Språket är i ständig förändring vilket innebär att språkligt material med tiden föråldras och blir inaktuellt. Vid talaudiometrisk testning av barn är det viktigt att testmaterialet innefattar ord som är välkända för barn eftersom förståelsen för materialet kan inverka på mätresultatet. Det talaudiometriska test som idag används för barn bygger på ordmaterial som ursprungligen insamlats under 1930-talet. Föreliggande studie är en del av ett större projekt och inleder arbetet med att utarbeta ett nytt talaudiometriskt material för barn. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att beräkna och jämföra ordfrekvens och antal ordformer utifrån inspelade samtal mellan de deltagande barnen i åldersgrupperna 5-8 år (Grupp 1) respektive 9-12 år (Grupp 2). Totalt 79 barn mellan 5 och 12 år deltog i studien. Inspelningar av barns samtal med varandra gjordes på förskolor och fritidshem i Linköpings tätort och cirka 300 minuter inspelat material analyserades. Barnens yttranden transkriberades ortografiskt och de ord som användes i samtalen grupperades för att därefter delas in i sex olika kategorier. Frekvensberäkning av ord per åldersgrupp utfördes och de båda åldersgruppernas totala volym av ordformer räknades ut. Resultaten visade att ordfrekvensen var högre i Grupp 2 än i Grupp 1. I Grupp 2 förekom också ett större antal ordformer än i Grupp 1. Hos båda åldersgrupperna var Substantiv den mest använda kategorin avseende antal ordformer, dock var det stor skillnad mellan Grupp 1 och Grupp 2 gällande vilka ordformer som användes. Resultaten diskuteras utifrån de åldersrelaterade skillnaderna mellan grupperna, olika sätt att beräkna ordfrekvens samt i relation till förändringar i svenska språket över tid.

Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 37 pages. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The accurate perception of spoken English is influenced by many variables, including the listener's native language, reverberation, and background noise. Few studies of speech perception by bilingual listeners have carefully controlled for second language proficiency and even fewer have presented speech in everyday listening environments that contain noise and reverberation. In the present study, detailed language background, language proficiency information, and individual language samples were collected and the speech stimuli were presented in a variety of quiet, noisy, and reverberant listening environments. / ABSTRACT: The effects of noise and reverberation on the perception of American English monosyllabic words was examined for two groups of young listeners with normal hearing: 1) monolingual American English speakers and 2) Spanish-English bilinguals who acquired both languages prior to age 6 years, exhibited similar spoken proficiency in both languages, and spoke English without a noticeable accent. An innovative test of virtual speech perception was used to assess word recognition in two listening environments typical of everyday communication: a simulated noisy anechoic environment and a simulated noisy reverberant environment. Word recognition was also measured in quiet and in an unprocessed noisy environment. For each noisy listening environment (unprocessed, anechoic, reverberant), three signal-to-noise ratios were employed. Results indicate that early bilingualism negatively affects perception of words presented in noisy listening environments. / ABSTRACT: Significantly poorer word recognition was observed for the bilingual listeners than for the monolingual listeners in all three noisy environments and at all noise levels. Both groups exhibited similar word recognition in quiet. The results were surprising considering the high level of spoken language proficiency exhibited by all bilingual listeners. It is often assumed that highly proficient Spanish-English speakers are equally proficient at understanding English; however, these data indicate that the speech understanding of this group may be overestimated in natural listening situations. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Occupational exposure-related hearing loss is a significant health concern for affected workers. Organic solvent exposure has emerged as an important contributor to hearing loss. It is thought that hearing loss related to solvent and noise exposure is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The glutathione associated enzymes and the manganese superoxide dismutase enzymes (SOD2) are important components of the cochlear hair cellâs defense against oxidative stress. This study is aimed to determine whether polymorphisms within the glutathione S-transferases (GST) P1 and GSTM1, glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), and SOD2 are associated with hearing status in solvent exposed factory workers. Genotypes for the GSTM1 + vs. null, GSTP1 Ile105Val, GPX1 Pro198Leu, SOD2 Val16Ala polymorphisms along with hearing status were determined in factory workers exposed to organic solvents. Hearing tests consisted of pure tone audiometric (PTA) thresholds from 3-6 kHz and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) for 3-6 kHz. Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis was undertaken to assess for association between polymorphisms and hearing outcomes. The GSTP1 Val/Ile genotype at position 105 was associated with higher PTA thresholds (β=12.41, P value= 0.01) from 3-6 kHz in workers below age 22-43. The analysis showed a protective association of the SOD2 Ala/Val genotype (β= -26.42, P value= 0.025) and The GPX1 Leu/Leu genotypes (β=47.81, P value= 0.034) with audiometric thresholds from 3-6 kHz in individuals above age 43. This small cross-sectional study suggests that polymorphisms within the antioxidant system may alter susceptibility to hearing loss in workers exposed to organic solvents. These results also suggest the mechanisms by which this affect are mediated are complex and should be further investigated.

Ο σκοπός αυτής της μελέτης ήταν η ανάπτυξη μιας «ομιλητικής δοκιμασίας χαμηλού πλεονασμού» για την αξιολόγηση της κεντρικής ακουστικής επεξεργασίας σε παιδιά πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης τα οποία παρουσιάζουν μαθησιακές δυσκολίες. Η ανάγκη επιβεβαίωσης της ακεραιότητας του περιφερικού ακουστικού συστήματος πριν την εφαρμογή της κεντρικής δοκιμασίας, οδήγησε στην ανάπτυξη δύο ακόμη δοκιμασιών ομιλητικής ακοομετρίας. Η πρώτη ήταν για τη μέτρηση του «ουδού αναγνώρισης ομιλίας» και η δεύτερη για το «σκορ αναγνώρισης ομιλίας». Σαράντα λέξεις επιλέχθηκαν ως το τελικό υλικό της πρώτης δοκιμασίας και δύο φωνημικά ισόρροπες λίστες των πενήντα λέξεων για τη δεύτερη δοκιμασία. Από τη στατιστική ανάλυση για τη συσχέτιση του ποσοστού αναγνώρισης ομιλίας ανάμεσα στις 2 λίστες, δεν προέκυψε στατιστικά σημαντική διαφορά σε καμία στάθμη παρουσίασης του σήματος ομιλίας. Για την δοκιμασία της κεντρικής ακουστικής επεξεργασίας, οι δύο φωνημικά ισόρροπες λίστες τροποποιήθηκαν ψηφιακά χρησιμοποιώντας φίλτρο χαμηλής διέλευσης συχνοτήτων με συχνότητες αποκοπής στα 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750 και 2000 Hz με ρυθμό αποκοπής φίλτρου 18 dB/οκτάβα. Οι λίστες λέξεων διέλευσης χαμηλών συχνοτήτων που προέκυψαν εφαρμόστηκαν σε 180 παιδιά σχολικής ηλικίας σε στάθμη 40 dBSL αναφορικά με τον ουδό αναγνώρισης ομιλίας του κάθε παιδιού. Αρχικά μετρήθηκε ο ουδός αναγνώρισης ομιλίας του κάθε παιδιού. Για τη μέτρηση του σκορ αναγνώρισης ομιλίας παρουσιάστηκε μία λίστα σε ένταση 40 dBSL και η άλλη λίστα σε 80 dBSL. Ο ουδός αναγνώρισης ομιλίας κάθε παιδιού ήταν +6 dBHL από το μέσο όρο ουδών ακοής του, και κανένα παιδί δεν παρουσίασε σκορ αναγνώρισης ομιλίας μικρότερο από 92%. Επίσης, κανένα παιδί δεν παρουσίασε σημαντική μείωση στο σκορ αναγνώρισης ομιλίας του, στην ένταση των 80 dBSL. Ενενήντα παιδιά (52 αγόρια και 38 κορίτσια, ΜΟ=8.93, ΤΑ=1.68) χωρίς μαθησιακή διαταραχή αποτέλεσαν την πρώτη ομάδα και τα υπόλοιπα 90 (48 αγόρια και 42 κορίτσια, ΜΟ=9.04, ΤΑ=1.59) με μαθησιακή διαταραχή. Η στατιστική ανάλυση από την σύγκριση του ποσοστιαίου μέσου αριθμού λέξεων, που αναγνωρίστηκαν από τα παιδιά με μαθησιακή διαταραχή και παιδιά χωρίς μαθησιακή διαταραχή, προέκυψε στατιστικά πάρα πολύ σημαντική για τις περισσότερες συχνότητες αποκοπής φίλτρου με τη μέγιστη διαφορά να προκύπτει για το φίλτρο αποκοπής συχνοτήτων των 1000 Hz. Τα ίδια αποτελέσματα προέκυψαν και από τη σύγκριση μεταξύ των υποομάδων. Συμπερασματικά, αυτή η μελέτη κατέληξε στην ανάπτυξη τριών ομιλητικών δοκιμασιών. / The aim of this study was the development of a monaural low-redundancy speech test for assessment of the “auditory closure” process in school aged children that present learning disability and characteristics of a central auditory processing disorder. The need to determine the integrity of the peripheral hearing mechanism before testing for central auditory function, served for the development of two additional speech audiometry tests for children, due to their absence in Modern Greek language. The first was for the speech recognition threshold (SRT) and the second for the word recognition score (WRS) test. Four criteria were utilized for the development of SRT materials and eight for the WRS test. Forty trisyllabic words with thresholds within one standard deviation of the mean SRT and mean rate of growth in intelligibility were selected for the final SRT material. For the WRS test, two phonemically balanced fifty-word lists were developed. Statistical analysis between the two lists revealed no statistical significant differences on all presentation levels. In order to develop the behavioral test of CAPD, the two WRS lists were digitally modified utilizing low-pass filter with cutoff frequencies of 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750 και 2000 and rejection rate of 18dB/octave. Initially, the SRT was determined for every child. For WRS testing, one list was presented at 40 dBSL and the second at 80 dBSL to rule out 8th nerve pathology. The SRT was within +6 dBHL from the pure tone average and no child presented WRS less than 92%. Additionally, no child presented significant reduction of WRS at 80 dBSL. The low-pass filtered lists were tested on 180 school aged children at 40 dBSL. Ninety children (52 boys and 38 girls, Μ=8.93, SD=1.68) without learning disability and 90 children (52 boys and 38 girls, Μ=9.04, SD=1.59) with learning disability and CAPD behavior characteristics were served as the subjects of the two groups. Statistical analysis of the mean WRSs between the two groups and subgroups revealed a signicant difference for most cutoff frequencies with the highest difference for the 1000 Hz filter. In conclusion, this study resulted in the production of three speech audiometry tests for school aged children. These tests serve a variety of clinical functions.

No description available.

The study investigated the feasibility of including DPOAEs in the annual medical surveillance test battery for the identification of NIHL in a group of employees in a manufacturing industry in KwaZulu-Natal. Feasibility was investigated by exploring the sensitivity, specificity and predictive efficiency of DPOAEs, the ability of DPOAEs to detect subtle noise-induced cochlea changes, the test-retest reliability of DPOAEs and lastly, the duration of time taken to conduct the DPOAE test bilaterally. A cross-sectional and repeated measures within-in participant design was utilized in the study. A purposive convenience sampling technique was used, as well as a stratified sampling approach in order to realize objective two of the study. The study consisted of 60 participants, which were further stratified into four test groups, i.e. Group A: 0-3 years, Group B: 3.1-6 years and Group C: 6.1-9 years and Group D: 9.1-13 years of working within the beverage manufacturing industry. A high sensitivity and negative predictive value was reported in the current study, suggesting that DPOAEs may be able to identify those who present with subtle cochlea changes as a result of exposure to occupational noise. The sensitivity of DPOAEs was 100% at 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8kHz in the right ear and at 4 and 6kHz in the left ear. The specificity of DPOAEs in the current study ranged between 55%-97% across the frequency range in the right ear and 49%-88% in the left ear. A negative predictive value of 100% was obtained bilaterally across the frequency range, except at 8kHz in the left ear. Visual inspection of the DPgram in the current study revealed a bilateral reduction in DPOAE amplitudes for all test groups in the high frequency region of the DP-Gram, namely, 5477Hz and 7303Hz, in the absence of a statistically significant difference (p>0.05). A greater frequency range appears to be affected in this group of workers, indicating that the type of noise, namely, impulse noise, may result in cochlea changes. Corresponding changes on the pure tone audiogram were not observed, however, noise notch configurations were observed for the groups with a longer history of noise exposure. This was not seen bilaterally as is typically expected with NIHL. Good test-retest reliability across the frequency range obtained in the current study further indicates the feasibility of including DPOAEs in the annual medical surveillance test battery. Additionally, the current study calculated an average of 86 seconds (1 minute 26 seconds) to conduct the DPOAE test bilaterally, confirming that DPOAEs are a quick test to administer. The findings of this study suggest that DPOAEs may be used to monitor early subtle noise-induced cochlea changes for workers exposed to noise in the beverage manufacturing industry as part of the annual medical surveillance test battery. / Thesis (M.Comm.Path.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2013.

Rationale: Audiology student training in New Zealand faces many difficulties with a limited number of qualified instructors and suitable external placements. With a continued shortage of audiologists in New Zealand, new methods of training need to be introduced and implemented. One solution is through the use of realistic, computer-based virtual patient simulators (VPS). HIT Lab New Zealand in conjunction with the University of Canterbury has designed a VPS for New Zealand audiology students. A speech audiometry component is to be developed based on best practice recommendations, and needs to be validated. Method: Two studies, one with 18 Master of Audiology (“expert”) and another with 18 (“novice”) undergraduate students, were evenly divided into simulator and non-simulator user groups. Simulator users had to complete 5 virtual patient cases in addition to the non-simulator users’ requirement to refer to provided lecture notes and speech audiometry protocols. Novice students were assessed on declarative, procedural and retained knowledge of speech audiometry; expert students were additionally assessed on training transfer. The intervention period was set at two weeks, and the retention assessment at four weeks post-intervention.   Results: Expert students who used the simulator significantly improved their training transfer skills. No significant differences were found between and within groups for declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. Training transfer and procedural knowledge were retained for both groups, but only non-simulator users retained declarative knowledge. Novice students who used the simulator significantly increased their declarative knowledge. Both groups’ procedural knowledge significantly regressed post-intervention. Declarative and procedural knowledge were retained for both groups. Implications: Simulator use appears to accelerate learning outcomes otherwise achievable through traditional learning methods, and does depend on the users’ existing knowledge base. Regular use may be necessary to retain desired learning outcomes. Improvements (e.g., more detailed feedback systems) are to be incorporated into the simulator, and sole reliance on the simulator for learning is not recommended. Future research into more holistic aspects of virtual patient use within the field of audiology and allied health care is warranted.

Thesis (Au.D.)--James Madison University, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references.

Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2016-04-20T10:56:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 3418215 bytes, checksum: cba168310c87ccb6666ce01f33471028 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-20T10:56:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 3418215 bytes, checksum: cba168310c87ccb6666ce01f33471028 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The motorcycle patrol activity of the military Police is held in various environmental conditions with situations that cause discomfort and impair safety. The presence of occupational noise comes from sources such as urban traffic, the radio communicator, sirens, motorcycle and environmental noise, which added throughout the work day can cause the occurrence of hearing problems and induced hearing loss by noise. Thus, this work presents an investigation into how exposure to occupational noise of patrol activity affects the auditory system of motorcycle police officers during patrol activity. This case study was approved by the UFPB’s ethics committee in research. The data collection for this research was conducted in three stages: selection of police and application of occupational history questionnaires, audiometry and noise dosimetry according to ISO 9612:2009 recommendations. The study gathered 46 military police more than three years of service in motorcycle patrol activity and, no hearing aids history. The level of occupational noise is higher than the regulatory limits and the daily dose exceeds 400%. Hearing complaint was identified in 50% of police officers and more than 30% have hearing loss due to noise. The risk of aggravating these cases of hearing loss and the development of new cases is higher than 50% for these policemen with increased service life. Through these results, it is possible to suggest that exposure to occupational noise of motorcycle patrol activity can affect the auditory system of the military police, increasing the risk of hearing loss. / A atividade de Motopatrulhamento dos policiais militares é realizada em diversas condições ambientais com situações que provocam o desconforto e prejudicam a segurança do trabalho. A presença do ruído ocupacional provém de fontes como, o tráfego urbano, o rádio comunicador, as sirenes, a motocicleta e o ruído ambiental, as quais somadas ao longo do dia de trabalho podem provocar a ocorrência de problemas de auditivos e a perda auditiva induzida pelo ruído. Desta maneira, este trabalho apresenta uma investigação sobre como a exposição ao ruído ocupacional da atividade de patrulhamento afeta o sistema auditivo do policial militar durante a atividade de Motopatrulhamento. Este estudo de caso foi aprovado pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa da UFPB, a coleta de dados desta pesquisa foi realizada em três etapas: seleção dos policiais e aplicação de questionários de anamnese ocupacional, exame audiométrico e dosimetria de ruído segundo as recomendações da ISO 9612:2009. Participaram desta pesquisa 46 policiais militares com mais de três anos de serviço na função de Motopatrulhamento e sem histórico de problemas auditivos. O nível de ruído ocupacional é superior aos limites normativos e a dose diária ultrapassa 400%. Foi identificada uma queixa auditiva em 50% dos policiais militares e mais de 30% possui perda auditiva em função do ruído. O risco de agravamento destes casos de perda auditiva e do desenvolvimento de novos casos é superior a 50% para estes policiais militares com o aumento do tempo de serviço. Através dos resultados encontrados, é possível sugerir que a exposição ao ruído ocupacional da atividade de Motopatrulhamento pode afetar o sistema auditivo do policial militar, aumentando o risco de perda auditiva.

Introdução: Dados epidemiológicos sobre prevalência de perdas auditivas em países em desenvolvimento são insuficientes para o planejamento e execução de programas efetivos, visando à intervenção, prevenção e promoção em saúde. Além disso, ações de saúde na atenção básica, bem como nos serviços de média e alta complexidade não dão conta de atender ou mesmo conhecer a demanda, também pelo fato de existir um número limitado de profissionais da saúde que cuidam da audição. Dentro deste contexto, faz-se necessária a adoção de técnicas ou procedimentos acessíveis às áreas carentes do país, que não contam com recursos financeiros para a aquisição de tecnologia ou recursos humanos que possibilitem a identificação, o mais precoce possível, de grupos de risco para alterações auditivas. Com o avanço da tecnologia, métodos de triagem auditiva à distância são possíveis, inclusive como facilitadores em áreas onde não há especialistas. Sendo assim, a criação e validação de protocolos de teleaudiologia são fundamentais para que possam ser utilizados dentro de programas de saúde rotineiros. Objetivo: avaliar a acurácia e a viabilidade de execução da teleaudiometria, comparando-a à audiometria por varredura, tendo como padrão ouro a audiometria tonal, em escolares do ciclo I do ensino fundamental. Método: Participaram do estudo 243 escolares, sendo 118 meninos e 125 meninas, com idade média de 8,3 anos. Foram realizados os seguintes procedimentos: triagem por teleaudiometria com fones TDH39, com software que avalia a audição automaticamente nas frequências de 1000, 2000 e 4000 Hz a 25 dBNA, triagem por varredura audiométrica em cabina acústica (nas frequências de 1000, 2000 e 4000 Hz a 20 dBNA) e pesquisa dos limiares auditivos por meio de audiometria tonal em cabina acústica (nas frequências de 500, 1000, 2000 e 4000Hz). Resultados: Verificou-se que não existe associação entre os resultados normais e alterados nos testes auditivos e a variável sexo. Das 243 crianças que realizaram a audiometria tonal, 195 apresentaram limiares auditivos normais. Para a audiometria por varredura, 209 passaram e para a teleaudiometria, 188 passaram. Sendo assim, a habilidade diagnóstica dos métodos de triagem foi avaliada, encontrando-se os seguintes valores para teleaudiometria / audiometria por varredura: sensibilidade - 58% / 65%, especificidade - 86% / 99%, valor preditivo positivo - 51% / 91%, valor preditivo negativo - 89% / 92%, acurácia - 81% / 92%. A teleaudiometria e a varredura apresentaram concordância moderada pelo coeficiente Kappa. Além disso, foi avaliada a possibilidade diagnóstica de execução da teleaudiometria realizada em série ou em paralelo com a imitanciometria, indicando que a aplicação destes métodos em série melhora a especificidade e a aplicação dos testes em paralelo melhora a sensibilidade. Conclusão: Embora a audiometria por varredura apresente valores de sensibilidade e especificidade maiores, a teleaudiometria mostrou confiabilidade e viabilidade como método de triagem auditiva em escolares. Além disso, a teleaudiometria apresenta vantagens de aplicação em áreas remotas, onde não existe a disponibilidade de profissionais especializados e equipamentos específicos, o que pode reduzir custos em programas de triagem auditiva / Introduction: Epidemiological data on the prevalence of hearing loss in developing countries are insufficient for the planning and execution of effective programs, aimed at intervention, prevention and health promotion. In addition, health actions in primary care, as well as secondary and tertiary services are not enough to meet or even know the demand; this also occurs because there is a limited number of health professionals who care for the hearing. Within this context, it is necessary to adopt accessible techniques or procedures for the underserved areas of the country, that do not have financial resources for the purchase of technology or human resources to enable the identification, as early as possible, of risk groups for hearing disorders. With the advance of technology, distance hearing screening methods are possible, working as facilitators in areas where there are no experts. Thus, the creation and validation of teleaudiology protocols are essential so that they can be used in routine health programs. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of the teleaudiometry, comparing it to the sweep audiometry, considering pure tone audiometry as the gold standard, in school children of the first cycle in elementary school. Method: 243 students participated in this study, 118 boys and 125 girls, mean age 8.3 years. The following procedures were performed: teleaudiometry screening with TDH39 headphones and software that automatically evaluates hearing at the frequencies of 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz at 25 dBHL, sweep audiometry screening in acoustic booth (at the frequencies of 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz at 20 dBHL) and hearing thresholds search using pure tone audiometry in acoustic booth (at the frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz). Results: It was found that there is no association between normal and abnormal results in hearing tests and the gender variable. Of the 243 children who underwent pure tone audiometry, 195 had normal hearing thresholds. For the sweep audiometry, 209 children passed the screening, and 188 passed the teleaudiometry. Therefore, the diagnostic capacity of the screening methods was evaluated, verifying the following values: for teleaudiometry / sweep audiometry: sensitivity - 58% / 65%, specificity - 86% / 99%, positive predictive value - 51% / 91%, negative predictive value - 89% / 92%, accuracy - 81% / 92%. The teleaudiometry and the sweep audiometry showed moderate agreement using the Kappa coefficient. Furthermore, the diagnostic possibility of performing teleaudiometry in series or in parallel with imitanciometry was evaluated, indicating that the application of these methods in series improves specificity and the application of parallel testing improves sensitivity. Conclusion: Although the sweep audiometry presented higher sensitivity and specificity values, teleaudiometry showed reliability and feasibility as a hearing screening method in school children. Moreover, teleaudiometry has application advantages in remote areas, where specialized professionals and specific equipment are not available, which can reduce costs in hearing screening programs