offers the additional advantage that it includes the /da/ stimulus segment, facilitating comparisons with prior research.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"689-701"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145566213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Key Word Is Trust: Hearing Healthcare Experiences Among Black Adults Who Meet Audiometric Candidacy Criteria for Cochlear Implantation.","authors":"Sarah E Warren, Laura Coco, Iris Allen, Jordan Alyse Coffelt, Gretchen Nibert Flinner, C Alise Holloway, Anna Trace Brewer, Emerson Crawford, Robert J Yawn","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001770","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001770","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The objective of this study is to explore the lived experiences and perspectives of Black adults who meet audiometric candidacy criteria for cochlear implantation, as well as their communication partners. While disparities in cochlear implant (CI) uptake among Black adults are well-documented, the reasons for these inequities are less understood. This study examines how Social Determinants of Health shape access and engagement with hearing healthcare, identifying factors that influence CI utilization.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>This study is the first phase of the Memphis SOUND (Serving Our Underrepresented Neighbors who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing) Project, a community-engaged research initiative to address hearing health disparities among underserved populations. Guided by the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model, we conducted qualitative interviews with Black adults who met audiometric criteria for cochlear implantation and their communication partners. Using iterative inductive and deductive coding, we identified predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors across individual, family, and systemic levels that influence hearing healthcare engagement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, including 6 individuals with CIs, 4 without CIs, and 5 communication partners, revealed limited awareness of hearing loss as a health condition and reported no prior knowledge of CIs until suggested by a healthcare professional. Common barriers included delays in care, poor healthcare coordination, and negative provider interactions. Several participants cited medical mistrust as influencing decision-making. Facilitators included trust in the provider and receiving clear, satisfactory information on CIs. Socioeconomic factors also affected some participants' access. All participants expressed a desire for community-based efforts to improve awareness of hearing healthcare and CIs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Underutilization of CIs among Black adults is driven by systemic barriers. Participants described complex, individual pathways from the onset of hearing loss to their decision on cochlear implantation, with delays linked to late awareness, inadequate provider communication, and limited specialist referrals. Participants who proceeded with cochlear implantation felt well-informed, while non-users cited skepticism and insufficient information as key obstacles. Medical mistrust further shaped participants' engagement with hearing healthcare. Findings underscore the need for accessible, trustworthy hearing health information within Black communities and highlight the potential of community-level engagement to build trust and improve hearing health outcomes in underserved populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":"748-761"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145727358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}