Use of Frequency Compression in Severe-profound Hearing Loss Adults

Launched by UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON · Nov 9, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Frequency compression is a feature available on some digital hearing aids, which is aimed at increasing the audibility of high frequency sounds. It works by taking sounds above a fixed start frequency and compresses it into lower frequencies where residual hearing is better.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Participants must be over 18 years of age- This study is looking at the use of frequency compression \& its effects of speech perception in adults.
• • 2. No ear surgery that would make it impossible to fit a hearing aid- To ensure limited confounding variables.
• • 3. No history of ear surgery within the last 12 months- To ensure limited confounding variables.
• • 4. No history of ear infection(s) within the last 6 months- To ensure no contraindications and limited confounding variables to testing.
• • 5. No otoscopic abnormality making it impossible to fit a hearing aid- To ensure no contraindications to testing.
• • 6. Bilateral severe-profound hearing impairment with air conduction thresholds \>71dBHL within the frequency range of 250Hz to 4 kHz- To analyse the effects of frequency compression on speech perception within this patient population.
• • 7. Post lingual deafness, with good spoken English- To ensure reliability of speech testing.
• • 8. Previous bilateral digital hearing aid experience (6+ months)- To ensure limited confounding variables.
• • 9. Written consent required.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Participants under the age of 18 years.
• • 2. History of ear surgery making it impossible to fit a hearing aid.
• • 3. History of ear surgery within the last 12 months.