Time-compressed speech discrimination of children grouped as high and low risk on a reading-readiness test was examined. Children were grouped according to performance on a measure of reading-readiness skills. All passed a hearing screening at fifteen decibels for octave frequencies 250-4000 Hz. The Word Intelligibility by Picture Identification (WIPI) comprised the time-compressed speech task, in a sound field at seventy decibels Sound Pressure Level and zero degrees azimuth. The protocol for administration of the time-compressed speech task was sixty per cent time compression, then zero per cent time compression. Significant effects appeared for time compression ratio and test group. Average difference was twelve per cent and approximately eight per cent at zero.

This study investigated the incidence of peripheral hearing loss in sickle cell anemia and the possibility of central auditory nervous system involvement. Nine Black subjects with sickle cell disease and nine with normal hemoglobin were administered an auditory test battery. There appeared to be no correlation between number of crisis episodes, duration of symptoms, severity of symptoms, and audiologic manifestations. Acoustic reflex testing suggested the possibility of "aired neural function in the sickle cell group. Whether impaired function was due to peripheral VIIIth nerve or to central brain stem involvement could not be determined. Results of the central auditory test battery suggested the possibility of impaired or reduced central auditory function in subjects with sickle cell anemia.

Language is integrally involved in all stages of the learning process. Children who have a language disability are therefore likely to have difficulty with their schooling. The Centre for Language and Hearing Impaired Children was established to provide these children with an optimal start to their education and to maximize the impact of early intervention. The aim of this retrospective study was to obtain follow-up information about the pupils who attended this language-rich nursery school environment, and to discover if their progress reflected significant long-term improvements in their education. The study design involved both quantitative aspects, for which it became necessary to create an educational outcome scoring system in order to objectively assess children’s outcomes, and descriptive components to understand the children’s progress. The data collection involved two phases, where the initial data provided the basic demographics of 94 children who attended the Centre, and the second stage considered information obtained in the follow-up interviews with 32 families that could be traced. The latter data showed that, in spite of previously reported improvements while at the Centre, significant disabilities persisted in 56.25 % of the children, where they were unable to reach mainstream education. In addition, there were significant numbers (81.25%) that attended or passed through remedial/special education during their formal school career, reinforcing the need for supportive, therapeutic forms of education for children with language impairments.

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Audiology in the faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, January 2017 / Background: The benefits of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) services on communication, cognition and socio-emotional development, including academic and vocational outcomes are well documented internationally. However, reports on EHDI services in South Africa are limited to the establishment of programmes for early detection of hearing impairments, with little focus on the outcomes of the subsequent early intervention (EI) for children diagnosed with a hearing impairment. Objective: This study explored the outcomes of two EI preschool programmes in the Gauteng province, South Africa. The current study aimed at describing the communication and school readiness abilities of hearing-impaired children who were enrolled in the EI preschool programmes, as well as to determine the factors that influenced the attainment of school readiness abilities. Methods: A descriptive research study was conducted on eight hearing-impaired children who graduated from two EI preschool programmes in the Gauteng Province. Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data while frequency distribution and measures of central tendency were used to analyse the quantitative data. Results: Participants were late-identified with subsequent late provision of amplification devices and commencement of EI services. Consequently, participants demonstrated sub-optimal communication and school readiness abilities for their age. Early access to EHDI services and age-appropriate communication abilities were identified as factors that influenced the attainment of age-appropriate school readiness abilities for children with a hearing impairment. Conclusion: There is a great need for the establishment of more EI programmes that will meet the unique needs of hearing-impaired children in different contexts and ensure that they also have an opportunity to develop on par with their peers with normal hearing. Further research in this area needs to be undertaken exploring similar objectives to the current study with a larger, diverse sample for improved generalisability of the findings. / XL2018

A research thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Audiology in the Faculty of Humanities the University of the Witwatersrand March 2016. / Purpose: The main objective of the current study was to explore risk-based new-born hearing screening within a developing country by conducting early hearing detection in high-risk neonates within an academic hospital complex in Gauteng, South Africa. Specific objectives describing the case history factors and audio logical function in a group of high-risk determining the relationship between the case history factors and audio logical establishing the true-positive (TP) and true-negative (TN) results with different combinations of screening measures; establishing the percentage of TP and NT screening results in the total sample; and exploring the factors associated with follow-up return rate for hearing screening and diagnostic audio logical assessment. / GR2017

A research report in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Audiology by coursework and research report in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / Auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) is an intervention approach used as part of an aural (re)habilitation programme conducted by an audiologist with deaf or hard-of-hearing (HOH) children. AVT is a refinement of the oral-aural approach and emphasizes listening instead of visual input. Previous research has focused on AVT in developed countries; however, there is limited available research in developing countries such as South Africa. This study explores and describes the relevance of AVT provided by audiologists in Gauteng, South Africa. The specific objectives of the study were to explore the differences between AVT and general paediatric aural rehabilitation therapies conducted by audiologists; the impact of language on the implementation of AVT and the challenges associated with AVT training. A qualitative research design was used. A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify and recruit participants. Ten audiologists currently conducting aural rehabilitation were selected to participate in the study. The sample size was divided into five audiologists who had obtained the LSL certification (equivalent to AVT certification) and five audiologists without the LSL certification. A pilot study was conducted prior to data collection to determine the applicability of the research study. Thereafter semi-structured interviews were conducted, using an interview schedule. Thematic analysis was employed and themes were described qualitatively. Results revealed the emergence of three resounding themes which included challenges, differences in therapy approaches, and implementation and contributing factors to the success of AVT. The results concluded the need for the implementation of newborn hearing screening programmes to assist with early identification and detection of hearing loss. The study identifies a strong need for the increase in the number of certified LSL therapists in South Africa and additional AVT comprehensive programmes to be implemented at various institutions in Gauteng. Awareness regarding the success of AVT implementation needs to be raised. Finally, the HPCSA needs to revisit and explicitly define the role of audiologists interacting with deaf or HOH children with the LSL qualification being a mandatory postgraduate pre-requisite for working in the field of aural rehabilitation. Key words: Auditory-verbal therapy; aural rehabilitation; deaf; hard-of-hearing. / GR2017

INTRODUÇÃO: O sistema auditivo eferente tem a função de regular e controlar a atividade do sistema auditivo aferente proporcionando ao indivíduo melhores condições para decifrar a mensagem acústica, fazendo parte, portanto, do processamento auditivo central. A detecção, acompanhamento e intervenção precoce em alterações do sistema eferente são de suma importância para minimizar os efeitos nocivos do distúrbio de processamento auditivo ao longo da vida. MATERIAL E METODO: Foram avaliados 125 RN(s) de ambos os gêneros, sendo 79 pertencentes ao grupo de baixo risco para deficiência auditiva e 46 do grupo de alto risco. A amostra foi submetida à EOET, EOEPD e PEATE com e sem a presença de um ruído branco contralateral a orelha testada emitido a 60 dBNPS. Foi calculado o efeito de inibição (EI) resultante da subtração do valor do nível de resposta total, no caso das EOE e da amplitude e latência da onda V no PEATE na condição sem ruído contralateral do valor obtido com ruído contralateral. O efeito de inibição foi analisado dentro de cada grupo segundo as variáveis orelha, gênero e condição de estimulação. Foi analisado, também, o efeito de inibição entre os grupos avaliados. Foi verificado, ainda, a correlação entre efeito de inibição e idade gestacional, pós-concepcional e fatores de risco, bem como foi verificada a correlação do efeito de inibição entre os testes aplicados. RESULTADOS: A média do EI observado pelas EOET foi de 0,3 dB na orelha direita (OD) e na orelha esquerda (OE) no grupo de baixo risco e de 1,2 dB (OD) e de 0,8 dB (OE) no grupo de alto risco. Nas EOEPD o EI foi maior nas frequências baixas em ambos os grupos. No PEATE a média do EI da amplitude da onda V foi de 0,07 µV (OD) e de 0,06 µV (OE) no grupo de baixo risco e de 0,03 µV (OD) e de 0,06 µV (OE) no grupo de alto risco. A média do EI da latência da onda V nos grupos de baixo e alto risco foi respectivamente de -0,02 ms na OD e OE e de -0,03 ms(OD) e 0,1 ms(OE). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante do EI entre as orelhas e gêneros em ambos os grupos. A comparação entre as condições de estimulação mostrou diferença estatisticamente significante na OD e OE nas EOET no grupo de alto risco e na amplitude e latência no PEATE em ambos os grupos. Houve diferença estatisticamente significante do EI da OD entre o grupo de baixo e alto risco nas EOET e PEATE. Com o aumento da idade gestacional não houve um aumento do número de RN(s) com presença de EI nos testes aplicados. Com o aumento da idade pós-concepcional houve um aumento do valor médio do EI. Não houve variação linear do valor do EI conforme aumentava o número de fatores de risco. Houve maior concordância dos resultados da avaliação do sistema eferente entre as EOET e PEATE. CONCLUSÕES: O PEATE detectou maior número de RN(s) com presença de EI no grupo de baixo risco quando comparado ao grupo de alto risco. / The efferent auditory system has the function of regulating and controlling the activity of the afferent auditory system providing better conditions for individuals to decipher acoustic messages, therefore, it is part of the central auditory processing. The detection, monitoring and early intervention of changes in the efferent system is of paramount importance to minimize the harmful effects of auditory processing disorders throughout life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 125 newborn infants of both genders have been screened, of which 79 belonged to the low-risk group for hearing loss and 46 to the high-risk group. The sample underwent OAET, OAEDP and ABR with and without the presence of white noise contralateral to the ear tested emitted at 60 dB SPL. Effect of inhibition (EI) was evaluated, resulting from subtracting the value of the total level of response, in the case of OAE and the amplitude and latency of wave V in the ABR provided without contralateral noise from the value obtained with contralateral noise. The effect of inhibition was analyzed within each group according to the variables ear, gender and condition of stimulation and also among the groups. The correlation between effect of inhibition and gestational age, postconceptional and risk factors was observed, as well as the correlation of the effect of inhibition between the tests carried out. RESULTS: Mean EI observed for OAET was 0.3 dB in the right ear (RE) and left ear (LE) in the low-risk group and 1.2 dB (RE) and 0.8 dB (LE) in the high risk group. In OAEDP EI was greater at low frequencies in both groups. In the mean EI ABR wave amplitude V was 0.07 microvolts (RE) and 0.06 microvolts (LE) in the low-risk group and 0.03 microvolts (RE) and 0.06 microvolts (LE) in the high risk group. The average EI of wave V latency in the groups of low and high risk was respectively -0.02 ms in the right and left ears and -0.03 ms (RE) and 0.1 ms (LE). There was no statistically significant difference in EI between the ears and genders in both groups. The comparison between the conditions of stimulation showed a statistically significant difference in RE and LE in OAET in the high risk group and the amplitude and latency of ABR in both groups. There was a statistically significant difference in EI between the RE group of low and high risk in OAET and ABR. The number of newborn (s) with presence of EI did not increase with increasing gestational age. Increasing post-conceptional age showed an increase in the Mean EI in the tests carried out. There was no linear variation of the value of EI as the number of risk factors increased. There was greater agreement amongst the results of the evaluation of the efferent system between OAET and ABR. CONCLUSIONS: ABR detected a higher number of newborn (s) with the presence of EI in the low-risk group when compared to the high-risk group.

Tinnitus is a conscious perception of phantom sounds in the absence of external acoustic stimuli, and masking is one of the popular ways to treat it. Due to the variation in the perceived tinnitus sound from patient to patient, the usefulness of masking therapy cannot be generalized. Thus, it is important to first determine the feasibility of masking therapy on a particular patient, by quantifying the tinnitus sound, and then generate an appropriate masking signal. This paper aims to achieve this kind of individual profiling by developing interactive software -Tinnitus Analyzer, based on clinical approach. The developed software has been proposed to be used in place of traditional clinical methods and this software (as a part of the future work) will be implemented in the practical scenario involving real tinnitus patients. / by Bashali Chaudbury. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The conventional methods for diagnosing pathological conditions of the tympanic membrane (TM) and other abnormalities require measuring its motion while responding to acoustic excitation. Current methodologies for characterizing the motion of the TM are usually limited to either average acoustic estimates (admittance or reflectance) or single-point mobility measurements, neither of which is sufficient to characterize the detailed mechanical response of the TM to sound. Furthermore, while acoustic and single-point measurements are useful for the diagnosis of some middle ear disorders, they are not useful in others. Measurements of the motion of the entire TM surface can provide more information than these other techniques and may be superior for the diagnosis of pathology. In this Thesis, the development of an optoelectronic holographic otoscope (OEHO) system for characterization of nanometer scale motions in TMs is presented. The OEHO system can provide full-field-of-view information of the sound-induced displacements of the entire surface of the TM at video rates, allowing rapid quantitative analysis of the mechanical response of normal or pathological TMs. Preliminary measurements of TM motion in cadaveric animals helped constrain the optical design parameters for the OEHO, including the following: image contrast, resolution, depth of field (DOF), laser power, working distance between the interferometer and TM, magnification, and field of view (FOV). Specialized imaging software was used in selecting and synthesizing the various components. Several prototypes were constructed and characterized. The present configuration has a resolution of 57.0 line pairs/mm, DOF of 5 mm, FOV of 10 ´ 10 mm2, and a 473 nm laser with illumination power of 15 mW. The OEHO system includes a computer controlled digital camera, a fiber optic subsystem for transmission and modulation of laser light, and an optomechanical system for illumination and observation of the TM. The OEHO system is capable of operating in two modes. A 'time-averaged' mode, processed at video rates, was used to characterize the frequency dependence of TM displacements as tone frequency was swept from 500 Hz to 25 kHz. A 'double-exposure' mode was used at selected frequencies to measure, in full-field-of-view, displacements of the TM surface with nanometer resolution. The OEHO system has been designed, fabricated, and evaluated, and is currently being evaluated in a medical-research environment to address basic science questions regarding TM function. Representative time-averaged holographic and stroboscopic interferometry results in post-mortem and live samples are herein shown, and the potential utilization discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T18:12:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniela Soares de Queiroz.pdf: 1799905 bytes, checksum: 6ce261672e2197e438d8c1179b923363 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Introduction: The auditory temporal resolution ability is responsible for the identification of silence gaps in function of time, allowing the perception of the occurrence of one or two stimuli. This auditory ability disorders are frequently associated with difficulties in phonological processing and in auditory discrimination of temporal cues in speech. Studies report that elderly subjects need a bigger gap to identify the presence of two tones and this would explain some of the complaints about the speech comprehension of this population. Objective: To measure the temporal resolution threshold in elderly people through the Random Gap Detection Test Expanded (RGDT-E), developed by Keith (2002), and to verify the correlation between the RGDT results for the variables gender, age, audiometric threshold and punctuation in the Self-Assessment of Communication questionnaire (SAC). Methodology: We evaluated 63 subjects of both genders with normal peripheral hearing or symmetric mild sensorineural hearing loss. Results: A better performance was observed, in milliseconds (ms), of the male gender group in all evaluated frequencies, where the RGDT results average is between 500 and 4000 Hz frequencies, for the female gender of 104,81 ms (DP+- 48,8 ms), and for the male gender of 22,08 ms (DP+- 20,15). Regarding the SAC results, most part of the evaluated people (62:63) didn't present significant complaints of communication difficulty (SAC of level 1 or 2), where in the male gender group any subject (0:10) presented significant complaints of communication difficulty, and in the female gender group, only 1:53 presented complaints (SAC of level 3). The results for the SAC in percentage were also similar in both groups, with an average of 9,95% (DP+- 12,28%) for the women group and of 7,78% (DP+- 7,12) for the men group. When the SAC questionnaire was compared with the RGDT, it was observed that between the male gender subjects only one subject, among 10 evaluated, presented temporal resolution threshold bigger than 20ms and also presented SAC of level 1. On the other hand, in the female gender group, 50 women, among 53 evaluated, presented medium results for the RDGT bigger than 20ms; however, only one presented significant complaint of communication difficulty (SAC of level 3). In the statistic analysis of the variable gender over the variables RGDT and SAC, it was observed that both genders are statistically different only on the RGDT results. On the other hand, it wasn't observed significant statistically differences between the genders for the SAC. Concerning the age and the audiometric configuration, significant statistically differences weren't observed for the RGDT variables or for the SAC. Conclusion: Comparing the RGDT results with the reference values for young population, the age presented to be a complicate factor of the temporal resolution thresholds, mainly for the female gender; however, even with increased thresholds, this population doesn't mention communication difficulties / Introdução: A habilidade auditiva de resolução temporal é responsável pela identificação de intervalos de silêncio em função do tempo, possibilitando a percepção da ocorrência de um ou dois estímulos sonoros. Transtornos desta habilidade auditiva estão freqüentemente relacionados a dificuldades de processamento fonológico e discriminação auditiva de pistas temporais da fala. Pesquisas relatam que o sujeito idoso necessita de intervalo maior para identificar a presença de dois tons e isso explicaria algumas das queixas de compreensão de fala dessa população. Objetivo: Medir o limiar de resolução temporal em idosos através do Teste de Detecção de Intervalo Aleatório Expandido (RGDT-E), desenvolvido por Keith (2002) e verificar a correlação entre os resultados do RGDT para as variáveis gênero, idade, limiar audiométrico e pontuação no questionário de auto-avaliação da comunicação (SAC). Metodologia: Foram avaliados 63 indivíduos de ambos os gêneros com audição periférica normal ou perda do tipo neurossensorial, simétrica de até grau leve. Resultados: Observou-se melhor desempenho, em milissegundos (ms), do grupo do gênero masculino em todas as freqüências avaliadas, sendo a média dos resultados do RGDT entre as freqüências de 500 e 4000 Hz, para o gênero feminino de 104,81 ms (DP ± 48,8 ms), e para o gênero masculino de 22,08 ms (DP ± 20,15). Com relação aos resultados do SAC, a maior parte da população avaliada (62:63) não apresentou queixas significativas de dificuldade de comunicação (SAC de grau 1 ou 2), sendo que no grupo do gênero masculino, nenhum sujeito (0:10) apresentou queixas significativas de dificuldade de comunicação e, no grupo do gênero feminino, apenas 1:53 apresentou queixa (SAC de grau 3). Os resultados para o SAC em porcentagem também foram semelhantes em ambos os grupos, com média de 9,95% (DP ± 12,28%) para o grupo de mulheres e de 7,78% (DP ± 7,12%) para o grupo de homens. Quando comparados os resultados do questionário SAC com o RGDT, observou-se que dentre os sujeitos do gênero masculino, apenas um sujeito, dentre os 10 avaliados, apresentou limiar de resolução temporal maior do que 20 ms e mesmo assim apresentava SAC de Grau 1. Em contrapartida, no grupo do gênero feminino, 50 mulheres, entre as 53 avaliadas, apresentaram resultados médios para o RDGT maiores do que 20 ms, entretanto, apenas uma apresentou queixa significativa de dificuldade de comunicação (SAC de Grau 3). Na análise estatística da variável gênero sobre as variáveis RGDT e SAC, observou-se que ambos os gêneros são estatisticamente diferentes apenas para os resultados do RGDT. Em contrapartida, não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os gêneros para o SAC. Com relação à idade e à configuração audiométrica não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas tanto para as variáveis do RGDT quanto para o SAC. Conclusão: Comparando os resultados do RGDT com os valores de referência para a população jovem, a idade mostrou-se fator de piora dos limiares de resolução temporal, principalmente para o gênero feminino, entretanto, mesmo com limiares aumentados, essa população não refere dificuldades de comunicação