final exam with review Flashcards
challenges of fitting a reverse slope loss
the addition of too much gain within the LF’s can lead to upward spread of masking as well as satisfaction may be limited due to increased likelihood of extensive dead regions
fitting strategies with a reverse slope loss
-add 15-20 dB gain to the low and mid frequencies
-add 10-15 dB at 2kHz and above for increased audibility
-allow time for habituation before any additional increases
what is important when we interact with patients that have a severe to profound hearing losses
we have to think of every patient individually, no two are the same
-residual hearing depends on individual factors
-be aware they may not be able to process speech due to the degree of loss
audibility objectives with severe to profound loss
need to consider communication style and patients may be more dependent on a specific signal processing type (i.e. some may prefer linear or nonlinear)
fitting strategies with a severe to profound loss
-raising up the TK may result in more access to the sounds that are more important to them
-lower compression ratios (closer to linear)
-slower acting compression to maintain longer non-compressed state
-using NAL-RP is recommended
-ensure to raise MPO as high as we can while staying under LDL
with severe to profound loss, these people tend to prefer _______
linear
fitting strategies needed for conductive loss
additional gain is needed to overcome the attenuation caused by the mechanical loss
-NAL formula is recommended
fitting with perforations
-losses that need LF energy will need ventilation
-BTEs are the only option for these patients to allow circulation
-NAL 2 is used
challenges with A/B gaps and fitting
these gaps attenuate the amplification prior to when it arrives to the cochlea
-additional gain will be needed to overcome these gaps
how to overcome the A/B gaps in fitting
calculate prescriptive gain that is recommended for the AC thresholds
-calculate 25% of the gaps
-increase the MPO by the same percentage allowing headroom for the extra gain
-use NAL as it calculates for this
two reasons as to why we measure RECD
it accurately converts an individuals HL audiometric thresholds into dB SPL values and it can allow for a prediction of real ear output when HA measurements are made within the test box
what is the importance of gaining personalized conversions from an RECD
the HL of two patients may be the same however the SPL can vary based on their individual ear factors
-if we use average data, this can lead to over or under amplification
how will slit leaks present on an RECD measurement
there will be a negative RECD within the LF
-can check the seal
-if that does not fix it, you can increase the tip size or use aquaphor
how will a blockage present on an RECD measurement
there will be a negative RECD within the HF
explain how ear canal volume can impact the SPL
-the smaller the volume, the higher the SPL (needing some more gain)
-the higher the volume, the lower the SPL (not needing as much gain)
why will we see changes in the RECD with patients that have perfs or PE tubes
with these two conditions, we have the additional of the ME cavity while measuring the volume
-we will see that LF energy is being released into the ME cavity o these lows are impacted more often
-therefore, the RECD will be decreased!!
why will we see changes in the RECD with fluid
the eardrum becomes stiffer and gets smaller, becoming a different system with different movements
-the RECD will be increased due to a smaller volume
why will we see changes in the RECD with a mastoidectomy
the ear canal space is impacted so therefore we will see a larger volume and therefore the RECD will be decreased
if there is a larger volume, the RECD will be _______. if there is a smaller volume, the RECD will be _______,
decreased ; increased
what are the steps that should be completed prior to the first fit appointment
conduct ANSI measurements, program the HA using RECD data and perform a listening check
frequency lowering is not recommended to be turned on at the first fit appointment however during the programming we can turn it on to observe. what are we doing to see how it functions?
we assess FL both with it off then with it on while playing a /s/ signal within the test box
-we are observing for the MAOF to become audible with their thresholds
day of delivery appointment notes
ensure a conformity evaluation is ran, perform speech map at 65 dB only, we can lower the volume if needed based on the perception from the patient and we are able to use speech map as a counseling aid to help show the patient what speech they hear and what they miss
functional gain (FG)
compares the patients unaided sound field audiogram to the aided audiogram
-this needs to be tested using soundfield for both the unaided and aided!!!
how is FG assessed
there is a pulsed or warble tone presented while masking is presented to the other ear using inserts
-the opposite ear is tested with the device through soundfield
-testing 500 to 4kHz
common reasons for measuring FG
REM equipment may not be available, cerumen may clog the probe microphone, pediatric fittings or uncooperative patients, CI/BAHA/lyric fitting and some federal government agencies may require it
with FG, we are not looking to achieve 0 dB for aided. what is a ballpark value we are looking for
around 20 dB
limitations of FG
test-retest is poor (could vary as much as 20 dB from day to day), testing only identified threshold of audibility, aided thresholds are invalid for near normal hearing, limited number of frequencies tested, HA features could suppress audibility of the tones, loss of HF aided functional gain is caused by AGC knee point
to ensure efficacy of aided function gain, when do these tests need to be performed?
after every modification to gain
what are the alternative conformity protocols
aided speech intelligibility measures, aided verification of adaptive speech in noise performance, aided loudness ratings and subjective soundfield ratings
aided speech intelligibility measures
checking to see if the audibility we added improved the ability to detect speech
-present speech through sound field
aided verification of adaptive speech in noise performance
ensures SNR loss did not degrade with amplification and functional verification of improved performance
-QuickSIN that is performed in the soundfield
-we need to adjust the signals manually, so after each sentence we increase the noise by 5 dB
what is the starting SNR for QuickSIN
+25 dB
-meaning the signal is 25 dB louder than the noise
aided loudness ratings
aided bilaterally and provide the patient with the loudness chart
-deliver a 45 dB signal (1-3 is acceptable)
-deliver a 65 dB signal (3-5 is acceptable)
-deliver a 85 dB signal (5 or 6 is acceptable)
subjective soundfield ratings
both subjective speech intelligibility and subjective speech quality judgements
3 considerations to determine if manual memories are warranted
how often they are in challenging environments, can the patient hear the difference and would the patient be able to understand/manage the programs
how often would a patient need to be in challenging environments to benefit from multiple memories
frequently!!
-with occasionally, you would need to determine with additional questions
-people that are rarely in challenging environments are not needing programs
what factors would impact the ability for a patient to hear the difference between programs
configuration does not require LF gain/output, feedback limits ability to add HF gain/output, receiver size limits the output and can’t increase the CR further
what factors would allow the patient to hear the difference between programs
threshold at 500 Hz is better than or equal to 40 dB and that the HF loss is not too severe
what factors decide if a patient could be able to understand/manage the programs
have the patient describe when they would use the programs, can the patient manipulate the control and can also screen for any mild cognitive impairment
what is the goal when creating a program for speech in low-frequency weighted background nosie
to eliminate the offending signal (within the lows) while increasing the high frequencies for clarity
changes that should happen for speech in low frequency background noise
-lower the low frequency band from 1kHz to 250 Hz (most at the very lowest)
-raise the high frequency band from 2kHz to 4 kHz (most at the very highest)
changes that should happen to improve comfort listening in low frequency weighted background noise
-raise the low frequency TK below 1.5 kHz to attenuate the soft LF signals
-increase the CR in the LF loud input channel (done by decreasing the gain)
changes that should happen for high frequency weighted background noise
increase the bands of LFs (the most at 250 Hz and the least at 1 kHz) and then decrease the bands of HFs (the most at 4 kHz and the least at 2 kHz)
what is the goal of programs for party noise
improving the comfort and striving for tolerance
what are the complexities with making a program for music
no long term average, intensity/frequency variations are significant and the intensity max/min are very different than speech (can be up to 16 to 18 above whereas speech is 12 above)
management of the amplifier origin
lower the LF band 4-6 dB
-if still present, try increasing it to overcome the mild occlusion and under amplification
how to assess the management for the shell origin
we can push the HAs further in then pull it out slightly, if the complain is better when it is deeper change the canal length but if the sound is better when it is pushed out change the vent
changes that should happen for party noise
-raise TK for HF up to 60 dB for attenuation of the soft HF signals
-increase the CR in the loud input channels (taking the edge off)
management of the shell origin
open vent or increased canal length
fitting suggestions for music
select a HA with a microphone that allows high front end input range or ….
-lower the volume on the stereo while increasing the volume on the aid
-use FM system as the input source instead of the device microphone
-place 3 layers of scotch tape over microphone to attenuate input by 10 to 12 dB
changes that should occur within a dedicated music memory
-disable DFS, DNR, adaptive directional microphone and frequency lowering
-reduce CR in the low frequencies by raising gain for loud input signals
-raise MPO to improve brightness/crispness
how can we tell if it is shell or amplifier origin
if the complaint is there with the device turned off, it is shell. if the complain stops when the HA is turned off, it is amplifier origin.