Characterizing variability in hearing aid outcomes among older adults

描述（由申请人提供）：数字助听器中使用的先进信号处理算法提高了助听器的平均效益和满意度。然而，对助听器的反应是高度可变的，有些人比其他人报告更多的好处。这种变化在年龄较大的听众中最为明显。一个重要的问题是什么水平的先进的助听器处理是必要的，以达到成功的助听器在个别听众。每一种形式的非线性信号处理都有自己的一套权衡

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The advanced signal-processing algorithms used in digital hearing aids have improved average hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. However, response to hearing aids is highly variable, with some individuals reporting much more benefit than others. This variability is most evident among older listeners. An important issue is what levels of advanced hearing aid processing are necessary to achieve success with hearing aids in individual listeners. Every form of nonlinear signal processing has its own set of trade-offs of improved audibility versus increased modification of the signal caused by the signal processing. However, there are no effective procedures for determining who will benefit from the processing or how the processing should be adjusted for the individual listener. The long term goal of this research is use evidence-based clinical tests to guide the selection of signal processing that is most appropriate for individual older adults wearing hearing aids in their own listening environments. The first specific aim of this study is to characterize variability in response to signal manipulation among older adults and to determine what patient factors are related to that variability. The first experiment measures response to signal modification caused by several types of hearing aid processing under controlled laboratory conditions and relates those responses to patient factors. The second experiment extends those concepts to wearable hearing aids in the listener's own environment. The second specific aim is to determine prospectively the appropriate level of hearing-aid signal manipulation for an individual and to validate that determination, under clinical conditions. The third experiment will translate the results from the first two experiments into a set of patient tests that can be used clinically to predict the optimal signal processing for an individual. Listener response to hearing aid signal processing will include aided speech intelligibility, aided sound quality, and/or perceived reduction of hearing handicap. Patient factors will include the audiogram, spectral-temporal processing abilities, and cognitive abilities.