Clinical trial of a digital hearing aid. 1998

S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
Department of Audiology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden. stig.arlinger@oto.liu.se

A clinical trial of Oticon DigiFocus hearing aid was performed. The test aid was evaluated on 33 subjects with several years' experience as users of modern analog hearing aids. These aids were used as reference for the 1-month-long trial. The Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) showed a mean difference in benefit with superior ratings for the test aid concerning ease of communication, speech in reverberation and speech in background noise. The subjects' own aids were rated somewhat better concerning aversiveness of sounds, but this difference was not statistically significant. The Gothenburg Profile showed a statistically significant difference between the test aid and the reference aids in favour of the test aid. The difference was not most evident with regard to speech communication and the effects of hearing loss on social interactions. Sound quality ratings concerning clearness were significantly higher for the test aid. Speech recognition thresholds in noise were on average 0.7 dB better for the test aids when tested at speech levels 60 and 75 dB. The difference was statistically significant only at 75 dB. There was significant interaction between general preference and hearing aid type, indicating that overall sound quality was an important factor affecting the general preference for either the test aid or the reference aid. Twenty-three subjects generally preferred the test aid, six preferred their own aid and four stated no difference.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D005260 Female Females
D006310 Hearing Aids Wearable sound-amplifying devices that are intended to compensate for impaired hearing. These generic devices include air-conduction hearing aids and bone-conduction hearing aids. (UMDNS, 1999) Ear Molds, Hearing Aid,Aid, Hearing,Aids, Hearing,Hearing Aid
D006319 Hearing Loss, Sensorineural Hearing loss resulting from damage to the COCHLEA and the sensorineural elements which lie internally beyond the oval and round windows. These elements include the AUDITORY NERVE and its connections in the BRAINSTEM. Deafness Neurosensory,Deafness, Neurosensory,Deafness, Sensoryneural,Neurosensory Deafness,Sensorineural Hearing Loss,Sensoryneural Deafness,Cochlear Hearing Loss,Hearing Loss, Cochlear,Deafnesses, Neurosensory,Deafnesses, Sensoryneural,Neurosensory Deafnesses,Sensoryneural Deafness,Sensoryneural Deafnesses
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D001309 Auditory Threshold The audibility limit of discriminating sound intensity and pitch. Auditory Thresholds,Threshold, Auditory,Thresholds, Auditory
D012720 Severity of Illness Index Levels within a diagnostic group which are established by various measurement criteria applied to the seriousness of a patient's disorder. Illness Index Severities,Illness Index Severity

Related Publications

S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
January 1986, Journal of rehabilitation research and development,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
April 2000, HNO,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
January 1999, Scandinavian audiology,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
October 2000, JAMA,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
January 1998, Zhongguo yi liao qi xie za zhi = Chinese journal of medical instrumentation,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
May 2004, Acta oto-laryngologica,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
September 1995, The Annals of otology, rhinology & laryngology. Supplement,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
February 1989, Otolaryngologic clinics of North America,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
January 1998, Scandinavian audiology,
S Arlinger, and E Billermark, and M Oberg, and T Lunner, and J Hellgren
December 1999, MMW Fortschritte der Medizin,
Copied contents to your clipboard!