Journal article
Common Configurations of Real-Ear Aided Response Targets Prescribed by NAL-NL2 for Older Adults With Mild-to-Moderate Hearing Loss
American journal of audiology, Vol.29(3), pp.460-475
09/01/2020
DOI: 10.1044/2020_AJA-20-00025
PMCID: PMC7842845
PMID: 32693613
Abstract
Purpose: This study investigates common real-ear aided response (REAR) configurations prescribed by the NAL-NL2 algorithm for older adults with hearing loss.
Method: A data set that is representative of the older adult U.S. population with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss was constructed from the audiometric data of 934 adults (aged 55-85 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey years 1999-2012. Two clustering approaches were implemented to generate common REAR configurations for eight frequencies (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz) at three input levels (55, 65, and 75 dB SPL). (a) In the REAR-based clustering approach, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey audiograms were first converted to REAR targets and then clustered to generate common REAR configurations. (b) In the audiogram-based clustering approach, the audiograms were first clustered into common hearing loss profiles and then converted to REAR configurations. The trade-off between the number of available REAR configurations and the percentage of the U.S. population whose hearing loss could be fit by at least one of them (i.e., percent coverage) was evaluated. Hearing loss fit was defined as less than +/- 5-dB difference between an individual's REAR targets and those of the clustered REAR configuration.
Results: Percent coverage increases with the number of available REAR configurations, with four configurations resulting in 75% population coverage. Overall, REAR-based clustering yielded 5 percentage points better coverage on average compared to audiogram-based clustering.
Conclusions: The common REAR configurations can be used for programming the gain frequency responses in preconfigured over-the-counter hearing aids and provide clinically appropriate amplification settings for older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Common Configurations of Real-Ear Aided Response Targets Prescribed by NAL-NL2 for Older Adults With Mild-to-Moderate Hearing Loss
- Creators
- Justin Jensen - University of IowaDhruv Vyas - University of IowaDana Urbanski - University of IowaHarinath Garudadri - University of California, San DiegoOctav Chipara - University of IowaYu-Hsiang Wu - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- American journal of audiology, Vol.29(3), pp.460-475
- Publisher
- AMER SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOC
- DOI
- 10.1044/2020_AJA-20-00025
- PMID
- 32693613
- PMCID
- PMC7842845
- ISSN
- 1059-0889
- eISSN
- 1558-9137
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- R21DC015046; R33DC015046; R01DC015436 / National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders SCH 1838830 / National Science Foundation 90REGE0013 / National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/01/2020
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Computer Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984258744702771
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