Prawin Kumar

Background: Exposure to noise or loud sound damages the cochlea and can result in hearing loss, which has been well-documented. Research over the years has shown that individuals exposed to noise for a short or extended period may develop vestibular problems. The otolith organs are found to be more susceptible to noise exposure or acoustic trauma than the semicircular canals (SCC). Nonetheless, little is known about the functioning of all three SCC in individuals exposed to noise. A technologically advanced, noninvasive, simple, and fast tool, the video head impulse test (vHIT) helps in evaluating the functioning of all six SCC in three planes. Purpose of the Study: We assessed the functioning of SCC using the vHIT paradigm in individuals with and without noise exposure. Research Design: The study used a quasi-experimental, between-groups design. Study Sample: The study included15 individuals with occupational noise exposure for at least 5 years (clinical group) and 15 individuals without noise exposure (control group) aged 30 to 55 years. Data Collection and Analysis: The vHIT was administered using the head impulse paradigm to assess the vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR) gain of the six SCC in all three planes. Results: The study showed a significantly reduced VOR gain in lateral SCC among individuals with noise exposure in comparison to their healthy counterparts. In addition, refixation saccades (overt and covert) were noticed in 46 percent of individuals with noise exposure, whereas none of the participants exhibited refixation saccades in the control group. Conclusions: Although the semicircular canal is reported to be less susceptible to the effects of noise, the findings of reduced VOR gain and the presence of refixation saccades in the clinical group reveal that the semicircular functioning could be altered in individuals exposed to noise. Therefore, individuals with noise-induced hearing loss should undergo peripheral vestibular assessment, including semicircular canal functioning, for better rehabilitation. vHIT showed promising findings in assessing SCC functioning among individuals with noise exposure.

Purpose Children with temporal processing deficits struggle to detect and discriminate syllables, phonemes, and stress patterns in speech. To overcome these deficits, computer-based auditory training programs have been widely used as one of the rehabilitation alternatives in recent years. The present study aimed to examine the usefulness of one such computer-based temporal processing training (CBTPT) module on children with temporal processing deficits. Method Sixteen children (8–15 years) with temporal processing deficits were enrolled in the study, further divided into active (CBTPT) and placebo (placebo training) groups. Further, 8 typically developing children (no training) were enrolled as a comparison group. The auditory outcome measures included Duration Pattern Test (DPT), Gap Detection Test (GDT), Dichotic CV (DCV), and Speech-in-Noise-Indian English (SPIN-IE) assessed before and after training for all three groups. Results Wilcoxon-sign rank test showed a statically significant difference between pre and post-test scores of DPT, GDT, and SPIN (p < 0.001) except DCV among the active group. However, no significant differences were noted in the pre and post-test scores among the placebo and TD groups. Mann Whitney U test showed a significant difference in DPT and SPIN post-training scores between active and placebo groups; active and TD group; placebo and TD group. Conclusion From the above finding, it is inferred that the CBTPT module is useful among children having temporal processing deficits.

Introduction Acoustic change complex (ACC) is a type of event-related potential evoked in response to subtle change(s) in the continuing stimuli. In the presence of a growing number of investigations on ACC, there is a need to review the various methodologies, findings, clinical utilities, and conclusions of different studies by authors who have studied ACC. Objective The present review article is focused on the literature related to the utility of ACC as a tool to assess the auditory discrimination skill in different populations. Data Synthesis Various database providers, such as Medline, Pubmed, Google, and Google Scholar, were searched for any ACC-related reference. A total of 102 research papers were initially obtained using descriptors such as acoustic change complex, clinical utility of ACC, ACC in children, ACC in cochlear implant users, and ACC in hearing loss. The titles, authors, and year of publication were examined, and the duplicates were eliminated. A total of 31 research papers were found on ACC and were incorporated in the present review. The findings of these 31 articles were reviewed and have been reported in the present article. Conclusion The present review showed the utility of ACC as an objective tool to support various subjective tests in audiology.

This systematic review focuses on the efficacy of auditory verbal therapy (AVT) in children with cochlear implants based on their auditory performance. The results presented are based on research findings from 2010 to 2021. The systematic review was designed based on the Popular Reporting Systems for the Systematic Review and Analysis of Meta-Analysts (PRISMA), the 2020 revised version, and the Critical Evidence for Clinical Evidence (CATE) checklist. Specific keywords were chosen based on the formulated research question and searched on the following search engines: Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, PubMed, Semantic Scholar, Cochrane, Science Direct, and BASE. All the searched articles were analysed based on specific exclusion criteria. The results revealed an important progression based on the auditory performance among children with cochlear implantation who received habilitation. The studies highlight that younger the age at implantation better the auditory performance and this may be necessary to allow at least relatively normal organization of auditory pathways in pre-lingual children with hearing impairment. Therefore, regular revitalization of aural–verbal rehabilitation and speech and language therapy is essential for younger children with hearing impairment to achieve the highest level of hearing function. This systematic review highlights importance of assessment of the auditory performance to be considered in the test battery while evaluating children with CI before and after habilitation along with AVT.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the subcortical and cortical auditory evoked potentials for speech stimuli in children with speech-in-noise (SIN) deficits associated with auditory processing disorder (APD) without any reading or language deficits. Method: The study included 20 children in the age range of 9–13 years. Ten children were recruited to the APD group; they had below-normal scores on the speech-perception-in-noise test and were diagnosed as having APD. The remaining 10 were typically developing (TD) children and were recruited to the TD group. Speech-evoked subcortical (brainstem) and cortical (auditory late latency) responses were recorded and compared across both groups. Results: The results showed a statistically significant reduction in the amplitudes of the subcortical potentials (both for stimulus in quiet and in noise) and the magnitudes of the spectral components (fundamental frequency and the second formant) in children with SIN deficits in the APD group compared to the TD group. In addition, the APD group displayed enhanced amplitudes of the cortical potentials compared to the TD group. Conclusion: Children with SIN deficits associated with APD exhibited impaired coding/processing of the auditory information at the level of the brainstem and the auditory cortex. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21357735