1.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Acceptable noise level with Danish, Swedish, and non-semantic speech materials.
2012
Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1708-8186 .- 1499-2027. ; 51, s. 146-156
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Objective: Acceptable noise level (ANL) has been established as a method to quantify the acceptance of background noise while listening to speech presented at the most comfortable level. The aim of the present study was to generate Danish, Swedish, and a non-semantic version of the ANL test and investigate normal-hearing Danish and Swedish subjects' performance on these tests. Design: ANL was measured using Danish and Swedish running speech with two different noises: Speech-weighted amplitude-modulated noise, and multitalker speech babble. ANL was also measured using the non-semantic international speech test signal (ISTS) as speech signal together with the speech-weighted amplitude-modulated noise. The latter condition was identical in both populations. Study sample: Forty Danish and 40 Swedish normal-hearing subjects. Results: In both populations ANL results were similar to previously reported results from American studies. Generally, significant differences were seen between test conditions using different types of noise within ears in each population. Significant differences were seen for ANL across populations, also when the non-semantic ISTS was used as speech signal. Conclusions: The present findings indicate that there are extrinsic factors, such as instructions, affecting the ANL results. Summario Objetivo: Se ha establecido el Nivel de Ruido Aceptable (ANL) como un método para cuantifi car la aceptación de ruido de fondo mientras se escucha lenguaje presentado al nivel más confortable. El objetivo de este estudio fue generar las versiones sueca, danesa y una no-semántica de la prueba ANL e investigar el desempeño de sujetos normoyentes daneses y suecos en estas pruebas. Diseño: Se midió el ANL utilizando un discurso continuo en danés y sueco con dos diferentes ruidos: ruido con amplitud modulada en el rango del lenguaje y balbuceo de varios hablantes. También se midió el ANL utilizando la prueba internacional no-semántica de señal de lenguaje (ISTS) como la señal lingüística junto con ruido con amplitud modulada en el rango del lenguaje. Esta última condición fue idéntica en ambas poblaciones. Muestra: Cuarenta sujetos daneses y 40 sujetos suecos normoyentes. Resultados: en ambas poblaciones los resultados de ANL fueron muy similares a los reportado previamente en estudios americanos. Generalmente, se vieron diferencias signifi cativas para el ANL entre poblaciones, también cuando el ISTS no semántico fue utilizado como señal lingüística. Conclusiones: Estos hallazgos indican que hay factores extrínsecos tales como las instrucciones, que afectan los resultados de ANL.
2.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Acceptance of Background Noise, Working Memory Capacity, and Auditory Evoked Potentials in Subjects with Normal Hearing
2012
Ingår i: Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. - : Georg Thieme Verlag KG. - 2157-3107 .- 1050-0545. ; 23:7, s. 542-552
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Background: The acceptable noise level (ANL) test is a method for quantifying the amount of background noise that subjects accept when listening to speech. Large variations in ANL have been seen between normal-hearing subjects and between studies of normal-hearing subjects, but few explanatory variables have been identified. Purpose: To explore a possible relationship between a Swedish version of the ANL test, working memory capacity (WMC), and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). Research Design: ANL, WMC, and AEP were tested in a counterbalanced order across subjects. Study Sample: Twenty-one normal-hearing subjects participated in the study (14 females and 7 males; aged 20-39 yr with an average of 25.7 yr). Data Collection and Analysis: Reported data consists of age, pure-tone average (PTA), most comfortable level (MCL), background noise level (BNL), ANL (i.e., MCL-BNL), AEP latencies, AEP amplitudes, and WMC. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated between the collected variables to investigate associations. A principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was conducted on the collected variables to explore underlying factors and estimate interactions between the tested variables. Subjects were also pooled into two groups depending on their results on the WMC test, one group with a score lower than the average and one with a score higher than the average. Comparisons between these two groups were made using the Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results: A negative association was found between ANL and WMC but not between AEP and ANL or WMC. Furthermore, ANL is derived from MCL and BNL, and a significant positive association was found between BNL and WMC. However, no significant associations were seen between AEP latencies and amplitudes and the demographic variables, MCL, and BNL. The PCA identified two underlying factors: One that contained MCL, BNL, ANL, and WMC and another that contained latency for wave Na and amplitudes for waves V and Na-Pa. Using the variables in the first factor, the findings were further explored by pooling the subjects into two groups according to their WMC (WMClow, and WMChigh). It was found that the WMClow had significantly poorer BNL than the WMChigh. Conclusions: The findings suggest that there is a strong relationship between BNL and WMC, while the association between MCL, ANL, and WMC seems less clear-cut.
3.
4.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Clinical application of long-term intensity and pitch matches in fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss.
2008
Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1708-8186 .- 1499-2027. ; 47:7, s. 412-419
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The purpose of this study was to measure changes in intensity and pitch matches to better assess disease activity in fluctuating hearing loss. Long-term suprathreshold audiometry was carried out at home on a subject with a unilateral fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss during a period when the subject demonstrated no symptoms and a period when the subject reported hearing loss, aural pressure, and tinnitus. Daily measurements of binaural intensity and pitch matches were made. Day-to-day fluctuations were clearly accentuated during the period when the subject experienced symptoms. Specifically, deviations from the reference tone were only observed for binaural pitch matches at 1 kHz during the period without symptoms; however, highly fluctuating binaural intensity and pitch matches were observed at 0.25 kHz during the period with symptoms. These fluctuations were not observed in a normal-hearing group. The results suggest that long-term measurements of binaural intensity and pitch matches can be used to monitor disease activity in fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss.
5.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Hearing aid fitting outcome: clinical application and psychometric properties of a Swedish translation of the international outcome inventory for hearing aids (IOI-HA).
2010
Ingår i: Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. - : Georg Thieme Verlag KG. - 2157-3107 .- 1050-0545. ; 21:8, s. 512-521
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
BACKGROUND: The International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) is a seven-item hearing-specific questionnaire. It was developed with the purpose of evaluating the efficacy of hearing aid rehabilitation. Few psychometric properties have been presented for a Swedish translation of the IOI-HA. Furthermore, previous studies have examined the IOI-HA in mainly sensorineural hearing losses, and we do not know how the type of hearing loss affects the outcome. PURPOSE: To evaluate the hearing aid fitting outcome measured in a clinical setting using a Swedish translation of the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), to determine the psychometric properties of the translation, and to examine how a number of demographic variables such as type of hearing loss affect the outcome. RESEARCH DESIGN: A descriptive and correlational study in a retrospective sample. STUDY SAMPLE: Two hundred and twenty-four (107 females and 117 males; ages 27-94 yr with an average of 66.1 yr) first-time hearing aid users. INTERVENTION: Mostly digital hearing aids (97.8%) were fitted monaurally (60%) or binaurally (40%) between 2007 and 2009. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The subjects were mailed the IOI-HA questionnaire six months after their final appointment, and the completed questionnaire was returned by mail to the clinic. The psychometric properties were evaluated and compared to previous studies using the IOI-HA. The associations between the outcome scores and a number of demographic variables (age, gender, degree of hearing loss, type of hearing loss, number of hearing aids, and type of hearing aids) were examined. Based on the pure tone audiograms, the subjects were divided into three groups; those with conductive hearing losses, sensorineural hearing losses, and mixed hearing losses. For these groups, the differences in outcome measured as IOI-HA were examined. RESULTS: The psychometric properties of the present translation of the IOI-HA showed resemblance in many aspects to previous reports. Furthermore, the type of hearing loss seems to affect the IOI-HA outcome. Hearing loss increases with increasing age, and hearing aid use increases with increasing degree of hearing loss. Subjects with sensorineural hearing losses show significantly poorer scores on items concerning introspective aspects of the outcome in comparison to subjects with mixed hearing losses and subjects with conductive hearing losses. Monaurally fitted subjects tend to report lower scores on average, but monaural or binaural hearing aid fitting do not significantly affect the subjective outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric properties of the present Swedish translation of the IOI-HA show resemblance in many aspects to previous reports, but the differences observed could be due to differences in the study populations. Overall, the demographic variables examined could not be used as predictors for the hearing aid fitting outcome, and more reliable predictors need to be identified.
6.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Interaural attenuation for Sennheiser HDA 200 circumaural earphones.
2010
Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1708-8186 .- 1499-2027. ; 49:6, s. 467-471
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Interaural attenuation (IA) was evaluated for pure tones (frequency range 125 to 16000 Hz) using Sennheiser HDA 200 circumaural earphones and Telephonics TDH-39P earphones in nine unilaterally deaf subjects. Audiometry was conducted in 1-dB steps using the manual ascending technique in accordance with ISO 8253-1. For all subjects and for all tested frequencies, the lowest IA value for HDA 200 was 42 dB. The present IA values for TDH-39P earphones closely resemble previously reported data. The findings show that the HDA 200 earphones provide more IA than the TDH-39P, especially at lower frequencies (
7.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Long-term measurement of binaural intensity and pitch matches. II. Fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss.
2008
Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1708-8186 .- 1499-2027. ; 47:11, s. 675-687
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Thirteen subjects made consecutive long-term recordings of binaural intensity and pitch matches in their homes using portable equipment to assess hearing fluctuations. Two groups of subjects were used; one with monaural fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss (FLFHL) without vertigo, and one with monaural Meniere's disease (i.e. FLFHL with vertigo). The subjects measured binaural pitch matches using a 0.25- or 1-kHz reference tone presented at 60 dB SPL to one ear, and a loudness-matched test tone of adjustable frequency presented to the other ear during one to several weeks. Their results were compared to those previously obtained from ten normal-hearing subjects. Both groups of subjects showed fluctuations in binaural intensity and pitch matches not seen in the normal-hearing group. We calculated the average day-to-day difference in matched intensity and frequency for each subject's test period as a measure of disease activity. This measure indicated that the group with Meniere's disease has a higher disease activity than the group with FLFHL without vertigo, and that both these groups of subjects had higher disease activity than normal-hearing subjects.
8.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Long-term measurement of binaural intensity matches and pitch matches. I. Normal hearing.
2008
Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1708-8186 .- 1499-2027. ; 47:2, s. 59-66
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Changes in pitch perception and hearing thresholds over time have been observed in subjects with monaural fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss and Ménière's disease. Long-term suprathreshold audiometry and binaural pitch matches could provide information of these changes. Ten normal subjects were tested for stability of binaural intensity and pitch matches during 9-22 days in their homes with newly developed portable test equipment. Binaural pitch matches were measured using a 0.25- or 1-kHz reference tone presented at 60 dB SPL to one ear, and a loudness-matched test tone of adjustable frequency presented to the other ear. The results showed stable binaural intensity matches (individual inter-quartile ranges, IQRs, 1.2 to 5.7 dB), but binaural pitch matches varied greatly (IQR -0.6 to 5.3% at 0.25 kHz; IQR -1.6 to 7.9% at 1 kHz). Binaural pitch-matching was much better in subjects who could define pitch precisely during monaural pitch matching. It was concluded that in future long-term evaluations of patients with fluctuating inner-ear function, binaural intensity matches could be suitable for all, but binaural pitch matching only for selected patients.
9.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
Octave illusion elicited by overlapping narrowband noises.
2011
Ingår i: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. - : Acoustical Society of America (ASA). - 1520-8524 .- 0001-4966. ; 129:5, s. 3213-3220
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The octave or Deutsch illusion occurs when two tones, separated by about one octave, are presented simultaneously but alternating between ears, such that when the low tone is presented to the left ear the high tone is presented to the right ear and vice versa. Most subjects hear a single tone that alternates both between ears and in pitch; i.e., they hear a low pitched tone in one ear alternating with a high pitched tone in the other ear. The present study examined whether the illusion can be elicited by aperiodic signals consisting of low-frequency band-pass filtered noises with overlapping spectra. The amount of spectral overlap was held constant, but the high- and low-frequency content of the signals was systematically varied. The majority of subjects perceived an auditory illusion in terms of a dominant ear for pitch and lateralization by frequency, as proposed by Deutsch [(1975a) Sci. Am. 233, 92-104]. Furthermore, the salience of the illusion increased as the high frequency of the content in the signal increased. Since no harmonics were present in the stimuli, it is highly unlikely that this illusion is perceived on the basis of binaural diplacusis or harmonic binaural fusion.
10.
Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
On the physiological location of otoacoustic emissions
2001
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
During recent years, much attention has been paid otoacoustic emissions in the clinical audiological practice. The received view locates their origin in the cochlea, more precisely in the outer hair cells. It is, however, still uncertain if there is an interaction between the ears regarding otoacoustic emissions. Earlier findings suggest an interaction at the level of the olivocochlear bundle. The aim of this pilot study was to find out if there is any interaction between the two cochleae in the case of otoacoustic emissions. Five subjects with normal hearing participated. Recordings were made of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions during the presentation of contralateral stimuli at three different frequencies (500, 1000 and 2000 Hz). In general, contralateral stimulation did not provoke otoacoustic emissions. It was concluded that otoacoustic emissions could be part of the fine-tuning mechanism in the cochlea. The frequency resolution, e.g. for speech, depends on very fast modulation of the incoming signal. Due to the neural distance, this modulation would lag behind, if otoacoustic emissions in one ear would effect the opposite one.
