Ear and Hearing最新文献

{"title":"Speech Understanding in Noise Under Different Attentional Demands in Children With Typical Hearing and Cochlear Implants.","authors":"Lyan Porto, Jan Wouters, Astrid van Wieringen","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001680","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Complex listening environments are common in the everyday life of both adults and children and often require listeners must monitor possible speakers and switch or maintain attention as the situation requires. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of these attention dynamics on speech perception in adults, children with typical hearing (TH) and children with cochlear implants (CIs).</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Twenty-seven adults with TH (mean age 20.8 years), 24 children with TH (mean age 10.6 years), and 8 children with CIs (mean age 10.1 years) were tested on a speech understanding in noise task using AVATAR, a realistic audiovisual paradigm. Participants were asked to repeat the sentence as closely as possible. In one task, participants performed an adaptive speech-in-noise task to determine speech reception thresholds for sentences recorded by a male and a female speaker. In the second task, both male and female speakers could speak simultaneously in controlled conditions that required participants to either switch attention from one to another or maintain attention on the first. Eye-tracking data were collected concomitantly with both listening tasks, providing pupillometry and gaze behavior data. Participants also completed cognitive tests assessing memory, attention, processing speed, and language ability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Listening data showed that all groups had more difficulty switching attention from a distractor to a target than maintaining attention on a target and ignoring an incoming distractor. In the single-talker task, adults performed better than children, and children with TH performed better than children with CIs. In addition, pupillometry data showed that children with CIs exerted more listening effort in the single-talker task. Gaze data suggest that listeners fixate longer on target under more challenging conditions, but if demands on attention become too great, eye movements increase. Cognitive tests supported previous evidence that children with CIs' difficulties in speech understanding in noise are related to difficulties in sustaining attention.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Switching attention is more challenging than sustaining attention in listening situations children face every day, including CI users. Furthermore, children with CIs appear to exert effort beyond what is captured by listening tasks and struggle with maintaining attention over longer periods than typically hearing peers, highlighting the need to consider the characteristics of learning environments of children with CIs even if hearing thresholds are in typical range.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144250890","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":"Measurement of Spectro-Temporal Processing by Cochlear Implant Users: Effects of Stimulus Level and Validation of an Online Implementation.","authors":"Dakota Bysouth-Young, François Guérit, Lidea Shahidi, Robert P Carlyon","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001676","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001676","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Evaluating adjustments to cochlear implant (CI) settings is challenging as recipients need time to adapt for optimal speech test performance. The Spectro-Temporal Ripple for Investigating Processor EffectivenesS (STRIPES) test, a language-independent measure of spectro-temporal resolution, has been validated with Advanced Bionics and Cochlear CI systems. This study investigates if performance on the STRIPES test varies with presentation level in a loudspeaker setup and its relationship with outcomes on the British Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) test. In addition, it extends the use of STRIPES and its online version \"webSTRIPES\" to Med-El CI systems.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A prospective, single-blind, two-session repeated-measures study was conducted with 10 CI users. The first session included three blocks: pre-test webSTRIPES, STRIPES at three loudspeaker presentation levels (50, 65, and 75 dB SPL), and post-test webSTRIPES. The second session measured the speech reception threshold (SRT70) for CRM sentences with a time-reversed speech masker, presented at the same three levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Presentation level did not significantly affect STRIPES ripple density thresholds or SRT70 for CRM sentences. A significant correlation was found between STRIPES loudspeaker and webSTRIPES thresholds. WebSTRIPES showed good-to-excellent test-retest reliability. The correlation between CRM SRT70 and STRIPES thresholds, while in the predicted direction, was not statistically significant, likely due to the small sample size (n = 7), which may have limited the power to detect a meaningful relationship.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>STRIPES and webSTRIPES ripple density threshold scores can be reliably measured with Med-El CI systems, unaffected by presentation level. The STRIPES test is a promising tool for assessing adult CI listener outcomes without requiring prolonged acclimatization to programming changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144235983","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":"Assessment of Listening Effort by Eye Blinks and Head Tilt Angle Using a Glasses-Type Wearable Device.","authors":"Masahito Minagi, Kei Tabaru, Hamish Innes-Brown, Manae Kubo, Taiki Komoda, Yuko Kataoka, Mizuo Ando","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001688","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001688","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Listening effort is the mental effort that increases in situations where listening is challenging. Objective indicators are needed to assess listening effort, but no established testing methods can be performed in a daily environment. We used a glasses-type wearable device (JINS MEME, JINS Inc., Tokyo, Japan) equipped with an electrooculography sensor and an acceleration/angular velocity sensor to measure the number of eye blinks and changes in head tilt angle during listening under noise and investigated its use as an objective indicator of listening effort.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>The study included 16 normal-hearing individuals (mean = 27.94 years, SD = 7.18 years). They wore a glasses-type wearable device and were asked to repeat a passage presented at a sound pressure level of 60 dB sound pressure level. Three conditions were performed with signal to noise ratios (SNRs) of 0, -5, and -10 dB SNR. The number of eye blinks and head tilt angle were measured during the time spent listening to the conversation (listening period) and the time spent repeating it after listening (response period). After each task, the effort and motivation required for that trial were evaluated subjectively on a scale. Friedman tests were performed on the percentage of correct words repeated as well as subjective scores for effort and motivation based on the SNR. A linear mixed model was used to evaluate the effects of SNR and interval (listening period and response period) on the number of eye blinks and head tilt angle. In addition, correlation analysis was performed on each indicator.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>As the SNR decreased, the correct answer rate and motivation score decreased, and the effort score increased. These changes were significantly greater at -10 dB SNR than in the other 2 conditions. The eye blink rate was significantly higher in the -5 dB SNR condition than at 0 dB SNR, and was significantly higher in the response period than in the listening period, regardless of SNR. The head tilt angle was tilted forward when the SNR decreased in the listening period and response period sections. No significant correlation was observed between the indicators.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The number of eye blinks increased during listening in noise, but decreased with decreased subjective motivation. The head tilt angle tilted forward when the noise load increased, indicating that the participant tilted more toward the sound source. The changes in the number of eye blinks and head tilt angle during listening in noise may be objective indicators related to listening effort that can be detected quantitatively and simply using a glasses-type wearable device.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144210311","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":"Effects of Preoperative Factors on the Learning Curves of Postlingual Cochlear Implant Recipients.","authors":"Hendrik Christiaan Stronks, Timothy Samuel Arendsen, Mirte Veenstra, Peter-Paul Bernard Marie Boermans, Jeroen Johannes Briaire, Johan Hubertus Maria Frijns","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001690","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;The substantial variability in speech perception outcomes after cochlear implantation complicates efforts to develop valid predictive models of these outcomes. Existing predictive regression models are too unreliable for clinical application, possibly because speech intelligibility (SI) after cochlear implant (CI) rehabilitation is often based on a limited number of assessments. The development of SI after CI has rarely been detailed, although knowing the shape of the learning curve can potentially improve predictive modeling. Knowing the learning curve after CI could also aid in setting expectations about SI immediately after implantation, and the duration of rehabilitation. The current objectives were to construct learning curves to estimate baseline SI at 1 week (B), maximal SI after rehabilitation (M), and rehabilitation time (time to reach 80% of the learning effect; t[M - B]80%), and to subsequently deploy these outcomes for multiple-regression modeling to predict CI outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Design: &lt;/strong&gt;To assess rehabilitation after cochlear implantation, we retrospectively fitted learning curves using clinically available SI assessments from 533 postlingually deaf, unilaterally implanted adults. SI was assessed with consonant-vowel-consonant words (CVC) in quiet, with phoneme score as the outcome measure. Participants were followed for up to 4 years, with SI measurements collected at fixed intervals. SI was commonly assessed 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after device activation. B, M, and t(M - B)80% were determined from the fitted learning curves. Predictive multiple-regression analyses were performed on these three outcome measures based on eight previously identified preoperative demographic and audiometric predictor variables: age at implantation, duration of severe-to-profound hearing loss, best-aided CVC phoneme score (in the free field), unaided ipsilateral and contralateral residual hearing and CVC phoneme scores (measured with headphones), and education type (regular or special education).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;At 1 week after CI activation, raw phoneme scores had increased from 40% preoperatively (best-aided condition) to 51%, with further improvement to approximately 78% at 4 years. SI increased significantly until 1 year after activation and then plateaued. Fitted learning curves supported better estimates of these parameters, showing that average baseline SI at 1 week after CI activation was 51%, increasing to 85% after rehabilitation. The asymptotic score exceeded the raw average after 4 years because many cases had not yet plateaued. The median t(M - B)80% was 1.5 months. Predictive modeling identified duration of hearing loss, age at implantation, best-aided CVC phoneme score, and education type as the most robust predictors for postoperative SI. Despite the statistically significant correlations, however, the combined predictive value was ~19% for B, 10% for M, and 2% for t(M - B)80%.&lt;","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144176024","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":"Auditory Change Complex Responses to Spectrotemporally Modulated Stimuli.","authors":"Lisbeth Birkelund Simonsen, Jaime A Undurraga, Abigail Anne Kressner, Torsten Dau, Søren Laugesen","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001689","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001689","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The non-language-dependent Audible Contrast Threshold (ACT) test is a clinically viable spectrotemporal modulation detection test and serves as an alternative to language-specific speech-in-noise tests. However, the ACT test requires active participation, which is naturally challenging for infants, young children, and individuals with developmental or intellectual differences. This article focuses on the specifications and design of an electrophysiological version of ACT (E-ACT). A test paradigm was developed based on auditory change complex (ACC) responses to spectrotemporally modulated stimuli. This study investigated the effects of two potential carriers for the test stimuli, differences in responses between brain hemispheres, represented by left and right mastoids, and the effect of the direction of ACC change to optimally design an E-ACT. Finally, several strategies for defining individual thresholds for the E-ACT were compared.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Two experiments were conducted with 18 and 47 adult participants, respectively, all with pure-tone hearing thresholds at or below 75 dB HL at frequencies up to and including 2 kHz. The stimulus, consisting of spectrotemporally modulated targets alternating with unmodulated references, each presented for approximately 1 sec, elicited ACC responses from the participants. In Experiment A, both noise and tonal-carrier stimuli were used, while in Experiment B, only tonal-carrier stimuli were included. Electroencephalogram data were analyzed using the objective Fmpi (individualized multi-point Fsp) detector to estimate whether a response was present.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The tonal-carrier stimuli elicited significantly more detected responses compared with the noise-carrier stimuli. Analysis of hemispheric dominance revealed a significantly higher detection rate for ACC responses from the right mastoid compared with the left. However, the highest detection rate was observed when averaging responses from both mastoids. When ACC responses were divided into subcategories based on the direction of auditory change, the reference-to-target change (\"On\") produced a significantly higher detection rate than the target-to-reference change (\"Off\"). Pooling the \"On\" and \"Off\" responses did not increase the detection rates. The most effective strategy for determining the E-ACT threshold was to select the direction of auditory change of the mastoid average that was individually strongest in the first recording at maximum modulation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The present findings suggest that an electrophysiological version of ACT should be based on the tonal-carrier stimulus. To define individual thresholds for an E-ACT, the ACC should be determined as the average of left and right hemispheric responses, using only the direction of auditory change that is individually strongest during the first recording.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144176023","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":"Providing Hearing Care for Patients With Non-English Language Preference: Interpreters Types and Delivery Modalities.","authors":"Alejandra Ullauri","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001684","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the United States, about 67 million people speak a language other than English at home, and of those, 38% report speaking English less than \"very well.\" Not speaking the majority's language has been recognized as one of the major barriers linguistic minorities encounter when navigating healthcare systems. The evidence suggests that the type of interpreter and delivery modality can increase the accuracy of the interpretation and improve the overall patient experience for non-English language preference patients. As clinical settings leverage technology to increase language access and improve utilization of hearing services, it is crucial that they consider what would be more appropriate for patients with hearing loss who also prefer to communicate in languages other than English. The objective of this perspective article is to draw attention to recent findings regarding interpreters and delivery modalities and discuss the impact of such findings in hearing care services.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144129520","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":"Extended High-Frequency Hearing Loss and Suprathreshold Auditory Processing: The Moderating Role of Auditory Working Memory.","authors":"Srikanta K Mishra, Sajana Aryal, Chhayakanta Patro, Qian-Jie Fu","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001677","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Natural sounds, including speech, contain temporal fluctuations, and hearing loss influences the coding of these temporal features. However, how subclinical hearing loss may influence temporal variations remains unclear. In listeners with normal audiograms, hearing loss above 8 kHz is indicative of basal cochlear damage and may signal the onset of cochlear dysfunction. This study examined a conceptual framework to investigate the relationship between extended high-frequency hearing and suprathreshold auditory processing, particularly focusing on how cognitive factors, such as working memory, moderate these interactions.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Frequency modulation difference limens to slow (2 Hz) and fast (20 Hz) modulations, backward masking thresholds, and digit span measures were obtained in 44 normal-hearing listeners with varying degrees of extended high-frequency hearing thresholds.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Extended high-frequency hearing thresholds alone were not directly associated with frequency modulation difference limens or backward masking thresholds. However, working memory capacity-particularly as measured by the backward digit span-moderated the relationship between extended high-frequency thresholds and suprathreshold auditory performance. Among individuals with lower working memory capacity, elevated extended high-frequency thresholds were associated with reduced sensitivity to fast-rate frequency modulations and higher backward masking thresholds. It is important to note that this moderating effect was task-specific, as it was not observed for slow-rate modulations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The impact of elevated extended high-frequency thresholds on suprathreshold auditory processing is influenced by working memory capacity. Individuals with reduced cognitive capacity are particularly vulnerable to the perceptual effects of subclinical cochlear damage. This suggests that cognitive resources act as a compensatory mechanism, helping to mitigate the effects of subclinical deficits, especially in tasks that are temporally challenging.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144129573","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":"Assessing Array-Type Differences in Cochlear Implant Users Using the Panoramic ECAP Method.","authors":"Charlotte Garcia, Robert P Carlyon","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001673","DOIUrl":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001673","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;Cochlear implant companies manufacture devices with different electrode array types. Some arrays have a straight geometry designed for minimal neuronal trauma, while others are precurved and designed to position the electrodes closer to the cochlear neurons. Due to their differing geometries, it is possible that the arrays are not only positioned differently inside the cochlea but also produce different patterns of the spread of current and of neural excitation. The panoramic electrically evoked compound action potential method (PECAP) provides detailed estimates of peripheral neural responsiveness and current spread for individual patients along the length of the cochlea. These estimates were assessed as a function of electrode position and array type, providing a normative dataset useful for identifying unusual patterns in individual patients.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Design: &lt;/strong&gt;ECAPs were collected from cochlear implant users using the forward-masking artifact-reduction technique for every combination of masker and probe electrode at the most comfortable level. Data were available for 91 ears using Cochlear devices, and 53 ears using Advanced Bionics devices. The Cochlear users had straight arrays (Slim Straight, CI-22 series, n = 35), or 1 of 2 precurved arrays (Contour Advance, CI-12 series, n = 43, or Slim Modiolar, CI-32 series, n = 13). Computed tomography scans were also available for 41 of them, and electrode-modiolus distances were calculated. The Advanced Bionics users had 1 of 2 straight arrays (1J, n = 9 or SlimJ, n = 20), or precurved arrays (Helix, n = 4 or Mid-Scala, n = 20). The ECAPs were submitted to the PECAP algorithm to estimate current spread and neural responsiveness along the length of the electrode array for each user. A linear mixed-effects model was used to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between different array types and/or for different electrodes, both for the PECAP estimates of current spread and neural responsiveness, as well as for the available electrode-modiolus distances. Correlations were also conducted between PECAP's estimate of current spread and the electrode-modiolus distances.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;For Cochlear users, significant effects of array type (p = 0.001) and of electrode (p &lt; 0.001) were found on the PECAP's current-spread estimate, as well as a significant interaction (p = 0.006). Slim Straight arrays had a wider overall current spread than both the precurved arrays (Contour Advance and Slim Modiolar). The interaction revealed the strongest effect at the apex. A significant correlation between PECAP's current-spread estimate and the electrode-modiolus distances was also found across subjects (r = 0.516, p &lt; 0.001). No effect of array type was found on PECAP's estimate of current spread for the Advanced Bionics users (p = 0.979).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;These results suggest that for users of the Cochlear devic","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7617747/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144120705","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 Physical Activity and Tinnitus Loudness and Severity: A Cross-Sectional Study\".","authors":"Antonios Chalimourdas, Dominique Hansen, Kenneth Verboven, Sarah Michiels","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001682","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Tinnitus is characterized by the perception of sound in the absence of an external stimulus and affects about 14.4% of the adult population. Psychological co-morbidities such as stress, anxiety, and depression can largely influence the patient's perception of tinnitus loudness and severity. Research has shown that these psychological conditions improve when patients are more physically active. To date, however, it is unclear if physical activity also affects tinnitus loudness and severity. Therefore, this study aims to uncover the relationship between physical activity and tinnitus loudness and severity in patients with tinnitus.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, 2751 adult patients (55.5% male, mean age: 52.3 ± 14.6 years) with tinnitus were included. All participants completed the comprehensive version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire via an online survey. Tinnitus loudness and severity were assessed using self-reported Likert scales. Potential connections between different aspects of physical activity and tinnitus loudness and severity were explored using adjusted logistic regression models, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients who engage more in moderate (OR = 0.962) or vigorous-intensity activities (OR = 0.884) during leisure time showed significantly lower scores for tinnitus loudness. Furthermore, patients who engage more in vigorous-intensity activities during leisure time showed significantly lower scores for tinnitus severity (OR = 0.890).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study indicates that physical activity intensity during leisure time may attenuate tinnitus loudness and severity. Future prospective studies are needed to investigate the potential causal role of optimizing physical activity patterns to reduce tinnitus loudness and severity.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113108","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":"Malleability of the Lexical Bias Effect for Acoustically Degraded Speech.","authors":"Julia R Drouin, Laura N Putnam, Charles P Davis","doi":"10.1097/AUD.0000000000001667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001667","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Lexical bias is a phenomenon wherein impoverished speech signals tend to be perceived in line with the word context in which they are heard. Previous research demonstrated that lexical bias may guide processing when the acoustic signal is degraded, as in the case of cochlear implant (CI) users. The goal of the present study was twofold: (1) replicate previous lab-based work demonstrating a lexical bias for acoustically degraded speech using online research methods, and (2) characterize the malleability of the lexical bias effect following a period of auditory training. We hypothesized that structured experience via auditory training would minimize reliance on lexical context during phonetic categorization for degraded speech, resulting in a reduced lexical bias.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>In experiment 1, CI users and normal hearing (NH) listeners categorized along 2 /b/-/g/ continua (BAP-GAP; BACK-GACK). NH listeners heard each continuum in a clear and eight-channel noise-vocoded format, while CI users categorized for clear speech. In experiment 2, a separate group of NH listeners completed a same/different auditory discrimination training task with feedback and then completed phonetic categorization for eight-channel noise-vocoded /b/-/g/ continua.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In experiment 1, we observed a lexical bias effect in both CI users and NH listeners such that listeners more consistently categorized speech continua in line with the lexical context. In NH listeners, an enhanced lexical bias effect was observed for the eight-channel noise-vocoded speech condition, while both CI users and the clear speech condition showed a relatively weaker lexical bias. In experiment 2, structured training altered phonetic categorization and reliance on lexical context. Namely, the magnitude of the lexical bias effect decreased following a short period of auditory training relative to untrained listeners.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings from experiment 1 replicate and extend previous work, suggesting that web-based methods may provide alternative routes for testing phonetic categorization in NH and hearing-impaired listeners. Moreover, findings from experiment 2 suggest that lexical bias is not a static phenomenon; rather, experience via auditory training can dynamically alter reliance on lexical context for speech categorization. These findings extend theoretical models of speech processing in terms of how top-down information is weighted for listeners adapting to acoustically degraded speech. Finally, these findings hold clinical implications for tracking changes in phonetic categorization and reliance on lexical context throughout the CI adaptation process.</p>","PeriodicalId":55172,"journal":{"name":"Ear and Hearing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144102900","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}