A crossover trial comparing wide dynamic range compression and frequency compression in hearing aids for tinnitus therapy.

Autor:	Hodgson SA; a Audiology Section , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand., Herdering R; b Department of Psychology , University of Muenster , Muenster , Germany., Singh Shekhawat G; a Audiology Section , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.; c Centre for Brain Research , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand , and., Searchfield GD; a Audiology Section , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.; c Centre for Brain Research , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand , and.; d Tinnitus Research Initiative , Regensburg , Germany.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technology [Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol] 2017 Jan; Vol. 12 (1), pp. 97-103. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Sep 11.
DOI:	10.3109/17483107.2015.1079266
Abstrakt:	Purpose: It has been suggested that frequency lowering may be a superior tinnitus reducing digital signal processing (DSP) strategy in hearing aids than conventional amplification. A crossover trial was undertaken to determine if frequency compression (FC) was superior to wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) in reducing tinnitus. Method: A 6-8-week crossover trial of two digital signal-processing techniques (WDRC and 2 WDRC with FC) was undertaken in 16 persons with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss and chronic tinnitus. Results: WDRC resulted in larger improvements in Tinnitus Functional Index and rating scale scores than WDRC with FC. The tinnitus improvements obtained with both processing types appear to be due to reduced hearing handicap and possibly decreased tinnitus audibility. Conclusions: Hearing aids are useful assistive devices in the rehabilitation of tinnitus. FC was very successful in a few individuals but was not superior to WDRC across the sample. It is recommended that WDRC remain as the default first choice tinnitus hearing aid processing strategy for tinnitus. FC should be considered as one of the many other options for selection based on individual hearing needs. Implications of Rehabilitation Hearing aids can significantly reduce the effects of tinnitus after 6-8 weeks of use. Addition of frequency compression digital signal processing does not appear superior to standard amplitude compression alone. Improvements in tinnitus were correlated with reductions in hearing handicap.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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