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e-Article

Digital processing technology for bone-anchored hearing aids: randomised comparison of two devices in hearing aid users with mixed or conductive hearing loss.
Document Type
Article
Source
Journal of Laryngology & Otology. Feb2014, Vol. 128 Issue 2, p119-127. 9p.
Subject
*HEARING aids
*QUESTIONNAIRES
*RESEARCH funding
*MEDICAL instrument maintenance
*OSSEOINTEGRATION
*DICOM (Computer network protocol)
*DATA analysis software
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
PHYSIOLOGICAL aspects of speech
Language
ISSN
0022-2151
Abstract
Objective:This study compared the performance of two new bone-anchored hearing aids with older bone-anchored hearing aids that were not fully digital.Methods:Fourteen experienced bone-anchored hearing aid users participated in this cross-over study. Performance of their existing bone-anchored hearing aid was assessed using speech-in-noise testing and questionnaires. Participants were then fitted with either a Ponto Pro or a BP100 device. After four weeks of use with each new device, the same assessments were repeated.Results:Speech-in-noise testing for the 50 per cent signal-to-noise ratio (the ratio at which 50 per cent of responses were correct) showed no significant differences between the Ponto Pro and the BP100 devices (p = 0.1) However, both devices showed significant improvement compared with the participants' previous bone-anchored hearing aid devices (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two new devices in the questionnaire data.Conclusion:Both fully digital bone-anchored hearing aids demonstrated superior speech processing compared with the previous generation of devices. There were no substantial differences between the two digital devices in either objective or subjective tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]